Gruesome Galleries: George A. Romero’s DAY OF THE DEAD

SHOCK resurrects some gore-soaked stills from George A. Romero’s 1985 zombie classic DAY OF THE DEAD!

The “debate of the dead” rages on still as to which of George A. Romero’s ghoul films matter most, with a vast majority citing his 1978 masterpiece DAWN OF THE DEAD and a loud, loyal minority (“the real trolls!” George has called them) preaching the glories of this one, the third entry in the series.

No matter your take on the debate, it’s certainly the goriest…

DAY OF THE DEAD sees the zombie outbreak reach a plateau, with most of mankind either murdered, resurrected or in deep hiding, the streets empty, the world overrun by the living dead.

In an isolated underground Army bunker, scattered, boorish and power-mad soldiers clash with benevolent doctors and they argue ad nauseum about what to do with the dead.

The military want them decimated, the MD’s want to study and in some cases, even domesticate them.

It all comes to a bloody head thanks to Tom Savini’s still jaw-dropping (and falling off) prosthetic make-up effects (that have never been bettered, even in the admittedly astonishing THE WALKING DEAD whose gags are overseen by Savini’s DAY assistant, Greg Nicotero) and Romero’s sure hand directing his own pared-down script (the original DAY script was a massive thing that had to be shaved due to severe budget trims).

Lori Cardille’s intelligent, resourceful doctor Sarah is one of horror’s greatest female characters and Screamin’ Joe Pilato re-invents the meaning of the term “scenery-chewing”. We say that with love as his Captain Rhodes is a brilliantly shrill creation.

Add in some rather lovely, melancholy John Harrison synth music and we have a startling genre classic.

Though all said and done, it’s no DAWN OF THE DEAD (don’t shoot me in the head).

Feast on the glut of graphic gore in the Gruesome Gallery below…