Coming up on Saturday at the Described Movies: Dawn of the Dead, and Candyman.

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From this Saturday at 12am Eastern, that’s 5pm Saturday in NZ, 3pm in Sydney and 5am in the UK, and repeated every four hours throughout the day, it’s the described movies Dawn of the Dead from 1978 and Candyman from 1992.
Dawn of the Dead is a 1978 zombie horror film written, directed, and edited by George A. Romero, and produced by Richard P. Rubinstein.
An American-Italian international co-production, it is the second film in Romero's series of zombie films, and though it contains no characters or settings from the preceding film Night of the Living Dead (1968), it shows the larger-scale effects of a zombie apocalypse on society.
In the film, a phenomenon of unidentified origin has caused the reanimation of the dead, who prey on human flesh.
David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross star as survivors of the outbreak who barricade themselves inside a suburban shopping mall amid mass hysteria.
Romero waited to make another zombie film after Night of the Living Dead for several years to avoid being stereotyped as a horror director.
Upon visiting Monroeville Mall in Monroeville, Pennsylvania with a friend whose company managed the complex, he decided to use the location as the basis for the film's story.
The project came to the attention of Italian filmmaker Dario Argento who, along with his brother Claudio and producer Alfredo Cuomo, agreed to co-finance the film in exchange for its international distribution rights.
Argento also consulted with Romero during the scriptwriting phase.
Principal photography on Dawn of the Dead took place between November 1977 and February 1978 on location in Monroeville and Pittsburgh.
The special make-up effects were created by Tom Savini, whose work on the film led to an extensive career creating similar effects for other horror films.
In post-production, Romero and Argento edited separate versions of the film for their respective markets.
Argento's version features a progressive rock score composed and performed by his frequent collaborators Goblin, while Romero's cut primarily favours stock cues from the De Wolfe Music Library.
Following its Italian premiere on 1 September 1978, Dawn of the Dead was released in other markets the following year.
Despite facing difficulties with various national censorship boards ― in the United States, it was released unrated to improve its commercial prospects after it was given an X by the Motion Picture Association of America, and in Britain it was liable for seizure during the 1980s " video nasties" moral panic ― the film proved to be a major success at the box office, grossing $66 million worldwide against its estimated budget of $640,000.
Noted for its satirical portrayal of consumerism, Dawn of the Dead has received widespread critical acclaim since its initial release and is widely considered to be one of the greatest horror films ever made, as well as the greatest zombie film.
Like its predecessor, it has garnered a large, international cult following.
In 2008, it was chosen by Empire magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time, along with Night of the Living Dead.
Dawn of the Dead was followed by four official sequels, beginning with 1985's Day of the Dead, and a separate series of unofficial Italian-made sequels, beginning with 1979's Zombi 2.
It has also inspired a 2004 remake directed by Zack Snyder, as well as numerous parodies and pop culture references.
Directed by: George A. Romero.
Written by: George A. Romero.
Produced by: Richard P. Rubinstein.
Starring: David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross.
Cinematography: Michael Gornick.
Edited by: George A. Romero.
Music by: Goblin Dario Argento.
Production company: Laurel Group.
Distributed by: United Film Distribution Company (US), and Titanus (Italy).
Release dates: 1 September 1978 (Italy), 27 March 1979 (Japan), 7 April 1979 ( Dallas), and 13 April 1979 (United States).
File Length: 137 minutes.
Countries: United States , and Italy.
Language: English.
Budget: $640,000.
Box office: $66 million.
Candyman is a 1992 American gothic supernatural horror film, written and directed by Bernard Rose and starring Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Xander Berkeley, Kasi Lemmons, and Vanessa E. Williams.
Based on Clive Barker's short story " The Forbidden", the film follows a Chicago graduate student completing a thesis on urban legends and folklore, which leads her to the legend of the " Candyman", the ghost of an African American artist and the son of a slave who was murdered in the late 19th century for his relationship with the daughter of a wealthy white man.
The film came to fruition after a chance meeting between Rose and Barker who recently completed his own film adaptation of Nightbreed (1990).
Rose expressed interest in Barker's story "The Forbidden", and Barker agreed to license the rights.
Where Barker's story revolved around the themes of the British class system in contemporary Liverpool, Rose chose to refit the story to Cabrini-Green 's public housing development in Chicago and instead focus on the themes of race and social class in the inner-city United States.
Candyman was theatrically released on 16 October 1992 by TriStar Pictures and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment.
The film received generally positive reviews and grossed over $25 million in the US, where it was also regarded in some critical circles as a contemporary classic of horror cinema.
It was followed by two sequels, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995) and Candyman: Day of the Dead (1999).
A direct sequel of the same name was released on August 27, 2021.
Directed by: Bernard Rose.
Screenplay by: Bernard Rose.
Based on: "The Forbidden" by Clive Barker.
Produced by: Steve Golin, Sigurjon Sighvatsson, and Alan Poul.
Starring: Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Xander Berkeley, and Kasi Lemmons.
Cinematography: Anthony B. Richmond.
Edited by: Dan Rae.
Music by: Philip Glass.
Production companies: Propaganda Films, and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment.
Distributed by: TriStar Pictures.
Release dates: 11 September 1992 ( TIFF), and 16 October 1992 (United States).
File Length: 99 minutes.
Country: United States.
Language: English.
Budget: $8–9 million.
Box office: $25.8 million (US).
Any questions, comments, or ideas for future described movies: e-mail me: anthony at mushroomfm dot com (e-mail address written that way to cut down on
spam)
Enjoy the movies,