DVD Corner

Survival Of The Dead 2-Disc DVD Review

With “Survival Of The Dead,” George Romero once again proves that nobody does zombie films better.

Grades:

Content: B+

Picture: B+

Audio: A-

Extras: A-

The story: Wanting to get away from the zombie apocalypse, a group of National Guard deserters (along with a teen boy who joins up with them) head towards a nearby island that is supposedly zombie and problem free. Of course, they soon learn the island is anything but problem free as there is an ongoing feud between two families (the O’Flynns and the Muldoons) over how to treat the undead. The O’Flynns think the dead should stay dead while the Muldoons keep the dead alive with the hope of not only finding a cure, but finding a way for them to learn to eat something besides human flesh. Naturally, these opposing viewpoints cause all hell to break loose.

For some reason, many filmgoers and critics did not care for “Survival Of The Dead,” but for the life of me, I can’t understand why. Maybe I’m just a Romero zombie film apologist, but I absolutely had a blast with ‘Survival.’ As usual, Romero has created a uniquely original zombie tale filled with the usual bloody zombie killing mayhem, likeable characters (namely Boy and Tomboy) and more thought provoking themes. In ‘Survival,’ Romero really tackles themes of family, zombie evolution, communication, anger, stubbornness, viewpoints, and the dark side of humanity in general. I was also happily surprised to see that Romero finally addressed alternate food sources for zombies! Why this has never been explored in a film before is beyond me.

On the subject of Romero, I have to say that I was really impressed with his directorial work here (along with cinematographer Adam Swica). This is arguably Romero’s best looking film to date as the island cinematography is flat out gorgeous here. The elaborate set pieces (namely the ferry boat sequence) were also supremely well done especially considering the low budget Romero had to work with.

Summary: “Survival Of The Dead” gets my highest recommendation. Buy it.

Video/Audio:

The 2.35:1 widescreen picture quality is superb on this DVD although I imagine the Blu-ray release is even better. The only downside is that the shortcomings of the CGI are even more apparent here.  

From the zombie moans to the gunfire, the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track sounds clear from start to finish.

Extras:
* A short film featuring the Sarge character talking to the camera.
* 13 “A Minute Of Your Time” shorts featuring behind-the-scenes location/set footage, segments about practical fx, interviews with the cast about casting, characters, zombies, footage from a film festival and a zombie walk, a message from Romero to the people of the Stiges festival, and an interview with George Romero.
* A comparison between storyboards and the actual finished scene.
* “How To Create Your Own Zombie Bite”- A segment from Indy Mogul about making a zombie bite for under 20 bucks.
* “Walking After Midnight”- A lively making of documentary by Michael Felsher that guides viewers through the making of “Survival Of The Dead.” This comprehensive 76 minute docu contains everything from a Romero puppet, set footage, cast/crew interviews, horse riding, Felsher’s experience in being a zombie for the film, the film’s premiere at the Venice and Toronto film festivals, etc. I especially liked hearing Romero’s views on the themes and characters in ‘Survival.’ This is easily one of the best extras I’ve seen in awhile.
* Trailers for “The Walking Dead,” “Rubber,” “Centurion,” “The Oxford Murders,” “HDNet.”
* An amusing intro from George Romero.

* “HDNET: A Look At Survival Of The Dead”- A featurette that basically sells the film.

* “Time With George”- An interview with Romero talking about the Dead franchise, practical and cgi f/x, the Sarge character, etc.

* Commentary by George Romero, Peter Grunwald, Michael Doherty, Kenneth Welsh and Matt Birman. There’s a lot of chatter here that tends to sidetracks the conversations. Personally, I would suggest watching the making of docu instead if you want in-depth behind-the-scenes info.

September 5, 2010 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | George A. Romero, Survival Of The Dead DVD Review