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{{Short description|2008 film by Steve Miner}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name = Day of the Dead
| name = Day of the Dead
Line 4: Line 7:
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Steve Miner]]
| director = [[Steve Miner]]
| screenplay = [[Jeffrey Reddick]]
| based_on = {{Based on|''[[Day of the Dead (1985 film)|Day of the Dead]]''|[[George A. Romero]]}}
| producer = {{plainlist|
*[[Boaz Davidson]]
* James Dudelson
* [[Randall Emmett]]
* George Furla
}}
| starring = {{plainlist|
| starring = {{plainlist|
* [[Mena Suvari]]
* [[Mena Suvari]]
* [[Nick Cannon]]
* [[Nick Cannon]]
* [[Michael Welch (actor)|Michael Welch]]
* [[AnnaLynne McCord]]
* [[Stark Sands]]
* [[Matt Rippy]]
* [[Pat Kilbane]]
* Taylor Hoover
* [[Christa Campbell]]
* [[Ving Rhames]]
* [[Ving Rhames]]
}}
}}
| screenplay = [[Jeffrey Reddick]]
| based_on = {{Based on|''[[Day of the Dead (1985 film)|Day of the Dead]]''|[[George Romero]]}}
| producer = {{plainlist|
* James Glenn Dudelson
* Robert Franklin Dudelson
* [[Randall Emmett]]
* George Furla
}}
| music = [[Tyler Bates]]
| cinematography = Patrick Cady
| cinematography = Patrick Cady
| editing = Nathan Easterling
| editing = Nathan Easterling
| music = [[Tyler Bates]]
| studio = {{plainlist|
| studio = {{plainlist|
* [[Millennium Films]]
* [[Millennium Films]]
* Taurus Entertainment Company
* [[Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films|Emmett/Furla Films]]
* [[Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films|Emmett/Furla Films]]
}}
}}
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| gross = $301,771<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&view=bycountry&id=_fDAYOFTHEDEAD201|title=Day of the Dead (2008)|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=October 21, 2015}}</ref>
| gross = $301,771<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&view=bycountry&id=_fDAYOFTHEDEAD201|title=Day of the Dead (2008)|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=October 21, 2015}}</ref>
}}
}}
'''''Day of the Dead''''' is a 2008 American [[horror film]] about a virus outbreak that causes people to turn into violent [[zombie]]-like creatures. It is a loose remake of [[George A. Romero]]'s 1985 film of the [[Day of the Dead (1985 film)|same name]], the third in [[Night of the Living Dead (film series)|Romero's ''Dead'' series]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/the-day-of-the-dead-remake-picks-a-director-106070|title= The Day Of The Dead remake picks a director|last=McFarland|first=Kevin|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=2013-11-27|access-date=2015-03-06}}</ref> and it is the first of two remakes of the original 1985 film; the other is ''[[Day of the Dead: Bloodline]]'' (2018). The 2008 film was directed by [[Steve Miner]] and written by [[Jeffrey Reddick]].


'''''Day of the Dead''''' is a 2008 American [[horror film]] directed by [[Steve Miner]] and written by [[Jeffrey Reddick]]. It is a remake of [[George A. Romero]]'s 1985 film of the [[Day of the Dead (1985 film)|same name]], the third in [[Night of the Living Dead (film series)|Romero's ''Dead'' series]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/the-day-of-the-dead-remake-picks-a-director-106070|title= The Day Of The Dead remake picks a director|last=McFarland|first=Kevin|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=2013-11-27|access-date=2015-03-06}}</ref> and it is the first of two remakes of the original 1985 film; the other is ''[[Day of the Dead: Bloodline]]'' (2017). The film sees a virus outbreak that causes people to turn into violent [[zombie]]-like creatures. The project was principally shot in [[Bulgaria]], with limited shooting in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]].
''Day of the Dead'' (2008) 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]].

''Day of the Dead'' was released [[direct-to-video]] on April 8, 2008, by [[First Look Studios]]. It was panned by critics.


