Day of the Dead (1985)

A small group of military officers and scientists dwell in an underground bunker as the world above is overrun by zombies.

Director:

George A. Romero

Writer:

George A. Romero

Stars:

Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, Joseph Pilato

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lori Cardille	...	Sarah
Terry Alexander	...	John
Joseph Pilato	...	Rhodes (as Joe Pilato)
Jarlath Conroy	...	McDermott
Anthony Dileo Jr.	...	Miguel (as Antonè DiLeo)
Richard Liberty	...	Logan
Sherman Howard	...	Bub (as Howard Sherman)
Gary Howard Klar	...	Steel (as G. Howard Klar)
Ralph Marrero	...	Rickles
John Amplas	...	Ted Fisher
Phillip G. Kellams	...	Miller
Taso N. Stavrakis	...	Torrez
Greg Nicotero	...	Johnson (as Gregory Nicotero)
Don Brockett	...	Featured Zombie
William Cameron	...	Featured Zombie

Storyline

Zombies rule the world, except for a small group of scientists and military personnel who reside in an underground bunker in Florida. The scientists are using the undead in gruesome experiments; much to the chagrin of the military. Finally the military finds that their men have been used in the scientists' experiments, and banish the scientists to the caves that house the Living Dead. Unfortunately, the zombies from above ground have made their way into the bunker.

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Plot Keywords:

bully | bully comeuppance | questioning authority | scientist | military | 

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Taglines:

When the dead rose from their graves...

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

George A. Romero: As a zombie pushing a cart in the foreground during the final zombie feast, seen from the waist down and identified by his trademark plaid scarf wrapped around his waist.

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Goofs

When Steele mercy-kills the soldier whose throat was torn out, the man reacts to the headshot and blood comes out of the back of his head. However, no entry wound appears on his forehead.

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Quotes

[first lines]
McDermott: Nothing, nothing at all.
Sarah: Send again.
McDermott: I've been sending up and down the coast from Sarasota to the Everglades and still getting back the same dead air. There's nothing! There's nobody or at least nobody with a radio.
Sarah: All right then let's set down, we'll use the bullhorn.
McDermott: Set down? Wait a minute, that's not in our contract!
Sarah: It's the biggest city within 150 miles and we're going to give it every chance.
McDermott: Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Sarah: Set down, John!
John: I'll set us down. But I won't leave my seat and ...

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Alternate Versions

On the 2003 Anchor Bay, 2-disc, Region 1 release some of Steel's (Gary Klar) dialogue has been overdubbed. This is most noticeable when Steel and Rickles realise the elevator has been sabotaged and Steel says "fuck" instead of "Jesus" as in the original version. The voice used is not Gary Klar's and sounds nothing like him.

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Connections

Referenced in Stranger Things: Chapter Seven: The Bite (2019)

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Soundtracks

Escape Invasion
(uncredited)
Composed by John Harrison
Performed by John Harrison

User Reviews

Solid entry in Romero's cannon

While not quite up to the levels of Night or Dawn, Day Of The Dead still packs a story line that is just as relevant to day as it was in 1985, and boasts performances that are better than it should be. I really loved Lori Cardille here, and I'm surprised she didn't do much, much more than this.

It has one of the best openings in horror movie history (and Dr. Tongue is likely the most impressive zombie in any of these films), but it does drag just a little bit in the middle. The antagonists (of which there are more than one), aren't your typical mustache twirlers, and Romero gave them some depth and nuances that actually made most of their actions completely believable.

The climax more than makes up for the middle drag, and I love how Romero injected his undead with both horror and humor. A must for not only Romero fans, not only zombie fans, but horror fans in general.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 July 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

George A. Romero's Day of the Dead

Filming Locations:

Sanibel Island, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,700,000, 21 July 1985

Gross USA:

$5,000,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

United Film Distribution Company (UFDC), Laurel Entertainment Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 101 min (Unrated Edition) 87 min (Sci-Fi Channel) (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono 4-Track Stereo (Zombieing Sound System) (Japan theatrical release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1