Survival of the Dead (2009)

Director:

George A. Romero

Writer (WGA):

George A. Romero (written by)

Release Date:

6 May 2010 (Germany)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Death isn't what it used to be.

Plot:

On an island off the coast of North America, local residents simultaneously fight a zombie epidemic while hoping for a cure to return their un-dead relatives back to their human state.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Feud | Zombie | Boat | Horse

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Alan Van Sprang	...	Sarge Nicotine Crockett
Kenneth Welsh	...	Patrick O'Flynn
Kathleen Munroe	...	Janet / Jane O'Flynn
Devon Bostick	...	Boy
Richard Fitzpatrick	...	Seamus Muldoon
Athena Karkanis	...	Tomboy
Stefano DiMatteo	...	Francisco (as Stefano Di Matteo)
Joris Jarsky	...	Chuck
Eric Woolfe	...	Kenny
Julian Richings	...	James
Wayne Robson	...	Tawdry
Joshua Peace	...	D.J. (as Josh Peace)
Hardee T. Lineham	...	Lieutenant Vaughn
Dru Viergever	...	Soldier Zombie
Shawn Roberts	...	Tony (archive footage)
Scott Wentworth	...	Professor Maxwell (archive footage)
Amy Lalonde	...	Tracy (archive footage)
Michelle Morgan	...	Debra (archive footage)
Joshua Close	...	Jason (archive footage)
Mitch Risman	...	Drooling Zombie
John Healy	...	Matthew
Philippa Domville	...	Beth
Kristina Miller	...	Zombie Girl
John Fleming	...	Zombie Boy
George Stroumboulopoulos	...	Talk Show Host
Pete Zedlacher	...	Talk Show Stooge
Michael Rhoades	...	Hot-Headed Good Old Boy
Brian Frank	...	Gut-Shot Good Old Boy
Ho Chow	...	Fisherman
Dan Belley	...	Harbor Zombie
Angela Brown	...	Tawdry Biter
Marqus Bobesich	...	Dynamite Zombie
Jerry Schaefer	...	Fire Extinguisher Zombie
James Dunn	...	Hot Dog Zombie
Chad Camilleri	...	Flaming Zombie
Matt Birman	...	Lem
Zeljko Kecojevic	...	Pitchfork Zombie
Kevin Rushton	...	Hat Zombie
Curtis Parker	...	Scanlon Boy
Heather Allin	...	Sally Muldoon
Rick Parker	...	Horse-Eating Zombie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Steven Barton	...	Pitbull Plaid Zombie (uncredited)
Anthony Cancelliere	...	Rotting Undead Halo (uncredited)
Wayne Curnew	...	Muldoon Zombie Hunter (uncredited)
Craig Dawson	...	Police Officer Zombie (uncredited)
Michelle Ernst-Mester	...	Zombie (uncredited)
Michael Felsher	...	Zombie (uncredited)
Joyce Kirkconnell	...	Walking Dead Girl (uncredited)
John Migliore	...	Zombie (uncredited)

Directed by
George A. Romero

Writing credits (WGA)
George A. Romero		(written by)

Produced by
D.J. Carson	....	executive producer
Paula Devonshire	....	producer
Michael Doherty	....	executive producer
Sam Englebardt	....	co-executive producer
Dan Fireman	....	executive producer
Jeff Glickman	....	co-executive producer
Peter Grunwald	....	executive producer
Jesse D. Ikeman	....	co-executive producer
Ara Katz	....	executive producer
George A. Romero	....	executive producer
Art Spigel	....	executive producer
Patrice Theroux	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Robert Carli

