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Day of the Dead (2007 film)
Encyclopedia
Day of the Dead is a horror film
which is remake of George A. Romero
's classic zombie
film of the same name, which was the third in Romero's Dead series. The film is directed by Steve Miner
(who also directed Friday the 13th Part 2
, Friday the 13th Part III and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
) and written by Jeffrey Reddick
. Although not related, it features rapidly moving zombies similar to Zack Snyder's previous updated version of Dawn of the Dead as opposed to the slowly shuffling zombies of the original Romero series. It was originally set for theatrical distribution, but was instead released directly to video. It received generally negative reviews.
The film was principally shot in Bulgaria
, with limited shooting in Los Angeles
, California
. Tyler Bates
provided the soundtrack, and screenwriter Jeffrey Reddick
has a cameo appearance
as an ill-fated police officer
.
. Trevor (Michael Welch) and his girlfriend, Nina (AnnaLynne McCord
), are in an abandoned building having a romantic encounter. They then head back to their respective parents' homes. They see a long line of cars at a military roadblock sealing off the city. An angry man yells at the officers because his child is sick and needs medical care. There has been an outbreak and medical help is needed throughout town. They are introduced to Captain Rhodes (Ving Rhames
) and Corporal Sarah Cross (Mena Suvari
). Soon after, privates Bud Crain (Stark Sands
) and Salazar (Nick Cannon
) show up. Cross takes Bud to go with her while she visits her sick mother. When she arrives, Sarah talks to her brother (Trevor) and checks in on her mother. She then goes to see Trevor's friend, Kyle, after she learns his symptoms are similar to her mother's.
When Bud and Sarah arrive at Kyle's house, they find the mauled bodies of his parents stashed behind a curtain, with Kyle nowhere to be found. They radio Captain Rhodes and take Nina, Trevor, and their mom to the local hospital. There, Sarah talks to Dr. Logan (Matt Rippy
) at the urging of Rhodes, while out in the waiting room all the infected become catatonic. Bud runs to alert Sarah, when all the infected suddenly reanimate. They turn into zombies, although unlike the traditional creatures they do not die first but instead transform while catatonic. They have super-human strength that allows them to run, jump long distances and even crawl on the ceiling. Nina and Trevor escape, seeking refuge in the local radio station, while Sarah, Salazar and Bud become trapped in an upstairs storage room in the hospital. After dispatching the infected Rhodes, who bites Bud's hand, the three escape from the hospital and make a stop at the gun store before rescuing Trevor and Nina from the radio station.
The group heads back to the abandoned warehouse. Bud has turned, but is somehow able to think and does not attack his friends. Sarah believes Bud doesn't attack because he was a vegetarian, but Salazar speculates that Bud is attracted to Sarah. The group finds an underground bunker, where they reunite with Dr. Logan. They learn about a government project directed by Dr. Engel (Pat Kilbane
). The group explores the bunker, but Dr. Engel attacks and kills Logan. Later, Salazar is grabbed by zombies, giving Sarah a chance to escape and reunite with Trevor and Nina. In the room where they are hiding they find several large gas cylinders. Sarah decides to lure the zombies into the storeroom and burn them with the cylinders. They begin modifying the cylinders into a giant flamethrower.
Sarah eventually finds a mob of zombies and shouts to get their attention. The zombified Dr. Engel drops down from the ceiling behind Sarah and grabs her, but before she is bitten, zombified Bud shoots at Engel. This leads to Engel and the other zombies to attack Bud, dismembering him. Sarah then leads the zombies to the room where Trevor and Nina are hiding, and they torch the zombies. The three escape the bunker, and drive off into the night. The movie ends with a surviving zombie jumping in front of the camera in screamer fashion.
in June 2008.
's 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead
(although Ving Rhames had also appeared in that film as a different character). He told ComingSoon.net: "It's going to be a separate movie...We wanted to pay homage to the original with the military and the scientists and the socially relevant stuff that George Romero always does, but we wanted to put a fresh spin on it."
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
which is remake of George A. Romero
George A. Romero
George Andrew Romero is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies." -Life and career:...
's classic zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
film of the same name, which was the third in Romero's Dead series. The film is directed by Steve Miner
Steve Miner
Stephen C. "Steve" Miner is an American film and television director who is also a film producer.Miner was born in Westport, Connecticut. Television programs Miner has directed include The Wonder Years, Jake 2.0, Felicity, Dawson's Creek , and Diagnosis: Murder...
(who also directed Friday the 13th Part 2
Friday the 13th Part 2
Friday the 13th Part II is a 1981 slasher film directed by Steve Miner, who also directed its sequel, Friday the 13th Part III and several other popular horror films. A sequel to Friday the 13th , it is the second film in the Friday the 13th film series. It was a moderate box-office hit, opening on...
