Survival of the Dead
| Survival of the Dead | |
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 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | George A. Romero |
| Produced by | Paula Devonshire |
| Written by | George A. Romero |
| Starring | Alan van Sprang Kenneth Welsh Kathleen Munroe Devon Bostick Richard Fitzpatrick Athena Karkanis Stefano Di Matteo Joris Jarsky Eric Woolfe Julian Richings Wayne Robson |
| Music by | Robert Carli |
| Cinematography | Adam Swica |
| Editing by | Michael Doherty |
| Studio | Artfire Films Romero-Grunwald Productions Devonshire Productions |
| Distributed by | E1 Entertainment (Canada) Magnet Releasing (United States) |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 85 min. |
| Country | United States Canada |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4,000,000 |
| Box office | $143,191 (Worldwide)[1] |
Survival of the Dead (also known as George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead) is a 2009 American horror film written and directed by George A. Romero and starring Alan van Sprang, Kenneth Welsh and Kathleen Munroe.[2] It is the sixth entry in Romero's Night of the Living Dead series. The story follows a group of AWOL National Guardsmen who briefly appeared in Diary of the Dead.[3] The film was first released on DVD in the UK on March 15, 2010,[4] followed by a video on demand release on April 30, 2010,[5] followed by a limited theatrical release on May 28, 2010.[6] The film was met with generally negative reviews and was a failure at the box office.
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Plot [edit]
The prologue follows the actions of former Colonel and current Sergeant "Nicotine" Crockett (Alan van Sprang), who, after his demotion, deserts his post with Kenny (Eric Woolfe), Francisco (Stefano Colacitti) and Tomboy (Athena Karkanis), and robs the protagonists of the previous film.
Meanwhile, off the coast of Delaware lies Plum Island, home to two feuding Irish families: the O'Flynns and the Muldoons. The former family, led by Patrick O'Flynn (Kenneth Welsh), rounds up a posse to kill the undead of the island, learning that the Muldoons, led by Seamus Muldoon (Richard Fitzpatrick), are keeping their undead loved ones "alive" until a cure is found. A brief standoff ends with the Muldoons exiling Patrick and several other O'Flynns, under the suggestion of Patrick's daughter Janet (Kathleen Munroe).
Thereafter the National Guard deserters find themselves joined by Boy (Devon Bostick), and through him learn of Plum Island and visit a nearby dock as instructed, where a gunfight occurs between the O'Flynns and Crockett's group. Francisco successfully commandeers a ferry, biting the finger off an attacking zombie in the process. All O'Flynns are killed by zombies except Patrick, who boards the ferry. En route to the island, Patrick reveals that he sent other strangers to Plum Island to anger Muldoon.
On the island, they discover that the Muldoons have chained their zombies in imitation of their previous lives, whereas the living sent by Patrick have been killed by the Muldoons. As Patrick attempts to gather allies, two scouting Muldoons attack the deserters, shooting Crockett and Kenny. The latter dies from his wounds, and is shot in the head by Patrick to prevent reanimation. Francisco asks to be shot by Tomboy to prevent his becoming a zombie, whereupon she complies and is captured by Muldoon.
It is now revealed that the Janet O'Flynn seen as a zombie was in fact her twin sister Jane, while the true Janet, with Crockett and Boy, joins the O'Flynns' attack on the Muldoons. A standoff occurs at the bridge of the river that separates the two families' land, and the O'Flynn group with Crockett are captured, while Boy and Janet are forced into escape. It is later revealed that Muldoon attempts to persuade the zombies to eat something other than human flesh, as by inducing Jane O'Flynn to consume a horse. When this fails and Jane bites Janet, the two parties shoot each other and almost all are consumed by zombies who were released from their corral during the confrontation.
Muldoon and O'Flynn create a truce immediately broken by Muldoon shooting O'Flynn, who pulls a hidden gun and kills Muldoon. Crockett and his group attempt to leave the island, whereupon Janet witnesses her sister bite the horse and rushes to tell Crockett's group the news, before being shot by her father to prevent her reanimation, moments before his death. Crockett, Boy, and Tomboy board the ferry and escape the island, whereupon the zombies are seen eating the horse. While Crockett reflects that "In an us-versus-them world, someone puts up a flag, another person tears it down and puts up his own. Pretty soon no one remembers what started the war in the first place and the fighting becomes all about those stupid flags", the reanimated O'Flynn and Muldoon come up on a hill together, attempting to shoot and kill one another once more, without realizing that their guns are empty.
Cast [edit]
- Alan van Sprang as Sarge "Nicotine" Crockett[7]
- Kenneth Welsh as Patrick O'Flynn[8]
- Kathleen Munroe as Janet O'Flynn[9] and Jane O'Flynn
- Devon Bostick as Boy[10]
- Richard Fitzpatrick as Seamus Muldoon[11]
- Athena Karkanis as Tomboy[8]
- Stefano Di Matteo as Francisco[12]
- Joris Jarsky as Chuck[13]
- Eric Woolfe as Kenny McDonald
- Julian Richings as James O'Flynn[14]
- Wayne Robson as Tawdry O'Flynn[14]
- Joshua Peace as D.J.
