Day of the Dead 2: Contagium
Encyclopedia
Day of the Dead 2: Contagium is a 2005 horror film
written by Ana Clavell and directed by Clavell and James Dudelson, starring Justin Ipock, Laurie Maria Baranyay and John F. Henry III. It is half a sequel and half prequel to Day of the Dead. The film was released direct-to-video
on in the United States.
Thirty-seven years later, in 2005, a group of patients at the same hospital from 1968, consisting of Boris (Steve Colosi), Jackie (John F. Henry III), Isaac (Justin Ipock) and Sam (Julian Thomas) and their doctor, Donwynn (Stephan Wolfert), uncover a strange thermos buried in the soil in the yard of a hospital. Sam attempts to open it, but they are unable to due to it being rusted shut. Donwynn entrusts Sam with keeping it safe, but Isaac feels that something bad will happen if the thermos is opened.
While Same and Boris are distracted with watching a movie, Jackie sneaks away with the thermos and runs to the bathroom to open. Isaac and Emma (Laurie Maria Baranyay) have a romantic encounter (under supervision of Donwynn), but Marshall (Joe C. Marino) attacks them. Marshall and Donwynn take the two back to their dorms for the night. Sam discovers that Jackie stole the thermos, and the others discover that he took it. Jackie opens the thermos, and a strange object falls from it, unknowingly releasing a virus, infecting the entire group.
Doctor Heller (Andreas van Ray
) talks to Donwynn about his patients’ behavior, while Marshall and other staff take them back to their dorms. He claims that Jackie and the other students are breaking the rules of the hospital, while, in truth, they aren’t. Emma, Patty (April Wade
) and Vicky (Jackeline Olivier) are locked in padded rooms for their “behavior.” That night, those who were in the bathroom begin to show signs of sickness. Donwynn contacts Jerry (Kevin Wetmore, Jr.) by email about the item that was in the thermos, hoping to get an answer as to what it is.
The next day, Donwynn awakes to discover same having a seizure and the rest discover that they all have skin on their bodies that is dead and peeling. Emma, namely due to her “encounter” with Isaac, has tests ran on her, and she is told that she is pregnant (due to the virus). Emma attacks Marshall when he keeps bothering her about the results of her test, and she bites him on the arm when he tries to move her to another room. Sam, Jackie and Boris begin to show advanced signs of infection, including rotting flesh, varicose veins, and coughing up blood. Dr. Heller orders the hospital under quarantine and the doctors the right to bear arms, and to shoot anyone from Dorm 1 in the head that attacks them. Donwynn receives an video reply from Jerry, who tells him not to open the thermos, and that it contains a deadly virus that mutates humans into zombies. Jerry plans to visit hospital the next day. Marshall dies of his infection.
The next morning, everyone is called to the front desk of the hospital to receive a vial of medicine. Ava (Samantha Clarke) informs Donwynn that the virus is a flesh-eating virus that kills its host. Patty and Vicky get into a fight, and have to be broken up by Derber (Mike Dalager). Pete senses that Donwynn smells dead, and goes crazy, giving Patty a chance to steal one of Derber’s handguns, and escape to see Emma. Patty shoots and kills one of the security guards. Isaac discovers that each of those that were infected by the virus feel each other’s pain. Marshall reanimates as a zombie and kills Dr. Heller. While trying to find Emma, Patty shoots Isaac, but he revives and is unharmed. Marshall breaks free from his cell and kills a security guard.
Jerry arrives at the hospital just as Donwynn returns to the hospital, and informs the patients of truly what the virus is, and how it works. He also reveals that each of them are dead “by human standards.” Jerry also reveals that those infected with the virus are highly contagious. Jerry soon informs the patients on how the virus was first released. The zombified Marshall is shot to death by the hospital’s police force. Boris mutates into a zombie, and bites Jerry, causing Jackie and Sam to attack him also, and the three devour him while Isaac and Emma barely escape with their lives. Patty reanimates as a zombie and bites Derber as he tries to help her.
