George Romero's third "living dead" shocker is the most explicit and bloody yet! As the last camp of human survivors fight among themselves in an underground military base, the zombies begin to develop a rudimentary intelligence as they prepare for a final assault. Richard Liberty, Lori Cardille and Terry Alexander star. 102 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby DTS; audio commentary; "making of" documentary; featurette; interviews; photo gallery; poster gallery; biography; theatrical trailers; TV spots; DVD-ROM content; scene access; more. Two-disc set.

Chapter three of George Romero's mighty zombie trilogy has big footsteps to follow. Night of the Living Dead was a classic that revitalized a certain corner of the cinema, and Dawn of the Dead was nothing short of epic. Day of the Dead, however, has always been regarded as a comedown compared to those twin peaks--and perhaps it is. But on its own terms, this is an awfully effective horror movie, made with Romero's customary social satire and cinematic vigor--when a "retrained" zombie responds to the "Ode to Joy," the film is in genuinely haunting territory. The story is set inside a sunken military complex, where Army and medical staff, supposedly working on a solution to the zombie problem, are going crazy (strongly foreshadowing the final act of 28 Days Later). Tom Savini's makeup effects could make even hardcore gore fans tear off their own heads in amazement. --Robert Horton