Dreaded Days of the Dead

[cinda]

I was a major fan of Dawn of the Dead 04. I thought the running zombies was an excellent new concept and I looked forward to and hoped there would be a Dawn of the Dead 2. When I heard of Day of the Dead I was originally overwhelmed. But now that I see Ving Rhames being casted as Captain Rhodes, it has filled me with despair for this movie.

First off, this is not a direct sequel to Dawn 04. This is like Zombie 2 and 3 by Fulci and Zombie 4 by Fragasso. Same name, no relation, different rules (what rules?) nothing! And I wouldn't be turned off by the fact that it's not a direct sequel. What turns me off is that this film is being done by the same company that released Day of the Dead 2, an effete piece of **** indie film that Ancher Bay deliberately tried to deceive the fans into believing it was a relation to Day by using the name, font and design of the original when it has no ties to the story or to its director and made no attempts to at least TRY and pay homeage. Where is the morale in that? Where is the respect?

Day of the Dead is going to have Ving Rhames in it "to try and connect the two films." Judging by past discretion does that mean that Rhames' appearance is going to be the only connection because of his face? To dupe people into believing it's a direct sequel? I loved Rhames character and his role in Dawn. But for the love of christ if he's not going to play the same character then he shouldn't be in it at all. I could understand a Bub kind of character, it would be a let down for me but I could understand that.

Fact of the matter is that I am skeptical when this project involves Robert Franklin Dudelson and James Glenn Dudelson, two guys who ****ed all over Day by making that sequel. It's seems reason to suspect all they care about is capitalizing on a name or image without caring who they dupe, deceive or disrespect.

I'm going to hope, but it is probably futile, that Ving Rhames will be playing a captain rhodes character, not exactly captain rhodes the sequel. That is one thing the news isn't clear on. Reason why this may be a possibility is that Nick Cannon (black) cannot play a character named Miguel Salazar (unless the Dudelson's totally have no respect for common sense and realism).

If I had my way, it would follow the original Day, have Rings (character from Dawn) in charge of the group a la Rhodes but not exactly the central focus. The zombies need to run, and continue on with the story. Whether Anchor (Ankle Grip) Bay wants to acknowledge this fact or not, Dawn 04 came out and people who are not hardcore fans would expect to see the same rules apply, same actor-same character, same rules-running. Instead if this mess this up it is going to fall into the cesspool is confusion that has come to spawn 3 NOTLDs, 2 DawnOTDs, 2 DayOTDs, and one unrelated sequel.

A Day of the Dead remake by Anchor (Ankle Grip) Bay? They already duped us with a horrible sequel, if they dupe us again with a horrible remake the company should be audited, the bulding burned, the creators of this film taken out and shot, the Dudelson's horrible tortured in a Hostel-style demise. A message needs to be sent to Hollywood and filmmakers, respect fast films! Don't try and capitalize on originals solely for profit! That's why I loved Dawn 04, lax story, not exactly an epic, but they tried! New story, new characters, new imaging, new rules! That's what I call a remake! A damn good one! I hope and prey Day of the Dead will follow in its footsteps but I fear my prayers will be answered similar to the many souls that perished on the Titanic following their prayers in the final hours.

[Griff]

Thanks for sharing but I don't exactly share your sentiments.

DAY is a remake of DAY, not a sequel to DAWN04, just as DAWN04 was not a sequel to the remake of NIGHT. The rights for each movie are held by different parties and, conceivably, if the DAY remake followed the DAWN remake too closely, it could be accused of plagiarism.

Mind you, that didn't stop the DAWN remake from being the MC Poach-A-Lot sample re-mix of zombie (and infected) movies.

Yeah, its cheeky that they're casting Ving Rhames in what seems to be an underhanded attempt to connect the two films but personally I feel as though we got f*cked over big time with DAWN04 so should the DAY remake have dubious intentions, it comes as no surprise to me.

If DAWN04 can be praised for completely eschewing the mythology laid out by Romero then, similarly, the DAY remake should be entitled to do whatever the hell it wants, including introducing the much-touted and highly anticipated flying zombies as an excellent new concept in cinematic terror.

