Knightriders (1981) d. George A. Romero (USA)

As the recognized godfather of the modern horror era, it’s a bit depressing to realize just how little joy George A. Romero derived from the majority of his genre output. Pigeonholed early on into the fright flick biz by an inflexible Hollywood, the great independent from Pittsburgh kept trying to wiggle his way out but found few doors open to him. However, following the worldwide success of Dawn of the Dead, he struck a three-picture deal with executive producer and distributor Salah A. Hassanein, securing creative autonomy under the sole contingency that one of the three would be a sequel to Dawn (the resulting film being 1985’s Day of the Dead). The other two were his 1982 EC Comics tribute with Stephen King, Creepshow, and a long, rambling, idealistic, at times naïve but extremely personal and heartfelt tale of motorcycle-riding knights attempting to live by an old-world code in a modern get-rich-quick world. One became a huge financial smash and beloved kitschy treat, while the other was virtually unseen by the movie-going public. The neglected foundling in this case, the one which Romero claims as his second personal favorite (behind 1976’s Martin), is 1981’s Knightriders.

King William (Ed Harris, in his first lead role), or “Billy” to his court, lives an austere lifestyle, attempting to strip away the materialism that he feels has corrupted modern society. He and his mostly merry band travel from town to town, putting on their specific brand of Renaissance Fair with cycles standing in for horses in various jousting tournaments. There are the King’s men, led by the noble Sir Alan (Gary Lahti) and Dame Rocky (Cynthia Adler), opposing the Black Knights, led by the robust and rebellious Morgan (Tom Savini). The two sides batter away at each other for the crowd’s amusement (and ticket receipts), ending each pageant with celebration and camaraderie.

But as the viewer comes on the scene, the seeds of discontent are already being sown. Billy has become so stringent in his etiquette that his rises each dawn to flagellate himself after a night of lovemaking with his increasingly frustrated Queen Linet (Amy Ingersoll). Morgan’s attempts to seize the crown through the staged battles become more brutal, while big-city promoters have become aware of the novelty act and hope to package it to the masses. While the familial atmosphere is still intact, there are factions and rivalries and tensions growing every day – it’s only a matter of time before something has to give. When Billy refuses to play ball with a couple of crooked cops, it sets in motion a series of events that compromise his entire “kingdom,” the fantasy he has worked so hard to maintain.

Romero’s seventh narrative feature takes a very long time to say what it wants to say and do what it wants to do – 146 minutes, to be exact. Its languorous tempo and meandering, character-centric plot seems more in keeping with the New Hollywood of the early 1970s, and wildly out of step with a public quickly warming to the whiz-bang thrills of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Empire Strikes Back. But even if a leaner result could have been derived, Romero’s zombie-loving fan base must have been utterly bewildered by this unconventional yarn of morality and honor atop two-wheeling, gasoline-snorting hogs. (That said, the jousting scenes are undeniably thrilling, thanks to the bone-breaking stunts performed by Gary Davis and his Stunts Unlimited team; it’s somewhat surprising that more hasn’t been made of these by action movie aficionados.) This is not to say that Knightriders is an unsuccessful film or even an unsatisfying one – it’s simply an unconventional and slow-paced bit of cinema with more on its mind than cheap thrills.

Unfortunately, this caveat has made it a less appealing item for those approaching the writer/director’s canon. Longtime fans of Romero should be aware by this point of his predilections for addressing social issues and headier themes within the trappings of the genre, but this is not a horror film (by any stretch) and only marginally an exploitation flick. Therefore, audiences in its day arrived unprepared for what to expect from the film, and continue to be stymied today. The buzz for Knightriders barely charts on the radar – it’s become as marginalized as his post-Night of the Living Dead efforts, There’s Always Vanilla and Season of the Witch.

