For many it seemed that George Romero had lost his touch when he released the final film (at the time) of his Dead Trilogy. In the late sixties, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD scared people with it’s depiction of walking dead, zombies, feasting on the flesh of the living. In the seventies he released DAWN OF THE DEAD. We were treated to the same basic principal, but this time around given a more in depth allegorical story. And full color zombies eating flesh. Then in the eighties Romero released the final film, DAY OF THE DEAD.
More gruesome than its predecessor, the movie offered a harsher reality of a world run over by flesh eating zombies. And critics who had fawned over the first two films missed the point. They didn’t get it. And the movie was trashed by the same. Released in full with an X rating, the film received little advertising and died away except for the few die hard fans that flocked to it.
I was one of those fans. And I loved the film as much as I had the previous installments. And in watching the film, more so now than ever, you can see the growth of the talents of Romero. The black and white gave way to color, the color gave way to higher production values. This movie almost shines in its clarity.
Having seen (and owned) various copies of the film on video and DVD before, all I can say is that Anchor Bay has outdone themselves with this release. It is by far the clearest, cleanest print I have seen since viewing it in a theater those long years ago. The best example of this is in the very beginning when a zombie sans lower jaw walks into view as the title pops up on screen. In the past, he appeared almost black, none of the special effects work of master artist Tom Savini was apparent. Here, it is on view quite well and the rest of the film follows.
For those unaware of the story, in the beginning, something brought the dead back to life with a singular craving for human flesh. There you have it, a simple plot. The second film offered a look at American culture and it’s obsession with commercialism (see my review of this film if you like). This movie takes a look at how the military and research scientist have both seemed to have lost touch with the humanity both claim to want to protect.
As each film was released, the number of zombies increased. The first had a ratio of more humans than zombies, the second about even. In this release, the zombies appear to have taken over. From the opening sequence of a city filled with walking dead, you can tell that humanity’s hopes are all but lost.
The story revolves around a group of soldiers and research scientists holed up in what appears to be an abandoned silo. There, all sense of order is on the verge of breaking down as the scientists search for an answer to this problem. The soldiers, weary from fatigue and unable to comprehend what has gone on, are on the edge and ready to blow. A conflict between the two, each having little use for the other, is inevitable.
The main scientist is Dr. Logan (Richard Liberty) who looks at things differently. Rather than try and eliminate the problem, he’s begun researching the possibility of domesticating the zombies, as seen in the display of his prize “pupil” Bub (Sherman Howard). Bub recognizes items from his past and seems to have the ability to control the urge to devour the doctor.
Our heroine is Sarah (Lori Cardille), another scientist who comes to the conclusion that Dr. Logan’s line of inquiry could lead to the military’s shutting them down and eliminating them all. Her love for one of the soldiers, Miguel (Anthony Dilio Jr) causes a disruption among the soldiers.
Leading the military is Captain Rhodes (Joseph Pilato), a hard headed soldier who wants results and nothing more. Having just assumed command, he will no longer risk his men in attempts to gather more subjects for research. And he is, in his own way, as far over the edge as Dr. Logan.
All of these characters interact with one another as jealousies, questions of capability and a subdued battle for control runs underneath the blatant story of the zombie take over. Just who will win, who will take charge for real and who will survive is at the very heart of this movie. But more to the point of who is the question of CAN they survive in a world gone mad.
For a group of basically unknown actors (at least by Hollywood standards) the ensemble here does a tremendous job. It’s amazing to think that none of these people went on to enormous stardom. Perhaps it was the fact that horror film actors rarely are given the due they deserve.
Perhaps the main claim to fame of this film is its special effects. Tom Savini rose to the challenge of making it all believable and over the top at the same time. Displays of zombies with internal organs falling out, victims literally pulled apart before our very eyes, the camera never wavering, the basic make up of each and every zombie walking, all are shown with the skill that only a master can summon forth. And his legacy lives on as crew member (and one of the soldiers in the film) Greg Nicotero went on to form KNB Effects, one of the top groups operating now.
If you didn’t already know, this movie was just released in a special edition release from Anchor Bay. The DVD offers the movie in its most complete and clear form on disc one. It also contains commentary tracks of an ensemble including Romero himself, Tom Savini, Lori Cardille and set designer Cletus Anderson and another track from film maker Roger Avery. The second disc contains all sorts of goodies. A 31 minute behind the scenes collection with images from Savini’s private files. An audio interview with Richard Liberty. The featurette THE MANY DAYS OF THE DAY OF THE DEAD, a 39 minute look back at the movie featuring the stars today recalling their experience on the film. Trailers, TV spots, pictures, poster and ad artwork, a Romero biography, make up photo gallery and more. This is one fully loaded package and more than worth the costs.
If you love horror films then your collection won’t be complete without this one. Add it today.
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