That the film is attracting some B-list talent (as opposed to Z-list) suggests that the creative control has been taken away from the boobs who made CONTAGIUM (which will be what, now? Still a prequel to the original or a predecessor to the remake?) and given to someone with a slightly better idea of how not to bore the pants off of even the most undemanding of audiences.

[DjfunkmasterG]

Actually don't blame Anchor Bay for the title on Day 2. That was all Taurus Entertainment and some dumbass with Adobe Photoshop.

[AcesandEights]

I'm still pretty hopeful. I see Day as the weakest of the original trilogy and, Howard Sherman aside, there's a lot of room for improvement on the acting.

The three primary pitfalls that the new Day can fall into are:

1) Bad FX: Zombie and gore efects were the major strong point of the original Day. While I don't expect the new Day to be as good, or as gory, as the original, I do hope they put out enough gore and keep the quality of the make up and effects up to at least appease people.

2) Lack of Dread & Tension: Even the bad acting and over the top performances of the GIs and Rhodes actually managed to lend the original Day a sesne of frenetic, chaos. I know I felt like I was on a runaway train the first time I watched the film and started identifying with the last few reasonable survivors in the bunker. A feeling of helpless, dread and overwhelming tension is well-cultivated in Day, so this is another area of potential downfall for the remake. Somehow, I feel if the acting is at all sub par, then we will not be reaping a brilliant windfall of tension and miasma, as we did in the original Day. Instead, we could be rolling our eyes.

3) Bub: If the makers mishandle the original idea of Bub they will let a lot of people down. If they go in a different direction from Bub that isn't well thought out they will let a lot of people down. If they try the same old hat with a different actor, they will let a lot of people down. It's a hard situation for the film makers and, as with anything involving a fanbase, and fanboys in particular, they will be ****ing people off no matter what.

Meh. I'm still hopeful. Several aspects of Day can be improved upon, so I guess we'll see.

[Svengoolie]

Personally, I think that if this one has runners, and the film as a whole does as well as Dawn '04...then that's probably the last we'll see of shamblers for a while.

[coma]

Reason why this may be a possibility is that Nick Cannon (black) cannot play a character named Miguel Salazar (unless the Dudelson's totally have no respect for common sense and realism).


Maybe you have never heard of Dominicans. Many are African descent with Spanish names, speak spanish etc.
Look at any Baseball team. There are Lots. Like half the Mets.
this is in no way meant to excuse the doodle d*cks



If DAWN04 can be praised for completely eschewing the mythology laid out by Romero then, similarly, the DAY remake should be entitled to do whatever the hell it wants, including introducing the much-touted and highly anticipated flying zombies as an excellent new concept in cinematic terror.

Yeah, Flying Zombies!
ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
You will believe a messed up corpse can fly
"they're dead, there all messed up and flying around like superman"

"shoot em in the head"
"I can't he flew away"
AWESOME

Btw, MY feelings on 04 are the exact opposite of cinda's.

[Skydog]

You know, we were never given the last names of any of the characters from Dawn '04. What if Kenneth's (Rhames character) last name was Rhodes? And while Ken thought his brother (twin maybe?) was still at Ft. Pastuer, he had actually been tapped for the 'mission' in the Day remake? I know it's cheesy, but it could connect the two movies without being 'a oh ving is in the movie rip off' and still explain why the two characters look the same.

That said, I liked Dawn '04. No it's not as good as Dawn '78 but it's still a fun zombie movie. Personally I'll reserve judgement on the Day remake until I see more of it.

[bassman]

You know, we were never given the last names of any of the characters from Dawn '04. What if Kenneth's (Rhames character) last name was Rhodes?.

Nice idea and all....but he was wearing a police uniform throughout most of the film. Just look at his name plate. I'm sure it's visable at some point.

