I first saw this film when I was a high school frosh a couple of years ago (back in good old 1996). To this day, the images of rotting, undead cadavers mutilating their human cattle still torment my mind...
DAY OF THE DEAD probably has to be the most repulsive, nauseating, and just plain disgusting graphic horror film I have ever seen! Even if this holds true, George A. Romero's really, really gruesome masterpiece, DAY OF THE DEAD is, at best, mediocre.
The story is in a post apocalypse, where some of the "last" surviving members of the human race rush to find other lonesome survivors. For some reason, the zombies rule the Earth, and for some reason, these zombies forgot to set themselves up a hierarchy! The beleaguered human remnants consist of Sarah (Lori Cardille), a strong and intelligent scientist, and John (Terry Alexander), a pilot who just wants to get the hell out of the `shelters' that they have stuck themselves in. These people are the sane ones! Now...meet the insane survivors! There is Dr. Logan (Richard Liberty), a mentally insane scientist, and Captain Rhodes (Joe Pilato) as the even loonier and more belligerent marine.
The scientists and military men quarrel for over one hour of this film, (as confirmed by Mr. Leonard Maltin himself) trying to fix their predicament. On one hand, the scientists hope to find a cure to "heal" the living dead. On the other hand, the marines want to make mincemeat out of these primitive zombies...
DAY OF THE DEAD is absolutely slow moving, lacking the energy of DAWN OF THE DEAD and the suspense of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Sure, there is a plethora of gross out moments, such as surgery, cannibalism, and lots of disembowelments, but DAY OF THE DEAD is unremittingly boring and it even produces ennui within the audiences. You cannot blame George A. Romero; he did his best with both a constrained budget and an abridged script. I am sure that even he had higher expectations of this film.
Still, despite the fact that DAY OF THE DEAD is a weak follow up to DAWN OF THE DEAD, DAY OF THE DEAD has plenty of fine moments which earn this movie its few merits. The premise about the last (and lost) survivors being victimized by their own fears and paranoia is of interest. It produces a hypnotic effect as well. The claustrophobic atmosphere in DAY OF THE DEAD works remarkably well also. In this sequel, Romero wanted to illustrate a chilling, fearful vision of an apocalyptic world ruled by zombies. As shown in DAY OF THE DEAD, this perspective is a disturbing description of what the future may look like where zombies rule the surface and the surviving humans themselves may begin retrogressing into a barbaric-like state...
Another attribute in DAY OF THE DEAD is the acting. The performances in this movie are for the most part, very good. Although the actors do have a ridiculous tendency to overact at times, the majority of the cast does a great job delineating honest characters. For once, it is a revelation how the peremptory Rhodes tries to take control of the situation...with the threat of violence. Sometimes, he holds his own cohorts at gunpoint...just so he can make message clear. Talk about the use of brute force! Also, the relationship between Dr. Logan and his "prized" zombie "Bub" (magnificently portrayed by Howard Sherman) is particularly interesting and even humorous. Out of the over thirty specimens Dr. Logan keeps as `scientific experiments,' he thinks of Bub as his most promising test subject. It is also quite compelling to watch Bub remember some of his human characteristics. Bub unusually shows signs of human memory.
Furthermore, DAY OF THE DEAD shows the consequences of what would happen if people would rather fight and argue with each other than work together. As implausible as it may seem, mankind may someday succumb to his own fallacies. If people refuse to cooperate with each other, then they might as well sign their own individual death warrants!
By the end of DAY OF THE DEAD is a particularly gut-wrenching, stomach churning, skin-ripping moment. The finale is needlessly disgusting. (POTENTIAL SPOILER!) Thanks to Tom Savini's gory special FX, the viewers are treated to an indelible moment where zombies literally rip a marine apart...limb by limb. Yes, these scenes of human dismemberment are quite sickening.
DAY OF THE DEAD has shown a lot of promise but unfortunately, it has not lived up to many of the fans' expectations. In addition to being a very talkative film with plot holes galore, this movie contains an ending that lacks coherence...and sense. The cop-out ending especially defied all comprehension, though Romero probably wanted it to be ambiguous. I was left scratching my head as to wonder when did this event take place and why. (I will not tell you the ending, see it for yourself.)
Unfortunately, the flaws in this film outweigh the assets. DAY OF THE DEAD is a daring movie with more than a nuance of nobility, but a rather slack pace and irrelevant plot elements happen to maul a wonderful concept. The idea is great; on the other hand, the story-line needs to add a hint of logic. DAY OF THE DEAD earns an `A' for effort. The product though will not be rated as leniently. Let's just say that DAWN OF THE DEAD is much better...
