Day of the Dead | June 30, 1985
"Day of the Dead" is a 1985 American post-apocalyptic zombie horror film written and directed by George A. Romero and produced by Richard P. Rubinstein. It is the third film in Romero’s "Dead" series, starring Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, Joseph Pilato, Jarlath Conroy, and Richard Liberty as members of a group of survivors of a zombie apocalypse hiding in an underground bunker in Florida, where they must determine humanity’s fate in the face of the undead horde. Romero described the film as a "tragedy about how a lack of human communication causes chaos and collapse even in this small slice of society."
Work on "Day of the Dead" began shortly after the release of the previous film, "Dawn of the Dead" (1978), but was halted when Romero started working on other projects. The film was developed as part of a three-film deal with the distributor United Film Distribution Company (UFDC). Romero chose to make the other two projects outlined in the deal, "Knightriders" (1981) and "Creepshow" (1982), first. Although Romero was given final cut privilege, the screenplay was rewritten several times due to UFDC's concerns that Romero’s ambitious original vision—described by him as "the Gone with the Wind of zombie films"—would need to be shot with the intention of receiving an R rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to ensure commercial viability. Romero opted to make the film on a lower budget and release it without a rating. "Day of the Dead" was filmed in the fall of 1984, with above-ground scenes shot in Fort Myers and Sanibel, and underground scenes near Wampum, Pennsylvania. Tom Savini returned to provide the film's special make-up effects, assisted by a team of artists including Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger, who later gained fame for their work on the TV series "The Walking Dead."
"Day of the Dead" premiered in Hicksville, New York, on June 30, 1985, and grossed $34 million worldwide against a budget of approximately $4 million. Although the make-up effects were praised, the film initially did not achieve the critical and commercial success of its predecessors. The series did not see another installment until the 2005 release of "Land of the Dead." Reception of the film has improved over time, and Romero considered it his personal favorite in the original Dead trilogy. Like its predecessors, "Day of the Dead" has garnered a cult following and inspired numerous parodies and homages.
The film was remade twice: first, with the 2008 film of the same name, and second, with "Day of the Dead: Bloodline" (2017). A television series named after the film began airing on Syfy in 2021, and a stand-alone sequel, "Night of the Living Dead II," was reported to be in active development.
Set years after the events of "Dawn of the Dead," "Day of the Dead" takes place in a world ravaged by the zombie apocalypse. Societal structures have mostly vanished, leaving the scattered remnants of human survivors vastly outnumbered by the undead. A small group of scientists and soldiers live within a secure underground missile bunker in the Everglades. The scientists are attempting to find a solution to the zombie pandemic, while the soldiers are assigned to protect them. Dr. Sarah Bowman, her lover and soldier Private Miguel Salazar, radio operator Bill McDermott, and helicopter pilot John fly from their underground base to Fort Myers in an attempt to locate additional survivors. They find only a large horde of zombies and return to the base, where they learn that the military officer-in-charge, Major Cooper, has died. Sarah becomes concerned about Miguel's deteriorating mental state, but he lashes out at her and refuses her help.
Dr. Logan, the lead scientist (nicknamed "Frankenstein" by the soldiers due to his grisly experiments with zombies), believes that the undead can be made docile and domesticated through training and conditioning. He keeps a collection of captured zombies for testing in a large underground corral. Sarah strongly opposes Logan's conditioning research, preferring to search for a possible cure for the virus. She discovers that Logan has been experimenting on the corpses of the dead soldiers, including Major Cooper. Fearing that the other soldiers will turn against them, Sarah reluctantly keeps this a secret.
The soldiers vary from decent and workmanlike to mean-spirited and confrontational, particularly the unstable Captain Rhodes. Rhodes vehemently objects to the risks involved in capturing and maintaining zombie specimens, and tension between the soldiers and scientists worsens due to dwindling supplies, loss of communication with other survivors, and slow progress in the research. During a meeting, Rhodes declares martial law under his command and grants the scientists only limited time to prove their results. He threatens to execute anyone who interferes with his leadership and to abandon the scientists, leaving them vulnerable to the zombies, though he cannot counter Logan’s sarcastic comments that the soldiers have nowhere to run and no way to stop the zombies on their own.
Disturbed by Rhodes' threats, Sarah discusses the situation with John and Bill, who live in an RV at the far end of the tunnels. They bluntly express their disbelief in the scientists’ work, with John suggesting that the zombie plague is divine retribution against mankind and proposing that they take the helicopter and escape to a desert island to start a new life. Logan hopes to secure Rhodes' goodwill by showcasing the results of his research. He is particularly proud of "Bub," a docile zombie who recalls some parts of his past life and exhibits rudimentary human behavior. However, Rhodes is unimpressed and loses patience with the scientists.
During a zombie roundup procedure, a zombie escapes when Miguel loses focus, resulting in the deaths of soldiers Miller and Johnson. Miguel snaps and attempts to kill the creature, but another zombie bites him on the arm. With John and Bill’s help, Sarah amputates and cauterizes Miguel’s arm to prevent infection. Rhodes calls off the experiments, demands that all captive zombies be destroyed, and denies any further assistance from his remaining men.
Later, Sarah and Bill go to the operating theater to gather medical supplies for Miguel, where they find that Logan has been experimenting on Miller and Johnson’s remains. Discovering evidence that Logan has descended into madness due to his failure to tame the zombies’ baser instincts, Bill decides they should leave immediately by helicopter. Rhodes learns that Logan has been feeding the flesh of dead soldiers to Bub as positive reinforcement for his behavior. Furious, Rhodes kills Logan and seizes the remaining scientists and non-military personnel, stripping them of their weapons. He attempts to force John to fly him and his remaining soldiers away, but John refuses. In response, Rhodes kills Logan's assistant Dr. Fisher, locks Sarah and Bill inside the zombie corral, and orders Private Steel to beat John into submission.
Meanwhile, Bub uses his newfound intelligence to free himself from his restraints and discovers Logan’s corpse. In a display of human emotion, Bub mourns his instructor, then picks up a pistol and goes in search of revenge. Miguel, having lost his self-control, goes to the surface and opens the perimeter fence, allowing hundreds of zombies to enter. Surrounded by the undead, Miguel activates the elevator control box, lowering the ravenous zombies into the bunker. As the undead swarm the complex, Rhodes abandons his men to their fate. Chased by Bub, Rhodes desperately tries to escape but runs into a mass of zombies and is shot in the stomach by Bub, who mockingly salutes Rhodes as he is torn apart. John, Sarah, and Bill manage to reach the helicopter and escape to a tropical island.