[radiokill]

if Rhames is in there without a connection to Dawn 04, it will increase the suckiness of this movie exponentially:|

[garjo]

I have been in love with GR and I love all the movies. The first Horror/Zombie movie I sat through and loved was Day. I have probably seen it over 100 times since I was a kid. I made all my friends watch it, girlfriends, now ex-wife, my kids and even people I didn't like. This movie even promted me to join the EMS squad in my town. To do so you first had to become an interior fire fighter for the public safety center. I pushed and strived to do so. I put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears just to get first hand gore. I ran with the ambulance for 10 yrs. I've seen it all and been covered in everything from blood to brains to body parts. I must have been under a rock because I am now just hearing about a remake. WTF!!!!! If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Has anyone remade, the Sistine Chapel, the Mona Lisa, the statue of David or last but not least...the Leaning Tower of pisa (and it is broken)? Why have these things been left alone? Because you can't mess with perfection. If anyone is listening to this, I am begging you...I'm even on my knees. Stop now while there still is time. Please don't ruin a huge part of my growing up as well as millions of others.

[radiokill]

dude, you're supposed to work in emergency response to help people; you're not supposed to work in that field because you want to get off on their bloody demise.

Fictitious movie gore = Cool
People Dying = Not Cool

What the hell is wrong you?:barf: :barf: :barf: :barf:

[AcesandEights]

WTF!!!!! If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Has anyone remade, the Sistine Chapel, the Mona Lisa, the statue of David or last but not least...the Leaning Tower of pisa (and it is broken)? Why have these things been left alone? Because you can't mess with perfection.

Interesting point, though all the things you mentioned have had an immense impact on Western culture, AND have been copied, paid homage to and, yes, even reinterpreted in many respects, usually in the form of pop art. If Dawn of the Dead is truly so great that it honestly deserves comparison to the above mentioned hallmarks of Western civilization, then surely it could stand up to being compared to derivtaive works.

Also, it sounds like you're throwing a hissy fit :evil:

PS--Welcome to the boards :D

[radiokill]

Interesting point, though all the things you mentioned have had an immense impact on Western culture, AND have been copied, paid homage to and, yes, even reinterpreted in many respects, usually in the form of pop art. If Dawn of the Dead is truly so great that it honestly deserves comparison to the above mentioned hallmarks of Western civilization, then surely it could stand up to being compared to derivtaive works.

Also, it sounds like you're throwing a hissy fit :evil:

PS--Welcome to the boards :D

my thoughts exactly

[Deadman_Deluxe]

I was a major fan of Dawn of the Dead 04. I thought the running zombies was an excellent new concept


Sorry, but i stopped reading at that point ... have a nice life etc etc

[DjfunkmasterG]

Does anyone have any hope for DAY 2007?

[AcesandEights]

I do, but it's only slightly pessimistic hope, though that makes me Mr. Light-at-the-End-of -the-Tunnel Optimist around here. I've always seen Day as the weakest of the original trilogy, so it doesn't bother me in the least that it's going to be remade.

Again, I understand why diehards will hate on it, and want to hate it, but if it's a decent zombie movie (of which there have been few that I've seen) I'll be happy. All the histrionics are kind of fun to watch, but people just dropping in this board to drop some hate on hollywood ruining their childhood memories and how the price of sugar has gone up since they were a kid and all the other angsty garbage is why this board will probably be more trouble than it's worth; very few people will reply to anything on this board in a positive manner.

See how negative I just was? And I wasn't even trying :p Oh, well :D

[garjo]

I agree with you. I loved the fact that I was helping people, so don't get me wrong. I worked very hard and put in tons of time and brain power. I had grand dreams of going to school to become the next to the greatest special effects guru. Tom of course being the greatest. I thought why not get a first hand look at the real deal. If you remember Tom Savini was a photographer for the military taking pictures of the some of the worst bloodiest things that we couldn't even imagine. He took all of these horrible images and used them to shock and entertain us. I was only trying to do the same. To re-create a broken arm why not see what one really looked like first. To make a perfect scene where someone blows their head off, then why not walk into a room where someone really did. It was all research as a second priority. Helping those who needed it was first. Don't judge to quickly.

