Alternate Best Supporting 1978: Scott Reiniger in Dawn of the Dead

Scott Reiniger did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Roger "Trooper" DeMarco in Dawn of the Dead.

Dawn of the Dead is perhaps one of the best "cheap" movies ever made about four people who try to survive the zombie apocalypse.

Now I don't refer to "cheap" as the cost, as for the time anyways it wasn't all that low budget of a film. George Romero's work as director though doesn't have, we'll say, the typical expertise when it comes to the sound design which is a bit a shoddy, the cinematography kind of whatever it is, and even the makeup effects show an an inconsistency. This as while there are some very impressive ones, there's also times where we get some obvious dummies, and some terrible "zombie" looks that look like people just have a bit of blue paint on their face. I am I'll admit more directly critical with the less technical imperfections, that being Romero's attempts at social satire get a little obnoxious when the characters speak them by either saying the most on the nose lines possible, or BY YELLING EVERY LINE BECAUSE HUMANITY CAN'T GET ALONG, GET IT! I say all that though, because I do rather like this film overall despite all its flaws. One of the reasons being the moments in which it seems to take a strangely down to earth approach as we follow the four survivors, who just try to hole up in the mall, and follow the appropriate problems and joys they'll get in this endeavor. This is also helped by following squarely on four characters, a pilot, his girlfriend and two swat officers.

Although I'll say, much like the rest of the film, the acting does carry a certain amateurish quality, particularly the bit players, which thankfully we don't spend too much with. The most confident being I'd say is the Afghan prince himself, Scott Reiniger as one of the two sway officers. This is to the point that I actually think his performance is one of the most interesting things in the film, as he is neither the panicky idiot we find in zombie films, like David Emgee as the pilot Steve "Flyboy" Andrews or the stoic heroic type like Ken Foree as the other swat member Peter. Reiniger's realizes his more unique arc from the outset of the film where we initially witness his fear as he and the swat team engage government housing filled with zombies. This as Reiniger portrays a bit of the horror of killing other humans, however we see a bit of change as he we see him start to kill the zombies. There is no horror in this and Reiniger portrays what is most interesting about his characterization which is this certain sense of cool that develops from his performance. It's more remarkable that it is not immediately evident in his performance but rather develops as we proceed through the story, and Roger gets to do something important, which is kill a lot of zombies. Reiniger doesn't portray this as a necessary act, but rather this becoming this certain sport for Roger. The more the situation becomes like a horror film, the more he portrays it as a game for Roger, almost like a life calling. I especially love the joy that Reiniger exudes in his performance in the moments when Roger does his specific aim to knock the heads off the zombies, one would assume for maximum points. Reiniger's riff though works well though in making Roger stand out more than just the "extra" guy, in fact early on you might think he'd be the sole survivor, as we see a man who seems absolutely in his element in killing zombies. Reiniger brings a real thrill in it as they go about securing the mall to become their shelter, bringing such a life in his expression of a man who is basically living his best life as someone who has found his true calling. This in his physical ease in the part, and really the cool that he projects of a guy who has found an environment that supports his skills. Reiniger builds this effectively in his work by making him more and more carefree in each successive sequence. Doing it in a way, that he doesn't become pompous, rather you come to quite like Roger through this approach. Also worth mentioning in that though is his chemistry with Foree, where we do get a sense of camaraderie and warmth in the interaction between the two. Granting a sense of the mutual minds to part, with some nice moments of ribbing and mutual enthusiasm that create a good sense of the friendship between Roger and Peter. As they are further prepping the mall by using truck as barriers to the mall, Reiniger shows someone having way too much fun as he goes about it, and in a way creates the danger in someone with over confidence. This comes to a head when one of the zombies almost gets him. This we see a snap that Reiniger portrays well as this even greater energy in the man, but now as some kind of derangement. This as a manic energy, with his eyes as someone quite losing it to this adrenaline rush. His delivery of "perfect baby, perect" as calm as it is, it is anything but sane as this detachment from his situation. This naturally leading to even riskier behavior that leads Roger to be bitten. Turning what in way made Roger so engaging, his downfall quite remarkably. That thankfully isn't the end of Reiniger's performance, as he nicely segues this towards showing a return to modesty again, as he still manages to help the other even when disabled. This though with a sense within his eyes, of a man hit with more than humility. There is then a real poignancy we do find in his final moments of a drugged, almost zombified Roger, asking Peter to make sure not to kill him until he "comes back". His insistence that he'll "try not to come back" is moving as Reiniger having lost all that confidence and cool, but a bit genuine tenderness in the moment with Foree. I won't say this performance completely loses itself from that Romero "quality" in the acting, but this is a good performance that offers a lot more to this film than just being a typical zombie victim.