Day of the Dead

Rating:
Summary: A worth installment(contrary to popular belief)
Review: A lot of people tend to say this is by far the weakest in the series but I strongly disagree. I'm not saying it's the best but I think the each chapter in the "Living Dead" trilogy had something the others didn't and there all great in their own respects.

Night of The Living Dead was a very tense film and focused a lot on creating a creepy and claustraphobic atmosphere which the other two clearly are lacking.

Dawn Of The Dead was a grandiose epic spanning over two hours (unprecedented for zombie movies and horror movies in general even by todays standards). It rose the bar for what horror movies could actually be, and no installment in the trilogy or just about any horror movie before or since has been able to capture this kind of movie (although the original script for Day of The Dead would have given it a run for its money).

Day of The Dead's most redeeming quality is it's spectacular zombies and great special effects(that in my opinion haven't been topped to this day). These zombies and special effects absolutley trounce the black and white humanesque zombies of NOTD and the blue zombies of DOTD and the same goes with the gore which is absolutley great in Day. But along with all this I also feel there is a good story and a very apocolyptic feel behind it all. I mean most actors do a good job of displaying a small band of people struggling to survive and possibly find a cure at what seems to be the end of the world(granted, I don't think the preformances are oscar worthy but quite good by horror standards). And although you may find the beginning slow and boring, if you listen to the dialogue it's actually quite interesting and plus the climax of the movie just about makes up for any problems you might have with it).

So don't just write of Day as a mediocre conclusion, if you actually take a closer look I think you will find it is quite the opposite.

Rating:
Summary: Incredibly underrated.
Review: Day of the Dead is more talky than its predecessors, but what the characters have to say are usually interesting. I've read a lot of comments about a lack of likable characters. That's not really true, since you'll find plenty to admire about the film's two lead characters, Sarah and John, as well as Billy, the electronics expert. Some of the film's best moments involve them talking about what should be done in the future and what hope is left.

This is director George Romero's last zombie film to date, and it's easily one of the best, at least as good as Dawn of the Dead, or so I felt. Lucio Fulci's Zombie is incredibly overrated, and so dull, but Day of the Dead makes for compelling viewing.

Let's face it, anybody curious about this movie will wonder about the zombie action. I'm glad to say that I felt that Day of the Dead had the best zombie action I have ever seen. There isn't as much of it as in Dawn, but the film's last 20 minutes are absolutely nonstop, crosscutting between two different groups as they try to escape the underground silo while hundreds of zombies surround them from all corners. This sequence is absolutely heart-pounding and will have you nailed to your seat. It's also gory as heck, featuring decapitations, bloody head sprays from gun shots, as well as a man getting ripped in half. Intense, this definitely is.

This may be a little too unpleasant for some viewers, even for those who liked Dawn. The underground setting is dark and dank, and will turn off many people, but for those who like a compelling look at an intriguing situation and intense zombie action should find Day of the Dead worth watching.

Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Zombie Movie!
Review: George A. Romero's DAY OF THE DEAD proves once and for all that when it comes to making horror movies about the dead coming back to life and chowing down on the living, Romero is the best there is. Hell, DAY OF THE DEAD makes all other zombie movies, especially Lucio Fulci's excellent zombie movies, look like child's play. My favorite character was Bub, played to perfection by Howard Sherman; his moments, including his discovery of Beethoven, are the best moments in the whole movie. Isn't that interesting, having a zombie as my favorite character in a zombie movie? Yet that makes sense considering most of the other characters in the film; however, Joe Pilato was great as Captain Rhodes, and the late Richard Liberty stole it as Dr. "Frankenstein" Logan. I also liked John the Jamaican helicopter pilot, played by Terry Alexander, who is the most sympathetic human character; his speech to Sarah (Lori Cardille, daughter of the reporter in the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, Chilly Billy) about the zombie situation is the most intelligent moment in any horror movie. Gary Klar also steals the show with his performance as nasty Private Steel.
Ah, but the gore in DAY OF THE DEAD is the real meat of this grue sandwich here! Tom Savini really poured himself into the effects (along with Greg Nicotero, who appears in the film as Johnson), and it shows. The scenes involving intestines sliding out onto the floor are guaranteed to upset your stomach. I really can't say enough about the climax that hasn't been already expressed; simply put, it's the greatest instance of gore ever filmed in movie history! Truly disturbing what happens to those unfortunate to cross paths with these zombies; it all makes Fulci look like Walt Disney! Savini won a well-deserved Saturn Award for his effects on DAY OF THE DEAD, the culmination of his awesome makeup effects work in all those splatter films he did in the late '70s and early '80s!
Anyway, this 2-disc set rocks! Stunning picture quality, like it was filmed yesterday! The extras are really awesome, especially the documentary "The Many Days Of DAY OF THE DEAD" featuring interviews with Romero, Savini, Nicotero, Cardille, Sherman, Pilato, production designer Cletus Anderson, assistant director Chris Romero (George's wife), and co-producer David Ball; their anecdotes on the production are really interesting and informative. There's also 2 commentaries, one with Romero, Savini, Anderson, and Cardille, and the other with director and Romero fan Roger Avary; a radio interview with Richard Liberty (shortly before his death in 2000); behind-the-scenes gore footage; photo gallery; trailers; and TV-spots. Oh, and I love the little booklet that looks like a legal pad with notes by Dr. Logan which contains liner notes from Michael Felsher on his view of DAY OF THE DEAD. A groundbreaking yet underrated horror movie whose reputation is steadily increasing, DAY OF THE DEAD is a definite must-watch!