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
<!-- per [[WP:FILMPLOT]], film plots should be 400 to 700 words longs -->
Minors Trevor Bowman and Nina meet in an abandoned warehouse in Colorado. At the same time, military roadblocks seal the city off for a 24-hour quarantine exercise. Corporal Sarah Bowman leaves her barricade and drives with Private Bud Crain to visit her sick mother. There, Trevor and Nina reveal that the local populace got infected by an influenza-like virus and that their friend Kyle gushed blood from the nose that morning. Sarah and Bud head to Kyle's house to investigate and uncover his parents' mauled corpses. She radios Captain Rhodes about the situation and heads homeward to bring her family and Nina to the Medical Center.


As the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|CDC]]'s Dr. Logan questions Sara in the crowded hospital, the infected become catatonic and reanimate as [[zombie]]s. As carnage ensues, Nina and Trevor seek refuge at the local radio station, and Captain Rhodes is mauled. Dr. Logan, Sarah and Bud rush to a storage room, but Bud inadvertently drops the car keys before entering. Sarah and Bud resolve to reach the room Captain Rhodes was mauled in through the air ducts to retrieve his [[Humvee]] keys. When they land on the floor, Private Salazar appears. During their return to the storeroom, Rhodes rises to pursue them and bites Bud's hand as he replaces the ceiling grille. The group jumps from the window into the undead-infested parking lot. Dr. Logan deliberately pushes a woman toward a zombie and departs in a vehicle.


The remaining members set off in the Humvee. They stop at a gun store and restrain Bud with plastic wrist-ties inside the vehicle. Upon reentering, Bud has transformed. Sarah insists that he is harmless and should not get shot. Meanwhile, they hear Trevor over the radio and dash to his location. They collect the couple and attempt to exit the city but collide near the abandoned warehouse. They access an underground bunker and encounter Dr. Logan, who divulges his involvement in the government project under Dr. Engel. Engel intended to produce a [[Biological agent|bioweapon]] to paralyze enemy combatants by temporarily affecting their nervous system, but the virus mutated, zombifying the scientists. As the group traverses the bunker, Dr. Engel stealthily kills Logan. Zombies encircle Salazar and he sacrifices himself to enable Sarah to escape and reunite with Trevor and Nina. They find a bundle of gas cylinders and modify them into flamethrowers. While Sarah lures the zombie crowd, Dr. Engel descends from the ceiling and grabs her. When Bud shoots at him, Engel decapitates him. Sarah directs the undead to the cylinders, and they incinerate them. The group sets out in Dr. Logan's car, and as they proceed towards the distance, a zombie screams at the camera.

Young couple Trevor and Nina are having a tryst in an abandoned warehouse in the outskirts of Leadville, Colorado. Meanwhile, military roadblocks seal the city for a 24-hour quarantine exercise. A man confronts Captain Rhodes demanding medical treatment for his child. Corporal Sarah Cross intervenes to conciliate him and convinces the family to head toward the local hospital instead. Privates Bud Crain and Salazar appear. Sarah and Bud head toward her parental house to check on her sick mother. There Nina reveals that Kyle was gushing blood from the nose that morning. Sarah decides to check on him and instructs her brother Trevor to prepare their mother for the hospital and wait for her arrival.

At Kyle's house, they find the mauled corpses of his parents stashed behind a curtain and Kyle missing. They notify Captain Rhodes of the situation via the radio and take Nina, Trevor, and their mother to Pine Valley Medical Center. There, Sarah talks to Dr. Logan at the urging of Rhodes, while the hospital's infected become catatonic. Bud rushes to alert Sarah when the infected suddenly reanimate. They become zombies able to sprint, leap, and crawl on ceilings and walls. Nina and Trevor escape, seeking refuge in the local radio station. Captain Rhodes fights off the zombies before perishing. Dr. Logan, Sarah and Bud remain locked in a storage room and decide to crawl through ceiling ducts into another room, where they find Salazar. They return through the ducts to the storage room afterwards. The transformed Rhodes pursues them through the air duct and bites Bud's hand as Bud replaces the ceiling grill. Sarah pours bleach over the bite wound. The group jumps from the storeroom window into the zombie-infested parking lot. They discover that zombies get killed via headshot or by setting them on fire. Dr. Logan deliberately pushes a woman towards the zombies and departs with his vehicle.

