Day Of The Dead

Do you remember the 80’s with the big hair and the terrible shoes? If you lived through it or even if you didn’t you’ll remember that it was the time of gore and brilliant Zombie movies. The cult classic and pretty much the big daddy of them all was this movie, (now remastered Blue Ray Edition) Day Of The Dead. It is renowned for its dismembering of its victims by the brute force of its zombies and if you like the vista of zombies eating human offal, you won’t be disappointed. (Apparently they used things like chicken drumsticks covered in fake blood so the cast could actually be filmed gnawing on the meat)

Although it’s a little dated with the look of the characters, and use of Ooze machine guns (not an RP90 in sight) it’s still a lot of watchable, gore filled fun, and stands up and punches you in the face even 25 years on.

So what’s the plot? Well of course the dead have risen and they have pretty much taken over the world. The ratio, as Dr Lloyd ( Frankenstein) says, is 400,000:1 - not great odds I know. Holed up in an essentially, hastily mocked-up missile silo, complete with jeeps and mobile homes within its storage facility, are our main living protagonists and a coral of walking dead. The soldiers in the outfit are all just losing it and don’t see why they should be looking after the scientists in the group whose mission it is to find out why the dead are alive again and how to stop them. Add to the mix an electrician who has more than a passing resemblance for Mr Bean and a helicopter pilot who could double as Shaft with hair, and you’ll realize that you have landed right in the thick of a 1980’s horror phenomenon. Rhodes is the cult legend Colonel who, with his side kick Private Steel, reluctantly assists the scientists before disobeying his original orders and letting loose with his colt revolvers so that he and the rest of his men can take the helicopter and “get the Hell out of dodge”. Fortunately, things don’t go according to plan for the Colonel and his men. You’ll enjoy watching what happens to the irritating, SOB Rhodes. The resourceful scientists come up with their own plan while one of Rhodes’ own men, bitten by a zombie (thus leading to him almost becoming a zombie), unleashes the zombies on the whole facility. (Not sure why he does this . Cue: walking moaning men and women slowly chasing down humans so that they can rip them to pieces for their lunch. I won’t tell you how it ends up but you’ll guess it ends badly for most of those still with a pulse.

The effects were great then and are still good now and the soundtrack is a haunting little number that will be in your head for the rest of the night.

This Blue ray edition is crisp in its quality, but it doesn’t show any real flaws used in the makeup and effects of the film as Blue ray can sometimes do. The DVD is packed with extra features to complement this legendry classic with commentary from the effects team which is hilarious and a spinal tap like documentary of Rhodes (Joe Pilato) as he takes a trip across Scotland.

Look out for the zombie dry shaving (the worst shaving cut I ever saw) and the gratuitous neck-flesh-biting from the zombies. I think, from now on I will start wearing a metal scarf.

Enjoy this one, its fantastic …who needs CGI!!!

Rating 8/10 for its originality at the time of production, the originality of the effects and the amount of extras you get with the new DVD release.