Day of the Dead (Divimax Special Edition)
by George A. Romero
List Price:
Our Price: $8.39
You Save: $11.58 (58%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $5.18 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Anthony Dileo Jr., Jarlath Conroy, Joseph Pilato, Lori Cardille, Terry AlexanderDirector: George A. Romero
Brand: Fox
Cinematographer: Michael Gornick
Writer: George A. Romero
Editor: Pasquale Buba
Producer: David Ball
Producer: Ed Lammi
Producer: Richard P. Rubinstein
Producer: Salah M. Hassanein
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Anamorphic, Color, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 102 minutes
Published: 2003-08-01
DVD Release Date: 2003-08-19
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Movie Reviews of Day of the Dead (Divimax Special Edition)
Movie Review: I'm running this monkey farm now Frankenstein...
Summary: 5 Stars
There simply hasn't been a horror movie made that has since matched Romero's 1985 outing 'Day of the Dead'. It's that simple. For over 20 years, 'Day of the Dead' has been a benchmark that few films have even approached. This is why it's very difficult to believe some of the reviews that are present on Amazon regarding this film.
But such reviews are not new. When 'Day of the Dead' came out in 1985, some fans were disappointed with it, claiming that it didn't live up to the promise of 1979's 'Dawn of the dead'. This is easy to understand, when one takes into account the effect the 'Dawn of the dead' had on horror fans. That film made Romero's name, even more so than his first film and most well known 'Night of the Living Dead' from 1968. It was also a film that single-handedly inspired Italian cinema to release a whole host cheap, rip-off, zombie movies well into the 80's.
The story of 'Day of the Dead' deals with a group of survivors from the breakdown of society in the face of the zombie outbreak, initiated with 'Night of the Living Dead' and elaborated in 'Dawn of the Dead'. A scientific team, which is guarded by the military, is tasked with finding a solution to the phenomena that waits to devour them outside the gates of the military installation/missile silo that they are holed up in. Neither side are willing to work together and the increasingly uneasy tension has been ratcheted up a level, with the `promotion' of Captain Rhodes (upon the death of his superior).
Rhodes, is quite clearly a psychopath and rules the silo with an iron fist. The other soldiers in Rhodes' band are afraid to question his orders and the science team are impotent in the face of his outbursts too. Rhodes simply does not agree with the work that the science team are engaged in and at times it's hard not to agree with him. The boffin's work day and night trying to understand/reverse the zombie disease, while the soldiers sit about brooding all day and growing cannabis, to relieve the boredom of day to day existence and it's clear that with every day that passes, something is going to break. The unspoken threat of violence against Sarah, the only female member of the group is especially unsettling.
In between this tedium, members of the group venture outside the compound in the helicopter that seems to be the only method of transport. The scary opening section reveals that at times, these trips can take them as far as 100 miles along the East coast of the U.S. looking for other survivors. These trips yield little in the way of results, one is led to believe and illustrates clearly the fact that the humans are outnumbered 400.000 to 1.
Back in the silo, the science team, headed by Doctor Logan (nicknamed "Frankenstein" by the rest of the group), go about their daily business of carving up the living dead. A number of which has been "rounded up in the wild" and corralled in a safe area in the huge underground complex. This butchery is done in an attempt to better understand what makes the living dead tick and offers up some truly amazing effects, for which make-up artist Tom Savini deserved an Oscar.
When Logan isn't chopping up zombies, he is concentrating on his "star pupil", Bub. Bub is a zombie that has been responding to Logan's effort to communicate with him. Bub (Howard Sherman) is the star of the middle section of he movie and he is introduced in an effort to show that the living dead are not simply mindless eating machines. In the words of Doctor Logan, "They are us, they're just functioning less perfectly". Bub shows us that the living dead have the ability to recall certain parts of their former life. Bub, apparently, was in the military and recalls that when he meets Capt. Rhodes, who snubs him. Bub also remembers how to use firearms in a scene that has the human characters freeze in the realisation that they may be viewing the future capabilities of the living dead.
Inevitably, the boring and threatening existence of the human characters comes to an end the living dead usher in a period of chaos in the final chapter of the film. This results in more of Savini's incredible gore effects, as people are literally ripped apart by the zombie masses and another survivor enclave goes under. The series is continued in the next chapter 'Land of the dead'.
'Day of the Dead' presents an atmosphere that is grim. In fact, there really isn't any tension releasing humor in it at all. It is oppressive and nasty, with few likeable character's.....and that's good. In my opinion, far too many modern horror movies use humor to reflect the audiences' attention...and it always fails as a device.
