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Original Day of the Dead Script

The DVD for Day of the Dead featured an extra little something: the original first draft of the screenplay. The released movie version was a lot different from George A. Romero's original idea. The movie takes place primarily between a group of military people and scientists in an underground bunker on a secluded island, that part wasn't maintained, but it all plays out very differently. This is from the little booklet that came with the DVD (along with the original screenplay on Disc 2):

For those of you out there who have been fortunate enough to read Romero's original screenplay for DAY OF THE DEAD, you know that many things changed between that draft and what ended up on screen. Due to budgetary constraints, and the artistic need to keep the film without an R rating, the screenplay was revised to accomodate these restrictions. Originally, the film did not take place completely underground but featured numerous above-ground zombie battles, elements of H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau, scientists training zombies to fight other zombies, and so on and so on. You should read the script if you ever have a chance, it makes for quite a fascinating comparison to the revised version that the director ended up using.

Some of the concepts and ideas got played out in the finished theatrical movie, and other ideas eventually got worked into Land of the Dead. But Day of the Dead as originally envisioned is an amazing story and really needs to be made as it was supposed to be. The movie script is addictive to read and seeing a zombie-on-zombie war would be amazing on the big screen. I highly recommend everyone read the screenplay and decide for yourself. Perhaps if enough people clamor for the story as Romero originally intended it, someone somewhere will allow it to be made in all of its glory. Check out the script, and if you like it you should totally get the DVD to show commercial support for Day of the Dead and it receiving the proper treatment it so desperately deserves.

See larger image Day of the Dead (Divimax Special Edition) (DVD) Directed by: George A. Romero Starring: Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, Joseph Pilato, Jarlath Conroy, Anthony Dileo Jr. Rating: Unrated List Price: $19.97 USD New From: $6.50 In Stock Used From: $3.69 In Stock Released August 19, 2003.