And yet, for the patient and the open-minded, there are many rewards to be revealed, not the least of which being the terrific ensemble performances – every character is vividly detailed and given a special moment by which to be remembered. Savini has never, ever been better, and the intense Harris already possesses the fiery core that would propel him to Hollywood greatness and Oscar nominations. Many key players, such as Lahti, Ingersoll or Warner Shook (as a sexually confused M.C.), never flourished beyond this movie in spite of their superb characterizations, although sharp-eyed Romero devotees will pick out dozens of familiar faces, from John Amplas’ mime to Ken Foree’s blacksmith to Scott Reiniger’s knight to Anthony Dileo’s vendor to Joe Pilato’s disgruntled employee to Christine Forrest’s (aka the former Mrs. Romero) lovelorn grease monkey. Not to mention our memorable “Hoagie Man,” played by none other than Stephen King.

Shout! Factory has done a terrific job of resurrecting this underrated gem for reappraisal by a new generation, with a sharp, high-def picture that captures every dust-slinging maneuver with crystal-clear perfection. The supplements are expectedly bountiful, even if the audio commentary track is recycled from the 2001 Anchor Bay DVD, but I suppose the chances of getting Romero, Savini, Amplas, Chris Stavrakis (stuntman and Savini right-hand-man Taso’s brother) and Forrest all in the same room again these days might be a tall order. Still, there’s a lot of joy in listening to the assembled crew excitedly shout out the names of the many incidental players, as well as invoking production assistants Holly Hunter (yes, that Holly Hunter) and Shari Belafonte. Savini describes the making of the film as “the greatest summer imaginable,” citing the convivial atmosphere that pervaded the nearly three-month shoot. Romero gives innumerable props to his creative team, in particular Donald Rubinstein’s lively and evocative score, and the fearless stuntmen laying it all on the line. “It was the first time I ever realized that people could be put in harm’s way simply to serve one person’s creative whims,” he muses.

For the featurettes, Red Shirt Pictures ups their already impressive ante by landing the film’s A-list star for a warm and thoughtful discussion. In “Conscience of the King,” Harris reveals what the role meant to him and his career – even though he admits that it wasn’t widely seen, the boost to the actor’s confidence, he says, was immeasurable. Romero appears for a new interview entitled “Code of Honor,” still effusive and still frustrated at the film’s low profile. He also reveals that he had a brief meeting with Morgan Freeman about playing Merlin (the role eventually went to be-bop performance artist Brother Blue), but that the actor perceived the part as racist and demeaning – odd when you consider the director’s track record of tolerance and diversity.

“Memories of Morgan” sits down with Savini, who clearly still has regrets that the film didn’t serve as a greater launching pad for his career as an actor – playing a role not far removed from the man himself, it is truly an extremely engaging and joyous incarnation. (One can only wonder how his and Romero’s worlds might have been changed had the picture been a success.) The extras are topped off by Savini’s behind-the-scenes footage of the various motorcycle stunts, some of which look extremely painful, and the theatrical trailer and a couple TV spots.

I do feel obliged to point out one notable subtitling mistake, in the hopes that it will be remedied for future deaf and/or hard-of-hearing generations to come. It comes during Harold Wayne Jones’ gratuitous Marlon Brando impression, about 90 minutes in, re-enacting On the Waterfront’s famous backseat monologue to Rod Steiger, only in this case Jones bemoans the fact that he is forced to eat Kentucky Fried Chicken. “Not my night? You shoulda looked out for me, Charlie, so I wouldn’t be stuck with a lousy piece of meat. I coulda had bass!” Unfortunately, the cheap (but still funny) joke is subtitled as “I coulda had baths!” Um, what???

Knightriders is available Nov. 26 from Shout! Factory and is available for pre-order HERE.

http://www.shoutfactory.com/product/knightriders


--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine

One of horror history’s most recognizable icons is given the star treatment in a brand new 6.5 hour (!) documentary, Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th (based on the bestselling book by Peter M. Bracke). Writer/director Daniel Farrands and producer Thommy Hutson, who previously teamed up for 2010’s award-winning Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, have assembled interviews on their four-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack (two of each) with approximately 150 cast and crew members from all twelve Friday the 13th films. (When purchased through the Crystal Lake Memories site, buyers will also receive a bonus DVD with nearly 4 hours of extended interview material.)

