This is the third chapter in George A. Romero's classic "Dead" trilogy (following "Night of the Living Dead" and "Dawn of the Dead"), and the most maligned. Vastly underappreciated at the time of its initial release (it was both a critical and box-office failure), many felt the film was too talky, over-acted, too dark and nihilistic, with none of the cartoony and satiric elements which made "Dawn" an instant classic. While some of those criticisms may be accurate from a certain perspective, it isn't really fair to compare "Day of the Dead" to its predecessors; each installment has its own unique look, tone and style. Perhaps detractors were hoping the third film would top "Dawn's" epic scope (in fact, his original unfilmed script would have accomplished that very thing), or offer more of the same social satire. But Romero has never made the same film twice, and simply rehashing "Dawn" is pointless. Besides, despite "Night's" unrelenting dread and "Dawn's" gruesomely cartoony fun, "Day of the Dead" is the best directed, produced and acted of the three, as well as the most visceral and violent (and let's face it, the on-screen violence is a major appeal of these pictures). Though the film has its die-hard fans, if there was ever a movie which deserved reassessment, it's "Day of the Dead," and Anchor Bay provides a great opportunity to do just that with an outstanding 2-disc set, loaded with enough extras to have fans of Romero's zombie trilogy hyperventilating.

The film begins after the events in "Dawn" (though it's never revealed exactly how much time has passed); by now, the undead have completely overrun the Earth, outnumbering human survivors by about 400,000 to 1. A small band of scientific and military personnel have taken refuge in an underground Florida bunker, occasionally venturing out in a helicopter to search for other survivors. Things aren't going well; while scientists, led by Sarah (Lori Cardille), try and find a way of eradicating the zombies, the dwindling military men, led by the tyrannical Captain Rhodes (Joe Pilato), grow increasingly impatient. Tensions between the two camps threaten to destroy everything they've worked for, and things aren't helped by the resident mad scientist, Dr. Logan (Richard Liberty), who claims the zombies can be trained and domesticated, but spends most of his time gleefully conducting gruesome experiments on captured ghouls. Also on hand are chopper pilot John (Terry Alexander) and electronics expert Billy (Jarlath Conroy), two civilians who feel they should all throw in the towel, find an island and start over. Naturally, tensions reach a boiling point, leading to the third act, in which Tom Savini's gruesome make-up effects take center stage. Though different in look and tone from "Night" and "Dawn", "Day of the Dead" continues one theme present in all three pictures...the true monsters are not the zombies, but the people still lurking among the human survivors. All three films display an overall distrust and contempt of human nature, but it's most blatantly realized in "Day." The atrocities committed by the villains are far more obscene than those perpetrated by the undead, whom, after all, are only motivated by instinct. In demonstrating this, Romero makes the eventual scenes of spectacular carnage much more palatable, rendering them more rousing than sickening. These scenes are as graphic and violent as any ever presented in a mainstream film, thanks to make-up wizard, Tom Savini, who outdoes himself here; unlike most movies in the zombie sub-genre (including "Dawn of the Dead"), the effects in "Day" are realistic, elaborate and absolutely disgusting. Just when you think the movie gore can't get any more over-the-top, it does. Still, special effects alone can't make a film worth watching (just check out any of the Italian-made rip-offs which oozed out in the 80s), and Romero understands this, which is why his films stand head-and-shoulders above all his imitators. He creates characters that, for better or worse, generate our sympathy (or, at the very least, our empathy), and they are well-represented by the cast. Though the cast has been accused of over-acting, I would argue that, in a film made-up of extremes, their performances are uniformly suitable. Cardille makes a tough, formidable heroine, while Pilato snarls and screams his way into movie villain lore (you'll definitely be rooting for his violent and agonizing demise).

"Day of the Dead" is presented in its original 1.85:1 format, and the results are terrific. This is a great picture. There is very little dust present, nor are there many scratches or blemishes. Anchor Bay has done an outstanding job restoring this film; it looks like it could have been have a few weeks ago (it's hard to believe the movie is 18 years old). The soundtrack is also well restored. John Harrison's synthesized score is wonderfully rendered, and the creative directorial use of sound is preserved nicely. However, one small complaint remains...some alternate dialogue has been dubbed in place of the original lines, for reasons that are beyond me. Casual viewers are not likely to notice, but long-time fans will likely hear the new dialogue and scratch hear heads in bewilderment. There are no alternate-language tracks available; considering the international appeal of Romero's films, this is an odd oversight.

Two commentaries are featured on the first disc. The first one, featuring Romero, Cardille, Savini and production designer Cletus Anderson, is very entertaining and informative - fans will enjoy the numerous anecdotes regarding the making of this movie, as well as interesting insights on other Romero films (they even do a little 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' while watching this). The other commentary, by filmmaker and fan, Roger Avery, is good, though not as entertaining, as he had nothing to do with the making of the picture. The entire second disc consists of extras, and fans will love it. There are two behind-the-scenes features, both clocking in at over 30 minutes. The first, "The Many Days of 'Day of the Dead'", is a documentary which features comments, insights and anecdotes by various members of the cast and crew, including Romero, Cardille, Pilato, Savini, producer David Ball, make-up assistant Gregory Nicotero, cast member Howard Sherman. The second documentary focuses exclusively on the gruesome make-up effects by Tom Savini and his crew. There's also a promotional video of the Wampum Mine, the underground facility where a majority of the movie was shot, as well as an audio interview with the late Richard Liberty. In addition, there are TV and theatrical trailers, promotional artwork, galleries of zombie make-up, behind-the-scenes photos, and a bio of Romero's eclectic career. There's also a DVD-ROM feature which includes the infamous original first script of the film by Romero, which was never shot due to budgetary and MPAA ratings restraints (considering how often the original script is referred to in the documentaries and commentaries, this feature is a definite gem...as good as "Day" ended up being, one must still lament on what the movie COULD have been).

In my humble opinion, this is the best film of the trilogy. This disc is a must-have for any fan of Romero, zombie films, or horror in general. Time has been kind to "Day of the Dead," and it deserves to be compared favorably to its predecessors. It also makes one hope the rumors of a fourth installment will be realized (which is hinted at in the commentary). Even if you feel this film is the worst of Romero's three chapters in the "Dead" trilogy, you still have to admit it's the third best zombie movie ever made.