RATING: ** out of ****.
DAY OF THE DEAD probably has to be the most repulsive, nauseating, and just plain disgusting graphic horror film I have ever seen! Even if this holds true, George A. Romero's really, really gruesome masterpiece, DAY OF THE DEAD is, at best, mediocre.
The story is in a post apocalypse, where some of the "last" surviving members of the human race rush to find other lonesome survivors. For some reason, the zombies rule the Earth, and for some reason, these zombies forgot to set themselves up a hierarchy! The beleaguered human remnants consist of Sarah (Lori Cardille), a strong and intelligent scientist, and John (Terry Alexander), a pilot who just wants to get the hell out of the `shelters' that they have stuck themselves in. These people are the sane ones! Now...meet the insane survivors! There is Dr. Logan (Richard Liberty), a mentally insane scientist, and Captain Rhodes (Joe Pilato) as the even loonier and more belligerent marine.
The scientists and military men quarrel for over one hour of this film, (as confirmed by Mr. Leonard Maltin himself) trying to fix their predicament. On one hand, the scientists hope to find a cure to "heal" the living dead. On the other hand, the marines want to make mincemeat out of these primitive zombies...
DAY OF THE DEAD is absolutely slow moving, lacking the energy of DAWN OF THE DEAD and the suspense of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Sure, there is a plethora of gross out moments, such as surgery, cannibalism, and lots of disembowelments, but DAY OF THE DEAD is unremittingly boring and it even produces ennui within the audiences. You cannot blame George A. Romero; he did his best with both a constrained budget and an abridged script. I am sure that even he had higher expectations of this film.
Still, despite the fact that DAY OF THE DEAD is a weak follow up to DAWN OF THE DEAD, DAY OF THE DEAD has plenty of fine moments which earn this movie its few merits. The premise about the last (and lost) survivors being victimized by their own fears and paranoia is of interest. It produces a hypnotic effect as well. The claustrophobic atmosphere in DAY OF THE DEAD works remarkably well also. In this sequel, Romero wanted to illustrate a chilling, fearful vision of an apocalyptic world ruled by zombies. As shown in DAY OF THE DEAD, this perspective is a disturbing description of what the future may look like where zombies rule the surface and the surviving humans themselves may begin retrogressing into a barbaric-like state...
Another attribute in DAY OF THE DEAD is the acting. The performances in this movie are for the most part, very good. Although the actors do have a ridiculous tendency to overact at times, the majority of the cast does a great job delineating honest characters. For once, it is a revelation how the peremptory Rhodes tries to take control of the situation...with the threat of violence. Sometimes, he holds his own cohorts at gunpoint...just so he can make message clear. Talk about the use of brute force! Also, the relationship between Dr. Logan and his "prized" zombie "Bub" (magnificently portrayed by Howard Sherman) is particularly interesting and even humorous. Out of the over thirty specimens Dr. Logan keeps as `scientific experiments,' he thinks of Bub as his most promising test subject. It is also quite compelling to watch Bub remember some of his human characteristics. Bub unusually shows signs of human memory.
Furthermore, DAY OF THE DEAD shows the consequences of what would happen if people would rather fight and argue with each other than work together. As implausible as it may seem, mankind may someday succumb to his own fallacies. If people refuse to cooperate with each other, then they might as well sign their own individual death warrants!
By the end of DAY OF THE DEAD is a particularly gut-wrenching, stomach churning, skin-ripping moment. The finale is needlessly disgusting. (POTENTIAL SPOILER!) Thanks to Tom Savini's gory special FX, the viewers are treated to an indelible moment where zombies literally rip a marine apart...limb by limb. Yes, these scenes of human dismemberment are quite sickening.
DAY OF THE DEAD has shown a lot of promise but unfortunately, it has not lived up to many of the fans' expectations. In addition to being a very talkative film with plot holes galore, this movie contains an ending that lacks coherence...and sense. The cop-out ending especially defied all comprehension, though Romero probably wanted it to be ambiguous. I was left scratching my head as to wonder when did this event take place and why. (I will not tell you the ending, see it for yourself.)
Unfortunately, the flaws in this film outweigh the assets. DAY OF THE DEAD is a daring movie with more than a nuance of nobility, but a rather slack pace and irrelevant plot elements happen to maul a wonderful concept. The idea is great; on the other hand, the story-line needs to add a hint of logic. DAY OF THE DEAD earns an `A' for effort. The product though will not be rated as leniently. Let's just say that DAWN OF THE DEAD is much better...
RATING: ** out of ****.