Rating:
Summary: Romero at his worst
Review: I think George Romero led the way on zombie movies with his night of the living dead (1968) and then with his sequel, dawn of the dead (1978). However, and particularly for those of you that have seen the above two films, one simply cannot understand how someone with the antecedents of Romero may end producing a movie that is so bad and uninteresting like day of the dead. When I began watching the movie I blamed on the actors for spending so much time in their screamed and senseless discussions about who's the boss in their underground world. However, I think the script is probably what's really bad about this movie. The whole story was hardly planned. For instance, the scientist hoping to control the behavior of zombies and his 'humanized', almost 'chimpy' zombie are simply pathetic. In day of the dead you will see what really makes a horror film to be a bad movie: people behaving in ways you will not under the same circumstances. I hope George Romero fills himself indebted to their fans and give us a real sequel in the future. Overall, rent the movie and watch the last 30 minutes of it where you will find the only good thing about it, some interesting gore.

Rating:
Summary: Horror fans should seriously consider watching this film
Review: If you haven't see Day of the Dead and you're reading the viewer reviews of this film, it's presumably because you're either a zombie fan or you loved Night of the Living Dead and/or Dawn of the Dead. But you're not sure whether or not to watch this film because of the mixed reviews it received. My recommendation is that you should rent this film and watch it twice and if you liked the film buy the Anchor Bay remaster widescreen version.

The plot to Day of the Dead is simple. The world has been conquered by zombies, as seen in Day's predecessors. There are only 12 survivors left in Florida and they've taken refuge in an underground salt mine and silo. There's heated conflicts between the soldiers and the scientists and civilians and by the end, thousands of zombies pour into the silo and wreak graphic havoc.

Yes, Day of the Dead is extremely graphic and gory (It's probably the most violent and gory American horror film ever made) as most zombie films are. But this one actually has an original and interesting plot. Despite what some critics said about it, I found them to be wrong. The acting is also considerably stronger than Night or Dawn. There's also the infusion of new ideas such as an intelligent and human zombie and amputation to stop the spread of infection. The make up effects are also Tom Savini's best so don't miss the film.

Rating:
Summary: The Last Film In Romero's Classic Trilogy?
Review: In 1985, George A. Romero released the third enstallment in his Zombie trilogy entitled Day of the Dead. The film starring Joe Pilato, Lori Cadelle, Jaralath Conroy, and Terry Alexander is actually a quite effective apocalyptic continuation of the grim circumstances exisitng in Romero's previous Dawn of the Dead. The drastically increasing population of the living dead has reached such a critical point that they might wipe out humanity completely. The social and psychological allusions Romero made in the two previous movies are now omniously coming true. Instead of humans fighting along side one another against the zombie threat, the human inclination to question authority, bicker over petty details, and become obsessed with only self-preservation has lead to the fatal dis-unity of the human race. These dire cirumstances allow Romero's zombie ranks to grow and grow and grow. With such a grim obstacle facing mankind, Romero starts his story by showing a large metropolitian landscape devoid of all life except for thousands and thousands of the living dead. As Day's story progresses, Romero begins authoring his most intense critique of modern society yet. Romero is known for his ability to work in culture and society issues deep within the subtext of his work. The lack of unity and submission to fear in Night or the comparison of mall shoppers to the living dead in Dawn are great examples of his directorial style. In all three of the Dead films, the decades the films were composed in were portrayed fairly well within the macabre boundaries of Romero's grisly canvas. Each film captured the genesis of it's personality from the decade it was birthed in. The paranoia and fear of world decimation of the 60's, the jubliant pro-violent self preservation of the 70's, and the birth of yuppie ignorant conservatism of the 80's. Tom Savini again supplies us with utterly unbelevable zombie special effects. The zombies now have a de-compossed look suggesting that quite a bit of time has passed between Night and Day of the Dead. Beyond all of the societal commentary and analysis, Day remains the least engaging of the Dead films. Due to the tremendous lack of funds needed to film Romero's orginal Day of the Dead script (estimated to have costed 10 million dollars), Romero had to severely tone done his story and foucs on 80's society. The result is a haphazard film with a compelling story, touches of brillance, and virtuoso grisly special effects. However,the film lacks any new focus to necessitate more zombie gore. Not to mention the characters are so one-dimensional and unpleasant that the audience can't care for Romero's characters with the same passion they had in the past. With such lofty expectations produced from the previous two classics, Romero was unable to explore any new philosophical ground with his zombies. Only the inclusion on "Bub" adds anything to the whole of the landscape of Romero's Zombie-filled world. The results lead to so-so conclusion to Romero's Classic Zombie Trilogy. P.S. George what's the deal with that tacky uninspired ending?

