Day of the Dead (1985)

   

Written & Directed by: George A. Romero

Starring:

Lori Cardille .... Sarah
Terry Alexander .... John
Joseph Pilato .... Captain Rhodes
.... McDermott
.... Miguel
Richard Liberty .... Logan
Sherman Howard .... Bub
.... Steel
.... Rickles
John Amplas .... Fisher
.... Miller
.... Torrez
.... Johnson

Release Dates: Theatrical: July 19, 1985; Tokyo Intenational Zombie Film Festival: February 26, 2011

 

Rating:

While the zombies are still taking over the world, a small group of scientists led by Sarah (Lori Cardille) and John (Terry Alexander) as well as military personnel led by the nasty Captain Rhodes (Joseph Pilato) reside in an underground bunker in Florida thinking that they might be safe and calling for zombie's to shoot and kill as well as planning a way out to a deserted area but checking to see if there's other survivors around as well.
They use undead people for gruesome experiments however which becomes a nightmare for them.
Finally the military finds that their men have been used in the scientists' experiments, and banish the scientists to the caves that house the living dead.
One scientist by the name of Logan (Richard Liberty) tries to tame one of the zombies who was an army soldier named Bub (Sherman Howard) killed in the war and trying to make him remember his past from the army that he was killed in.
However the head military chief named Captain Rhodes doesn't like this and threatens to kill his people too.

 

We spot a perfect beginning of the film with Sarah sitting alone in a room and then walking up to see a picture and zombie's hands crawl out of the wall which was of course a dream sequence.
There was a good shot on her and John riding in a helicopter with their discussions together. They also do well standing near a deserted city calling for anyone out there and the wind is blowing dust showing money flying around and a newspaper saying the Dead Walks. Great camera shots on zombie's starting to walk the city towards them.
We see a nice performance by a supporting character Steel calling for the zombie's to come so they can trap some which looks exciting. Everyone involved with that scene did a nice job trapping the zombie's and struggling to do so.

A nice moment with Sarah walking into a lab and a zombie waving around catching her by surprise.
Both Sarah and Logan have a good discussion together when he tells her what he's trying to do with these zombie's and adds humor when he talks to them.
Nice shots on Steel nearly beating the crap out of McDermott although it didn't look as overly violent like it was supposed to have.
Great scene's in a tunnel involving McDermott, Sarah and John running around to find a way to escape and shooting zombie's in the head too.
A perfect shot on Captain Rhodes with zombie's hands circling around him.
Nice gruesome shots on the zombie's eating body parts which almost makes you think of Night of the Living Dead on how it was done but this time they took it to the extreme.
Bottom line is that many of you may scream at me for putting this one down as well but I found it pointless and uninspired. However, indie filmmaker Jose Prendes did make Corpses Are Forever making his film almost similar but I found that his film had a better plot to it although it was on a very thin budget.
There are some great performances and some interesting action sequences but not enough to make this film exciting to watch as it is really slacking in many spots mostly taking place at a hideout area with certain zombie's that a professor is trying to tame.

We have a nice talented cast which makes up from bombing the film in total having a strong deliverance to their parts.
Lori Cardille
(Sarah) was extremely powerful with her words in the film as well as her aggression as the head scientist in the film. She was perfect acting in a rage towards someone when they are in a room together forcing him to leave.
Joseph Pilato
(Captain Rhodes) lived to play an evil and cold blooded captain of the military team having nice icy words when he speaks. Does a perfect job commanding everyone in a room looking evil and not so pleasant and really was icy when he demands the lead character to sit down or he will shoot her and she does well acting ignorant. He really showed unpleasant expressions by pointing a gun out ready to shoot someone. Also was down right menacing towards his fellow actor after he discovers what he has been doing which was quite intense too.
Anthony Dileo Jr
(Miguel) reacts terrifically after he is bitten in the neck with his frightened yelps and panics.
Richard Liberty
(Logan) really was believeable as a scientist trying to tame the zombie's and brings nice humor and character to his part. He also does well with an onscreen zombie trying to train him to remember his past.
Supporting actor Gary Howard Klar (Steel) stood out the most as a redneck lieutenant in the film making him a believeable asshole.
Taso N. Stavrakis (Torrez) was certainly the centre of attention as a strange and eccentric one in the film who really knew how to freak out big time. He knew how to freak out and act scared by crying towards his fellow actress when she tries to give him a shot.

Plenty of gore.
Zombie's bite people's arms, neck and other parts of the body
Heads are torn off as well as body parts.
Guts spill out of zombie's
An arm is cut off by a machette (OUCH)
A zombie's head is cut in half by a shovel
Bloody gun shots in the head and body.
A mans body gets split in half
.

We have some nice 80's keyboard playing for the film punching some action into it by John Harrison. However it doesn't sound gloomy like in the previous sequel to Dawn of the Dead.

[Steel is taunting the zombies in the corral]
Pvt. Rickles: [laughing] That's it, Steel! Whip it out!
Pvt. Steel: Fuckin' A! Biggest piece of meat in the cave! I don't wanna frighten the lady, though, not with her boyfriend around.
Sarah: You're incapable of exciting me, Steel, except as an anthropologic curiosity.
Pvt. Steel: Oh, what the hell does that mean, Rickles?
Pvt. Rickles: It means you're a caveman, asshole! You're a fuckin' throwback! You've been spendin' too much time underground! It's okay, Steel - throwbacks all got big dicks!
[Steel and Rickles laugh]

[Steel is threatening to kill Miguel for his accidentally releasing a zombie. Sarah trains her machine gun on Steel]
Sarah: Let him go, goddamn it! Or I'll cut you in half!

Captain Rhodes: Steel, shoot that woman.
[Steel points a finger at Sarah]
Pvt. Steel: Bang, you're dead!

Dr. Logan: It wants me! It wants food! But it has no stomach, can take no nourishment from what it ingests. It's acting on INSTINCT!

[Bub has saluted Captain Rhodes]
Dr. Logan: Apparently he was in the military! Return the salute! See what he does!
Captain Rhodes: You want me to salute that pile of walking pus? Salute my ass!
Dr. Logan: Your ignorance is exceeded only by your charm, Captain. How can we expect them to behave if we act barbarically ourselves?

Captain Rhodes: I don't want them to do anything but drop over!
Dr. Logan: Yes, well, apparently they're not inclined to do that for you, Captain.

[Bub the zombie is playing with a telephone]
Dr. Logan: That's right, Bub! Say hello to your Aunt Alicia! Say, "Hello, Aunt Alicia!" "Hello!"
Bub: A-... a-... alloooooleeeeesha!

Captain Rhodes: Go on run, run you fucking lunatics!

Pvt. Steel: Come on, Bub! Come on, ya pus-brain bag of shit! Ya wanna learn how to shoot, Bub? I'll teach ya how to shoot!

Captain Rhodes: [as the zombies are disembowling him and eating his entrails] Choke on 'em!