DAY OF THE DEAD

It is several years since the zombie epidemic grew to an uncontrollable level in DAWN OF THE DEAD. Scouring the deserted streets of Florida, a group of human survivors - including Sarah (Lori Cardille), John (Terry Alexander) and Miguel (Anthony Dileo Jr) - look for signs of life amid the ravaged wasteland that's been left behind.

Finding nothing but zombies, litter and stray alligators, the team climb back into their military helicopter and return to the underground missile silo they now call home.

Within the labyrinthine confines of the silo, we learn that the team searching for signs of life are a group of scientists working alongside Dr Logan (Richard Liberty) in a bid to help understand what makes the zombies tick, thus hoping to eventually domesticate them. The team are awkwardly tended to by a batch of increasingly impatient soldiers, led by the maniacal Captain Rhodes (Joe Pilato).

This motley crew of survivors largely keep their existences separate: the soldiers heckle each other playfully in-between quieter moments spent maintaining a small garden created within the fenced area above ground; the scientists while away their time studying re-animated corpses in Logan's makeshift laboratory. No wonder the soldiers refer to him as "Frankenstein" ...

A tenuous relationship continues wherein Rhodes' men risk life and limb to capture stray zombies that gather at a cave entrance to the silo each day, tempted by the live flesh that they can smell from inside. Rhodes is increasingly unhappy with this set-up (it doesn't help that he witnesses one of his men taking a fatal bite to the throat during the process), constantly threatening at any moment to break the arrangement that the scientists agreed with his late peer, Major Cooper.

The situation is further antagonised by Rhodes' right-hand man Steele (Gary Howard Klar), a loose cannon if ever there was one. It's hardly surprising when the pair balk at the discovery that Logan has kept one of his subjects chained in a small room, hoping to nurture him through music and literature ... and guns. Naming his pet zombie Bub (Howard Sherman) after his late father, Logan refuses to allow Rhodes to shoot Bub and promises that he will be able to demonstrate the results of his research soon.

With zombies cluttering the catacombs below and surrounding the parameters of the fence on ground level, the survivors are under an enormous threat from the enemy waiting outside. However, the greater threat is their inability to work with one another. Especially when Rhodes uncovers Cooper's remains in Logan's laboratory ...

DAY OF THE DEAD was released in the summer of 1985 to mixed reviews. This was due to a few reasons. The film's distribution could've been better on both sides of the Atlantic. The initial concept for DAY - which involved an army of domesticated zombies engaging in war against the untamed walking dead - had to be scrapped due to lack of funding, leading critics to chastise the hastily rewritten script (particularly the ending, which to this day remains a huge disappointment).

Elsewhere, some fans were very vocal about their disapproval of the film's ultra-bleak tone. The downbeat delivery seemed at loggerheads with DAWN OF THE DEAD's comic strip-style approach to outlandish violence. Then of course there was the fact that the film was released in close proximity to Dan O'Bannon's THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD and Stuart Gordon's RE-ANIMATOR - two other living dead films that, at the time, took the majority of the accolades.

Looking at DAY now, it deserves those plaudits the most. It's stood the test of time remarkably well. From its ever-prescient social commentary, through the performances - the best there have ever been in a Romero film - and Tom Savini's stunning FX work which proves alongside Rob Bottin's efforts in THE THING that good prosthetic make-up and corn syrup will always be better than CGI; DAY remains as disturbing as ever, and all the better for it.

Now rightfully regarded as a classic, DAY is a staggeringly pessimistic view of the human condition and in this respect is one of the most powerful horror films of the 1980s. After all, what could be more horrific than the notion that the living are even more monstrous than the flesh-eating ghouls waiting to digest them outside? Dark, harrowing and uncompromisingly brutal, it's hard to imagine such a grim film being made by a "name" director in this day and age. Just look at Sean S Cunningham's lousy 2008 remake, or Romero's own substandard output in recent years, for evidence of that.

DAY has been available previously in all manner of DVD incarnations, and was even released on American blu-ray by Anchor Bay in 2007. Their blu-ray was unfortunately the victim of contrast and DNR issues along with, most significantly, some missing audio on the mono track.

This new release from Arrow corrects the audio issue, offers a much better picture playback and even delivers some great exclusive extras for good measure ...

