Unpacking and admiring all the goodies was the first step; and the amount, and quality of all the extras and the packaging, almost made me forget that there was a couple of discs in there too somewhere... !
The Blu:
Watching this for the first time in a long while (and for the first time in HD) was certainly an enjoyable and engaging experience. Even from Day's opening scenes, you can pick up subtle improvements whether it be the crispness of the brand new DTS HD Master audio track, or a richer, deeper, colour palette, which certainly shows what many consider to be Romero's underrated zombie masterpiece in all its gory glory.
I first saw Day when I was about ten years old, and have to admit that I didn't think much of it back then, or even after a few repeat viewings when I was a bit older. It was only a couple of years ago, really when I began to appreciate it a lot more, and the dystopian claustrophobia that the movie resonates from every pore.
There is a lot to like about Day, really. Pilato is on top form, as the screaming fascist Rhodes, which is perfectly counter-balanced by Cardille's portrayal of the strong but caring heroine Sarah. For me, this film mirrors very well some of the intense dynamic in Romero's Night of the Living Dead that is brought on by the desperation of the characters. Whilst Dawn was more light-hearted in its approach to confinement, Day is a stark grisly contrast, in which you are plunged into the undead epidemic a long time (weeks/months/years) after its inception. You then realise, even from those initial scenes of deserted streets littered with debris and corpses (along with the legendary trademark: 'THE DEAD WALK' headline with the corresponding synth-like drone courtesy of John Harrison's extremely fitting score), and the eventual surge of shambling zombies (including that '80s zombie icon Dr Tongue) onto said streets that humankind are no longer in the majority...
This horde of the undead are only the prelude, as confinement is key to Day's mechanic, in the form of an underground, sealed concrete military bunker. It is here that the emotions of the characters fester, tempers are lost, and the hopes are dashed. It is also here though, that we meet Bub, pet project of Dr 'Frankenstein' Logan who has been issued the task of working with the military in order to find some kind of 'cure' for the undead epidemic. However, no matter how throw-away his 'Frankenstein' nickname (given to him by the bile spitting trigger happy Rhodes) may be, there is certainly an amount of truth to it. He conducts his macabre and never-ending experiments on cadavers (whether civilian or military...) mainly alone, and one would surmise in secret, judging from various shocked reactions to his practices amongst the other scientific staff. However, the inclusion of Bub not only balances out the despair and conflict, but also aids to evolve Romero's undead odyssey into its next phase: zombies who in fact can learn, imitate, and emote.
The various sides and emotional states the ensemble cast of characters exhibit however, certainly make 'Day' one of the darkest entries of the saga, and whilst I still feel it is the weaker of Romero's Dead Trilogy, the sensible casting; especially of Pilato and Cardille, the dark, gloominess of the writing by Romero, and the extremely well executed and constructed make-up effects by Savini and his team all gel together to make one hell of a package.
The Blu-Ray experience of this film only heightens these points, as every scream, gunshot, and mouthful of intestine assaults your senses.
Specifications:
Video: 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 / Dolby Digital 2-Channel Stereo
Region 0 PAL Blu-Ray/DVD combo
The Extras:
As for the extras this blows the R1 Divimax version out of the water. Even though the Romero commentary track is absent, (which will mean justification by collectors to own both versions) there are a cascade of features; most of which are unique to the Arrow version. These can be found as a complete list here, but a quick summary as to what my personal favourites are: Day of the Dead: Desertion comic (see below for more details of this phenomenal extra), 'For Every Dawn There Is A Day' booklet by Calum Waddell (one of the main 'culprits' in getting this release to happen in the way it has!), which is very well written and full of fun and insightful info. Waddell is also responsible for the UK only exclusive 'Joe of the Dead' - an interview with Pilato as an extra on the Blu-Ray disc, which is ishot in HD ands an essential watch for fans of the man himself.
The Comic:
A part of the extras, yes; but due to the exclusivity of such an item and the obvious hard work and imagination that has gone into making it, I thought I'd separate Day of the Dead: Desertion out from the other extras. Penned by Stefan Hutchinson and Barry Keating and illustrated by Jeff Zornow, the comic is the icing to this release's filling and luxurious cake. The artwork and dialogue are true to the setting and reflect the edgy mood of the film perfectly, plus (and without giving too much away), the story provides a nice prologue, which leads up nicely to the introduction of Day's favourite and best-known resident zombie: Bub (well, perhaps except for Dr Tongue of course...!).
Having not watched through all of the extras yet (although some I have seen before), I still think it is safe to say that Arrow's package is pretty much the definitive article as far as this film is concerned.
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Rating: Film = 9/10 Package = 10/10
