Day of the Dead

First Throwback Thursday of the fest.

I couldn't justify waiting till Monday for a zombie flick, so I picked one that it has been over 10 years since I first saw it. I could have picked any number of Romero films but I chose this one because out of all of them, it was the one I remembered the least.

A zombie test subject

I know it has been a long time since I saw this one, because I don't remember any of the "smart" zombie aspect of the film. When I first saw Land of the Dead in theaters I was intrigued by the idea that zombies could have enough brain power to remember their lives before undeath and sort of learn. That is also a subject Romero touched on in this classic. The story jumps right into some time after the first outbreak. A group of military personnel and some civilians hole themselves up in an underground bunker, periodically flying a helicopter to check cities nearby for survivors. We aren't sure who the civilians are until the story builds and we learn that they are a group of scientists that are trying to discover what makes zombies tick and maybe if there is a cure for them. The doctor they all call "Frankenstein" has questionable morals but discovers a particular zombie he names "Bub" that is very capable of higher brain function. He appears to remember a past life, saluting the soldiers and brandishing a gun.

Bub saluting

The zombies are in a way evolving, while the underground bunker setting and the barbaric attitude of the soldiers and "Dr.Frankenstein" make it seem as if the living are devolving back into cavemen. Of course, the practical effects of the time are a little hokey but at the same time impressive and fun to watch.

A head used for a death scene of one of the soldiers for the film

The film itself is a little slow, but the material, story and the bits of good gore towards the end are what make it one worth watching. I give it 3.5 skulls, I like it but I don't love it.