Dawn of the Dead (Dario Argento cut) (1978)

I wasn't expecting this to be so goofy—you can really see the inspiration for Dead Rising in the early dudes rock escapades and the slapstick segment of the raider invasion. It's also shot through with social commentary to the point that it's more of a blunt social satire with zombies rather than a zombie apocalypse film with gags. On the tech side, the special effects have a cartoonish look that undercuts the horror and opens more emotional space for action, comedy, and commentary (that's right, goopy tomato soupy blood is intellectual now) and the Goblin soundtrack in Argento's cut is (sometimes) fresh and eerie. Beyond that, I didn't feel the film stood out technically, and the drama's often kinda weak, but the ending is A-grade.