DAY OF THE DEAD
Romero’s spinning in his grave
UK Sky Sci-fi, Mondays/ streaming on NOW
US Syfy, finished airing
Showrunners Jed Elinoff,
Scott Thomas
Cast Miranda Frigon, Dejan Loyola, Natalie Malaika, Keenan Tracey
In the seventh episode of Syfy’s riff on George Romero, a key character is cremated in a bin. The moment is foreshadowed in nearly every scene leading up to it, as this series is the dictionary definition of a dumpster fire.
Almost every element, from the acting to the editing, the score to the script, sucks harder than a zombie holding a skull and a straw. It would be unwatchable if it wasn’t for the practical effects, which are fantastic. The gore gags bubble up like geysers, and the
The dictionary definition of a dumpster fire
zombies are varied and fun – especially this show’s takes on Dr Tongue, and the ever-loveable Bub. We have Steven Kostanski of production company Astron-6 to thank for those elements: he directs four episodes, and executive-produces the whole thing. If only he could have brought some of Astron-6’s Psycho Goreman’s signature humour to the project, because the only laughs here are unintentional or awkward.
We’ve avoided discussing the plot – which bears practically no relation to the film from which the show takes its name – because that’s the worst part. During an election year, a small town is divided over some local fracking, which releases an ancient disease dating back to America’s first settlers. A group of strangers band together to survive the subsequent army of the dead, bickering and making right-wing jokes (“How’s the Second Amendment taste, motherf**kers?” is one of the first lines). Every episode has a soap opera structure, with a wedding a central (and unintentionally hilarious) driving narrative, making you feel like you’ve switched over to Neighbours halfway through. The zombies are great, but they’re mostly relegated to the background. Basically, it makes Day Of The Dead (2008) look like Day Of The Dead (1985). Avoid at all costs. Sam Ashurst
Day Of The Dead is also now available to buy as a Blu-ray, DVD and download. We’ve really sold it to you, right?