Early the next morning, Dr. Heller has reanimated as a zombie. Jackie, Sam and Boris have reanimated as zombies and they taunt the surviving patients from outside the room. Dr. Heller enters the room where Vicky is hiding, but he is distracted when the infected Charlie enters the room, and is chased away by Dr. Heller. The patients in the dining room all reanimate as zombies and they begin to devour the police officers. The survivors escape into the kitchen of the hospital, but are forced to escape into the back hallway. Patty finds Vicky in the medical room, and kills her while searching for Emma. The majority of the zombies escape from the hospital and they head out into the city. The survivors manage to reach the medical room, where Emma goes into labor and the last police officer is killed. The zombies begin to kill people in the city, Charlie among the victims. Boris, Jackie and Sam break into the room, attacking Isaac, Emma and Donwynn, trying to convince them that they don’t want to hurt any of them. Boris kills Ava, and Isaac, in the later stages of the infection, commits suicide with the last round of a pistol. The movie ends with the zombies attacking a camera crew recording the carnage.
as a whole. Heavy criticism has also been aimed at the film's acting, special effects, and script.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
written by Ana Clavell and directed by Clavell and James Dudelson, starring Justin Ipock, Laurie Maria Baranyay and John F. Henry III. It is half a sequel and half prequel to Day of the Dead. The film was released direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
on in the United States.
Plot
In 1968, an infected man from Russia, Rubinsky (Simon Burzynski), is being operated at a military hospital when soldiers arrive and begin to shoot all of those who are in the building. One of the students, DeLuca, at the hospital steals a strange vial, but he is shot by the soldiers as he attempts to escape, while the soldiers in the hospital snipe any one that has been in contact with the infected man. The zombies kill three of the soldiers and multiple hospital orderly. The rest of the zombies are killed when C4 is detonated by sharpshooters outside the hospital.Thirty-seven years later, in 2005, a group of patients at the same hospital from 1968, consisting of Boris (Steve Colosi), Jackie (John F. Henry III), Isaac (Justin Ipock) and Sam (Julian Thomas) and their doctor, Donwynn (Stephan Wolfert), uncover a strange thermos buried in the soil in the yard of a hospital. Sam attempts to open it, but they are unable to due to it being rusted shut. Donwynn entrusts Sam with keeping it safe, but Isaac feels that something bad will happen if the thermos is opened.
While Same and Boris are distracted with watching a movie, Jackie sneaks away with the thermos and runs to the bathroom to open. Isaac and Emma (Laurie Maria Baranyay) have a romantic encounter (under supervision of Donwynn), but Marshall (Joe C. Marino) attacks them. Marshall and Donwynn take the two back to their dorms for the night. Sam discovers that Jackie stole the thermos, and the others discover that he took it. Jackie opens the thermos, and a strange object falls from it, unknowingly releasing a virus, infecting the entire group.
Doctor Heller (Andreas van Ray
Andreas van Ray
Andreas van Ray is an American actor best known for playing the role of Dr. Heller in the 2005 zombie movie Day of the Dead 2: Contagium.-External links:...
) talks to Donwynn about his patients’ behavior, while Marshall and other staff take them back to their dorms. He claims that Jackie and the other students are breaking the rules of the hospital, while, in truth, they aren’t. Emma, Patty (April Wade
April Wade
April Wade is an American actress, producer and writer.Wade is best known for films and television series such as April Showers, Happy Endings, Creepshow III, Day of the Dead 2: Contagium, Opie Gets Laid and Junction.-External links:...
) and Vicky (Jackeline Olivier) are locked in padded rooms for their “behavior.” That night, those who were in the bathroom begin to show signs of sickness. Donwynn contacts Jerry (Kevin Wetmore, Jr.) by email about the item that was in the thermos, hoping to get an answer as to what it is.
The next day, Donwynn awakes to discover same having a seizure and the rest discover that they all have skin on their bodies that is dead and peeling. Emma, namely due to her “encounter” with Isaac, has tests ran on her, and she is told that she is pregnant (due to the virus). Emma attacks Marshall when he keeps bothering her about the results of her test, and she bites him on the arm when he tries to move her to another room. Sam, Jackie and Boris begin to show advanced signs of infection, including rotting flesh, varicose veins, and coughing up blood. Dr. Heller orders the hospital under quarantine and the doctors the right to bear arms, and to shoot anyone from Dorm 1 in the head that attacks them. Donwynn receives an video reply from Jerry, who tells him not to open the thermos, and that it contains a deadly virus that mutates humans into zombies. Jerry plans to visit hospital the next day. Marshall dies of his infection.
