Day of the Dead

I think this one is probably my least favorite of Romero’s series, except for Survival that is, which I hated. But this one just doesn’t do it for me like the others. It lacks the magic of the first two and just doesn’t hold the same brilliance. One can’t help but place the blame on the stingy executives for the constraint over Romero’s creative freedom. He had supposedly written up a script that he described as “the Gone with the Wind of zombie movies”, but had his budget cut in half when he refused settle on an R rating.

This prompted Romero to make drastic changes to the script, returning to the one-spot setting and presents a story that just isn’t all that interesting. There are certain things that I did find fascinating about it, like the scientific research that went into the understanding of the zombies and even plays with the idea of domesticating the things. And the struggle between the scientists and the soldiers does offer a good amount of tension and compelling conflict.

The effects are also something that deserves praise. Savini’s authentic craftsmanship is showcased magnificently as the looks of the zombies have evolved in detail, as well as the gore and the kills. And with the underground bunker setting, this is probably the most claustrophobic of the Dead series. There isn’t a window or a door to climb out of in case of an attack. You’re surrounded by thick walls of dirt and rock, and the only way out is up.

But what really kills it for me is the characters. For a movie that has such a strong focus on the human angle, it’s hard to enjoy yourself when all the characters just get on your nerves. Everyone is just bickering back and forth the whole time, yelling at each other until they're red in the face. Rhodes was the worst. haha What a douchebag. Dude looks like a cross between Gary Sinise and Butt-head.

BOTTOM LINE: It’s ok. Not one of my favorites of Romero’s apocalyptic saga, but still a damn fine zombie with some killer effects. Wasn’t too into the story or the characters, didn’t leave the kind of impression on me as Night or Dawn. But it does explore some new territories, and Bub was one cool cadaver.