Gary Day, born in 1941 in New Zealand, is known for his role in Death Warmed Up (1985), a film that blends horror and science fiction in a uniquely unsettling way. Day's career began in the early 1970s, where he transitioned from male modeling to acting, eventually landing significant roles in Australian television. In Death Warmed Up, he contributes to the film's exploration of grotesque experimentation, embodying the chilling atmosphere of 1980s cult cinema. His work in this film highlights the era's fascination with body horror and the psychological implications of scientific overreach.
Death Warmed Up
As a child, Michael Tucker (Michael Hurst) is used as a test subject for mind control drugs developed by evil scientist Dr. Howell (Gary Day), which cause him to unwittingly kill his parents. After spending seven years in a mental institution for the murders, Michael, his girlfriend Sandy (Margaret Umbers) and his two friends Jeannie (Norelle Scott) and Lucas (William Upjohn) use Michael's car, a black 1963 Ford Fairlane 500, to set out on a trip to a remote island on which Dr. Howell's clinic is located. Desperate for revenge, Michael is determined to infiltrate the scientist's base and kill him with no mercy. After tracking him down, he kills Howell's mob of mind controlled slaves who are both zombies, but in the resulting mayhem both Jeannie and Lucas are both killed. At last Michael proceeds to brutally kill Howell after repeatedly stabbing him in the stomach with a knife. After escaping from the clinic, Michael and Sandy return to their holiday home, only to discover that it caught fire. When Michael steps out to investigate the damage, he is struck by a falling electrical line and is electrocuted to death, leaving Sandy alone weeping over the loss of him as she's overcome with grief and starting to run.
