by Nikkolas Nelson

“I’m still dreaming,” is one of the first lines of dialogue uttered in George A. Romero’s 1978 masterpiece Dawn of the Dead. It’s possible that the character is simply referring to the overall state of things — this apocalypse has to be some sort of stubborn nightmare and not reality — but could also be interpreted as a moment of profound foreshadowing for the film’s subject matter. The traditional idea of The American Dream ultimately centers around consumerism: house, spouse, kids, cars, white picket fence — the best of all possible worlds. She is perhaps hoping that, despite the world obviously unraveling, that she will still be able to somehow eke out this dream, and this idea is played out with the protagonists throughout the remainder of the film.