[radiokill]

I agree with you. I loved the fact that I was helping people, so don't get me wrong. I worked very hard and put in tons of time and brain power. I had grand dreams of going to school to become the next to the greatest special effects guru. Tom of course being the greatest. I thought why not get a first hand look at the real deal. If you remember Tom Savini was a photographer for the military taking pictures of the some of the worst bloodiest things that we couldn't even imagine. He took all of these horrible images and used them to shock and entertain us. I was only trying to do the same. To re-create a broken arm why not see what one really looked like first. To make a perfect scene where someone blows their head off, then why not walk into a room where someone really did. It was all research as a second priority. Helping those who needed it was first. Don't judge to quickly.
that's cool. however, watch the way you word things! Read your initial post minding the fact that you omitted the revelation of dream job. It sounds pretty demented!:D

[garjo]

[QUOTE=

Also, it sounds like you're throwing a hissy fit :evil:

[/QUOTE]
I am throwing a hissy fit. I was talking about Day though. I know that your points are still the same. Thanks for the welcome

[SteveIPRN]

Night 3D sounds like it is going to suck badly. GAR isn't involved and they are ripping him off since its in the public domain. Lets give credit where credit is due but some cash would be nice, I'm sure. He's got to be one of the most copied guys in the business and we owe him more. A lot more

DayOTD2. I have mixed feelings about it. Hopefully he will get to follow his original script and do it his way this time. I read they were going to film in Bulgaria? Whats that all about.

Who is doing the effects?

For the record, I will go see it in the theater and buy it once it comes out on DVD.

Dawn2 was, I thought, good. The running zombies were a bit of a stretch but it worked for that film.

[dmbfanintn]

Dawn2 was, I thought, good. .

For the love of Jah, please don't call it "Dawn 2", please!

[AcesandEights]

For the love of Jah, please don't call it "Dawn 2", please!

That is pretty funny.

[Brubaker]

What gets lost in this is that the people putting together these remakes are fans of Romero's zombie movies, same as everybody posting here. Regardless of how well some of these movies turn out, the people behind them more than likely enjoyed the originals.

[bassman]

What gets lost in this is that the people putting together these remakes are fans of Romero's zombie movies, same as everybody posting here. Regardless of how well some of these movies turn out, the people behind them more than likely enjoyed the originals.

Umm....I guess you didn't see Hack Snyder's "Dawn of the Dead"?


He's clearly not a fan. He was probably just hired straight off of a car commercial with no prior knowledge of Romero's films or what they're about. Just like the Scooby Doo guy....

[radiokill]

I enjoyed Dawn 04, but you could definitely tell Snyder was not a Romero fan

[Brubaker]

Umm....I guess you didn't see Hack Snyder's "Dawn of the Dead"?


He's clearly not a fan. He was probably just hired straight off of a car commercial with no prior knowledge of Romero's films or what they're about. Just like the Scooby Doo guy....

Umm....I saw it. So I guess you got off on the wrong foot.

Just because you don't like the movie doesn't mean Snyder wasn't a fan of Romero's work or of zombie movies in general. How do you know if he was or not? Saying you can tell just by watching it is laughable.

How about some hard evidence, like an interview or quote, saying he wasn't a fan of the original version? How about actually asking him? I read a thread or two on this board where at least one or two users talk about having met Zack Snyder. Nobody bothered to ask him? Just because he gave interviews saying he wanted to reinterpret the movie or update it doesn't mean he wasn't a fan of the first movie.

Was he supposed to create a movie that looked like it had been shot back in the 1970's, complete with the same dialogue that you were allowed to get away with in a horror/suspense movie back then?

You should consider yourself lucky he didn't do a word-for-word remake of the original Dawn, like we saw with Psycho several years back. As uptight as you are about preserving the original movie, which is funny since you aren't GAR, would you rather have random actors giving inferior performances of Peter, Roger or Flyboy complete with the very same script and course of events? That would have been a much bigger insult than the remake we ended up getting.

I am assuming he was a fan of the original unless I hear otherwise.

[bassman]

Umm....I saw it. So I guess you got off on the wrong foot.

Just because you don't like the movie doesn't mean Snyder wasn't a fan of Romero's work or of zombie movies in general. How do you know if he was or not? Saying you can tell just by watching it is laughable.

How about some hard evidence, like an interview or quote, saying he wasn't a fan of the original version? How about actually asking him? I read a thread or two on this board where at least one or two users talk about having met Zack Snyder. Nobody bothered to ask him? Just because he gave interviews saying he wanted to reinterpret the movie or update it doesn't mean he wasn't a fan of the first movie.

