Tagline: “The Darkest Day of Horror the World Has Ever Known.”
George A. Romero’s 3rd walking dead chunk-blower is with out a doubt the best zombie film ever made in my horror hungry eye. Sorry Lucio. The first time I saw it was at a midnight theatre showing on Halloween, with the ticket taker in zombie makeup laying in a coffin, and a “Bub” chanting rowdy crowd. As a added bonus I won a Day of the Dead 1 sheet for correctly answering a Judas Priest trivia question. So am I bias?
Hell No!
Zombie hordes have taken over---“about 400,000 to 1” according to Dr. Logan---forcing a small band of research scientists and army personnel into an underground missile silo. Shot on location at the Wampum Limestone Mine, which is so incredibly perfect.

Military leader Rhodes [Joe Pilato] who has assumed unquestionable command just wants the zombies to “drop over” but as Logan states “apparently they're not inclined to do that”. While the scientists look for a way to stop the undead, Dr. Logan [Richard Liberty] a.k.a. Frankenstein is doing grotesque experiments on zombies in hopes of finding a way of controlling them---like his star pupil Bub---as tensions rise to the boiling point. Then the situation takes a drastic turn for the worst when a distraught soldier lets hundreds of zombies into the silo. Now the fun really starts as the undead shamble and walk amok. Romero lays on the gore big time. Heads are blown, drilled, chopped in half and ripped off. There’s autopsy, dismembered limbs, throats are ripped out with gut ripping, spilling and munching. Tom Savini and Co. delivers some outstanding gruesome and gory f/x as well as zombies in various stages of rot.

What also works so well is the isolation factor and over all claustrophobic helplessness of the situation in the underground bunker with literally no where to escape. Along with the very likable stars Lori Cardille, Richard Liberty, Howard Sherman and Joe Pilato. Romero’s script which was cut down to the basics to meet the 3 million dollar budget is great. One can only imagine what would have transpired if he could have done the full script. Equally fitting and rounding out the film is the John Harrison electronic score which is awesome---so much so that I bought it on vinyl.

Anchor Bay has done a top-notch job with this 2 Disc bonanza. The picture quality is nothing short of excellent mastered with DIVMAX HD and in its proper 1.85:1 ratio enhanced for 16 x 9 and the sound is equally impressive with DTS-ES & Dolby Digital Surround EX Audio. There’s nothing to complain about here.

On to the plentiful Xtras;
Disc One: The complete UNCUT version of the film, Commentary with George Romero, Tom Savini, Cletus Anderson, and Lori Cardille. A 2nd Commentary with Roger Avary.
Disc Two: The Many Days of the Dead - 39 minute Documentary Featuring Interviews with George Romero, Producer David Ball, Special Makeup Effects Artists Tom Savini & Greg Nicotero, Production Designer Cletus Anderson, Assistant Director Chris Romero and Actors Lori Cardille, Joe Pilato, and Howard Sherman. Day of the Dead: Behind the Scenes – 31 minutes of Production Footage with Tom Savini, Audio Interview with Actor Richard Liberty, Wampum Mine Promotional Video, Theatrical Trailer, TV Spots, Production Stills, Behind the Scenes Photos, Poster & Advertising Art, Gallery of Memorabilia, Zombie make-up Gallery, Continuity Stills Gallery, George Romero Bio and Finally DVD – Rom Original Screenplay & Production Memos.

Me getting my 2 Day of the Dead posters properly signed.

The first time I met George, was in a field at the Alamo Roadshow in Austin, TX on a brutally hot 100+ degree August afternoon and evening where they had an inflatable screen and showed “Night of the Living Dead”, “Dawn of the Dead”, “Creepshow” and “Martin” back in 2004. Romero was obviously suffering but remained in great spirits signing autographs for everyone from 3:30 till 11:00 that night, stopping only for a Q & A.