Corey Feldman (the original Tommy Jarvis) narrates Crystal Lake Memories, with a virtual who’s who of interview subjects including Kane Hodder, Robert Englund, Tom Savini, Danielle Panabaker, Sean S. Cunningham, Derek Mears, Betsy Palmer, Wes Craven, Robert Shaye, Alice Cooper and many more. The film will be officially released this Friday, September 13, 2013 via 1428 Films with a list price of $29.95

In the 33 years since the original Friday the 13th premiered in May of 1980, the slasher franchise has grown to include twelve feature films, a television series, novels, comic books, merchandise and memorabilia. In addition to staggering box office success, the films turned Jason Voorhees and his signature hockey mask into a pop culture icon. Now fans can get an in-depth look that spans the entire history from those involved.

Farrands and Hutson were kind enough to take a few minutes out from their breakneck schedule of applying the final touches to such a mammoth undertaking to chat with HorrorHound about everyone’s favorite tall, dark and gruesome boogeyman.

HorrorHound: What are your feelings now about your previous F13 documentary, His Name Was Jason (2009)?

Thommy Hutson: What is interesting about His Name Was Jason was its emphasis less on the making-of the Friday films as a franchise and more on the character of Jason. Although the crafting of the films as a whole was touched on in some way, the exploration of Jason Voorhees as a villain, and how and why he came to be so popular was interesting and, honestly, necessary since the show was mandated to a 90-minute running time. While we had fun making it, the parameters we were given left little room to truly dig deep like Peter Bracken's book did. With Crystal Lake Memories, we are able to finally do what we feel will tell the best, most in-depth story of the films and TV series and what went into creating them.

Daniel Farrands: Until Thommy and Andrew Kasch and I teamed up again a year later on Never Sleep Again, we honestly didn't know if a four-hour documentary would work, much less find an audience. Fortunately, it managed to do both. Now we've taken that same approach on Crystal Lake Memories by focusing on the making of every film in the franchise in chronological order. Given that this show pushes the seven-hour mark, I think it's safe to say that Jason has at last been given his due.

HH: Having presumably spent so much time researching the series, do you each still have a favorite F13 film?

DF: For me it's a toss-up between Parts 2, 3 & TFC. I felt Steve Miner brought some real polish – and genuine scares – to the second film. He carried over the sense of fear and isolation that Sean Cunningham established so well in the original and glossed it up a bit with his use of the Steadicam. Part 2 also introduced the strongest and, in my opinion, most intelligent and resourceful of all the final girls with Ginny Field (Amy Steel). I have a soft spot for Part 3 as well simply because of the cheesy-yet-effective 3D effects and of course the introduction of the hockey mask (compliments of my real-life friend and entertainment attorney Larry Zerner, who played Shelly in the film). Lastly, The Final Chapter was the perfect summation of the series and felt like a much bigger movie in terms of its scope and set pieces (hovering helicopters with searchlights, a kid named Tommy Jarvis who succeeds where all the adults have failed by doing in Jason ginsu-style?!). I feel the first four make up a solid "quadrilogy" of early ’80s slasher films and really set the stage for the rest of the series (with all its varied hits and misses).

TH: I would be doing a huge disservice to Sean Cunningham, the cast and crew of the original to not mention the first film as I feel it goes without saying the original in any franchise needs to be at the top of the list (otherwise, why are we watching the sequels!?). That said, I would probably say one of my favorites (sorry, I can't pick just one!) is Part 2: it's scary, fun and really is a great continuation of the original film and story (and, let's be honest, killing Alice off at the beginning – whether we agree with it or not – was shocking and unexpected). It also has a fantastic, strong and incredibly memorable heroine in Amy Steel's "Ginny." And baghead Jason will always be creepy to me. It's just a great sequel. Dan would be shocked if I didn't cop to my other favorite: Part 7. I just love the “Carrie vs. Jason” aspect (give me telekinesis against a villain any day), love the look of Jason, think Kane nailed the character and I find the movie so incredibly fun. If it is on, I am absolutely watching it.

HH: How much time do you spend on the F13 TV series, considering it doesn't really deal with the Jason Voorhees mythos? Did you like the show?

TH: While we admittedly don't spend as much time on the series as the films in the franchise, we definitely do take a nice look at how the series came to be, it's evolution and, ultimately, its cancellation. As a matter of fact, as Dan can attest, it's ending is almost (if not moreso) as fascinating as its beginning, having to deal far more with a group of people having the power to make decisions about what everyone should be allowed to watch than whether or not it was a ratings success; in fact, it performed well enough that it most likely would have stayed on the air.

