Dawn of the Dead
Strange Behavior
Set during the morning after the events of Romero's Night of the Living Dead, this sequel combines horror movie thrills with a pointed critique of American consumerism. Two SWAT team members briefly escape the threat of their flesh-eating adversaries at a Philadelphia area television station. As the zombies discover their hideout, the two men flee by helicopter along with two of the station's employees to a local shopping mall where they barricade themselves inside. Amidst the film's gorier scenes are fascinating moments of down time in which Romero's characters wander the space of the mall, at first looking for supplies but eventually indulging in the rare privilege of free shopping.
A local police officer (Murphy) on the trail of a presumed serial killer discovers some strange goings-on at the local college where his son (Shor) has volunteered to participate in a series of bizarre science experiments. This sly, revisionist zombie film became a cult favorite in the 1980s for its satirical and frightening view of American conformity. Shot in New Zealand, the film's tongue-in-cheek script was written by Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Chicago) and features an atmospheric soundtrack by Tangerine Dream.