avenger00soul
08-08-2004, 03:56 PM
~Spoilers herein~
Day of the Dead, often lamented as George A. Romero's worst, is a helluva lot better than most people's best. I will say that it's my least favorite of the "Dead" trilogy, but it's still a masterpiece of modern horror nonetheless. Regardless of what Romero originally envisioned, this film is still an epic zombie tale. Scientists and Military men (who may be all there is left) are holed up in an underground bunker and are quickly losing their minds while the undead have overrun the world. The characters (and the actors who portray them perfectly) are downright hopeless, cynical, and many without merits. Joe Pilato is freakin' magnificent as Captain Rhodes. He either really has his character down or he's someone I wouldn't enjoy hanging out with. I'm amazed he didn't have more of a career in the industry after this. Richard Liberty (also seen in Romero's The Crazies) has that perfect mad scientist quality to play Dr. Logan and Lori Cardille ("Chilly Billy" Cardille's daughter) is very enjoyable as our strong female lead. And the always cool-headed Terry Alexander has shades of both Duane Jones and Ken Foree from the past zombie films. Let's not forget Howard Sherman's Bub, the first sympathetic and completely cool zombie. Many more elements combine to make Day of the Dead an essential horror experience. The best make-up and special effects you could ever find in a film are right here. Look no further. Tom Savini and his crew (including a young Greg Nicotero who even has a role in the film) prove that they are the best beyond a shadow of a doubt. John Harrison's score is also one of these essential elements. The music is quite compelling, and even uplifting at points. It kind of counteracts what's happening on the screen and creates a subtle and much needed balance. Once our characters have been introduced and the lines have been drawn and sides have been taken, the movie truly gets going. There are many surprises and twists during the course of the film and everything about it takes me back to a time when near-perfect horror films were made. The only problem with the film in my eyes was the weak ending. I think it could have been pulled off in slightly better fashion. Romero's final installment of zombie mayhem is claustrophobic, shocking, and downright scary. It truly is "the darkest day of horror the world has ever known."
Day of the Dead, often lamented as George A. Romero's worst, is a helluva lot better than most people's best. I will say that it's my least favorite of the "Dead" trilogy, but it's still a masterpiece of modern horror nonetheless. Regardless of what Romero originally envisioned, this film is still an epic zombie tale. Scientists and Military men (who may be all there is left) are holed up in an underground bunker and are quickly losing their minds while the undead have overrun the world. The characters (and the actors who portray them perfectly) are downright hopeless, cynical, and many without merits. Joe Pilato is freakin' magnificent as Captain Rhodes. He either really has his character down or he's someone I wouldn't enjoy hanging out with. I'm amazed he didn't have more of a career in the industry after this. Richard Liberty (also seen in Romero's The Crazies) has that perfect mad scientist quality to play Dr. Logan and Lori Cardille ("Chilly Billy" Cardille's daughter) is very enjoyable as our strong female lead. And the always cool-headed Terry Alexander has shades of both Duane Jones and Ken Foree from the past zombie films. Let's not forget Howard Sherman's Bub, the first sympathetic and completely cool zombie. Many more elements combine to make Day of the Dead an essential horror experience. The best make-up and special effects you could ever find in a film are right here. Look no further. Tom Savini and his crew (including a young Greg Nicotero who even has a role in the film) prove that they are the best beyond a shadow of a doubt. John Harrison's score is also one of these essential elements. The music is quite compelling, and even uplifting at points. It kind of counteracts what's happening on the screen and creates a subtle and much needed balance. Once our characters have been introduced and the lines have been drawn and sides have been taken, the movie truly gets going. There are many surprises and twists during the course of the film and everything about it takes me back to a time when near-perfect horror films were made. The only problem with the film in my eyes was the weak ending. I think it could have been pulled off in slightly better fashion. Romero's final installment of zombie mayhem is claustrophobic, shocking, and downright scary. It truly is "the darkest day of horror the world has ever known."