228) Day of the Dead (1985)

Halloween 2025’s rewind of terror ’80s horror movie thread extravaganza - the revenge! (Part six)

"Civil behavior is what distinguishes us from the lower forms. It's what enables us to communicate. To go about things in an orderly fashion, without attacking each other like beasts. Civility must be rewarded."

Director
George A. Romero

Cast

Lori Cardille - Dr. Sarah Bowman
Sherman Howard - Bub
Joseph Pilato - Captain Henry Rhodes
Terry Alexander - John "Flyboy"
Richard Liberty - Dr. Matthew "Frankenstein" Logan
John Amplas - Dr. Ted Fisher
Jarlath Conroy - Bill McDermott

Anthony Dileo Jr. - Private Miguel Salazar

When it comes to zombie movies, I feel this horror subgenre is stuck in a rut. Most zombie movies end up as slow as the zombies themselves. 

Seven or eight years ago, I started watching the series "Walking Dead." When I got to season five, I was  bored and my interest was gone. By that point, I found the series repetitive and ... repetitive. It also felt like it was out of ideas as to where else the storyline should go. I didn't even finish season five. I'm surprised I made it that far.

However, it goes without saying that the three best, and maybe the only best of all of zombie movies that I've seen are George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead (1968)," "Dawn of the Dead (1978)," and "Day of the Dead (1985)."  

I throw in the 1990 remake of "Night of the Living Dead," directed by Tom Savini, and "Zombieland" too, which is unrelated to Romero's zombie trio, among these well-made zombie flicks. Oh, and the "zombie-esque" movie I'll post about at the end of this year's thread. 

With "Night of the Living Dead" the world's end begins as the dead start rising from their graves. 

In the sequel, "Dawn of the Dead," the world is in the midst of collapsing. And in "Day of the Dead," the world has since fallen. It's everyone for themselves. 

I had previously watched "Dawn of the Dead" a few months ago to review but didn't get around to writing something up about it...yet. I'll probably watch it again. 

I feel like I should comment on "Night of the Living Dead" first. The original is an absolute horror classic in the truest meaning of the word. And Tom Savini's remake is a well made one. It's a true labor of zombie love filmed with respect for Romero's original movie. In fact, I made it a personal tradition to watch it every October either on or before Halloween. That, and "Trick 'r Treat" from 2007 are seasonal must-sees for me, kind of like watching "A Christmas Story" and "It's a Wonderful Life" during the holiday season.  

In this movie, the world has been pretty much overrun by the walking dead. 

The actual living seem to exist in small factions here and there. The story centers around a small band of survivors that live in safety (for now) in an underground bunker somewhere in Florida. 

Joseph Pilato as Capt. Rhodes in "Day of the Dead."

This group is composed of a few scientists, a couple soldiers, and a helicopter pilot. 

The scientists are headed by Dr. Matthew Logan (Richard Liberty) whom everyone calls "Frankenstein." They call him that because he's conducting experiments on zombies that the crew had previously captured and are keeping in a fenced in area within the bunker. His goal is to figure out how to control the zombies rather than destroy them. 

Logan's prime zombie subject is a living-dead guy he calls "Bub" (Sherman Howard).

Bub is his breakthrough subject as he shows huge signs of submission, capability, memory, and emotion. He's basically relearning how to be human. Bub is a sign of hope for the world's future. 

Meanwhile, the soldier-side of the group is led by Captain Henry Rhodes (Joseph Pilato). He's much more hostile, anxious and irate as he thinks zombie experimentation is a waste of time. It's also dangerous as he believes it could lead to a zombie attack. 

Tension between the two factions intensifies little by little. Once discipline collapses, Rhodes takes charge through intimidation and threats.  
Dr. Sarah Bowman (Lori Cardille), who's studying the cause of the zombie outbreak, tries to be an intermediary, but Rhodes considers her a threat to his dominance and forces her, and all the other scientists, to submit to his "authority." 

In the midst of this turmoil, the zombies break loose from their enclosure. Now, the only options are to escape or die. 

I appreciate the fact that the movie doesn't cast any major celebrities. Doing so would steal the focus away from the apocalyptic plot. It also adds to the plausibility. Otherwise, the experience would be "that movie with the famous person fighting zombies."   

The story reminds me of the book "Lord of the Flies" but with scientists and soldiers working against each other, with completely different ideas on how to survive their isolation as zombies threaten their existence. 

It's hard not to think that with the previous movies about world domination (for lack of a better word) by zombies, with each movie depicting their advancement while survivors are forced underground where the dead people once were, this movie has its share of social commentary. Or maybe I'm just constantly looking for it in most of the horror movies I watch whether it's there or not. 

It took a while for something interesting to happen. There's a lot of exposition in the first half of the movie. The story saves the horror for the final act. And when it arrives, it delivers. A lot! The gore fest kicks off full force in the last 20 minutes.

"Dawn of the Dead" does the premise better. "Day of the Dead" is more for shock value. The characters know what to expect since the events in "Dawn of the Dead" which is a better movie. 

When it comes to Captain Henry Rhodes and his bad ass-ery, he epitomizes the standard qualifications to being a bad ass according to 1980's standards. One just needs to swear every sentence and shoot everything, or threaten to shoot. He masters it. 

Sherman Howard as 'Bub.'

"Day of the Dead" is a movie I have stomach-turning memories of from my youth. 

I grew up with three older brothers. Two of these brothers of mine loved horror movies like this. And I often caught glimpses or more of some of the movies they watched - "A Nightmare on Elm Street," "The Lost Boys," and this flick. I remember seeing them though I was much too young. 

I recall one particular afternoon after school, one of my brothers and few of his friends were watching "Day of the Dead" which they probably rented from the local video store. I distinctly recall the scene where Henry Rhodes gets torn in half by zombies. No doubt, my five-year-old face must have looked like it was trying to uninstall life as it witnessed this scene on the TV screen. 

My brother's friend, Chris, leaned over to me and said with some sympathy "Don't worry, Mike. It's only a movie." But that didn't help. He might as well have told me mayonnaise is a vegetable. The damage was done! 

That uncomfortable and sick image of Rhodes's demise, insides exposed and all, is forever burned in my head nearly 40 years later. 

I do need to mention that "Day of the Dead" is an entertaining showcase of  make-up artist Tom Savini's masterful special effects talent. He's great at it and it shows. Otherwise, the movie is a treadmill of waiting. That is, waiting to see the annoying characters die at the hands of the zombies, while the good guys get away!  

In this case, the movie doesn't disappoint. It does have an intensity about it, but it's not as strong and intriguing as the previous movie, "Dawn of the Dead" nor the trepidation, immediacy, and realism of "Night of the Living Dead." It tries to out-do the last movie, with some over-the-top action and gore. In that case, it also succeeds to a small extent. 

Characters are fighting among themselves while trying to protect themselves from the ravenous living dead. 

I think Romero carries on the suggestion that government, science, and military strength are only as strong as the people that are running these things. When they're corrupt, the whole thing stinks.