Cinematography by
Adam Swica

Film Editing by
Michael Doherty

Casting by
John Buchan
Jason Knight

Production Design by
Arvinder Grewal

Art Direction by
Joshu de Cartier

Costume Design by
Alex Kavanagh

Makeup Department
Patrick Baxter	....	special makeup effects artist
Damon Bishop	....	special makeup effects artist
Jason Detheridge	....	special makeup effects artist
Paul R.J. Elliot	....	key hair stylist
Iantha Goldberg	....	assistant makeup artist
Paul Jones	....	special makeup effects artist
Gregory Nicotero	....	special effects makeup consultant (as Greg Nicotero)
Colin Penman	....	makeup department head
Sean Sansom	....	special makeup effects artist
Sondra Treilhard	....	assistant hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Matt Birman	....	second unit director
Sarah Campbell	....	second assistant director
Divya D'Souza	....	trainee assistant director
Avrel Fisher	....	first assistant director
Karl Irvine	....	second assistant director
Raj Singh	....	third assistant director
Kevin Walker	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Lisa Dietrich	....	key on-set dresser
Jason Graham	....	assistant art director: graphics
Bill Koon	....	scenic coordinator
Rob McCallum	....	storyboard artist
Kari Measham	....	set decoration buyer
Matt Middleton	....	assistant art director
Mario Moreira	....	assistant property master
James R. Murray	....	property master
Adam Smith	....	specialty prop builder
Matt Wladyka	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Stephen Barden	....	sound effects editor
Paul Capuano	....	dolby sound consultant
Pat Cassin	....	boom operator
Greg Chapman	....	sound mixer
Alan deGraaf	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stefan Fraticelli	....	foley artist
John Gare	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rose Gregoris	....	assistant sound editor
Adam Labadie	....	audio coordinator
Ryan Lukasik	....	foley assistant
Jason McFarling	....	boom operator
John Naslen	....	loop group recordist
Jill Purdy	....	dialogue/adr editor
Adam Raley	....	re-recording mix assistant
John Sievert	....	foley artist
Paul Williamson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Randy Wilson	....	foley mixer

Special Effects by
Mark Ahee	....	special effects coordinator
Aaron Dinsmore	....	special effects technician
Philippe Maurais	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Neishaw Ali	....	executive producer: visual effects SPIN
Drake Conrad	....	digital colorist
Phil Dakin	....	tracking/setup lead: SPIN VFX
Colin Davies	....	visual effects supervisor
Amy Daye	....	digital compositor: SPIN VFX
Ashish Dewan	....	digital compositor: SPIN VFX
Eric Doiron	....	compositing supervisor: Spin VFX
Juan Jesús García	....	senior matte artist: SPIN
George Macri	....	visual effects producer: SPIN VFX
Fiona McLean	....	visual effects producer
Dipesh Mistry	....	visual effects editor: SPIN VFX
Farzin Mottaghi	....	digital compositor
Erin Nicholson	....	lead modeler: Spin VFX
Tim Sibley	....	lead effects artist: SPIN VFX
Geoff Wigmore	....	digital compositor
Steve Wigmore	....	digital artist

Stunts
Taryn Ash	....	stunt performer
Ron Bell	....	stunt performer
Dan Belley	....	stunt performer
James Binkley	....	stunt performer
Matt Birman	....	stunt coordinator
Matt Birman	....	stunt performer
Spencer Birman	....	stunt double
Chad Camilleri	....	stunt performer
Tommy Chang	....	stunt performer
Ho Chow	....	stunt fisherman
Dean Copkov	....	stunt performer
Christopher Cordell	....	stunt performer
Flint Eagle	....	stunt performer
Tig Fong	....	stunt performer
Darrell Hicks	....	stunts
Brian Jagersky	....	stunt performer
Jamie Jones	....	stunt performer
Thomas Kane	....	stunt performer
Liise Keeling	....	stunt performer
Michael Langlois	....	stunt performer
Danny Lima	....	stunt performer
Angelica Lisk-Hann	....	stunt performer (as Angelica Lisk)
Steve Lucescu	....	stunt performer
Scott Magee	....	stunt performer
Christopher McGuire	....	stunt performer
Duncan McLeod	....	stunt performer
Billy Oliver	....	stunt performer
Curtis Parker	....	stunt performer
Rick Parker	....	stunt performer
Sue Parker	....	stunt performer
Daryl Patchett	....	stunt performer
Ken Quinn	....	stunt performer
Paul Rapovski	....	stunt performer
Bryan Renfro	....	stunt performer
Kevin Rushton	....	stunt performer
Kevin Rushton	....	stunt rigger
Steve 'Shack' Shackleton	....	stunt performer
Robert C. Shannon	....	dive supervisor
Robert C. Shannon	....	water safety
Alyssa Smith-Avery	....	stunt performer
Bryan Thomas	....	stunt performer
Bryan Thomas	....	stunts
Alicia Turner	....	stunt performer
Ron Webber	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Rod Benjamin	....	key grip
Laurence Bortnick	....	first assistant camera
Dave Bouskill	....	lighting technician
Meredith Budgen-Starnes	....	second assistant camera
Brian Cassar	....	red camera technician
Jesse Collier	....	balloon light technician
Dave Erlichman	....	dolly grip
Roger Finlay	....	camera operator
Ben Gervais	....	red camera technician
Michael Gibson	....	still photographer
Courtney Graham	....	second assistant camera
Lee Guenette	....	best boy
Keith Hlady	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Colin Hoult	....	director of photography: second unit
Derek Hutcheon	....	camera trainee
Jason Klein	....	grip (2008)
Kyle Kurbegovich	....	additional red camera technician
Jason Lenoury	....	best boy grip
Gottfried Pflugbeil	....	first assistant camera
Mario Silva	....	electrician
Paul Sweeney	....	grip
John Sztejnmiler	....	genny operator (as John 'Stetz' Sztejnmiler)
Christopher Takacs	....	electrician
Franco Tata	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Roslyn Hanchard	....	assistant costume designer
Leslie Kavanagh	....	costume set supervisor
Trelawnie Mead	....	costumer
Bonnie Sutherland	....	assistant costume set supervisor
Carol Wong	....	costume buyer

