Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quick Reviews!, 16 Sep 2007
Usually seen as the weakest of the trilogy, and by a long way the most gore filled, this is by no means a bad film. The film was plagued from the start with budget problems, and script re-writes. This was originally supposed to be Romero's epic, though the finished product bears little relation to the original concept. If Romero had had better funding, certain improvements could have been made to the script, but he still provides an excellent and grim film. Like the previous films, we are given a sense of claustrophobia, of being sealed inside by what's outside as the film is set mainly in one place. While NOTLD was set in a farmhouse, and the characters may have been able to run somewhere else, and Dawn was set in a shopping mall where all your hearts desires could be found for low low prices, this is set in an underground shelter with miles of caverns leading to nowhere: it's as if the human race has already sealed itself in Hell. The zombies hold the earth.
The few survivors are not plain civilians as before, they work for a government which does not exist anymore, with the soldiers supposedly facilitating the scientists. Both groups are torn amongst themselves, with the soldiers under the command of Rhodes-one of the most psychotic characters ever, yet completely understandable (played with the utmost power and realism by Pilato and surely deserving of some awards), and the scientists all pulling in different directions. This is primarily a film of characterisation as we see how each person reacts to the realisation that the zombies have won. It may be true that none of the characters are likable, but this only adds to the realism as if we were in this situation, it is likely those around us would p*ss us off most of the time. Even at the end, contrary to what others say, the future holds no hope. The only escape is to hide and wait for your own inevitable death.
But the film is very funny, perhaps sometimes unintentionally, as seen in Dr. Frankenstein's antics ("no! no, you must listen to me!" Rhodes <with machine gun> "listen to this"! ). The effects, again done by Tom Savini are simply amazing, with faces being torn apart, heads flying off, and intestines spilling everywhere-every single death scene is a masterpiece of gore. Although many horror fans do not like this, it portrays a horrifying situation like no other movie. Perhaps not even the most hardened fan can bear the grimness of what is happening, subconscious fears making them hate it???
Finally a decent DVD version of Day Of The Dead is released- the first disc is a crisp cut of the film in all it's bloody glory. The second disc has good extras- a solid documentary, and a behind the scenes feature, as well as the usual trailers, filmographies. If you don't have the Trilogy of the Dead box set, this is a must.
|
|
|
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
FANTASTIC SPECIAL EDITION OF A FANTASTIV CLASSIC !! !! !! !! !!, 23 April 2006
George A Romero's zombie films are probably the most famous of all the zombie flics and are for good reasons. Day of the dead is the third in Georges line-up and now there is this amazing 2-disc special edition version.
The first thing you notice is that the sleev for the dvd is very cool and catches your eye immedietly with the bold 'day of the dead' title.
The first disc includes the film (obviously) and the other usual additions that you will find on every other dvd really. The second disc has all the extras on and these include filmographies for george romero and tom savini, behind the scenes, a new documentary called ' the many days of the dead' (wich is just over half an hour long), trailers, photo galleries and some more i think.
The film itself is a masterpiece and has some of the best blood/gore special effects i have ever seen on a film before!!!! The infamous scene where a man is ripped in two looks almost what you would expect to be real!
The story goes on the simple lines of a group of solders and a couple of other people, including a scientist, who are trying to survive in an underground bunker. Meanwhile the scientist is experimenting on zombies and learning lots, he is also training a zombie to do things and has desensatised him to attacking humans! Although the soldiers dont agree with his experiments and kill him. After that things go to hell and the zombies break into the bunker, killing the soldiers in their usual manner. The survivors of this event must find their way out of the bunker and safely flee the site.
Dont be expecting any award winning acting though, as this doesnt have it. But to be honest, this is a zombie film, and does a zombie films need great acting....NO. If anything the aweful acting has a good effect on the film. There is lots of annoying shouting and swearing in this too, which does get on your nerves, but that makes it all the better when you see the annoying soldiers get eaten alive!
Over all, this is a must see for the zombie films fan, and if you have aleready seen it: Buy this edition of the film immedietly. Anfd if your havent aleready seen it, buy this dvd anyway, its worth what you pay.
Enjoy
|
|
|
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Day Never Looked so Good!, 1 April 2006
The moment this DVD was released I could not help buying it... mainly because I'm a sucker for the two words Special Edition (and Extended Edition). The quality is good and the sound is nice and clear, the only draw back is the annoyingly cheap music.Day of the Dead is far darker, gritty and claustrophobic than Romero's previous comic-book-style Dawn of the Dead and Night of the Living Dead. The heavy amount of swearing (some, I have noticed, has been dubbed over) just makes the scenes more real and more intense. The effects are the best I've seen (the tearing flesh effect is gross and a little too real at times) and the characters are very three dimensional, even the villain of the picture (played, with great malice, by Joe Pilato) is cruel and unpredictable. The highlight of the film has to be the zombie, Bub. He is sweet and probably my favourite zombie of the whole quadrilogy (ever really felt for a rotting flesh eater, you will with him). As for the bonus disc, the extra features are good and the 37 minute documentary gives great insight into the feature, especially Howard Sherman (Bub) revealing how he went about playing his role. But I still feel it could have gone a bit deeper into the making - I wanted to know all about the effects from the jawless zombie you see in the beginning of the film. Although Day (after a few viewings) has now become my second favourite and has an epic opening scene in a (un)dead city, I still can't shake the feeling that it could have been much more. But don't let that dissuade you from getting it. Day of the Dead is a real treat for your blood lust and need for Romero zombie movie.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
![Day Of The Dead [1985] [DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51G987HPJWL._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Dawn Of The Dead [1978] [1979] [DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TQPG8XVML._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Land of the Dead (2005) [DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V705F505L._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Dawn Of The Dead (The Directors Cut) [DVD] [2004]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WEEAJ4MWL._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Dawn Of The Dead [1978] [1979] [DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TQPG8XVML._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ David Emge
![Land of the Dead (2005) [DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V705F505L._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ Dennis Hopper
![Night Of The Living Dead (Special Edition)(DVD)[1968]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51vJnFRS-wL._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ Duane Jones
![Dawn Of The Dead (The Directors Cut) [DVD] [2004]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WEEAJ4MWL._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ Sarah Polley
![Night Of The Living Dead [1968] [DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51759EXKACL._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ Duane Jones
With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is). 
Amazon Home