, Friday the 13th Part III and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later is a 1998 slasher film and is the seventh installment in the Halloween film series. It is directed by Steve Miner and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Josh Hartnett, and Michelle Williams. The screenplay, based on a story by Kevin Williamson further developed by Robert...
) and written by Jeffrey Reddick
Jeffrey Reddick
Jeffrey Reddick is an American screenwriter best known for creating The Final Destination series. He also wrote the horror film Tamara and the remake of Day of the Dead. Raised in Jackson, Kentucky, he graduated Breathitt County High School in 1987 and attended Berea College...
. Although not related, it features rapidly moving zombies similar to Zack Snyder's previous updated version of Dawn of the Dead as opposed to the slowly shuffling zombies of the original Romero series. It was originally set for theatrical distribution, but was instead released directly to video. It received generally negative reviews.
The film was principally shot in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, with limited shooting in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Tyler Bates
Tyler Bates
Tyler Bates is a music producer and composer for films. His most known work includes "The Hangman's Song" and various other tracks from the zombie horror film Dawn of the Dead, and 2008's Day of the Dead...
provided the soundtrack, and screenwriter Jeffrey Reddick
Jeffrey Reddick
Jeffrey Reddick is an American screenwriter best known for creating The Final Destination series. He also wrote the horror film Tamara and the remake of Day of the Dead. Raised in Jackson, Kentucky, he graduated Breathitt County High School in 1987 and attended Berea College...
has a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as an ill-fated police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
.
Plot
The movie begins in Leadville, ColoradoLeadville, Colorado
Leadville is a Statutory City that is the county seat of, and the only municipality in, Lake County, Colorado, United States. Situated at an elevation of , Leadville is the highest incorporated city and the second highest incorporated municipality in the United States...
. Trevor (Michael Welch) and his girlfriend, Nina (AnnaLynne McCord
AnnaLynne McCord
AnnaLynne McCord is an American actress. Known for playing a range of vixen-type roles, McCord first gained prominence in 2007 as the scheming Eden Lord on the FX television series Nip/Tuck, and as the pampered Loren Wakefield on the MyNetworkTV telenovela American Heiress...
), are in an abandoned building having a romantic encounter. They then head back to their respective parents' homes. They see a long line of cars at a military roadblock sealing off the city. An angry man yells at the officers because his child is sick and needs medical care. There has been an outbreak and medical help is needed throughout town. They are introduced to Captain Rhodes (Ving Rhames
Ving Rhames
Irving Rameses "Ving" Rhames is an American actor best known for his work in Bringing Out the Dead, Pulp Fiction, Baby Boy, Don King: Only in America, and the Mission: Impossible film series.-Early life and education:...
) and Corporal Sarah Cross (Mena Suvari
Mena Suvari
Mena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Shortly after beginning her career as a model, she appeared in guest roles on 1990's television shows such as Boy Meets World and High Incident...
). Soon after, privates Bud Crain (Stark Sands
Stark Sands
Stark Bunker Sands is an American actor of film, television and theatre.-Biography:Sands was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, where he began acting on the stage at age 13 at Highland Park High School. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting from the University of Southern California...
) and Salazar (Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent...
) show up. Cross takes Bud to go with her while she visits her sick mother. When she arrives, Sarah talks to her brother (Trevor) and checks in on her mother. She then goes to see Trevor's friend, Kyle, after she learns his symptoms are similar to her mother's.
When Bud and Sarah arrive at Kyle's house, they find the mauled bodies of his parents stashed behind a curtain, with Kyle nowhere to be found. They radio Captain Rhodes and take Nina, Trevor, and their mom to the local hospital. There, Sarah talks to Dr. Logan (Matt Rippy
Matt Rippy
Matt Rippy, is an American actor, born in Houston, Texas. He is most known for his role as the 'real' Captain Jack Harkness in Torchwood in 2006...
) at the urging of Rhodes, while out in the waiting room all the infected become catatonic. Bud runs to alert Sarah, when all the infected suddenly reanimate. They turn into zombies, although unlike the traditional creatures they do not die first but instead transform while catatonic. They have super-human strength that allows them to run, jump long distances and even crawl on the ceiling. Nina and Trevor escape, seeking refuge in the local radio station, while Sarah, Salazar and Bud become trapped in an upstairs storage room in the hospital. After dispatching the infected Rhodes, who bites Bud's hand, the three escape from the hospital and make a stop at the gun store before rescuing Trevor and Nina from the radio station.