Editorial Department
Lee Hughes	....	digital intermediate project manager
Chris Marsland	....	telecine assistant (segments)
Tom Mayclim	....	digital intermediate recordist
Cam McLauchlin	....	assistant digital intermediate editor
Dave Muscat	....	assistant digital intermediate editor
Brigitte Rabazo	....	first assistant editor
Motassem Younes	....	digital intermediate editor

Music Department
Robert Carli	....	orchestrator
Charlie Finlay	....	music editor
Charlie Finlay	....	music engineer

Transportation Department
Jason McCormack	....	driver: honeywagon
Jennifer Mccormack	....	driver: second honeywagon

Other crew
Virginia Alves	....	first assistant accountant
Courtenay Bainbridge	....	assistant coordinator
Shannon Chow	....	set medic
Karen de Montbrun	....	production accountant
Jennah Dirksen	....	assistant: Ara Katz
Michael Felsher	....	epk producer
Ann Fitzgerald	....	post-production accountant
R. Emerson John	....	script supervisor: second unit
Patricia Joyes	....	script supervisor
Ara Katz	....	main title designed by
Ara Katz	....	title designer
Ted Lao	....	assistant to producers
Alex Makrygiannis	....	assistant location manager
Travis McConnell	....	set production assistant
Mark McFadden	....	assistant location manager
Amina Nathoo	....	key craft service
Laura Seaton	....	production office assistant
Sat Sidhu	....	on-set tutor
Lindsay Somers	....	set medic
Renata Spandel	....	stand-in
Philip Spurvey	....	location manager
Ted Stokes	....	stand-in
Charles Taylor	....	armorer
Karen Tyrell	....	unit publicist
Al Vrkljan	....	armorer
Greg Whiteside	....	on-set satellite internet technician
Darren Wilson	....	trainee assistant accountant
Angie Winstl	....	production coordinator
Dave Wood	....	office production assistant
Igor Zambeli	....	locations production assistant

Thanks
Brian Alexander	....	thanks
Sarah Balagia	....	thanks
David Glasgal	....	thanks
Robert Katz	....	special thanks (as Dr. Robert Katz)
Thea Munster	....	special thanks
George Stroumboulopoulos	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Blank of the Dead Productions
• Devonshire Productions
• New Romero
• Sudden Storm Productions

Distributors

• Energía Entusiasta (2011) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Magnet Releasing (2010) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paradiso (2010) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Paradiso (2010) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• Presidio (2010) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2012) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2012) (Argentina) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Atlantic Film (2010) (Finland) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• CatchPlay (2010) (Taiwan) (all media)
• E1 Entertainment (2009) (Canada) (all media)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Gulf Film (2009) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• Imagem Filmes (2009) (Brazil) (all media)
• M Pictures (2009) (Thailand) (all media)
• Magnolia Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Opening Distribution (2010) (France) (DVD)
• Optimum Home Entertainment (2010) (UK) (DVD)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paradiso (2010) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Paradiso (2010) (Luxembourg) (DVD)
• Splendid Film (2009) (Germany) (all media)
• Vertice Cine (2010) (Spain) (all media)
• Vicol Entertainment (2011) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Vicol Entertainment (2011) (Hong Kong) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Spin Productions