Was he supposed to create a movie that looked like it had been shot back in the 1970's, complete with the same dialogue that you were allowed to get away with in a horror/suspense movie back then?

You should consider yourself lucky he didn't do a word-for-word remake of the original Dawn, like we saw with Psycho several years back. As uptight as you are about preserving the original movie, which is funny since you aren't GAR, would you rather have random actors giving inferior performances of Peter, Roger or Flyboy complete with the very same script and course of events? That would have been a much bigger insult than the remake we ended up getting.

I am assuming he was a fan of the original unless I hear otherwise.

Touched a nerve, did we? You misunderstood me, twinkletoes.

I wasn't saying that it should have exactly followed Romero's original. I wasn't saying that at all. I'm simply saying that he missed everything within Romero's original. The commentary, the suspense, the REAL horror - to name a few. He missed it all. Making me believe that he may have seen the original "Dawn".....but didn't understand it.

About the only thing that he brought from the original "Dawn" into his film is the mall. That's it. And that along with the zombies, my friend....are the least important aspects of Romero's classic.

[Brubaker]

Touched a nerve, did we? You misunderstood me, twinkletoes.

I wasn't saying that it should have exactly followed Romero's original. I wasn't saying that at all. I'm simply saying that he missed everything within Romero's original. The commentary, the suspense, the REAL horror - to name a few. He missed it all. Making me believe that he may have seen the original "Dawn".....but didn't understand it.

About the only thing that he brought from the original "Dawn" into his film is the mall. That's it. And that along with the zombies, my friend....are the least important aspects of Romero's classic.

I wouldn't say he didn't understand it. Snyder simply saw it differently. He seemed to think the movie centered around the zombies. He could very well have "gotten" a lot of the commentary but chose to ignore it. Not every director feels the need to send a message.

From what I read, he was really into the zombies:

1.

http://www.ugo.com/channels/dvd/features/zombieweek/zacksnyder_1.asp

This line says it all.......

"ZACK: I like zombies, so when I got the script I decided to do it. I had a feeling that the genre was ready to blow up again."

or


2.


http://movies.about.com/cs/dawnofthedead/a/dawnzw031004.htm

INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR ZACK SNYDER:

Q: Why did you choose to make “Dawn of the Dead” your first feature film?

A (ZACK): I think “Dawn of the Dead” as a project is inherently cool. Zombies are inherently cool. There’s nothing you can do to get away from that. People have gravitated toward zombies for a variety of reasons and for me, it is mostly [because] you can kill them with impunity. There’s no moral imperative. Like you’re watching it and go, “Hey, you killed too many zombies in that movie! You know, that’s crazy!” No one is going to be morally outraged. So there’s that, which I think is great. But also beyond that, they present like an anonymous enemy that doesn’t rely on politics or skin color to make you think, “Oh, that’s the bad guy.” They are clearly that – and they are everyone. I think that’s one of the reasons [to do this film].


I don't know. I just prefer to give the guy (Snyder) the benefit of the doubt for three reasons:

1. He was excited about the project.

2. How many directors, particularly a first-timer, are going to turn down the opportunity to remake/revamp an all time classic? Why would anyone blame him for taking the job in the beginning? It's a great opportunity for any director, especially knowing that their movie would get a good push in theaters and eventually a dvd release. You can't say it hurt his career except in the eyes of the people who post here that didn't like the movie.

3. I see his finished product not as good or bad but different. Different like the Jurassic Park movie sequel, The Lost World, which had virtually nothing to do with the book version (by Crichton) of the same title. There were wholesale changes that seemed to deny both of Crichton's books. It was strange when you consider the first Jurassic Park movie at least resembled the initial book a little bit. However, I managed to enjoy both the book and movie of The Lost World, to some extent.

[bassman]

I wouldn't say he didn't understand it. Snyder simply saw it differently. He seemed to think the movie centered around the zombies. He could very well have "gotten" a lot of the commentary but chose to ignore it. Not every director feels the need to send a message.


That's what I meant. He chose to ignore it. And in doing so(to me, mind you) he made a pointless, cheap scares, teenager sleepover flick. To me, ignoring the purpose of a film and it's potential to have a significant meaning on the viewer is just bad film making.