Sarah, Bud, and Salazar drive away in a Humvee. They stop at the gun store, leaving Bud in the vehicle restrained by plastic wrist-ties. When they reenter, they find Bud transformed. Sarah insists that he is harmless and should not get shot. Meanwhile, they hear Trevor calling for help over the radio and dash to his location. Sarah crashes into her zombified mother, killing her. They collect Trevor and Nina and head back to the abandoned warehouse. The group finds an underground bunker, where they reunite with Dr. Logan. They learn about a government project directed by Dr. Engel named Wildfire, which intended to create a bioweapon to defeat the enemy combatants by temporarily shutting down the nervous system. However, the Wildfire virus accidentally mutated and turned people into zombies. The group explores the bunker, but Dr. Engel attacks and kills Logan.

Salazar gets swarmed by zombies and - as he perishes - allows Sarah to escape and reunite with Trevor and Nina. The trio finds several large gas cylinders. Sarah decides to lure the zombies into the storeroom and burn them with the cylinders. They modify the cylinders into flamethrowers. Sarah finds and attracts a mob of zombies. The zombified Dr. Engel drops down from the ceiling behind Sarah and grabs her, but before she gets bitten, Bud shoots at Engel. Leading Engel and the other zombies to attack Bud, dismembering him. Sarah 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 as a zombie suddenly jumps in front of the camera.


== Cast ==
== Cast ==
Line 60: Line 68:
* [[Ving Rhames]] as Captain Kenneth Rhodes
* [[Ving Rhames]] as Captain Kenneth Rhodes
* [[Hugh Skinner]] as Kyle
* [[Hugh Skinner]] as Kyle
* [[Pat Kilbane]] as Dr. Engel (credited as “Scientist”)
* Taylor Hoover
* Laura Giosh as Mrs. Noble
* Laura Giosh as Mrs. Noble
* Callum Rory Lawton as Boy In Street
* Callum Rory Lawton as Boy In Street
Line 74: Line 84:


== Reception ==
== Reception ==
The film was poorly received by both fans and critics.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia, Volume 2: 2000–2010|last=Dendle|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Dendle|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2012|pages=52–53|isbn=978-0-7864-6163-9}}</ref> [[Rotten Tomatoes]], a [[review aggregator]], reports that 13% of 8 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 2.66/10.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10008607-day_of_the_dead/|title=Day of the Dead (2008)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=December 8, 2019}}</ref> Steve Barton of [[Dread Central]] rated it 2/5 stars and called it "dead on arrival". Barton called Cannon's performance offensively stereotypical.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/6260/day-of-the-dead-2008/|title=Day of the Dead (2008)|last=Barton|first=Steve|website=[[Dread Central]]|date=2008-02-16|access-date=2015-03-06}}</ref> Buz Wallick, also writing for Dread Central, rated it 1.5/5 stars and called it "an awful film with awful special features that will hopefully fade from memory in time".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/6750/day-of-the-dead-2008-dvd/|title=Day of the Dead 2008 (DVD)|last=Wallick|first=Buz|website=[[Dread Central]]|date=2008-04-07|access-date=2015-03-06}}</ref> Heather Seebach of [[Shock Till You Drop]] called it "cheap horror for indiscriminate genre fans" that "tiptoes on so-bad-it-is-funny territory".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/reviews/5779-day-of-the-dead-2008/|title=Day of the Dead (2008)|last=Seebach|first=Heather|website=[[Shock Till You Drop]]|date=2008-04-23|access-date=2015-03-06}}</ref> Brian Orndorf of [[DVD Talk]] rated it 0/5 stars and called it "a vile, pathetic, slapdash motion picture".<ref name=dvdtalk/>
The film was poorly received by both fans and critics.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia, Volume 2: 2000–2010|last=Dendle|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Dendle|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2012|pages=52–53|isbn=978-0-7864-6163-9}}</ref> [[Rotten Tomatoes]], a [[review aggregator]], reports that 13% of 8 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 2.66/10.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10008607-day_of_the_dead/|title=Day of the Dead (2008)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=December 8, 2019}}</ref> Steve Barton of [[Dread Central]] rated it 2/5 stars and called it "dead on arrival". Barton called Cannon's performance offensively stereotypical.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/6260/day-of-the-dead-2008/|title=Day of the Dead (2008)|last=Barton|first=Steve|website=[[Dread Central]]|date=2008-02-16|access-date=2015-03-06}}</ref> Buz Wallick, also writing for Dread Central, rated it 1.5/5 stars and called it "an awful film with awful special features that will hopefully fade from memory in time".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/6750/day-of-the-dead-2008-dvd/|title=Day of the Dead 2008 (DVD)|last=Wallick|first=Buz|website=[[Dread Central]]|date=2008-04-07|access-date=2015-03-06}}</ref> Heather Seebach of [[Shock Till You Drop]] called it "cheap horror for indiscriminate genre fans" that "tiptoes on so-bad-it-is-funny territory".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/reviews/5779-day-of-the-dead-2008/|title=Day of the Dead (2008)|last=Seebach|first=Heather|website=[[Shock Till You Drop]]|date=2008-04-23|access-date=2015-03-06}}</ref> Brian Orndorf of [[DVD Talk]] rated it 0/5 stars and called it "a vile, pathetic, slapdash motion picture".<ref name=dvdtalk/>