DF: For me it was important to acknowledge it as part of the evolution of the franchise and how it came at the height of the Reagan era when the Friday films were being singled out – and ultimately butchered – by the MPAA. Ultimately, the TV show was targeted by a fundamentalist preacher and his followers, who astoundingly held enough influence to get the show pulled off the air even as it continued to perform strongly in the ratings. To me, the most interesting part of the television series isn't the individual episodes or the fact that it had nothing in common with the films other than the title and producer Frank Mancuso, Jr. Personally, I was more taken in by the underlying story of censorship and the danger of allowing a single group's definition of morality to impinge on anyone else's right to freedom of speech and expression. That, to me, is more frightening than any horror film.

TH: All that said, I am definitely a fan of the series. I found its concept interesting and a fun, thrilling week-to-week adventure. I always recall, though, not being able to find the show when it first ran since it was on so late at night in many markets. I didn’t even know I was even watching the pilot episode because it had nothing to do with Jason – I almost turned it off! Thankfully I was intrigued enough to keep watching. Ultimately, I wasn't disappointed. And it was a concept that clearly worked – take a look at Warehouse 13!

HH: Why do you think Jason resonates so strongly with the horror crowd?

DF: Jason, alongside Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers and maybe even Chucky, has been a modern-day myth and an iconic bogeyman for two – going on three – generations. He's been called everything from a mongoloid mama's boy to an unstoppable force of nature. Behind that hockey mask is a character that we not only fear but in some ways understand. Jason, we can only infer from the random snippets of backstory we've gotten, was the underdog, the kid who was different, bullied, neglected and ultimately forgotten. First it was his mother who wouldn't let people forget. Then it was Jason himself. I think Ginny summed it up best in Part 2 when she said that Jason was "crying out for a return, for resurrection." (Little did she or anyone else know just how many resurrections that would entail!)

TH: Jason is that ghost story around a campfire that we all love to hear and be afraid of, but at the same time he's a character in some ways that can be feared as much as pitied. The recollection of his death in the first film is actually quite sad if looked at from a real world context. From there, Jason grew into a vengeful person who lived (and then died) to punish those who he perceived wronged him. There's almost a moral compass (albeit a twisted one!) that Jason lives by and I think many people understand that. There's also a sense that the Friday films and the character are a cautionary tale, much like Aesop's fables: don't go off the beaten path, or do something you shouldn't do, because there will be consequences. In the Friday films, Jason is that consequence. On the flip side, the films also showcase people (usually the oft-mentioned "Final Girl") overcoming fears, finding strength and defeating the monster which, in our world, can be taken to mean that if we need to, we can also conquer the things that scare us and come out stronger.

DF: On a more simplistic level, I think Jason appeals to our collective sense of wish fulfillment. He mostly takes out the cheerleaders, the jocks, the kids who seem to be caught up in their own ego-centric worlds and having the most fun. Anyone who grew up feeling like an outsider can relate to the idea of secretly wanting to take these stereotypes out. Plus, his hockey mask is just very, very cool.

HH: Bracke's book is such a terrific piece of work. How much new information were you able to get during your round of interviews?

DF: I actually served as editor on Peter's book so I have been part of the Crystal Lake Memories legacy since the beginning. The book was an amazing achievement and a testament to the incredible amount of work and dedication (and I might add vision) Peter brought to it. I think he really paved the way for all the horror retrospectives (including my own) that followed. At the time, his job was made even more challenging in that we hadn't yet hit the age of Facebook and social media. It wasn't as easy as typing in a name and finding out that you're only two degrees removed from Kevin Bacon (in this case, literally!). Most of Peter's detective work was done the "old-fashioned" way: writing letters to agents and managers and in many cases digging through old crew lists and personal phone books to locate people who had either moved away or left the business long ago. For our show, we were fortunate to be able to not only draw upon dozens of hours of unused footage from His Name Was Jason, but we also got to interview a slew of people who either weren't available back then or just weren't findable at the time.