That's my opinion mind you. Like I said before, I know people like it. To me, it's just a bad film(except for certain occasions). Regardless of the way the zombies move, Romero's mythology, etc.

[CivilDefense]

Just to stick in my two cents, its not day of the dead 2, as that already exists (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0411269/) and trust me, that movie was, worse than being eaten by a zombie Sandra Bernhard.

Eh, its a movie with zombies, I will see if it sucks or not, I fully support zombie edutainment.

[Maitreya]

About the only thing that he brought from the original "Dawn" into his film is the mall. That's it. And that along with the zombies, my friend....are the least important aspects of Romero's classic.

Oh ho... Is that so Bassman? Is it? That's it! I suggest Dawn of the Dead be remade without a mall OR zombies! Keep the social commentary and everything! No mall, no zombies, no world crisis. Only pure social commentary on consumerism!

Yes... I can see it now.


Just to stick in my two cents, its not day of the dead 2, as that already exists and trust me, that movie was, worse

Yes... We *sigh* unfortunately know and have all experienced the pain of it.

Welcome to the forums by the way.

[bassman]

Oh ho... Is that so Bassman? Is it? That's it! I suggest Dawn of the Dead be remade without a mall OR zombies! Keep the social commentary and everything! No mall, no zombies, no world crisis. Only pure social commentary on consumerism!

Yes... I can see it now.



You notice how I said "to me" in that post about two or three times.....my opinion. Although, I do know that I'm not alone with that thought.

You're right, the dead and the mall would be somewhat of an important thing if you're wanting to make a tribute/remake of Dawn of the Dead. But the thing that makes Romero's dead films stand out from all the countless imitations is that there is meaning behind them. More that just blood and guts.

Underlying social commentary, my friend.

This aspect seemed to be totally ignored by Gunn and Snyder. And to many people, myself included, this is one of the strongest points of Romero's films. This is also one of the reasons I don't like Dawn04. Aside from that, I think it's a poor excuse for a thriller/horror. Just a bunch of MTV generation BS.

Sometimes I wonder if Gunn and Snyder actually watched the original film at all.:rockbrow:

[Danny]

Underlying social commentary, my friend.

This aspect seemed to be totally ignored by Gunn and Snyder. And to many people, myself included, this is one of the strongest points of Romero's films. This is also one of the reasons I don't like Dawn04. Aside from that, I think it's a poor excuse for a thriller/horror. Just a bunch of MTV generation BS.




damn straight, i was half expecting that **** russel grant to turn up as a camp zombie with a sports car:lol:

[ssbib]

Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing this remake of Day. I think what everyone has to remember when watchin ANY remake of ANY Romero movie is that it stands alone. In theory, none of the Romero movies are direct sequels either, they are just set in the same Universe. Hopefully Day will be worth watching. as for Contagium...I never saw it, what was it like?

[Brubaker]

Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing this remake of Day. I think what everyone has to remember when watchin ANY remake of ANY Romero movie is that it stands alone. In theory, none of the Romero movies are direct sequels either, they are just set in the same Universe. Hopefully Day will be worth watching. as for Contagium...I never saw it, what was it like?

I've been here maybe 5 weeks and have yet to see anyone here admitting they like Contagium. I don't think it has its own post but people always make reference to how much it sucks when they stray slightly off-topic in various threads which you can find all over these forums.

[jim102016]

Contagium is an awful movie, I don't think anyone will really admit to liking it. Hell, I doubt anyone out there likes it. I picked up the DVD somewhere for a few bucks a few years ago, took it home, screamed at the tv, then stomped the DVD into pieces. Fans of GAR like myself are outraged that such a sh*tty and inferior product was put forward and has "Day of the Dead" on its label. Romero got screwed in the first place with his original script/budget so this is adding insult to injury.

I'd be shocked if anyone came forward on here and admitted (in all seriousness) that they liked Contagium. It is absolutely the worst movie I've ever seen, dead or non-dead themed. The guys who put it together should be taken out and beat like Rodney King.

[NHT Dead]

I agree with Ace's fear that the feeling of dread and hopelessness will not be in the movie. Although the original Day could have been improved on, I think it did a good job of setting a hopeless, pointless existence type of mood throughout the whole movie.