== See also ==
== See also ==
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{{Livingdead}}
{{Livingdead}}
{{Steve Miner}}
{{Steve Miner}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Film|United States|Speculative fiction|Horror|2000s}}


[[Category:2008 films]]
[[Category:2008 films]]
[[Category:2008 horror films]]
[[Category:2008 horror films]]
[[Category:American film remakes]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:English-language films]]
[[Category:American splatter films]]
[[Category:American zombie films]]
[[Category:Films about viral outbreaks]]
[[Category:Films directed by Steve Miner]]
[[Category:Films produced by Boaz Davidson]]
[[Category:Films scored by Tyler Bates]]
[[Category:Films set in Colorado]]
[[Category:Films set in Colorado]]
[[Category:Films shot in Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Films shot in Bulgaria]]
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[[Category:Horror film remakes]]
[[Category:Horror film remakes]]
[[Category:Living Dead films]]
[[Category:Living Dead films]]
[[Category:Military of the United States in fiction]]
[[Category:MoviePass Films films]]
[[Category:Night of the Living Dead (film series)]]
[[Category:Night of the Living Dead (film series)]]
[[Category:American splatter films]]
[[Category:MoviePass Films films]]
[[Category:Nu Image films]]
[[Category:Nu Image films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Steve Miner]]
[[Category:Remakes of American films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Tyler Bates]]
[[Category:American zombie films]]
[[Category:Military of the United States in fiction]]

Latest revision as of 22:21, 19 August 2023

Day of the Dead
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySteve Miner
Screenplay byJeffrey Reddick
Based onDay of the Dead
by George A. Romero
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPatrick Cady
Edited byNathan Easterling
Music byTyler Bates
Production
companies
Distributed byFirst Look Studios
Release date
  • April 8, 2008 (2008-04-08)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$18 million[1]
Box office$301,771[2]

Day of the Dead is a 2008 American horror film directed by Steve Miner and written by Jeffrey Reddick. It is a remake of George A. Romero's 1985 film of the same name, the third in Romero's Dead series,[3] and it is the first of two remakes of the original 1985 film; the other is Day of the Dead: Bloodline (2017). The film sees a virus outbreak that causes people to turn into violent zombie-like creatures. The project was principally shot in Bulgaria, with limited shooting in Los Angeles, California.

Day of the Dead was released direct-to-video on April 8, 2008, by First Look Studios. It was panned by critics.

Plot[edit]

Minors Trevor Bowman and Nina meet in an abandoned warehouse in Colorado. At the same time, military roadblocks seal the city off for a 24-hour quarantine exercise. Corporal Sarah Bowman leaves her barricade and drives with Private Bud Crain to visit her sick mother. There, Trevor and Nina reveal that the local populace got infected by an influenza-like virus and that their friend Kyle gushed blood from the nose that morning. Sarah and Bud head to Kyle's house to investigate and uncover his parents' mauled corpses. She radios Captain Rhodes about the situation and heads homeward to bring her family and Nina to the Medical Center.

