Day of the Dead (1985)

I know, I know. He doesn't look dead. Well just keep READING!

Genre: Apocalyptic Zombie Horror

Starring: Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander (Conspiracy Theory)

Directed By: George R. Romero (Martin • Land Of The Dead)

Overview: Scientist and soldiers are holed up in a military installation. With the recent death of the Major, the man now in command demands immediate results on the research being conducted to get them out of this apocalyptic mess that is 'The Zombie'.

Thinking back on the lovely memories of this film, it makes me think how the 80s was more than just about big hair and macho guys. It was about redefining our roles, and being proud of who we are and where we came from, you know, the ME Generation. Think about the world beginning to really sink in to racial acceptance, a place where Blacks, Whites and Hispanics all work together against a zombie common goal. It's utopic of you think about it really...

But the 80s missed the point didn't they? By redefining and reinforcing stereotypes, the 80s served to let us know exactly what 'An Irishman' did and what 'A Jamaica' was, and it was Eire mon, but in a head-shaking 'are you serious?' kind of way that invites mockery beyond simple kitsch. Yes, yes, maybe with the dwindling dozen people left realizing there's no one else out there and this is all life has left in store, maybe stress levels reach a point where they just go after each other with the basest of hatreds: race.

I am overstating it a little, especially since only one character is truly 'a racist', but what excuses Romero when he fills his script with such characters as the drunken Irishman and the thick-accented lazy Jamaican? Never let it be said that Romero is a good writer. He's not. He fumbles around dumping words in the mouths of people who need to tell the audience about existing plot elements and character dynamics. In short, he probably didn't know any better, which is surprising given his ground-breaking, timeless and ever more relevant commentary that is Dawn Of The Dead. Of course, that script was full of stereotypes too.

Day of the Dead is one of those movies that is important because all Zombie film fans eventually have to get around to it, just to fill the cannon of scientific knowledge that is zombification. But for the rest of you, the bad acting, the clunky plot, the atrocious typical 80s synth musical score, these are all things that will just make you regret the time spent.

For Zombie completists only.

Zombies are people too! Join the fight against Zombie testing!

Performance: 5 Cinematography: 8 Script: 5 Plot: 4 Mood: 6

Overall Rating: 56% (A Really Long Day)

Aftertaste:

What's interesting about all Romero's Zombie films is that in every single one of them, The Black Man is the voice of reason. He's sometimes the leader, sometimes the calm one, sometimes the moral standard, but he's always integral to keeping the plot moving towards a common goal. That's why I found it so strange that he'd so quickly fall victim to the tides of 'the 80s'. Day of the Dead has no transcendent quality, no valuable message, and no spark of originality as all his other Zombie films did. Knowing that the original script for this was far more like Land of the Dead makes a lot of sense, and I'm left to wonder exactly how much Romero had to give up to get his film produced.