The next morning, everyone is called to the front desk of the hospital to receive a vial of medicine. Ava (Samantha Clarke) informs Donwynn that the virus is a flesh-eating virus that kills its host. Patty and Vicky get into a fight, and have to be broken up by Derber (Mike Dalager). Pete senses that Donwynn smells dead, and goes crazy, giving Patty a chance to steal one of Derber’s handguns, and escape to see Emma. Patty shoots and kills one of the security guards. Isaac discovers that each of those that were infected by the virus feel each other’s pain. Marshall reanimates as a zombie and kills Dr. Heller. While trying to find Emma, Patty shoots Isaac, but he revives and is unharmed. Marshall breaks free from his cell and kills a security guard.
Jerry arrives at the hospital just as Donwynn returns to the hospital, and informs the patients of truly what the virus is, and how it works. He also reveals that each of them are dead “by human standards.” Jerry also reveals that those infected with the virus are highly contagious. Jerry soon informs the patients on how the virus was first released. The zombified Marshall is shot to death by the hospital’s police force. Boris mutates into a zombie, and bites Jerry, causing Jackie and Sam to attack him also, and the three devour him while Isaac and Emma barely escape with their lives. Patty reanimates as a zombie and bites Derber as he tries to help her.
Early the next morning, Dr. Heller has reanimated as a zombie. Jackie, Sam and Boris have reanimated as zombies and they taunt the surviving patients from outside the room. Dr. Heller enters the room where Vicky is hiding, but he is distracted when the infected Charlie enters the room, and is chased away by Dr. Heller. The patients in the dining room all reanimate as zombies and they begin to devour the police officers. The survivors escape into the kitchen of the hospital, but are forced to escape into the back hallway. Patty finds Vicky in the medical room, and kills her while searching for Emma. The majority of the zombies escape from the hospital and they head out into the city. The survivors manage to reach the medical room, where Emma goes into labor and the last police officer is killed. The zombies begin to kill people in the city, Charlie among the victims. Boris, Jackie and Sam break into the room, attacking Isaac, Emma and Donwynn, trying to convince them that they don’t want to hurt any of them. Boris kills Ava, and Isaac, in the later stages of the infection, commits suicide with the last round of a pistol. The movie ends with the zombies attacking a camera crew recording the carnage.
Cast
- Justin Ipock as Isaac
- Laurie Maria Baranyay as Emma
- John F. Henry III as Jackie
- Julian Thomas as Sam
- Stephan Wolfert as Doctor Donwynn
- Steve Colosi as Boris
- Samantha Clarke as Ava Flories
- April WadeApril WadeApril Wade is an American actress, producer and writer.Wade is best known for films and television series such as April Showers, Happy Endings, Creepshow III, Day of the Dead 2: Contagium, Opie Gets Laid and Junction.-External links:...
as Patty - Joe C. Marino as Marshall
- Jackeline Olivier as Vicky
- Andreas van RayAndreas van RayAndreas van Ray is an American actor best known for playing the role of Dr. Heller in the 2005 zombie movie Day of the Dead 2: Contagium.-External links:...
as Doctor Heller - Kevin Wetmore, Jr. as Jerry
- Russ KingstonRuss KingstonRuss Kingston is an American film and television actor, editor and filmmaker.Kingston is best known as an actor for such films as I Come with the Rain starring Josh Hartnett, Transmorphers: Fall of Man, Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus, Day of the Dead 2: Contagium and Guyver: Dark Hero.Kingston is...
as The Infected - Simon Burzynski as Rubinsky
- Mike Dalager as Derber
- Christopher Estes as Charlie
- Rebuka Hoye as Linda
Reception
The film received negative reviews. One factor stems from the title, as the plot of the film and its depiction of zombies are at odds with those in both the original Day of the Dead and Romero's Dead seriesNight of the Living Dead (film series)
Night of the Living Dead is a series of six zombie horror films written and directed by George A. Romero beginning with the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead written by Romero and John A. Russo. The loosely connected franchise predominantly centers on different groups of people attempting to...
as a whole. Heavy criticism has also been aimed at the film's acting, special effects, and script.