The film is presented uncut in a stunning 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer, beaming in a clean and finely contrasted 1080p resolution by way of a brand new restoration job. The opening sequence, where Sarah reaches out for a calendar on a cell wall and is attacked REPULSION-style by a dozen zombie arms bursting through the concrete, still looks somewhat grainy and dull. But stick with this version, because from the proceeding search of Florida and onwards, the picture is noticeably much cleaner and sharper than its Anchor Bay variant. Textures are incredibly smooth and depth is intelligently conveyed, while edge enhancement has been kept under control and DNR has been employed extremely subtly. A fine layer of natural grain remains, while flesh tones are accurately rendered throughout.

The gore scenes are amazingly sharp and bright, and it's testament to Savini's work that his grisly effects still look convincing in high definition. Elsewhere in the film the odd scene here and there still looks a tad soft, but then we're talking about a relatively small-scale horror film from 25 years ago - by and large, this is excellent stuff: definitely worth the upgrade, as DAY has never looked this good, even on the cinema screen.

Audio is vastly improved too. The original mono audio track is thankfully restored and problem-free, while a new 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio mix impresses by bolstering the tension where it can. Don't expect miracles, it's not a new Hollywood film after all, but do prepare to hear the film like you never have done before.

A very bright, eye-catching main menu page graces the blu-ray disc, with basic but proficient pop-up menus including a scene-selection menu which allows access to the main feature via 24 chapters.

Blu-ray extras begin with a new audio commentary track from FX team members Greg Nicotero, Howard Berger, Everett Burrell and Mike Deak. It's a decent, occasionally raucous listen - but, while fun and informative in it's own way, it's not really a match for Anchor Bay's commentary track with Romero and Savini, which is absent here. Also absent is the commentary track that Anchor Bay commissioned from shamed filmmaker (who had nothing to do with the making of DAY) Roger Avary. But that's no loss ...

Also new to this release is an excellent 51-minute documentary entitled "Joe Of The Dead". Terrible title aside, this is a fun catch-up with the ever-watchable Mr Pilato. He looks old and worn here, but makes for a fantastic interviewee with a fresh memory, fun anecdotes and a great tendency to slip into Rhodes' character now and again. It's fun, well-edited stuff that takes us through Pilato's early stage days, his work with Romero (he appeared in DAWN, DAY and KNIGHTRIDERS) and where he's at with his career nowadays.

"Travelogue on Tour" is another new offering, this time being a 17-minute featurette that follows Pilato on a mini-tour of Scottish venues in 2009 to promote Cult Labs' limited theatrical rerun of DAY. Again, Pilato makes for a great watch as he fraternises with fans and shows off his drinking prowess.

But that's not all. We also get a DVD with more extras, albeit most of which you probably already own.

"The Many Days Of The Dead" is a 40-minute retrospective in which all the principal cast and crew members get to speak about the film's genesis, and Savini even gets to go into detail about his fantastically grisly FX.

"Behind The Zombies Footage" is a further 29 minutes of handheld camera footage filmed on the set, following the FX crew about their work. It's well worth a watch.

A 15-minute audio interview with the late Liberty ensures an extra level of comprehension, as does the 8-minute "Wampum Mine promo" clip, while the bonus features are rounded off by a couple of galleries, trailers and TV spots.

Inside the packaging, look out for a double-sided fold-out poster of cover artwork, and the excellent 16-page booklet "For Every Dawn There Is A Day". This latter item is peppered with nice colour stills from the film, and features new interviews with the likes of Romero, Savini, Cardille and Pilato.

Although not made available for review, I understand the packaging also comes in a slipcase similar to last year's brilliant DAWN OF THE DEAD blu-ray/DVD combo, allowing the consumer to choose from 4 possible front covers. Finally, there is also a 24-page comic book entitled "Day Of The Dead: Desertion", which proffers an all-new storyline for Bub.

I could be churlish and moan that the extras, aside from the booklet, offer no new insights from Romero or Savini. And of course I feel the need to mention the omission of their commentary track once again. But neither of these little niggles alter the fact that Arrow's blu-ray of DAY OF THE DEAD is largely brilliant. The film looks marvellous, sounds mighty fine and the extras - the old and the new combined - offer just about everything you'd hope to learn about this classic film. The gorgeous, considered packaging is simply the icing on a most attractive cake.

Review by Stuart Willis