George A Romero's Day of the Dead (1985)

George A Romero’s “Day of the Dead” is a decent zombie but is my least favorite of his original trilogy. I have to admit that I enjoy the loose remake more than this version; this film is relatively slow and doesn’t have much action until the end of the third act. This movie has two main storylines, the first dealing with the growing tension between the civilian scientific team working in the makeshift research bunker and the other one dealing with the insane Dr. Logan and the zombie Bub who he is training to be human again. Tom Savini does another fine job with his make-up and special effects for the zombie genre, especially when the movie gets to the point where the victims are torn asunder by the zombie horde.

Dr. Sarah Bowman is the main character in this film that takes place a good deal of time after “Dawn of the Dead”. She is the voice of reason and one of the few people who are not succumbing to the stress of the situation although she is beginning to have dreadful nightmares. When she comes back from a recent deployment looking for survivors and supplies, she learns that the military CO has been killed has been replaced by the tyrannical Captain Rhodes. All he cares about is his men, who he treats more like possessions than as people, and is sick and tired of the antics of Dr. Logan. Captain Rhodes doesn’t think the scientists are doing anything productive and is threating to shut the operation down and take the helicopter and its pilot and leave. Dr. Logan has been busy at work but not with finding the cause or a cure, instead he has been feeding his zombie pets the dead soldiers and training them to behave as if they were alive. Eventually one of the soldiers is bit which sets of a chain reaction of events that causes the zombies to get what they want, fresh meat. Sarah and the two helicopter pilots, Bill and John, manage to escape and live to see another day.

Captain Rhodes is having a very bad day.

 Dr. Logan and his test subject, Zombie Bub.

Sarah having a nightmare.

Day of the Dead (2008)

The 2008 film “Day of the Dead” is not a part of the George A Romero canon but is heavily influenced by his version that he made in 1985. Both films focus on military personnel and the doctors/scientists who are working on finding a cure or cause of the zombie outbreak. Several characters even share the same names in both films, although the personalities are not the same. The concept that a zombie might retain some of its human personality is also explored. This updated version of these concepts results in an entertaining zombie movie that deserves a chance. It stars Mena Suvari who is great in the role of Corporal Sarah Cross, who happens to be from the town that is experiencing the zombie outbreak. It also stars Ving Rhames who plays Captain Rhodes, one of the characters in the 1985 version. This film was written by Jeffrey Reddick who is best known as writing the complete "Final Destination" series.

There is a flu-like epidemic affecting the residents of Leadville, Colorado. The military arrives and blockades all ways in or out of the small town. Corporal Sarah Cross takes Private Bud with her as she checks in on her mom. Her mom is sick and so she takes her and her younger brother Trevor and his girlfriend Nina with them. At the hospital, Sarah and Bud find that the ER is full of people suffering from the epidemic. Suddenly, they start dying and then moments later the dead residents come back to life and attack the living. The hospital becomes a chaotic scene and Sarah and Bud barely escape while Trevor and Nina end up finding safety in the town’s radio station. The film focuses on Sarah and Trevor and those with them as they try to stay alive and escape from the mobs of super-fast, strong, vicious zombies.

Zombie Captain Rhodes, pulling out his eye only to eat it moments later.

Corporal Sarah Cross and Captain Rhodes inspect the hospital.