Day of the Dead (2008)

User Rating:

4.5/10   

Director:

Steve Miner

Writers (WGA):

Jeffrey Reddick (screenplay)
George A. Romero (motion picture "Day of the Dead")

Release Date:

8 April 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

This spring, the dead will rise!

Plot:

When a small Colorado town is overrun by the flesh hungry dead a small group of survivors try to escape in a last ditch effort to stay alive.

Plot Keywords:

Colorado | Fall From Height | Bitten In The Neck | Gore | Barricade

Cast

Mena Suvari	...	Sarah Bowman
Nick Cannon	...	Salazar
Michael Welch	...	Trevor Bowman
AnnaLynne McCord	...	Nina
Stark Sands	...	Bud Crain
Matt Rippy	...	Doctor Logan
Pat Kilbane	...	Scientist
Taylor Hoover	...	Local Girl
Christa Campbell	...	Mrs. Leitner
Ian McNeice	...	Paul - DJ
Ving Rhames	...	Captain Rhodes
Robert Rais	...	Mr. Leitner
Michael McCoy	...	Mr. Noble
Laura Giosh	...	Mrs. Nobel (as Laura Goish Markov)
Vanessa Johansson	...	Receptionist

Also Known As:

Day of the Dead: The Need to Feed (USA) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong pervasive horror violence and gore, and language.

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R | Germany:18 | Japan:R-15 | Australia:MA | Netherlands:16 | Finland:K-18 (self applied)

Filming Locations:

New Boyana Film Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria

Company:

Millennium Films

Trivia:

Although the film's plot shares little with the original, many of the scenes and situations from the original are duplicated, such as debating on whether or not a fellow member should be killed even though there's a chance he won't become a zombie, a zombie firing a gun, and the heroes having to make their way through an abandoned missile silo.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Sarah enters the overcrowded local hospital with her mother, she asks a man to stand up so the mother can take the seat. In the next shot there are a lot of free seats on other benches nearby.

Movie Connections:

References Day of the Dead (1985)

A Disappointing Excuse For A Romero Remake

Like many of you, I got really excited when I heard about this film. After the incredibly good effort that was the Dawn of the Dead 2004 remake, this film is an extremely cheap attempt to cash in on the name. It's extremely important to keep in mind that this film it's not a remake as much as it's a by-the-numbers zombie/infected flick with a fancy name on it.

The film stars Mena Suvari and has a short cameo by Ving Rhames. While I'll watch anything with Mena Suvari in it - even "Loser" - this is a stretch. While Suvari does a decent job with a flat, lifeless (no pun intended) script, the other actors are incredibly stiff, awkward and unconvincing. Rhames plays basically the same character he played in the Dawn of the Dead remake, although he only appears for the first 15 minutes or so.

The film itself is extremely boring and the action and special effects are haphazard. I can honestly say that I've never felt so bored during an action sequence before. The "climax", if you can call it that, runs on for about 5 minutes more than it should. Even worse, the film doesn't even attempt to redeem itself by being a tad funny.. it tries, but fails with flying colors. The script is absolutely ridiculous, not even making relative sense in the world of the film.

If you've ever wondered what "vegetarian" zombies eat, feel free to watch this movie. If you want to see a new spin on Romero, wait for Diary of the Dead to come out in wide release by the man himself. I'm giving this one a three for Mena Suvari alone.