Moral-Flexibility.Net

Day of the Dead 2: Contagium (2005) directed by Ana Clavell and James Glenn Dudelson.
(Proposed Title: “The complete and utter bastardization of Romeros efforts.”)
Starring Laurie Baranyay, Steve Colosi, John Freedom Henry, Justin Ipock and Julian Thomas.
Zombie Film Rating:

“Damn semi-auto bolt action rifles!”

Teaser: Ravenside Memorial Hospital has a bit of a checkered history. Now used to treat those with psychological problems, it used to be a military facility before it’s untimely demolition in response to a zombie outbreak. History is revisited when one of the patients discovers a sample of the zombie formula and accidentally exposes staff and patients alike. How will they survive?

Aside from the name, this film has no relationship with “Day of the dead” by George Romero. It’s appears to be little more than an effort to cash in on Romeros film, relying on bad special effects and gore, overused and relatively poor CGI effects and wooden acting.

“We were friends! I defected for you, Americans! And for what? To treat me like this? I brought you back what we stole from you! Don’t you get it? IT CAN’T BE STOPPED! I CAN’T BE STOPPED!” -Russian Defector

“Except for the leaking brains, this appears to be a typical night shift.”

Plot Summary: The movie opens at the Ravenside Military Installation in Pennsylvania. A medical team has assembled to deal with an infected Russian defector. In his ramblings he makes it clear that he has brough the source of his infections back to the Americans, back to the original source of the virus.

Private Dale Deluca is assigned to the facility, and has decided that he wants no part of this chaos. Staff and patients alike are catching the infection. Deluca decides to steal a sample of the virus, hiding it in a thermos and attempts to make his escape on foot.

Unfortunately for him a containment team has arrived. The team surrounds (eventually) and enters the facility, shooting each and every person they encounter in the head. Demolitions teams split off, wiring the facility with explosives.

“Shoot to kill, shoot to kill. All units aim for the head” - Overheard radio transmission

“QUICK! Everybody look medical!”

None of this really prevents Deluca from escaping the facility, but fortunately for civilization he runs into a few soldiers on the grounds and is executed like the rest of the staff. The thermos is lost in the bushes. Bad CGI explosions follow, and the facility is destroyed.

We leap forward to the present day, where the Ravenside Memorial Hospital stands on the site of the old Ravenside Military Installation (handy naming conventions, no?). We’re introduced to a number of patients being treated for assorted psychological issues.

Sam, a member of a group of patients from the hospital finds the Thermos discarded by DeLuca while on a field trip. Unable to immediately open the thermos they bring it back with them.

“You bring together a suicidal patient and a necrophobic. It’s fascinating on paper. They, ah, should cancel each other out, right?” - Doctor Heller

“Hippy zombies, what next?”

We’re now given a quick overview of the personalities at the hospital. A blossoming love between patients Isaac and Emma, Marshall the gruff and oppresive orderly and Godwin the well meaning doctor. A number of generic and disposable characters are also introduced at this time but don’t bear mention here.

Jackie, a rather glum patient, steals the thermos from Sam and sneaks into the bathroom and manages to open it, dropping the sample and exposing Godwin, Isaac, Sam and a few others to the virus. Some more character development follows, but thankfully soon they begin to succumb to the effects of exposure to the virus.

Doctor Godwin becomes curious as to the origins of the virus sample, and naturally turns to the internet, finding “Jerry DeLuca’s Alien Information Page”. Godwin sends Jerry a quick email advising him of their discovery of the thermos.

“From now on I am the only one allowed in this corridor. Permission to bear arms granted. If any patient from Dorm 1 tries to attack you, shoot him…aim for the head.” - Doctor Heller

“Good help is hard to find.”

Those exposed to the virus initially exhibit no symptoms beyond a cough, but the following morning all find their skin peeling off. They also appear to share some sort of psychic link and an aversion to normal food. As the victims deal with the changes they are experiencing, the senior physician Doctor Heller takes note of the changes and places a call to General George Teller of the US Army (at 234.555.1234 - Easy number to remember, no?) disconnecting the call just before the General comes onto the line.

As the victims are isolated, Godwin makes contact with Jerry DeLuca who advises him that the item they found was a container for a highly infectious agent that affects human DNA. A meeting is established, but the patients condition worsens. Doctor Heller issues sidearms to the orderlies and security personel (Uh, good idea, what could go wrong?).

The amateurish attempt at a quarantine fails miserably, with the infection spreading and the newly armed staff finding themselves ill-equipped to handle the zombies that are both running rampant through the facility and rapidly increasing in number.

“According to my source it contains some highly infectious agent that affects the DNA with very unpredictable results. My source tells me that anyone exposed to this is immediately searched and destroyed by the government.” - Jerry DeLuca

“Zombie cafeteria scene, natch.”

Jerry DeLuca has meanwhile arrived, and takes a moment to explain the background of the virus to the group of originally infected. He explains that A russian spyplane crashed in the desert, the pilot (Rabinski) having brought some samples with him. While undergoing interogation the pilot was accidentally exposed to the virus. Jerry explains that those directly exposed to the virus retain their intelectual capacity but appear, scientifically, to be dead and develop a hunger for flesh. Those that are bitten by them become mindless zombies. Just as he is about to explain how the infected can be stopped, one of the patients jumps on Jerry and snacks on his brains.

The first tier infected now find themselves split into two groups, those interested in stopping the spread of the infection and those that wish to revel in their new form. As lesser zombies run rampant through the facility, spilling out into the grounds the good uber-zombies hunt for the anti-serum than Doctor Heller had hidden in the facility.

“They dragged one of my men in there, they were pulling him apart like string cheese. What the fuck has gotten into them?” - Generic Security Guard

“Barricading 101 - Do not use plastic chairs.”

Things now get a little confusing. The good uber zombies along with a few token living make their way to the “drug room” (I always thought this was called a “dispensary” or some such, but what do I know?), find the serum but are unable to read the directions. Their situation worsens as Emmas new pregnancy leaps forward to delivery in the time it took to cross the building.

The good uber-zombies are set upon by the bad ones, bad zombies overcome the neighborhood (and indeed the military brass who had arrived to investigate the abortive phone call by Doctor Heller) and Isaac decides, amidst the chaos, to end his unlife. The movie ends with news reports over the end credits detailing the spread of the zombie menace.

Critique: You have to ask yourself what these people were thinking. This film is consistently weak, the acting is poor, the effects are limited to some bad CGI (Watch for the semi-auto bolt action rifles in the openning scene) and even worse latex appliances, the concept appears to have been limited to “let’s make a zombie movie this weekend”.

What little logic there is suffers throughout. Despite an overwhelming (although confused) military response to the initial outbreak, the discovery of the missing vial becomes little more than an experiment for Doctor Heller. When the military brass become aware of a problem, their sole response is to send a two officers in an SUV to the site to check things out. The serum, which is not referenced before, and presumably only Doctor Heller was aware of, plays no part in isolating the outbreak.

Finally, the biggest nail in the coffin is the blatant exploitation of a Romeros work in the title. This film seemingly has no connection with Romeros work, and serves as neither prequel or sequel as is claimed by the directors.

The Final Word: Nah, don’t do it. Just say no.

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