TH: With over 150 interviews, it was wonderful to see that the cast and crew either elaborated on, or came up with new information to, each question. Dan did a fantastic job in finding a new way to tell an old story, or bring out the things we have never heard before. It's a great mix of the old and new, but put together and told in a way that is definitely refreshing, surprising and fun. I think the hardest part of any project like this is less getting the new and interesting stories as it is finding the cast and crew and putting them in the "hot seat." It's always rounds of calls, emails and letters explaining what we are doing and why it's a great project to be a part of. Lucky for us, we've succeeded in getting a fantastic roster of old and new faces across the entire film franchise and series.

DF: Ultimately, we were able to interview a number of people that haven't (yet!) made their way into the book, but of course there's a decent list of alumni who, without naming names, granted an interview for the book but weren't able (or chose not to) appear in the documentary. It's always a give and take, but I think between the book and now the documentary serving as its official companion piece, we've amassed the world's largest Friday The 13th archive.

HH: Were there ever times the interviewees' stories didn't jibe?

TH: Not really, no, which is great because it means that the cast and crew are really digging deep and giving us the true inside story. I always tell them that we are wholly independent on these shows so they are free to say what they wish. Knowing that, everyone really does tell it like it is, which is important if you want to craft something that has a resonance and doesn't feel like a PR piece.

DF: Because of that [independence], we feel less inhibited about asking the tough (and at times more personal) questions, and our guests tend to not editorialize themselves the way they might if they went if we were creating bonus content for the official studio release. Though I don't think anyone will ever truly come clean about who came up with the idea to hide Jason's with a hockey mask!

HH: Never Sleep Again came out just before the 2010 Nightmare on Elm Street remake, whereas here there's been a certain passage of time since the 2009 F13 reboot. What were your thoughts about the 2009 film and how much time is devoted to it in the documentary?

DF: The reboot is the one chapter we added to the documentary that does not (again I emphasize yet!) appear in the book. I think everyone has their thoughts and opinions about sequels, remakes and reboots in general, but what I can say is that everyone we interviewed from the cast and crew of the reboot came in with so much excitement and enthusiasm (and genuine affection for one another) that it was difficult not to get caught up in their revelry.

TH: I enjoyed the film because it brought the character of Jason Voorhees to a new generation of fans while working to bring back the power and scares of the earlier films, where Jason was a brutal force to be reckoned with. That had a lot to do with the man behind the mask, Derek Mears, who has proven his love for the character and has helped keep Friday the 13th in fans minds in recent years.

DF: Whether you loved or hated the film, I think many fans appreciated his portrayal of Jason, so it was a pleasure to be able to re-interview Derek and talk to him about the character and the film in greater depth than we did for His Name Was Jason (which was made just prior to the reboot's release, so everyone was limited in terms of the specific things they could say). We devote as much time to the reboot as we do to all the other films in the series. The remake/reboot may not have been the movie every fan wanted it to be (though it certainly has its fans – as does Part 5!), but it's still undeniably part of the franchise legacy. It was only fair that we acknowledged all the creativity, passion, frustration and flack that went into and followed it. In the end, it turned out to be one of the more interesting and entertaining chapters in the show, and I for one am glad we decided to include it.

HH: Do you think we'll ever see another Jason feature?

DF: Jason has spawned a cottage industry worth more than half a billion dollars, so I think it's safe to say we haven't seen the last of him. Maybe one day his mask and machete will even get immortalized in front of the Chinese theater. He's certainly earned it.

TH: Never, ever count Jason out! As one of my favorite movies stated, he was "a killer buried...but not dead!"

HH: Here's a tough one. What's your favorite F13 kill?

DF: I have a favorite kill from every film, but I think the grand prize has to go to the sleeping bag in Part 7. Simple, effective and brilliantly conceived – and executed – by Jason.

TH: It's a tie for me: The sleeping bag death in Part 7 is raw and brutal, but almost makes you laugh because you cannot believe it just happened. It's also a happenstance moment that occurred in editing the film down; one hit was so much more powerful than repeated whacks against that tree. The other is the liquid nitrogen face smash in Jason X. Who saw that one coming!? It was shocking and, no pun intended, very, very cool. We certainly never imagined that happening in science class.

HH: Any plans to document other horror film franchises?

