It's not a positive sign of things to come if, within the first 30 seconds of a movie, you read "WWE Studios and Anchor Bay Films Presents." Come to find out, this is the first WWE-produced film not to feature any wrestlers from the current roster. "The Day" is quite the head-scratcher, considering the only redeemable quality of a WWE Studios-based movie is the novelty of seeing wrestlers attempt to make their foray from acting in the ring to the big screen.
Putting aside my petty qualms, I ventured forth but, much like the film's characters, had little to no hope. In a nutshell, "The Day" is a post-apocalyptic romp through the Canadian countryside focusing on the human condition more than the visceral carnage of most films of its kind. This may seem superficial, but without a solid foundation of throat-ripping zombies upon which to hinge, most end-of-days movies fall just short of uneventful. Unfortunately, there are no infected hordes to speak of in "The Day, just a cult-like oppositional group that has resorted to cannibalism in order to survive.
The primary group of survivors consists of five best friends who seek shelter in a farmhouse stocked with rations. They come to find out the house is rigged to alarm a less-than-menacing group of predators whose aim is to capture and feed on whoever trespasses upon the house. What results from all this hoopla is a proverbial last stand at the house, with the group of friends fighting for their survival against a cult that would put "Heaven's Gate" to shame.
The cult itself consists of every bad movie cliche ever, including ritualistic tattoos, ski masks, henchmen and even an initiation process. Their leader is not so much cunning as he is completely vapid and void of any character development. The only interesting character to note is that of Mary, a former cult member who defects to join the group of friends. Unfortunately, her character is greatly underutilized until late in the film, which, at that point, is all but meaningless.
The film is shot mainly in black and white, but it also incorporates a great deal of over-saturation and sepia-toned effects. The purpose is to set a dreary tone for the movie, but instead the drab, offbeat colors only add to the overall banality of the plot and characters. It's not so much that "The Day" is a bad film; instead, it is simply a boring and overall listless effort. Why watch this when you could instead stare at your living room walls and watch paint dry? Both serve equal purposes.
The Blu-ray release itself is a combo DVD pack as well, which is nice for those who haven't yet made the switch to Blu-ray. However, there are very few special features. Outside of the audio commentary featuring the director, writer and producer, there are literally no additional extras. I suppose that's indicative of the film itself, having very little to offer.
Film: 1.5 Yaps Extras: 1 Yap
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDXzVgMihvs]