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Day of the Dead is the third installment on George A. Romero's Dead Trilogy. Some believe it to be the best and some the worst of the series. It depends on what you're looking for. Dawn of the Dead and Night of the Living Dead have more suspense and action. Day of the Dead has more character development. Don't miss understand me Day of the Dead has suspense and action but not as much as the other two. Day of the Dead and Dawn of the Dead have more zombies.
The first part of the movie is spent developing the characters. Showing the interaction between the military and scientific community in a hostile environment. The military wants to kill as many zombies as possible, survive and make it to a place where other living people are. The military solutions are immediate and violent. Their plans are short sited not showing much after thought. Much of the military dialogue is racist and sexist. My only complaint would be that they made the military one-dimensional. The movie developed the differences between the scientists perception on what the correct plan of action should be. Sarah, a scientist, feels that it is important to find a means of stopping and reversing the process, curing people afflicted with the disease. Dr. Logan, another scientist, wants to develop a means of controlling the zombies, domesticating them like family pets.
The zombies follow all of the basic premises established in Night of the Living Dead (1968) only they are stronger. These zombies show the emotion fear, anger, and the capacity to seek revenge. They can be taught to do things they use to do such as how to use a gun.
The movie develops some ideas about how faulty first impressions can be. Sarah, early in the movie, feels that John (the pilot) and William (the radioman) are selfish. In times of crisis they are the ones who support and protect her.
I enjoyed watching Day of the Dead (several times) and find it miles above many other zombie movies. The acting is average with plenty of special effects and gore if that is what you enjoy. This movie is a must for true zombie fans.
The movie starts with Sarah (Lori Cardille) in a helicopter flying over a large city. Sarah asks William McDermott (Jarlath Conroy) to send out a message over the radio. William tells her that he has been sending out messages over the radio from Sarasota to the Everglades with no response. Sarah tells him to set the helicopter down because this is the largest city in a 150-mile radius. None of the other three men in the helicopter want to. Sarah tells the other pilot John (Terry Alexander) to set the helicopter down.
Sarah
William
John
When they set down Sarah and Private Miguel Salazar (Anthony Dileo Jr.) get out. The street seems deserted. Miguel calls out on a bullhorn asking if there is any one is there. A newspaper blowing on the ground reads "The Dead Walk". The street slowly starts to fill with one zombie after another. There is even a zombie alligator. Sarah and Miguel see the zombies; get back into the helicopter and leave. When the helicopter lands it is in a fenced in area. There are two soldiers waiting for them. At the gate are a large group of zombies trying to get in.
Sarah and Miguel
They tie down the helicopter blades and get on a large elevator, which takes them under ground. When they get down two soldiers, Pvt. Steel (Gary Howard Klar) and Pvt. Rickles (Ralph Marrero) drive up. They tell Sarah that they need two more zombies. Sarah sees that Miguel is collapsing under the stress and volunteers to go in his place to help them get the zombies. She tells Private Steel that she will go in Miguel's place. The Private Rickles taunts Miguel and an enraged Miguel goes too. It appears from the conversation that Miguel and Sarah are lovers.
Private
Steel
Private
Rickles
They drive under ground to a fenced in area and start making noises to attract the zombies. The zombies are slow to come and Private Rickles comments that the zombies are scared to come because they know what is going to happen to them. Sarah acknowledges that he is right which shows that the zombies are learning.
When the zombies finally come Private Steel corrals one away from the group so they can catch him. In the process of getting a zombie Miguel looses grip and the zombie gets loose. Private Rickles is almost killed and Private Steel blames Miguel for the incident. They get the two zombies back into the lab.
In another room a scientists named Dr. Ted Fisher (John Amplas) is asking for more supplies, a request which Captain Rhodes now in charge denies. We learn that Major Cooper who was previously in charge died that morning.
Dr.
Fisher
Captain
Rhodes
Sarah goes into the lab to talk to Dr. Logan and is startled by Bub the zombie (Sherman Howard). Dr. Logan tells Sarah about his ridiculous plan of domesticate zombies. When Sarah notices that Dr. Logan has experimented on Major Cooper, she asks Logan if he knows what the soldiers will do to him if they find out.
Dr.
Logan
Bub
That night they hold a meeting of all the compound residents. In the meeting we learn about the growing animosity between the soldiers and the civilians. At one point during the meeting Sarah gets up to leave and Captain threatens to have Private Steel shoot her if she does not sit down. Sarah sits down and the soldiers agree to give the scientist a little more time with their experiments.
Later in the lab Dr. Logan show Sarah and Dr. Fisher what he has been able to accomplish with Bub. When Captain Rhodes and Private Steel come in Bub salutes Captain Rhodes. Dr. Logan asks Captain Rhodes to salute back, which is another request denied. Logan gives Bub an unloaded gun, which he points at Captain Rhodes and pulls the trigger. It appeared that Bub was angry that Captain Rhodes did not return his salute. Captain Rhodes then points his gun at Bub and Dr. Logan steps in front of Bub to protect him.
While trying to get another zombie, Miguel lets another zombie get loose. This time the zombie kills a soldier before it is killed. The Miguel attacks another loose zombie and it bites his arm. Miguel gets up and runs away. Sarah catches him, amputates his infected arm.
The other soldiers come to kill Miguel before he can turn into a zombie. Sarah tells them that he amputated the arm and caught the infection in time. Captain Rhodes leaves but informs Sarah that he does not want Miguel near his men. Sarah, John and William agree to watch Miguel. Captain Rhodes tells Sarah that he and his men are going to kill all of the zombies that the scientists have been experimenting on.
While Sarah and William are getting medicine for Miguel they discover that Logan is beginning to loose touch with reality. He has been conducting experiments on other dead soldiers. When Captain Rhodes discovers that Dr. Logan has been refrigerating his dead men and using them as food to reward Bub, he has Private Steel shoot him. Captain Rhodes takes the other scientists and William hostage.
The soldiers send William and Sarah out in the area where experimental zombies are being held. Sarah and William are forced to run for their lives. Private Steel They beat John to force him to fly them.
While Private Steel is trying to force John to fly them to safety, Miguel takes the elevator up to ground level. He walks to the gate outside where the zombies are trying to get in and opens the gates. The zombies follow him over to the elevator. Using himself as bait he lays down on the elevator and when the zombies get on the elevator to attack him he, he lowers the elevator. By lower the elevator he has allowed the zombie to enter the under ground compound. Now the soldiers are on the run.
John takes two handguns and goes to help Sarah and William in the cave with the other zombies.
The rest of the movie shows the two groups trying to survive a zombie onslaught.
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