DF: I have had a great time working on these shows and I'm eternally grateful for the opportunity to sit down with and even befriend so many of my childhood heroes. Ending this cycle with Crystal Lake Memories is like coming home in many ways (and being a bit of a homebody I think I'd like to hang out here for a while). I hope that as all these franchises continue, future generations of filmmakers who were as inspired by these films as we were will pick up the torch and continue the journey where we left off. Then again, I probably shouldn't rule out anything. I don't want to be another one of those guys who calls something "The Final Chapter" when everyone already knows there will be another sequel.

TH: I have decided that each time I complete one of these, I can't imagine gearing up for another, but after Never Sleep Again came Inside Story: Scream. After that came More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead. Now this. As far as documentaries, I can't say what's next. In the meantime, I am hard at work on the feature film Animal, which I am producing and that I co-wrote with my partner Catherine Trillo. It's executive produced by Drew Barrymore for Chiller Films and stars Keke Palmer, Joey Lauren Adams, Thorsten Kaye, Elizabeth Gillies, Amaury Nolasco, Jeremy Sumpter, Paul Iacono, Parker Young and Eve. It's a really fun, scary piece that is a blast to be part of. I also want to focus on writing, developing and producing more projects with my company, Hutson Ranch Media. As far as more horror documentaries, I think I'll have to simply say: never say never! I’m really lucky to have had the opportunity to explore so many of the films I grew up watching. Meeting the cast and crew of the movies I loved has been an incredibly rewarding and memorable experience.

Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th is now available for pre-order at CrystalLakeMemories.net

 

Day of the Dead (1985) d. Romero, George A. (USA)

Following one of the biggest worldwide horror sensations was no easy feat for writer/director George A. Romero. When his sequel to Night of the Living Deadturned out to be as successful and arguably just as influential, one would think that finding backing for a third installment would be easy as falling off the proverbial log. But, lest we forget, Dawn of the Dead nearly didn’t find its way to the screening room, at least not without the threat of studio interference, until Italian horror icon Dario Argento and sibling Claudio stepped up with the bankroll. Long looked upon as the poor relation of the original trilogy, time and context (i.e. the even more divisive sequels that followed) have been kind to Day of the Dead, which has now earned its rightful place of respect and honor among its undead brethren.

Romero’s original script was to be much broader in scope and action, but budget limitations – a mere $3.5 million – forced him to scale down his vision. A happier accident there could not have been. While some viewers may be disappointed at this chapter’s darker, more contained view of the undead Armageddon, Day strikes the perfect note of finality in regards to the zombie plague and Man’s inability to put aside personal and petty differences, even in the face of the flesh-eating Other. The director continues his theme that, though the zombies are an undeniable threat, the real danger stems from the fact that the surviving humans bring about their own downfall through their inability to trust each other. My chief complaint regarding Romero’s Land of the Dead, aside from its general glossiness and magazine cover-ready cast, is that the humans seem far too energized, far too alive. The characters here are beaten, battered and terrified. A sense of dread and defeat permeates the film, of inevitability and clock-watching. Our time is over – we just won’t admit it.

Following a terrific nightmare sequence that Roger Avary describes on his DVD commentary as “Kubrickian, then paying tribute to Polanski by way of Cocteau,” Day opens with a helicopter landing in a deserted Florida town where zombies (and one lone random alligator) have taken up residence. Viewers get a terrific taste of the deliciously drippy technological advances that makeup/gore effects savant Tom Savini has developed in the eight years since Dawn’s blue-faced gutmunchers roamed the Monroeville Mall. 

A jawless undead with its tongue lolling freely is the centerpiece, and under this awe-inspiring visual, the film’s title reveals itself. It is perhaps a lucky twist of fate that the titular time-progression (following Night and Dawn) has led us to this apocalyptic heading, where the dead truly are having their day. Soon, we will see to what literal depths the human race has descended: Hiding in a hole in the ground (a converted mine shaft), praying for deliverance, despising their fellow man as much if not more than the walking corpses above. 

