George Romero’s first two “Living Dead” films are heralded as masterpieces by many, so I was surprised to find “Day of the Dead” (1985) to be the most entertaining of the original trilogy. Tom Savini has now moved firmly into the realm of practical-effects master, and Romero isn’t shy about holding on shots of people getting ripped apart by zombies to showcase Savini’s talents.
While the zombies still move slowly, their increased numbers and banded-together violence make them feel like a real threat for the first time in the trilogy.
“Day” also features a striking setting and sharply defined characters as Romero’s screenplay rips into human nature like a hungry zombie. Our group of a dozen soldiers and scientists in a cavernous underground base in Florida might be the only survivors of the pandemic, for all they know.
“Day of the Dead” (1985)
Director: George A. Romero
Writer: George A. Romero
Stars: Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, Joseph Pilato
The collapse of the military
Through unhinged military leader Rhodes (Joseph Pilato), we see how an institution is only as legitimate as the people in it. He’s one of those villains wherein you relish his comeuppance. Rhodes is propped up by lackeys like the crass Steel (the John Goodman-esque Gary Howard Klar) and the even crasser Rickles (Ralph Marrero).
The hero roster is varied, led by Sarah (Lori Cardille), the only woman. As the gender minority, she’s the audience surrogate, as everyone else is too unstable to latch onto. But they are colorful: We have PTSD-suffering Miguel (Anthony Dileo Jr.), Jamaican-accented helicopter pilot John (Terry Alexander) and perpetually drunk but good-hearted Bill (Jarlath Conroy).
And I haven’t even gotten to the two best characters: Dr. Logan (Richard Liberty), whom the soldiers call Frankenstein (not without reason) and his prized zombie test subject Bub (Sherman Howard). Howard’s performance is arguably the film’s best, as the cliched “mentally challenged” mannerisms work perfectly for a zombie who is relearning some human traits.
This thread ends in violent fashion in order to propel us to the conclusion, but it’s somewhat of a shame, because I was engrossed in the question of whether zombies have the capacity to become civilized. Generally, though, I think Romero is being darkly comedic by showing how zombies can access the best traits of humans, just as humans (like the military men) can tap into the worst traits of zombies (instinctual violence).
Psychological drama becomes gleefully gory actioner
“Day” is almost without a plot – which might be why most fans rank it lower than I do – but the world-building is excellent – both in terms of zombie lore and the physical setting. I suspected the caverns – both the manmade cement facility and the natural tunnels – must be a real location, as even after two “Dead” hits, Romero works with a modest budget. Indeed, the bulk of the film was shot at the Wampum, Pa., mine and storage facility.
Throw in a score by John Harrison that’s understated yet decidedly Eighties, and we’re transported to a distinct time and location. (It doesn’t strictly make sense that about a decade passes between each film, as a zombie plague is likely to be swift and steady – unless it’s contained, but it’s not in this narrative. So I guess the “Living Dead” series uses a sliding timeline wherein a few months’ worth of events happen in a decade.)
By the time of a grand finale that’s as epic as “Return of the Jedi,” except with hordes of zombies and an isolated setting, the slow-building “Day” has become bloody, gory, curse-filled entertainment. Before that, it’s a psychological thriller built on multiple studies of unhinged characters. Aside from Sarah – the calm core – any of the others could do just about anything. And several of them do, when the s*** hits the fan.
“Day of the Dead” would cap a satisfying series if it stopped here, but Romero went on to make three more installments from 2005-09. If there’s one major shortcoming to “Day” it’s that we don’t get much of the bigger picture for humanity (aside from the obvious bleakness), so I hope that will be addressed going forward.