DAY OF THE DEAD (2008) Remake

Directed By: Steve Miner
Written By: Jeffrey Reddick;
Based On The Original Script “Day Of The Dead” By: George Romero
Cinematography By: Patrick Cady
Editor: Nathan Easterling

CAST: Mena Suvari, Ving Rhames, Nick Cannon, Annalynne McCord, Pat Kilbane, Ian McNiece

The film is so bad that after awhile I don’t even think the director could take it too seriously as the film gets more ridiculous and seems to make up the rules of zombieism as it goes along until soon it almost resembles a Sci-Fi channel original movie or a really bad comic book. Especially the scene where the group of survivors hear a zombie in the air duct and all the characters who have a gun shoot up in the air at it like it is a reflex they don’t even look when they shoot. Plus when did it become acceptable for zombies to all of a sudden have super human powers. I’m not talking about the strength, I’m talking defying the logics of gravity all of a sudden they can scale walls like Spiderman and leap in the air 50 feet.

Ving Rhames is in this movie more as a extended cameo. Though he is top billed it actually is more of a Nick Cannon and Mena Suvari movie. So that should alert you to the quality of the material. The only reason I can think that Mr. Rhames appears in this movie is either a big paycheck or he felt a loyalty to the series after starring in The DAWN OF THE DEAD Remake.

Nick Cannon seems only to be here to crack racial jokes about why do white people do this. Then he becomes selfless all of a sudden even though throughout the film he’s been pretty much only the strong survive street type.

Mena Suvari who I am glad to see working apparently a lot maybe she is hoping to find that role that immortalizes her again or at least resurrects her career but this and the films she has taken recently are not it. My advice fire your agent you deserve better then this you do have talent and beauty.

I can see why this movie never made it to theaters. Not only because of the low budget but it feels cheap. The effects are horrible. The script idiotic it just feels like a product that was rushed and made t make a quick buck not paying any attention to quality

What did they spend on this movie whatever it was wasn’t enough a true director can overcome difficulties to make something somewhat decent even if the script sucks, which it does. Or the actors are not great, Most are not to bad.

Even though the film is a brisk 87 minutes it felt longer like it was a actor oriented play since the cast seemed so small. To add to the problems of the movie the try to be shocking ending makes no sense.

There is a noticeable difference between this and the DAWN OF THE DEAD Remake other then talent in front of and behind the Camera. The Dawn remake was handled by a talented artist who was visionary and had original ideas for pacing and camera angles. It also has a true director Zach Snyder. Steve Miner is a good television director making a speedy schedule making film he can make the ordinary look extraordinary on a certain budget but when it comes to movies he’s a bit of a hack. He has had his triumphs but he has a somewhat limited talent with film. Which was perfectly fine for Friday the 13th Part 2 and 3 and lake placid but the first two were in the 80’s. for those films you didn’t have to necessarily be good or have style or flair, but since then Halloween: H20 he hasn’t been too visionary actually not too good maybe he’s comfortable and stands by his reputation and resume. Bringing films on budget and on time and they make enough money to be considered successful.

In the end watching this I feel cheated.

GRADE: F