Rating:
Summary: Great quality DVD. Still a weak movie.
Review: Roger Ebert made a comment on his review of "Day" that stuck out to me about how "Night" and "Dawn" have had elements ripped off from numerous other directors and writers, including Romero himself. Need I say more? This movie is the weakest of the entire trilogy hands down. I've always thought the other films ("Night" in particular) were kind of successes by mistake. I really don't think Romero knows what it is about his own eariler dead films that made them so unique and thought provoking. I can't agree with the comments about the appearence of the "zombies." I thought they looked horrible (in that negative way for zombies.) I could get into detail about my compliants of the film, but I won't as it's been covered numerous times. Savini's best zombie make up work is in the 90's remake of "Night." Some think that comment alone ruins my credibility. So why 3 stars? The DVD quality and extras do enhance this film. I think they invested alot of time to clean up the audio and video. It makes passing this cinematic gallstone alittle easier.

Rating:
Summary: Dead End
Review: The final chapter in the "Living Dead" trilogy that director George A. Romero began with the 1968 zombie classic Night Of The Living Dead, continued in '79's Dawn Of The Dead, is a solid conclusion. Day Of The Dead furthers along the timeline of the zombie apocalypse to a time when survivors are very hard to find.

At an underground Florida research station, Dr. Logan (Richard Liberty) conducts grotesque experiments on captured zombies to search for a way that the living and the living dead can cohabitate. Begrudgingly sharing the facility with the doctor is military man Rhodes (Joe Pilato) and his underlings. Scientist Sarah (Lori Cardille) and her fellow survivors seek refuge at the compound just in time to see a clash between Logan and Rhodes reach a critical turning point.

Let's face it, Day has a lot to live up to, after Romero delivered two nearly flawless previous installments. The other films made giant leaps for the horror genre. But by the time Day was released, things seem less special. Make up effects artist Tom Savini's is, as you might expect, even more detailed and gruesome than in the past. That said, by film's end, the story seems to peter out. Don't get me wrong. Romero's work on these films is genius, but, I just feel after a great set up, the story gets muddled. It's still worth it though...

Of all the Dead film's, Anchor Bay decided that Day was classic enough to be a two disc set. The audio commentary with Romero, Savini, production designer Cletus Anderson, and actress Cardille is yet another great disussion about all things Dead. The track is great fun and informative. Along those same lines is disc two's The Many Days of Day Of The Dead, a 39 minute documentary featuring interviews with the cast and crew, gives you perspectives on the entire series. There's also another documentary that offers a more specific look behind the scenes--particularly at the make-up effects. You can hear a well conducted audio interview with actor Richard Liberty. A brief "Wampum Mine" promotional video, the theatrical trailer, TV Spots, and some fine DVD-ROM material, tops off the set.

"Day" may not be as good as the other films in the series, but it's still a worthwhile DVD set for fans to own...

Rating:
Summary: Divimax delivers the best edition ever
Review: This is one of the best DVD re-releases I have ever purchased. I have always been a fan of the George A. Romero films, and Day of the Dead has always been one of his best. This DVD is loaded with bonus features. 2 featurettes, Trailers, Commentary, and photo galleries. An absolute must for all fans.

Rating:
Summary: An underappreciated and Shocking Horror feast.
Review: This sequel to " Dawn of the Dead" is the final in the Living dead trilogy, it's a 1985 Horror thriller that bombed with audiences and critics but was a hit on video.

It's basically about the last surviving humans who struggle in a underground Bunker to control the Zombies or try to escape while one of them is a trader and wants to feed them to the Ghouls.

Truly gory and graphic Horror movie that is soo underrated but a must see for those who like Dawn and Horror, but this is not for the faint of heart cause it will make you loose your lunch, Next year there is also gonna a special Edition DVD with Behind the Scenes, Trailers, and Commentary so " Dawn" fans get this movie when it comes out next year.

Similar movies recommeded: Re-Animator, Dawn of the Dead, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Evil Dead, Lucio Fulci's Zombie, Return of the Living Dead ( 1985 original), Dead Alive, John Carpenter's The Thing, Saving Private Ryan, Resident Evil, C.H.U.D., Lucio Fulci's The Beyond, City of the Living Dead, House by the Cemetery, The Stuff, Lifeforce, Akira, Evil Dead II, The Toxic Avenger, Texas Chainsaw Massacre part 2 with Dennis Hopper, Basket Case, Scanners, Nightmare City, Total Recall, Event Horizon, Alien, Dario Argento's Phenomena, and Bio-Zombie.