The despair that Romero manages to achieve is very compelling and rather unique too. It makes the viewer extremely uncomfortable throughout, even during the talky middle section. From the very chilling opening sequences to the final zombie assault, there is an atmosphere of absolute hopelessness. This is offset a little by Romero's deliberate upbeat ending. But even the upbeat ending leaves a bad taste in the mouth. There's still the despair that the world has changed forever and is not going to return to its former state.
'Day of the Dead' is an intelligent, well crafted and well written horror film, with special effects that will have you saying "how the hell did they do that?" So, the "it sucks man `cos it's boring..." brigade need not apply. This is the strength of 'Day of the Dead', but it's also one of its failings. 'Day of the Dead' requires a brain to enjoy as it is NOT a slam bang shoot 'em up with ditzy dialogue to fill in the gore scenes. This is why a number of "horror fans" (and others) reject it. They just don't want to deal with the seriousness of the subject, if one can call a zombie movie `serious'. 'Day of the Dead', like all of Romero's zombie movies is really a social commentary dressed up as a horror film. Its primary concern deals with the inability of humanity to work together to help each other solve common problems. The middle section is admittedly rather dialogue based, but this dialogue is never boring and serves to illustrate why the living dead feel the need to chomp down on warm flesh. Doctor Logan allows us to understand why the dead are ravenous, even though one of his specimens clearly displays that they can take no nourishment from what they eat.
If 'Dawn of the Dead' has the best script of Romero's movies, 'Day of the Dead' is probably the best acted zombie movie of the 70's/80's batch. Lori Cardille, who plays Sarah, is especially good as a strong female character who is on the verge of a complete breakdown and the late Richard Liberty who plays Doctor Logan offers a great "mad scientist" performance.
If some horror fans are opposed to 'Day of the Dead' because they think it's too talky, then they cannot be upset by the truly amazing makeup/gore effects of Tom Savini, which are really the star of the show. Savini produces effects that really are second to none in zombie/horror movies. He pushes the boat out on 'Day of the Dead' and showcases his best work to date. In fact, I will go so far as to say, it is the best of Romero's zombie "quad" and easily the best and most intelligent zombie movie available.
Summary of Day of the Dead (Divimax Special Edition)
DAY OF THE DEAD - DVD MovieChapter three of George Romero's mighty zombie trilogy has big footsteps to follow. Night of the Living Dead was a classic that revitalized a certain corner of the cinema, and Dawn of the Dead was nothing short of epic. Day of the Dead, however, has always been regarded as a comedown compared to those twin peaks--and perhaps it is. But on its own terms, this is an awfully effective horror movie, made with Romero's customary social satire and cinematic vigor--when a "retrained" zombie responds to the "Ode to Joy," the film is in genuinely haunting territory. The story is set inside a sunken military complex, where Army and medical staff, supposedly working on a solution to the zombie problem, are going crazy (strongly foreshadowing the final act of 28 Days Later). Tom Savini's makeup effects could make even hardcore gore fans tear off their own heads in amazement. --Robert Horton
Similar DVD Movies
Zombie (2-Disc Ultimate Edition)Koch International; Release date: 2011-10-24; DVD
Best price: $14.89
Price in other shops:
The Return of the Living DeadRelease date: 2002-08-27; Published: 2002-08-01; DVD
Best price: $9.82
Price in other shops:
Night of the Living DeadSony; Release date: 1999-10-05; DVD
Best price: $4.22
Price in other shops:
George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead (Two-Disc Ultimate Undead Edition)MAGNOLIA FILMS; Release date: 2010-08-24; DVD
Best price: $12.27
Price in other shops:
George A. Romero's Diary of the DeadWellspring Media INC; Release date: 2008-05-20; DVD
Best price: $3.16
Price in other shops:
George A. Romero's Land of the Dead (Unrated Director's Cut)BAKER,SIMON; Release date: 2005-10-18; DVD
Best price: $3.77
Price in other shops:
Night of the Living DeadGT; Release date: 2001-05-15; DVD
Best price: $1.36
Price in other shops:
Dawn of the Dead (Widescreen Unrated Director's Cut)POLLEY,SARAH; Release date: 2004-10-26; DVD
Best price: $2.90
Price in other shops:
Evil Dead IICAMPBELL,BRUCE; Release date: 2000-08-29; DVD
Best price: $7.73
Price in other shops:
Dawn of the Dead (Ultimate Edition)DAWN OF THE DEAD; Release date: 2004-09-07; Published: 2004-09-01; DVD
Best price: $16.34
Price in other shops: