2008 Day of the Dead
More often than not, if George A. Romero wrote it, chances are I'm going to like it. Granted I have not seen all his work and some of what I have seen I don't remember (please don't ask.) But he rarely, if ever, disappoints.
I had an opportunity to snag Day of the Dead, the 2008 version, for about 6 bucks recently, so based on the cost of rentals these days, I bit on the offer. I realize it's not the 1985 Romero version, but it is based loosely on the same, plus Ving Rhames and Mena Suvari are in it, so I figured it had to have promise. As I've stated so many times before, if it's got zombies in it, most likely I will like it.
This version was directed by Steve Miner, director of one of my favorite Halloween movies, H2O, as well as Friday the 13th numbers 2 & 3. That right there was an added bonus, and I can tell you I was a happy camper to have a new zombie movie for the weekend!
Now remember, this movie is not a remake of Romero's, but he is given credit as one of the writers. You would think they'd give it a different name, but hey - it worked for the Evil Dead 1 & 2, so who's to say it can't work for this one, right?
Day of the Dead 2008 "Pros"
The action. Five minutes into the movie we have our first victim, fallen prey to an unseen assailant. Another 15 minutes (give or take) into the movie and the action really begins at the local hospital where about half of the towns population shows up for treatment of various "ailments."
Soon it's every person for themselves when the sick transform and begin to attack the healthy (picture piranhas attacking chum tossed into their tank.) Quicker than you can say Eeeewww!! undead people are attacking living people and ripping off body parts with their teeth in a glorious blood fest! WOW! Talk about sheer pandemonium!
Oh yeh, this is definitely my kind of movie!
Bud. Bud is a GI who has developed quite a crush on Sarah (played by Mena Survari) but sadly gets bitten by a zombie. Soon after he himself is an undead, yet Sarah keeps him around because "he listens to orders."
Now on the surface one might think it's a bit odd to keep a zombie close at hand, but what we find out about Bud is that he actually protects Sarah from other zombies. How cool is that? It's like she's got her very own Fido who will love and protect her no matter what!
The graphics. Ripping flesh and blood spewage was so believably executed that I found myself peeking through my fingers on occasion or two. And that's not something I do very often! (ok, so it might have been the tequila, but that's a whole 'nother story.)
Day of the Dead 2008 "Cons"
Ving Rhames undead. Ving Rhames is such a strong actor.....well, I think he's a strong actor. And they turned him into a zombie at about the 30 minute mark! What the f***?? Apparently the director didn't want to be compared to Dawn of the Dead. Oh well, Ving as a legless zombie was pretty cool. I wouldn't want to piss him off, that's for damned sure!
Zombie Traits. Ok. Everyone knows that zombies possess certain characteristics. Modify them slightly from movie to movie, but to change them up completely just throws everything off balance, and that is just what this movie did.
This movie had zombies running at high speeds; performing acrobatic acts; and lastly, but certainly not least, this movie gave zombies the ability to have CHOICE! Again I have to ask... what the f***?? Anyone with half a brain knows that zombies do not think! They crave. And what they crave is eating brains!
And what the hell is up with zombies running at high speeds? How the hell are those of us with half a brain supposed to get away with f'n zombies running faster than us? I may as well roll over and play dead at that point.
So anyway, I have to say this is one zombie movie I can watch over and over. It has most of the standard B movie criteria (well, except for the gratuitous boob shot) which in layman terms, means I love it.
I'm starting to see a trend with me and bad movies. Maybe what my husband has been saying all these years is right.... maybe I am the uber dork!
Nah.
Ving Rheames is strong. Strong as in kick my ass kind of strong. Acting ability strong? Well, that’s debatable.
Mena Suvari in an action/horror role? Wow that’s unexpected. Really. Or scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel. Interesting casting choice, nonetheless.
Bruce Campbell needs a cameo in this film. And EVERY zombie film.
Redbeard76s last blog post..The After-Party
Zombies are evolving.
The zombies in the most recent Dawn of the Dead were pretty freaking quick on their feet as well. Not to mention the “infected” of 28 Days later and 28 Weeks Later.
And in Land of the Dead, some of those zombies were starting to show a bit of cognitive ability.
Before too much longer all the zombies will HAVE brains instead of just eat them.
I did a review of this zombie flick on the Cafe myself and I think I have reposted it while I am still in the process of redoing the site at the new URL. If you check out my review you will see I just did not like it very much, though when I got it I may have had my hopes up too high and was expecting a Dawn of the Dead style remake, especially when I saw Ving Rhames name on the box and figured it was a continuation of Dawn, where they are left on the island during the end credits. I also felt that Romero could and should have been given credit of some sort, but I do not think he co-wrote any of this.
I am a zombie fan from way back and have seen my share, but so many zombie flicks now are becoming the equivalent of the “tapped guitar solo” of the 80′s, trying to sound like Eddie Van Halen but paling in comparison. I like FIDO, which you mentioned, and sometimes am not sure why one movie appeals to me while another does not. And yes, I thought the super fast zombies crawling on ceilings and walls ruined it a little as well.
Nice to know however that you are concerned about a zombie apocalypse and how to survive it. Not enough people are taking this issue seriously.
Uranium Willys last blog post..GEORGE A. ROMERO’S STUDY IN SOLITUDE AND VAMPIRIC ANGST: MARTIN
I’m still skeptical. I’ll probably find a way to see this just to see it, but I’m going to go into it with low expectations so maybe I’ll be more surprised if this is decent.
enemys last blog post..Day of the Dead (1985)
I don’t care if they run at high speeds or not. Anything that has Ving Rhames with an abnormal thirst for brains has got to be a winner.