Day of the Dead 2008 - What was right with it? Nothing.
Day of the Dead 2008 has acting that was atrocious, the writing was on a grade school level and the plot was non-existent. Miner and Reddick should be ashamed.
Written by The Zombie Master
April 21, 2008
Release: 2008
Directed by: Steve Miner
Written by: Jeffrey Reddick
Starring:
Mena Suvari as Sara Bowman
Michael Welch as Trevor Bowman
AnnaLynn McCord as Nina
Ving Rhames as Captain Rhodes
Matt Rippy as Dr. Logan
One would think that Steve Miner, the director of Friday the 13th Parts 2 & 3, and Halloween H20 to name a few, and Jeffrey Reddick, the writer of the Final Destination series would have made a great team in the realm of horror films. One would think that these two, with their history in the horror genre, would have the good grace to respect the work of one of the icons of the genre. One would be very, very wrong.
The “re-imagining” of Day of the Dead, Day of the Dead 2008, shows a military quarantine taking effect in a small Colorado town. Seems there is a virus going around that has reached epidemic levels. The people affected have flu like symptoms and a tell-tale nose bleed. Everyone is taking their ill loved ones to the Army hospital when all of a sudden all of the sick 
people go stiff with a dead-pan stare, their eyes go cloudy, their skin deteriorates, and they instantly become “flesh-eating zombies”, and I use the term loosely, that can not only run fast but can leap tall buildings with a single bound and walk on walls and ceilings. I couldn’t make this up if I tried.
I have been waiting for a couple of days to write this review because I wanted to calm down so I didn’t write something that I might regret later but as I force myself to recall Day of the Dead 2008, I become more enraged by the minute. It pains me even to call it by its name. The last time I was this irate at a film was when John Russo added 15 minutes of footage to Night of the Living Dead for its 30th anniversary. That was sacrilege. This is just a seemingly blatant disrespect for a complete sub-genre and the creator of that sub-genre.
I hear you asking the question, “Zombie Master, what was so wrong with the “re-imagining”?” The shorter list would be what was right with it and I would have to emphatically proclaim “nothing.” Nothing was right. From beginning to end, the new version of Day of the Dead sucked. The acting was atrocious, the writing was on a grade school level, and the plot was non-existent. I did not see one zombie in an hour and a half. I did however see a lot of people who acted as if they had rabies.
How about this? For all of you would be film makers out there who are longing to tackle the daunting task of remaking a classic horror film, let me give you some advice. First, don’t do it. With but a few instances, it only leads to a lot of pissed off fans of the original. Second, if you insist on continuing with your plans, at least watch the original so you have some inkling of what the story line actually is. Make sure you actually know what a zombie is before you try to make a zombie film.
Mr. Miner and Mr. Reddick, I respect you both for the work that you have previously done in your careers but you should be truly and utterly ashamed of yourselves for allowing this total piece of filth to be released. I sincerely hope that it was nothing more than a momentary lapse of reason on your part but it will be a long time before I can bring myself to forgive you for the atrocity that you have committed.
Please people, if you value your sanity, stay as far away from Day of the Dead 2008 as you possibly can. I cannot warn you enough. Questions or comments about Day of the Dead 2008? Contact us!
Read The Zombie Master's review of the original Day of the Dead.
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