For years the holy grail of horror films was the chance that George Romero would make another 'Dead' film. For years, rumors would fly about proposed scripts and possible funding. We were teased with ideas about how the 'Dead' had continued to evolve since 'Bub' in Day of the Dead. The thought of the zombies as outcasts, being mistreated and/or shunned like the homeless while high society evolved around them. Then there was the lower class, those who weren't dead, but might as well be. The one's who lived between the castle and the grave, forced to fend for themselves in a constant fight for survival. These thoughts had horror fans foaming at the mouths, anticipating the day that these dreams would eventually come to fruition.

Then the day finally came. Romero was given his greenlight and the funding to enter the world of the 'Dead' yet again. No sooner than fans had heard of the good news, it seemed as if shooting had finished. Then came the rumors. Trouble with the MPAA and even worse - on the set of the film. Romero had walked off just days before shooting was to complete. The studio went in to finish and complete some reshoots themselves. Romero skipped on the wrap party and was unhappy with the final product! Insanity!

To this day we still don't know if the rumors are true, but if they are, someone must have done something to really satisfy Romero in the end, because he seems to be extremely proud of what has become of Land of the Dead. The film hit theatres with mixed reviews from fans of the genre and newcomers alike. It performed poorly at the box office. I wasn't even sure what I thought of it at the time myself. A few months have passed and we've been given a chance to reflect. Universal has released Land of the Dead to DVD in an extended, unrated edition that appears to be loaded with extras. How does the film stand now that we're given the chance to revisit it on home video? Let's see...

What has the world come to as the dead continue to roam the earth? Well, as stated earlier there are sorta three stages to society now. The dead, who roam freely but are kept out of the exotic surroundings of Fiddler's Green, which is where the 'rich and important' reside. Then there is everyone else, sorta protected and fenced in, but still living in the slums that surround Fiddler's Green. In the mean time, a few of those who are 'slumming' it, work for Kaufman (Dennis Hopper), the big guy atop Fiddler's Green. When on the job, these 'soldiers' run a hell of a souped up tank called Dead Reckoning. They make nightly trips to the surrounding areas for supplies as they distract the walking dead with 'sky flowers' (what we commonly refer to as fireworks). Two of the senior men, Riley (Simon Baker) and Cholo (John Leguizamo) both think they are retiring after the evening's run, but they're both wrong.

The dead continue to 'learn' and adapt to their surroundings, much like Bub from Day of the Dead. Led by head zombie 'Big Daddy' they slowly make their way (mostly as a group) to Fiddler's Green. It's evident that they don't know exactly why they are traveling there or what they will do once they arrive, but they learn every step of their way as their mission becomes more apparent to them. Making matters worse is the fact that Cholo thought he was getting in good with Kaufman and would soon claim his spot in 'The Green.' Unfortunately for Cholo, Kaufman has other plans, Cholo's response is to steal Dead Reckoning and blackmail Kaufman with firepower. Riley is recruited to bring Cholo down and return Dead Reckoning to its rightful owner. A rag tag group of soldiers is assembled to aid Riley in his mission; including a prostitute Riley recently rescued named Slack (Asia Argento).

One of the things I didn't buy about Land of the Dead the first time I saw it was the fact that 'Big Daddy' was (almost) portrayed as the leader of the dead, the sole dictator in their quest. He withstands a lot of punishment to get them where they are going and at the time, I didn't buy it. However, the second time around, it wasn't so hard to swallow. Maybe I wasn't focusing in on other elements at play as much the first time, but the second time around, it didn't seem as obtrusive. Then there's the fact that the film plays off more like a post-apocalyptic film ala Escape From New York rather than what one would consider how a 'Dead' film would look. Upon seeing the film again, I said to myself, so what? The evolution of events seems probable to me now, and makes more sense. As a matter of fact, the unrated director's cut as a whole flowed much better as played out on this DVD release than it did when I saw it in theatres. I felt the film meandered a bit towards its second act the first time I saw it, and seemed to enjoy the flow better this time around. Snippets of gore have been restored here and there, and the addition of a few extended dialogue scenes seem to help as well, including a brief segment with Cholo in Fiddler's Green that was excised from theatrical prints.

Chalk it up to the addition of scenes or the fact that the film is complicated enough to warrant multiple viewings in order to completely comprehend, but it works. It works much better on repeated viewings. The first time I saw Land of the Dead in theatres, I was stuck on the fact that I felt it had come too late in the game. At least 10 years too late. I was overwhelmed with the fact that so many other zombie films had come and gone since 'Day' including the abysmal Dawn of the Dead remake. Why was George not given this chance for so long? Since I've had time to reflect, I've come to realize that I just need to get over all of that and accept Land for what it is...a continuation of Day and a damn fine one at that. Land of the Dead delivers and while the film is not without its flaws, it's a welcomed addition to the 'Dead' family; George has done his fans proud.

Universal has done a bang up job in presenting Land of the Dead on DVD. This is a spotless, near perfect transfer. The Dolby Digital and DTS audio tracks are both very powerful. There's really nothing negative to say about the audio/video presentation here. Very impressive.

Extras kick off with a feature length commentary with director George Romero, producer Peter Grunwald and editor Michael Doherty. While I was really looking forward to this track, I have to admit that ultimately, it's a bit of a disappointment. There is a lot of dead air (pardon the pun) and idle chitchat. Although there are some great points that are brought up, and they do a pretty good job at spotting extra gore bits, extended scenes and/or CGI work, but that's about the extent of it. Other extras include a slew of mini-featurettes including;

Undead Again: The Making Of Land Of The Dead which amounts to about 13-minutes of behind-the-scenes footage.

A Day With The Living Dead which runs about 7-minutes and features, clips of John Leguizamo on set.

The Remaining Bits which is about 3-minutes of, deleted scenes.

When Shaun Met George features Edgar Wright and Simon Penn (of Shaun Of The Dead). As the two prepare for their bit parts as zombies in the film.

Bringing The Dead To Life is a brief behind-the-scenes look at KNB and their effects.

Scenes Of Carnage features quick cuts of gore from the film set to music.

Zombie Effects - From Green Screen To Finished Scene features the CGI in the film/before and after effects etc.

Bringing The Storyboards To Life is a storyboard to film comparisons of a few scenes.

Scream Tests - Zombie Casting Calls well, we'll let this one speak for itself.

Also included is a Universal trailer reel (including a look at the Land of the Dead video game, oddly enough a trailer for Land of the Dead itself is not included. The film tastes sweeter the second, third and fourth time around. While the extras are souped up to be more worthwhile than they actually are, it's the film itself and its presentation that should sell you, and in that respect, you should already be sold. Highly recommended.