As the CDC's Dr. Logan questions Sara in the crowded hospital, the infected become catatonic and reanimate as zombies. As carnage ensues, Nina and Trevor seek refuge at the local radio station, and Captain Rhodes is mauled. Dr. Logan, Sarah and Bud rush to a storage room, but Bud inadvertently drops the car keys before entering. Sarah and Bud resolve to reach the room Captain Rhodes was mauled in through the air ducts to retrieve his Humvee keys. When they land on the floor, Private Salazar appears. During their return to the storeroom, Rhodes rises to pursue them and bites Bud's hand as he replaces the ceiling grille. The group jumps from the window into the undead-infested parking lot. Dr. Logan deliberately pushes a woman toward a zombie and departs in a vehicle.

The remaining members set off in the Humvee. They stop at a gun store and restrain Bud with plastic wrist-ties inside the vehicle. Upon reentering, Bud has transformed. Sarah insists that he is harmless and should not get shot. Meanwhile, they hear Trevor over the radio and dash to his location. They collect the couple and attempt to exit the city but collide near the abandoned warehouse. They access an underground bunker and encounter Dr. Logan, who divulges his involvement in the government project under Dr. Engel. Engel intended to produce a bioweapon to paralyze enemy combatants by temporarily affecting their nervous system, but the virus mutated, zombifying the scientists. As the group traverses the bunker, Dr. Engel stealthily kills Logan. Zombies encircle Salazar and he sacrifices himself to enable Sarah to escape and reunite with Trevor and Nina. They find a bundle of gas cylinders and modify them into flamethrowers. While Sarah lures the zombie crowd, Dr. Engel descends from the ceiling and grabs her. When Bud shoots at him, Engel decapitates him. Sarah directs the undead to the cylinders, and they incinerate them. The group sets out in Dr. Logan's car, and as they proceed towards the distance, a zombie screams at the camera.

Cast[edit]

^* Sarah is referred to as Cross during the film, but she and her brother are listed as Bowman in the credits.

Production[edit]

Reddick, who adapted the script from Romero's original concept, has stated that this film does not have any connection to Zack Snyder's 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead (although Ving Rhames had also appeared in that film, but 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."[4] Variety announced the project in July 2006,[5] and shooting ended on September 7, 2006, after six weeks in Sofia, Bulgaria.[6] Re-shoots took place in June 2007.[7]

Release[edit]

First Look Pictures released it on DVD in the United States on April 8, 2008.[8]

Reception[edit]

The film was poorly received by both fans and critics.[9] Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 13% of 8 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 2.66/10.[10] Steve Barton of Dread Central rated it 2/5 stars and called it "dead on arrival". Barton called Cannon's performance offensively stereotypical.[11] Buz Wallick, also writing for Dread Central, rated it 1.5/5 stars and called it "an awful film with awful special features that will hopefully fade from memory in time".[12] Heather Seebach of Shock Till You Drop called it "cheap horror for indiscriminate genre fans" that "tiptoes on so-bad-it-is-funny territory".[13] Brian Orndorf of DVD Talk rated it 0/5 stars and called it "a vile, pathetic, slapdash motion picture".[8]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Box Office Information for Day of the Dead. The Numbers. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  2. ^ "Day of the Dead (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  3. ^ McFarland, Kevin (November 27, 2013). "The Day Of The Dead remake picks a director". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  4. ^ Douglas, Edward (February 1, 2006). "Exclusive: The Makers of Tamara". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on February 9, 2006. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  5. ^ Forster, Pamela (July 17, 2006). "Brand new 'Day' for trio". Variety. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  6. ^ Schwinke, Theodore (September 7, 2006). "Nu Image wraps Bulgarian shoot for Day Of The Dead". Screen Daily. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  7. ^ Siebalt, Joshua (June 19, 2007). "Day of the Dead Re-Shot". Dread Central. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  8. ^ a b Orndorf, Brian (April 1, 2008). "Day of the Dead (2008)". DVD Talk. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  9. ^ Dendle, Peter (2012). The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia, Volume 2: 2000–2010. McFarland & Company. pp. 52–53. ISBN 978-0-7864-6163-9.
  10. ^ "Day of the Dead (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  11. ^ Barton, Steve (February 16, 2008). "Day of the Dead (2008)". Dread Central. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  12. ^ Wallick, Buz (April 7, 2008). "Day of the Dead 2008 (DVD)". Dread Central. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  13. ^ Seebach, Heather (April 23, 2008). "Day of the Dead (2008)". Shock Till You Drop. Retrieved March 6, 2015.

External links[edit]