The group heads back to the abandoned warehouse. Bud has turned, but is somehow able to think and does not attack his friends. Sarah believes Bud doesn't attack because he was a vegetarian, but Salazar speculates that Bud is attracted to Sarah. The group finds an underground bunker, where they reunite with Dr. Logan. They learn about a government project directed by Dr. Engel (Pat Kilbane
Pat Kilbane
Patrick F. "Pat" Kilbane is an American comic actor. He first appeared in a 1996 episode ofSeinfeld , in which he played Feldman, Bizarro Kramer. Kilbane appeared for several seasons on MADtv, most notably the spokesperson for MADtv's fictitious company, Spishak...
). The group explores the bunker, but Dr. Engel attacks and kills Logan. Later, Salazar is grabbed by zombies, giving Sarah a chance to escape and reunite with Trevor and Nina. In the room where they are hiding they find several large gas cylinders. Sarah decides to lure the zombies into the storeroom and burn them with the cylinders. They begin modifying the cylinders into a giant flamethrower.
Sarah eventually finds a mob of zombies and shouts to get their attention. The zombified Dr. Engel drops down from the ceiling behind Sarah and grabs her, but before she is bitten, zombified Bud shoots at Engel. This leads to Engel and the other zombies to attack Bud, dismembering him. Sarah then leads the zombies to the room where Trevor and Nina are hiding, and they torch the zombies. The three escape the bunker, and drive off into the night. The movie ends with a surviving zombie jumping in front of the camera in screamer fashion.
Cast
- Mena SuvariMena SuvariMena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Shortly after beginning her career as a model, she appeared in guest roles on 1990's television shows such as Boy Meets World and High Incident...
as Corporal Sarah Cross/Bowman - Nick CannonNick CannonNicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent...
as Private Salazar - Michael Welch as Trevor Cross/Bowman
- AnnaLynne McCordAnnaLynne McCordAnnaLynne McCord is an American actress. Known for playing a range of vixen-type roles, McCord first gained prominence in 2007 as the scheming Eden Lord on the FX television series Nip/Tuck, and as the pampered Loren Wakefield on the MyNetworkTV telenovela American Heiress...
as Nina - Stark SandsStark SandsStark Bunker Sands is an American actor of film, television and theatre.-Biography:Sands was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, where he began acting on the stage at age 13 at Highland Park High School. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting from the University of Southern California...
as Private Bud Crain - Matt RippyMatt RippyMatt Rippy, is an American actor, born in Houston, Texas. He is most known for his role as the 'real' Captain Jack Harkness in Torchwood in 2006...
as Dr. Logan - Ian McNeiceIan McNeiceIan McNeice is a prolific English screen, stage, and television character actor.-Early life:McNeice was born in Basingstoke in Hampshire. McNeice's acting training started at the Taunton School in Somerset, followed by two years at the Salisbury Playhouse...
as D.J. Paul - Christa CampbellChrista CampbellChrista Campbell is an American actress who started her career in softcore pornography, and later broke into horror films. She had roles in films including 2001 Maniacs, Wicker Man, and Day of the Dead.-Movie career:...
as Mrs. Leitner - Ving RhamesVing RhamesIrving Rameses "Ving" Rhames is an American actor best known for his work in Bringing Out the Dead, Pulp Fiction, Baby Boy, Don King: Only in America, and the Mission: Impossible film series.-Early life and education:...
as Captain Rhodes
Promotion
"Behind the Scenes" photos of some zombie scenes and effects have gone online. The film was also leaked in late 2007. It was not released in theaters, but was rather direct-to-videoDirect-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
in June 2008.
Reception
The movie was given generally negative reviews from both critics and fans of the original film.Pre-production
Reddick, who adapted the script from Romero's original concept, has stated that this film does not have any connection to Zack SnyderZack Snyder
Zachary Edward "Zack" Snyder is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and producer. After making his feature film debut with the 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead, he gained wide recognition with the 2007 box office hit 300, adapted from writer-artist Frank Miller's Dark Horse Comics...
's 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead
Dawn of the Dead (2004 film)
Dawn of the Dead is a 2004 horror film directed by Zack Snyder in his directorial debut. It is a remake of George A. Romero's 1978 film of the same name and stars Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, and Jake Weber. The film depict a handful of human survivors living in a Milwaukee, Wisconsin shopping mall...
(although Ving Rhames had also appeared in that film as a different character). He told ComingSoon.net: "It's going to be a separate movie...We wanted to pay homage to the original with the military and the scientists and the socially relevant stuff that George Romero always does, but we wanted to put a fresh spin on it."
External links
- Interview with Jeffrey Riddick at ComingSoon.net