With horror industry heavy hitters already in place from the 1970s, the 1980s built upon that with the rise of brilliant minds in makeup and effects artists, as well as advances in technology. Artists like Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Tom Savini, Stan Winston, and countless other artists that delivered groundbreaking, mind-blowing practical effects that ushered in the pre-CGI Golden Age of Cinema. Which meant a glorious glut of creatures in horror. More than just a technical marvel, the creatures on display in ‘80s horror meant tangible texture that still holds up decades later. Grotesque slimy skin to brutal transformation sequences, there wasn’t anything the artists couldn’t create. It Came From the ‘80s is a series that will pay homage to the monstrous, deadly, and often slimy creatures that made the ‘80s such a fantastic decade in horror.
The third entry of George A. Romero’s Dead series shows the world completely inundated by zombies. What little of humanity is left remains barricaded underground clinging to survival while scientists remain hopeful for a cure. Though the numbers have vastly dwindled prior to the start of the film, the future of civilization looks bleak due to the handful of remaining survivors being unable to get along. Nestled between the pragmatic scientists and the increasingly unhinged soldiers lies Dr. Matthew Logan (Richard Liberty, The Crazies), the cheerful lead scientist, and his favorite test subject Bub, a zombie that shares more in common with Frankenstein’s creation than he does the rest of his kind.
Played by the amiable Sherman Howard, Bub is a docile zombie that loves listening to music, saluting soldiers, and even uttering mostly unintelligible speech. Dr. Logan has deduced that keeping Bub well-satiated means that he’s no longer driven by his hunger impulses that render zombies the feeding frenzied undead that they are. So, for all of Bub’s endearing charm, there’s always an undercurrent of danger; if Bub doesn’t stay fed, well, he’ll revert back to his impulsive ways. Luckily, Romero ensures that Bub retains some memory of who treated him well and who didn’t when starvation mode inevitably sets it. All of this to say that Bub became the breakout star of Day of the Dead.
Due to budget constraints that left Romero rewriting the script multiple times, Bub almost turned out very differently. When Sherman was first cast to play the zombie, the initial script he read saw Bub as a leader of a team of trained zombie fighters. Bub would’ve been far less docile and much more of a Wild West rough and tumble type. Romero’s rewrite removed that component of Bub, and his collaborative style meant that Sherman had the freedom to shape Bub even further into sympathetic terrain.
While Sherman was responsible for breathing undead life into Bub, the special makeup effects also played a major role in Bub’s horror icon status. Romero once again reteamed with Tom Savini for Day of the Dead, who filled out his crew with talents like sculptor John Vulich (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files), sculptor Mike Trcic (Jurassic Park, In the Mouth of Madness), mechanization specialist Dave Kindlon (Predator, The Blob, The Monster Squad), Everett Burrell (Pan’s Labyrinth, Blade: Trinity), Greg Nicotero (The Mist, The Walking Dead), and Howard Berger (The Mist, The Walking Dead). Bub may have been a centerpiece character, but the crew created no shortage of gruesome and gory zombies. Dr. Tongue is another favored standout.
Lori Cardille’s research scientist Sarah may be the audience proxy and the lead protagonist, but Romero often considered Bub to be the central character. In his Dead series, it’s always the humans that are the true monsters, and Romero’s affection for his undead creations are clear. In this case, it’s the ruthless Captain Henry Rhodes (Joseph Pilato) and his team of amoral men that are the villains. Bub is just a misunderstood zombie. Thanks to great makeup work and a powerfully charming performance by Sherman, Bub remains an all-time great horror character.
