This was George Romero’s lesser known third installment of his Dead movies in which the social commentary isn’t as obvious; Night was racism, Dawn was consumerism and Day I think it’s how much we shouldn’t trust the military? You can tell it was an indie flick given the limited location usage and the acting could use some fine tuning. But was it enjoyable? Sure. Romero’s ongoing series about the Zombie Apocalypse has each movie represent the next chapter on how the world is turning to shit. Given how quickly The Walking Dead fell apart into a steaming heap of disappointment after an incredible first season, Romero has the benefit of the doubt. He really forged this genre and he’s consistent.
In this chapter of the Zombie Apocalypse, you can tell civilization has mostly collapsed. The streets are empty, there’s the usual tattered newspaper with the headline to clue you in and the main characters are searching for survivors. They obviously find nobody so they return to their base, an underground series of caves in Florida. I’m guessing it’s in the pan-handle given how the rest of the state is a giant floating piece of sod. Their base is a joint operation staffed by three scientists trying to find out more about the zombies/ghouls but they’re under the Army’s jurisdiction. Judging from the quality of these soldiers and their newly anointed commander (his superior recently died), they’re reservists. Amongst them are two civilians the soldiers “tolerate” since one is the helicopter pilot and the other keeps the radios operational.
Friction kicks in immediately. The new commander is an inept jerk who tells the scientists to do what he says. One scientist, a Dr. Logan isn’t helping the tension neither. He ignores the danger, absorbed in his proposed solution…training the dead, as if they’re pets! Logan figures humanity can’t turn back the clock by curing the dead so the survivors need to find a way to live amongst them. He has some moderate success showing the others how his favorite, Bub, retains some memories of his past by utilizing a razor, skimming a book and enjoying music on a Walkman. Logan figures, if they can reawaken the dead’s memories of what they used to do when they were alive, then they’re less likely to eat the survivors. But remember, this is a Zombie Apocalypse flick. Eventually, shit goes south and its the dead versus the crazy soldiers versus the sane.
Day is truly just for Romero and Tom Savini fans. Other than the actor playing Dr. Logan, everyone else is pretty stiff. For 1985, the ghouls and gore are pretty impressive thanks to Savini’s practical effects. I was still amused, mainly to see how these movies used to upset the squeemish. The big find was spotting Greg Nicotero in the cast; besides playing one of the unreliable soldiers, he helped Savini out on the makeup and today, he is the main guy for The Walking Dead and related shows!