You often hear critics talk about "heartwarming" films. Sometimes, you'll hear them mention "heart-wrenching" flicks. With "Day Of The Dead," we're breaking new ground: This is a "heart-stopping" movie.
I'm a pretty jaded movie-goer; I've seen it all, they don't make 'em like they used to, and blah blah blah. The zombie movie, as far as I'm concerned, is owned by director George A. Romero. His black and white "Night of the Living Dead" (1968) pretty much set the rules of the genre (and considerably upped the level of gore), while "Dawn Of The Dead" (1978) remains the absolute classic, mixing dark satire with sheer terror.
Films this perfect don't need remakes, and film snob that I am, I haven't bothered to watch the recent re-dos of either film. I had no intention of seeing the new "Day of the Dead" either, which is a re-make of 1985's last (and arguably weakest) chapter in Romero's "Dead" trilogy. In fact, I only saw the new "Day" by mistake; I thought I was going to see Romero's new film "Diary of the Dead," and was kicking myself when the credits rolled. Since when have remakes been any good?