In the third instalment of George A. Romeros zombie apocalypse series, a group of scientists and soldiers hold up in an underground fort in order to bide time and find out how to contain or even make use of the zombie plague. With both hope and food rations running low, the contrasting personalities begin to clash within the isolated and claustrophobic safe heaven, and the survivors finally begin to turn on each other.
Initially disappointing many fans with its downbeat and small-scale approach (Romero initially wanted to follow up his much-loved Dawn of the Dead with something much grander but didnt have the cash), Day of the Dead has since become a fan favourite thanks to its depressingly cynical edge and vomit-inducing special effects. Indeed, the third best zombie movie of all time (behind Dawn of the Dead and Night of the Living Dead, of course) is a wonderfully deadpan and disgusting farewell to Romeros original zombie trilogy (which has since expanded into an increasingly tedious series of questionable films).
Recently released on Blu-ray by Arrow Video, both Romeros Day of the Dead and his seminal Dawn of the Dead are now available on good ol DVD, and once again, Arrow has done a bang up job. Day of the Dead arrives with a bucket load of extra features including a fantastic commentary with the special effects geniuses behind the film, plus promos, behind the scenes footage and more. New to DVD are the Joe of the Dead documentary, which discusses Joe Pilatos (Captain Rhodes) career, and Travelogue of the Dead, which follows Pilato attending numerous events celebrating the 25th anniversary of the film. All in all, its a jam-packed and beautifully presented edition of Day of the Dead that even Rhodes himself would salute.
Overall Verdict: An exceptional edition of Romeros last great zombie movie.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary With Special Effects Team
Joe of the Dead Documentary
Travelogue Documentary
The Many Days of Day of the Dead Documentary
Behind the Zombie Footage
Romero Zombography
Galleries
Trailers
Audio Recollections of Richard Liberty
Reviewer: Lee Griffiths