Although the walking dead outnumber the humans 400,000 to 1, Mankind has not united in the face of a common enemy. Instead the survivors have splintered further, with three distinct factions within the bunker: The scientists, the military (led with vein-popping fervor by Joe Pilato) and the non-partisan civilians, composed of the helicopter pilot John (Terry Alexander) and communications expert McDermott (Jarlath Conroy). While we see glimpses of emotional bonding between Sarah (Lori Cardille) and her male compatriots, the relationships are tenuous and guarded, in particular with her lover Miguel (Antonè DiLeo), who resents her for being strong in the face of his own weakness. Ironically, the film’s most memorable connection is that of Richard Liberty’s teetering-into-madness Dr. Logan (dubbed “Frankenstein” by the others) and his prize “pupil,” a captured zombie dubbed Bub, essayed with extraordinary sensitivity and skill by Howard Sherman.

 

Lacking the awesome action set-pieces and comic hijinks of Dawn, 1985 critics and audiences were quick to deride Romero’s dark, apocalyptic vision.  Savini’s jaw-dropping effects were universally recognized as astonishing high-water marks, but overall the film was deemed a failure. Roger Ebert complained that “Romero hasn’t figured out anything new to do with his ghouls,” and that the “mostly unpleasant, violent, insane” characters were impossible to relate to. But this is Romero’s pointed warning: that this is where the human race is headed unless we change our ways. Day’s quite literal bunker mentality also perfectly reflects the “me” decade during which the film was produced, where the focus was on “me and mine” as opposed to “we and ours.” Unpleasant? Violent? Insane? Yes, yes and yes. John and McDermott, who have tellingly hermited themselves away from the rest of the group in a converted Winnebago dubbed “the Ritz,” openly accuse humanity of mislaid priorities. 

Not a subtle filmmaker when it comes to messages, it is all too clear that Romero wants us to hear John’s condemnation as the voice of reason; because he places the words within the most articulate and even-keeled character, the overt soapboxing is not distasteful, nor does it ring false. After all, under the circumstances, these survivors have had plenty of time to reflect upon the state of the world, and deep, contemplative monologues do not seem incongruent in the least. It is also worth noting that John carries on the tradition of strong, sympathetic black heroes in Romero’s films.

If there is one aspect that remains difficult to defend, it is the oddly uplifting denouement where (*SPOILER*), after being grabbed by the undead hordes in the helicopter during the climactic escape (overtly echoing the Day’s opening sequence), Sarah awakens in a presumably zombie-free island paradise. It is a shocking jump cut, one that strains credibility and even smacks of sheer laziness on Romero’s part. The implication is that the escape was successful and that there is hope for humanity – by far the most positive conclusions of any of the filmmaker’s flesh-eating epics – but ironically, it is tacked onto his most depressing and nihilistic installment. Perhaps Romero did not want to leave audiences with a feeling of utter hopelessness, but his happy ending, as it stands, feels unearned.

Shout! Factory has given Day of the Dead the top shelf Blu-ray premiere it deserves, with eye-popping new cover art by Nathan Thomas Milliner. In addition to the two audio commentary tracks (Romero, Savini, Cardille and production designer Cletus Anderson on one, Avery solo on the other) from previous releases, there are photo galleries, trailers, TV spots, a 30-minute behind-the-scenes look at Savini at work, a promotional video for the Wampum Mines, and Cult Magazine's Ed Demko bidding a fond farewell to Skip Docchio, a retiring facility tech for the mines who was on site during filming.

But the shiny new jewel in the crown is Michael Felsher’s feature length documentary, The World’s End: The Making of Day of the Dead.  As with previous Red Shirt Productions supplements, Felsher does a terrific job of assembling major players for candid, insightful recollections and even longtime fans are sure to pick up some new intel here.  It does warrant mention that the documentary is a bit disjointed and episodic at times – one wonders if it mightn’t have better served its purpose by being broken down into smaller featurettes or at even chapters.  As it stands, we swing clumsily from discussing special effects to specific performances and back again.  But aficionados lining up for the hi-def treatment aren’t likely to care too much about dramatic arcs – they’ll happily take their trivia and tidbits rough and tumble. 

Day of the Dead debuts on Blu-ray September 17, and is available for pre-order now.

http://www.shoutfactory.com/?q=node/218011



--Aaron Christensen, HorrorHound Magazine