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TITLE: Day of the Dead
DIRECTOR: George A. Romero
YEAR: 1985
COUNTRY: United States
DURATION: 102 mins
ALSO KNOWN AS:
El dia de los muertos, Dia dos Mortos, Il giorno degli zombi, Le jour des morts-vivants, Zombie 2 - Das Letzte Kapitel
STARRING: Lori Cardille (Sarah), Terry Alexander (John), Jarlath Conroy (McDermott), Joseph Pilato (Rhodes), Anthony Dileo Jr. (Miguel), Richard Liberty (Logan), Gary Howard Klar (Steel), Ralph Marrero (Rickles), Gregory Nicotero (Johnson), Sherman Howard (Bub) |
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| THIS FILM CONTAINS SCENES OF
GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND SHOULD ONLY BE VIEWED BY ADULTS WITH A SENSE OF HUMOUR |
| The darkest day the world has ever known. |
| NEWS OF George A. Romero's passing hit us hard recently, and - like many of his fans - we went straight for Day of the Dead to watch in commemoration. Many will have chosen Dawn over Day, but in our minds Day of the Dead is George's "nail on the head" moment. And easily the most wonderfully gory zombie film that he made! Not only did Romero have the talents of Tom Savini, Greg Nicotero, Howard Berger, and John Vulich working on the make-up effects at the time, but he also had an incredible cast, all of whom sold the terror and mania brilliantly, behind the eyes. |
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| In terms of story, Day of the Dead was not the film Romero had originally planned. The script for the original idea is floating around the internet somewhere, and was changed when there were budgetary problems in pre-production. The story we got instead was a blessing in disguise - a small scientific research community, protected by a small military unit, living and working underground at a point when the zombies have overrun everything. Hope is in short supply, and tempers are seriously starting to fray. The basis for a tense (and funny) human drama, with a ubiquitous flesh-eating protagonist. What more could a Romero fan want? |
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| Actually, what any Romero zombie film fan wanted was 'gore'. Special splatter effects that "paid off" the story at certain points. And Day of the Dead delivers so well on that score numerous times throughout the film. Make-up effects master Tom Savini, it could be argued, was at the top of his game at the time. So whether it's heads getting torn off, or chunks of flesh being bitten from arms, or entire bodies losing their intestines, Day of the Dead delivers on the gore, but without the effects ever overshadowing the human characters. The bad guys are really bad, which makes their comeuppance all the more sweet when it happens. And the gore effects - it has to be said - are as successful as they are because of the actor's performances, as much as Savini's skill. In Day of the Dead the balance between rubber and acting has never been so refined and convincing. |
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| The architect of this greatness, George Romero himself, had luck on his side during the making of Day of the Dead, but it is Romero's skill as a film-maker that results in something as close-to-perfect as Day of the Dead is. Day is marvellously shot and cut. There are many memorable dialogue moments. The metaphors are many, layered and extremely subtle and interesting. And the soundtrack is a beautiful counterpoint to all the on-screen carnage. Overall, Day of the Dead is the perfect zombie film. Arguably the "jewel in the crown" of Romero's cinematic legacy. And a film to watch over and over again. |
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| I've lost count of the number of times I've watched Day of the Dead. It is one of those films I can watch any time, and always enjoy it. Sometimes, if I'm only half paying attention, I will just enjoy the great soundtrack and pick up on the occasional highlight. Other times I will watch the whole thing intently and the 90 mins will just zip by. The hallmark of a great film. Romero at his very best. |
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| Day of the Dead is great because it mixes Creepshow-like black humour and cutting-edge special effects. Not forgetting the brilliant cast and performances - Lori Cardille in particular is amazing. Joe Pilato plays a mean villain in Rhodes, and Richard Liberty is fantastic as the mad doctor Logan. Outstanding gore effects that are more than just in there for laughs. Each one adds something to the story. This film is not just a classic zomibie film - it is a classic of modern cinema! |
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| Watching Day of the Dead - for me is a fine balance between joy and horror. Joy, because it's so well made and gripping, and horror because, well, it's so fucking tense and sweary. Some of the gore effects still make me wince, like the arm-bites. They always get to me for some reason. Day of the Dead is probably the pinnacle of pre-digital gore effects movies. Maybe even the best gore effect film of all time. But Day is much more than splatter - it's a great story too, told in a lean, mean way, with a big, gutsy payoff at the end. |
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| Most people won't notice it, but this film is so well shot. Day of the Dead is dark, but extremely well lit. And Romero's control of space during big talkie scenes is also masterful. So good, in fact, that you hardly notice it. The Bub sub-plot is brilliantly done too. It could have been awful, but the actor behind the makeup does a wonderful job of playing a smart zombie. Day of the Dead is one of the best films ever made! |
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