Other Companies

• PS Production Services  camera equipment provided by
• PS Production Services  grip and lighting equipment
• Blink Entertainment  marketing and promotion
• Cutting Edge Group  music services
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Filmport Studios  movie studio
• Internet On Set  satellite Internet on location
• Movie Armaments Group  weapons supplied by
• Pinewood Toronto Studios  stages

Also Known As:

"George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead" - Canada (English title) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong zombie violence/gore, language and brief sexuality

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45937) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Netherlands:16 | Australia:MA | Norway:15 | New Zealand:R16 | Finland:K-18 (self applied) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Japan:R18+ | Brazil:16 | Argentina:18

Filming Locations:

Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Blank of the Dead Productions

Trivia:

This film marks the first time that a character from a previous Living Dead film returns to star in a sequel, with 'Alan van Sprang' as Sarge "Nicotine" Crockett having been seen in Diary of the Dead, and also playing Brubaker in Land of the Dead. The only two other times this has come close to happening was Tom Savini reprising his role of Blades from Dawn of the Dead as a cameo in Land of the Dead in zombie form, and Joseph Pilato playing an unnamed police captain in Dawn of the Dead returning to play Captain Rhodes in Day of the Dead.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: In the back of the armored car when the boy shows the soldiers the video on his iPhone the cellular carrier name on the screen says "Rogers" which is a Canadian company. The movie was filmed in the Toronto area but the story at that point takes place in Pennsylvania where AT&T would have been the cellular carrier for the iPhone.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sarge 'Nicotine' Crocket:[voice-over] Last time anyone counted, fifty-three million people were dying every year, a hundred-fifty thousand every day, a hundred and seven every minute, and that was in normal times.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "20 to 1: Adults Only 20 to 1: Movie Monsters (#9.3)" (2010)

Soundtrack:

AN EYE FOR AN EYE

Another let down... From Romero

Man, where do I begin? Survival of the Dead. it could have easily been one of Romero's best, since his beloved Dawn of the Dead, but what went wrong? what did he miss? what moment did he not seize? After getting my UK Blu-Ray I was sort of reserved in what i was going to think about this flick. I mean I thought the trailers looked corny, the feel amateur, even for Romero's standards, but I was willing to give it a go none the less.

Survival should have been the next DAWN of the DEAD. It had the set up, it had the locations, but it missed the story and the vibe. The film is skewered by a weak cast and an even weaker storyline.

Survivals western vibe and feel just seems so out of place and wasted. What should have occurred was trying to rebuild life on Plum island, what should have happened was an exploration of the rebuilding of humanity, something Romero has yet to touch upon in any of his Dead films... which is a goddamn shame.

I will say Survival is slightly OK. I still think Diary is the best of his newer zed flicks, and Survival is way better than Land but it is still a weak film, in fact Romero's 3 newest entries are all weak and devoid of the magic originally on display in Night Dawn and Day. When Romero gets back to that magic he will regain what is lost in the zombie genre, but with him sticking to the cheap thrills and half-assed writing I think his fall from zombie grace will be harder than even he will ever imagine.

These newer entries only seem to alienate his fan-based and this smart zombies back story he is trying to shove down our throats isn't working with the fans. Romero needs to get back to plain and simple story telling. Story telling that will show us why we followed him all these years, but this rushed production, dialog and all around feel is what is giving his series a bad name.

Survival will deliver on the gore, even on its corny moments, and it tries really hard to engage the audience with its characters but it falls apart because the cast and screenplay aren't strong enough.

in the end... another disappointing zed flick from the grandfather of the modern zombie.

George, if you read this... go back to Dawn, and look at it again and give us a film like that... that is what we want, and we know you have it in you, but if you set out to make another disaster like this it may be time to fold up the directors chair.

5 out of 10