Dawn of the Dead (2004) 4K UHD Screenshots (Patreon)

Video

The color... so much color. Saturation is set to hyper mode, beginning with intense, glowing flesh tones right on the precipice of bleeding. Turns out, every hue is like that. Blues explode, and red blood looks absurdly overcranked. Dawn of the Dead is very much of the early color grading era, made to stand out on SDTVs.

Dolby Vision doesn't veer from that style, but instead enhances the vibrancy. Note this can and will alter contrast. Skylines take on a yellowed or orange tint, as if always at sundown. Teal becomes dominate once settled in the mall, driving the color entirely to a strict, almost monochrome tone indoors.

This doesn't mean brightness suffers. Peak white still carries a definite intensity, and given Dawn of the Dead's heightened reality - and much like the color - it's extreme. All of the wet skin covered in blood always glistens at peak nits. Clipping is common. Crush happens on the opposite side, even frequently. This does minimum damage to the depth however.

Importantly, the new 4K scan (the few minutes of extra footage finished at 2K) shows exceptional definition. Sharpness stays a consistent peak, with resulting detail impressive in their texture. Whether it's makeup or just a general closeup, texture results in full. It's fantastic, a slight exception for the lower resolution early '00s digital compositing aside. Scream's encode handles a grain structure without issue.

Audio

While still in 5.1, there's plenty to take stock of. Panning effects begin early as Ana drives through her neighborhood. Zombies snarl as they pass and cars jump front-to-back effortlessly. Attack scenes fill the soundstage perfectly, keeping activity at a constant. Ambiance remains high as the empty mall adds a small echo to everything.

Bass primarily stems from the music, providing a heavy, room-shaking drop from jump scares. Gunshots do drive into the low-end. Zombies slamming into windows elicit a jolt too. Propane tanks going up in flames give off a sustained rumble that's spectacular.