- George Stroumboulopoulos as Talk Show Host[14]
Actors Shawn Roberts, Scott Wentworth, Amy Lalonde, Michelle Morgan, and Joshua Close from Diary of the Dead appear in archival footage during the opening moments of the film.
Production [edit]
The film was independently produced, and distributed by Artfire Pictures. It had a budget of four million USD.[8] This is Romero's sixth 'Dead' film.[15] On July 21, 2009 it was announced the full title of the film is George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead.[16] Romero shot the film in Port Dover, Ontario and in Toronto, Ontario with an entirely Canadian cast and crew. Romero cited the tax incentives as a reason to shoot in Toronto.[17] The film was inspired by the 1958 released Western film The Big Country.[18]
Release [edit]
In September 2009 George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, Venice Film Festival (where it screened for the festival's top prize, the Golden Lion), Trinity of Terrors,[19] Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, and Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in Montreal, introduced by George A. Romero.[20] It is the sixth film in Romero's "Dead" series.[21] The film was released on DVD on March 15, 2010 in the United Kingdom.[22] In the United States it was released on April 30, 2010 for Video on Demand and was aired for one night only on HDNET Movies on May 26, 2010.[23] and a theatrical release on May 28.[24] The film headlined the Texas Frightmare Weekend, which took place from April 28 through May 1, 2010.[25] There was also a screening of "Survival of the Dead" at Madison Square Park, at a Zombie walk on May, 16, 2010.[26] George A. Romero attended the event, as well as a screening held for the first 300 participants.[27] The film was released on Blu-ray and DVD on 24 August 2010.[28]
Reception [edit]
Currently, Survival of the Dead has a "Rotten" rating of 29% on the website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 82 reviews.[29] And a 5/10 from 11,709 users on IMDb reviews.
Box office [edit]
Survival of the Dead was released to twenty theaters on May 28, 2010 to and opening weekend gross of $43,757, averaging $2,188 per theater. As of August 1, 2010, the film has taken $101,740 and $41,451 internationally, bringing the total gross to $143,191.[30]
Possible sequels [edit]
Director George A. Romero has plans to direct two more sequels to Survival of the Dead.[31] He has expressed his desire to film them back-to-back if his schedule will allow it.[32]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead (2010)". Box Office Mojo. 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
- ^ J.C. Maçek III (2012-06-15). "The Zombification Family Tree: Legacy of the Living Dead". PopMatters.
- ^ "Badass New One-Sheet: Survival of the Dead". DreadCentral.
- ^ Gingold, Michael (2010-01-25). "SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD release date news". Fangoria Magazine Newsblog. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
- ^ "Official One Sheet Debut for George A. Romero's 'Survival of the Dead'". BloodyDisgusting.
- ^ "Having Trouble Telling the Living From the Dead? The Survival of the Dead Zombie Identification Field Manual Can Help!". DreadCentral.
- ^ "Fantastic Fest 09: Romero Discusses the Future of the Dead". DreadCentral.
- ^ a b c "Full Cast and Plot Details For Romero's Next Zombie Adventure!". Bloody-Disgusting.com. 2008-10-03. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
- ^ "Three New Clips: George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead". DreadCentral.
- ^ "'Survival of the Dead' Official Red Band Trailer Debut!". BloodyDisgusting.
- ^ "Survival of the Dead UK Blu-ray Art". DreadCentral.
- ^ "Magnet Releases Survival of the Dead Red Band Trailer". DreadCentral.
- ^ "BD Review: A Second Opinion on 'Survival of the Dead'". BloodyDisgusting.
- ^ a b c "Full Cast For Romero's Next flim". imdb.com. 2008-10-03. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
- ^ "New Promo Trailer and Footage from Romero's 'Survival of the Dead'!". BloodyDisgusting.
- ^ George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead[dead link]
- ^ "Survival of the Dead: Uncle Creepy's Pictorial Diary of the Dead". DreadCentral.
- ^ "BD Sits Down With Zombie Maestro George A. Romero!". BloodyDisgusting.
- ^ "George A. Romero's SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD to screen at the TRINITY OF TERRORS!". Fangoria.
- ^ "AFM Wrap-Up! The Sights! The Sounds! The Scares!". DreadCentral.
- ^ "US Rights to Survival of the Dead Acquired by Magnet Releasing". DreadCentral.
- ^ "UK Readers Get 'Survival of the Dead' in March?". BloodyDisgusting.
- ^ "'Survival of the Dead' Release Plans Locked, Loaded and Firing!". BloodyDisgusting.
- ^ "Make a Date with Survival of the Dead". DreadCentral.
- ^ "Details on the Texas Frightmare Weekend Emerge!". DreadCentral.
- ^ "Make a Date With George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead DVD and Blu-ray". DreadCentral.
- ^ "George A. Romero Talks Survival of the Dead and More!". DreadCentral.
- ^ "DVD Art for George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead?". DreadCentral.
- ^ "Survival of the Dead Reviews - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
- ^ "Box Office Mojo, "Survival Of The Dead"". Boxofficemojo.com. 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
- ^ "Romero Has Two More Dead Films Planned".
- ^ "Romero Dreams of Back-To-Back Survival of the Dead Sequels". Time. May 12, 2010.
External links [edit]
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