MOVIE REVIEW: DAY OF THE DEAD: BLOODLINE

Now available for streaming; Day of the Dead: Bloodline promised zombie fans a fresh new take on the 1985 zombie cult classic. And despite being billed as a modern “reimagining” rather than a simple remake, it still fails to live up to George A. Romero’s low-budget legacy.

I hate to admit it; but fans of the zombie genre generally lower their standards when it comes to film. We embrace stinkers like Zombie Lake or Oasis of the Zombies as classics while turning our nose up at big budget Hollywood blockbusters like World War Z. So it may seem unfair; but when someone decides co-opt the title of a Romero film… they better deliver!

Unfortunately, Day of the Dead: Bloodline doesn’t deliver. In fact, it just barely manages to rise above the other horrendous movies that previously cashed in on the franchise, including Day of the Dead 2: Contagium and the 2008 remake starring Ving Rhames and Mena Suvari.

But don’t take our word for it! Just check out the audience reviews at Rotten Tomatoes, the Internet Movie Database, or this depressing critique from the official Roger Ebert website:

I’m kind of a zombie movie nut, willing to watch even the most negligible title … And so when “Day of the Dead: Bloodline,” a promised retelling of one of Romero’s classic “Dead” films came across my radar, I thought, “That might be a fun way to start the new year.” It’s not.

Without delving into spoiler territory: We’re surprised that anyone thought replacing Bub with a creepy zombie prone to sexual assault was a good idea; but there you have it. And that’s just one of the many bad decisions that this “reimagining” chose to pursue. But look, we’ve got some nice things to say here. The zombies’ costumes are very realistic. That’s positive!

Okay, that last joke might only make sense to our fellow Ed Wood fans. But honestly, most of you zombie and Romero fans will want to watch this film regardless of its merits. I personally own every horrible remake, sequel, and “special edition” of his zombie movies myself… it’s like an addiction. So do us a favor and click right here to rent it via Amazon. At least you can support the Zombie Research Society if you’re going to subject yourselves to this awful film!