I've always had an appreciation for a good zombie movie. Day of the Dead, the third of George A. Romero's 'Dead' trilogy, is possibly the best I've ever seen. This film is more than just a bunch of scared humans running from and getting eaten by the living dead. There's a real power struggle here and, strangely, it has nothing to do with the dead. This is a masterful horror film. Although I didn't find it terrifying in the least, it does what it sets out to do: show the plight of a bunch of randomly congregated humans trying their best to stay alive. It provides this and so much more. Here we're given more than just a need to stay away from the zombies: we're given complete and utter desperation.
With Night of the Living Dead, George A. Romero proved that, with a small budget and lack of great special effects, it was possible to create a truly great horror film. Dawn of the Dead, my least favorite of the three, continued the story. So after the night and the dawn, it is day. The setting of most of Day of the Dead is underground, where a small group of people have created a refuge from the hungry, walking dead. They have a commander, who has just been killed. A power hungry, angry tyrant takes over, declaring himself the ruler of the small group. This guy is completely ruthless and unconcerned with the importance of survival for everyone. Sarah, a very strong woman, constantly challenges this self-made dictator, causing him to become angry with her and her friends. This includes John, a pilot who has a helicopter. There is a scientist who they call Frankenstein. Frankenstein mostly stays in his makeshift lab, experimenting on dead zombies. He has figured out a way to somewhat tame them and make them almost like pets. His "star pupil" is Bub, a very calm and intelligent zombie who plays a large role in the climax of the film. All the while, the refuge is protected by a sturdy fence. Thousands of zombies have lined up, just waiting to feed on human flesh.
Day of the Dead is probably the least gory zombie movie I've seen. There is a little bit of blood and zombie guts in the beginning, but the majority of the first half is fairly tame. Even the end which consists of a bit of a showdown is tame compared to most films like it. The majority of this film doesn't even revolve directly around the zombies. We're shown quite a bit of characterization of the group of people and we watch the power struggle between them. This shows how crisis can result in the complete breakdown of society and democracy. This provides more intrigue than the creatures themselves.
The acting in low budget zombie movies has never been the strongest. The case is the same here, though the actors hold their own much more than in 'Night' and 'Dawn.' Here we're given some very diverse characters, though, which makes for some good variety. However, my favorite character in Day of the Dead was probably Bub, the nonviolent, somewhat intelligent zombie. This is a great, important character in the film. It shows another side of the zombies maybe they're not all evil? Maybe they really can be conditioned to behave? Whatever the case may be, Bub has joined the ranks as one of my favorite horror characters.
Zombie movies typically aren't for everyone. This may be an exception, though. Until the end, there's no real gross-out, exploitation of guts scenes. This is truly a film about the human self and how differently people react to crisis. The crisis here, of course, is zombie takeover. It is entertaining throughout, decently acted, and well executed. Day of the Dead is my favorite Romero film so far, and probably one of my favorite horror films of all time.
9/10
With Night of the Living Dead, George A. Romero proved that, with a small budget and lack of great special effects, it was possible to create a truly great horror film. Dawn of the Dead, my least favorite of the three, continued the story. So after the night and the dawn, it is day. The setting of most of Day of the Dead is underground, where a small group of people have created a refuge from the hungry, walking dead. They have a commander, who has just been killed. A power hungry, angry tyrant takes over, declaring himself the ruler of the small group. This guy is completely ruthless and unconcerned with the importance of survival for everyone. Sarah, a very strong woman, constantly challenges this self-made dictator, causing him to become angry with her and her friends. This includes John, a pilot who has a helicopter. There is a scientist who they call Frankenstein. Frankenstein mostly stays in his makeshift lab, experimenting on dead zombies. He has figured out a way to somewhat tame them and make them almost like pets. His "star pupil" is Bub, a very calm and intelligent zombie who plays a large role in the climax of the film. All the while, the refuge is protected by a sturdy fence. Thousands of zombies have lined up, just waiting to feed on human flesh.
Day of the Dead is probably the least gory zombie movie I've seen. There is a little bit of blood and zombie guts in the beginning, but the majority of the first half is fairly tame. Even the end which consists of a bit of a showdown is tame compared to most films like it. The majority of this film doesn't even revolve directly around the zombies. We're shown quite a bit of characterization of the group of people and we watch the power struggle between them. This shows how crisis can result in the complete breakdown of society and democracy. This provides more intrigue than the creatures themselves.
The acting in low budget zombie movies has never been the strongest. The case is the same here, though the actors hold their own much more than in 'Night' and 'Dawn.' Here we're given some very diverse characters, though, which makes for some good variety. However, my favorite character in Day of the Dead was probably Bub, the nonviolent, somewhat intelligent zombie. This is a great, important character in the film. It shows another side of the zombies maybe they're not all evil? Maybe they really can be conditioned to behave? Whatever the case may be, Bub has joined the ranks as one of my favorite horror characters.
Zombie movies typically aren't for everyone. This may be an exception, though. Until the end, there's no real gross-out, exploitation of guts scenes. This is truly a film about the human self and how differently people react to crisis. The crisis here, of course, is zombie takeover. It is entertaining throughout, decently acted, and well executed. Day of the Dead is my favorite Romero film so far, and probably one of my favorite horror films of all time.
9/10