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Directed by: George Romero Starring: Lori Cardille, Joseph Pilato, Richard Liberty, Sherman Howard Day of the Dead is one of those rare movies that despite being deeply flawed, remains very compelling to the end. A lot of the characters appear to be simple cardboard cut-outs and the scenario isn’t as engaging as the other zombie films of the series, but there seems to be a lot of potential and hidden greatness underneath the film’s imperfections. Perhaps a lot of the clemency expressed towards this film is due to Romero’s legacy as a director, but despite its somewhat poor standing within the dead series and horror genre, the film is not without merit. Continuing Romero’s dead trilogy, Day opens with the revelation that the zombie apocalypse has wiped out almost every last human on earth. The only known survivors are a group of scientists and military personal who have taken refuge in an underground facility which was previously used for storing records and artifacts from the past. As their numbers dwindle, they race to find some sort of solution to the zombie infestation. The two camps are at each others throats, with the science team needing time and resources to continue their studies, and the soldiers frustrated with their lack of control over the whole situation. With their limited numbers stretched over different tasks, they quickly reach the boiling point. Like the other dead films, Day of the Dead uses the apocalyptic scenario for the backdrop of political commentary, and once again, the zombies aren’t necessarily the biggest threat to the characters. The film’s premise of science vs. militarism can be viewed as a battle of right vs. left, curiosity vs. dogma, hope vs. gloom, or any other number of diametrically opposed ideologies. This gives the film some flexibility in its thematic content despite the rather blatant and stereotypical presentations of the character’s situation. The film can also been viewed as a statement of the pessimism and lack of trust that developed concerning the government and other institutions during the eighties. Yet another way of looking at the film is an extension of the Lilith myth, especially towards the end when the characters realize the need to start over. Whatever your interpretation, Day of the Dead will probably make you think even if it is pretty heavy-handed with its portrayal of certain camps of thought. The quality of the acting varies quite a bit. Some of the performances are really cartoony (Rhodes, Dr. Logan) and go for exaggeration instead of realism, while others are sort of dull and empty (Sarah) despite being more grounded in reality. This makes some of the character interactions really bizarre, as it seems like the actors are working under different direction as they trade dialogue with each other. Far and away the best performance in the film is Sherman Howard’s Bub, a semi-intelligent zombie being trained by Dr. Logan in hopes of finding away to influence and control the zombies. Bub has the disposition of an infant, fascinated by different objects and actions and eager to please his master, but not really in complete control of his motor skills. His movements are awkward and clumsy (fitting for a zombie), and Sherman really goes to town giving Bub a personality through his physicality. Perhaps the most interesting thing about his character is that Bub seems to have some knowledge of his past as a human, and retains some of the skills and habits he learned then. None of the other characters are as well acted or developed as Bub, which is sort of disappointing considering how strong the leads were in the other two dead films. Probably the greatest achievements of Day of the Dead are the creature and gore effects. Tom Savini returns from his work on Dawn of the Dead with help from Greg Nicotero, and they really up the ante on what has been seen in other zombie and horror flicks. Working for the first time with a real budget and complete effects crew, Savini is able to deliver effects that are truly gruesome, with realistic blood and tissue to be torn and splattered, but they’re also incredibly imaginative with some of the stuff they come up with. The effects team really stretches themselves realizing these outrageous ideas for special effects and what they can do to zombies, and the results are unbelievably entertaining. My favorite is probably the zombie who gets his head popped off with a shovel, and you later see his disembodied head laying upside down with the eyes moving back and forth. The zombies also look a lot better in this film than in its predecessors. The go beyond the simply “paint ‘n spray” effect and give many of the creatures their own individual appearances with facial prosthetics and identifying marks. Day is also a lot bleaker in its outlook on life than the other zombie films. A lot of the action takes place underground, so there’s a constant feeling of claustrophobia that lingers throughout every scene. There don’t seem to be too many good guys left within the last dozen or so people left, which is also pretty disconcerting. There’s also a feeling of helplessness and certain doom that builds with each passing day and death, and by the end, it really seems as if there is no escape. There is some humor in the film, but it isn’t as overt as Dawn of the Dead. Each film has its own tone, and Day seems to be the most unsettling of the three. Each of the three dead films has its supporters, and while Day isn’t my favorite, it’s probably the most interesting of the series. It’s nice to see that it’s experiencing something of a renaissance on DVD, and is being given a second look by a lot of people who previously dismissed it. It’s one of the last “real” horror films made before the genre turned to self-parody and teenage antics, though with recent movies like 28 Days later and the 2004 version of Dawn of the Dead being so successful, perhaps the genre will be reborn in the coming years. RATING: 3.5 PROS: awesome zombie effects, interesting thematic content, Bub CONS: boring characters, bad acting ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088993/
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Aug 22, 2004 15:51
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 00:00 |
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