Diary Of The Dead

[Rando Aces]

this movie is pretty darn good, scaring the crap out of me.

Did you guys like it?

 

[Gilpesh]

I've never been more creeped out by a character than when that rich kid showed up at the end.

 

[Rando Aces]

HOLY CRAP!!! that was so awesome when she put the shock paddles to the nurses head!!!

 

[Gilpesh]

You still watching it right now?

Cause just wait until you get toward the end.

 

[Rando Aces]

You still watching it right now?

Cause just wait until you get toward the end.

i just started it, friggin amazing, i hope the professor dies though.

 

[Nightmare]

Wow, i havent seen it yet. But ive wanted to. Im a big zombie fan.

 

[Rando Aces]

first complaint!

the iv drip zombie wouldnt just walk by the camera guy!

 

[Rando Aces]

ahahahahah

the hangin zombie in the tunnel thing

 

[Rando Aces]

no! i liked the amish deaf guy.

 

[Rando Aces]

rich boy is worrying me...

 

[Rando Aces]

why the hell dont the damn camera guys help!

 

[black_dust]

Its not as good as Dawn of the dead. but its ok i supose some of it was kinda dumb

 

[Rando Aces]

i just finished it. i hope you are talking about the original dawn of the dead.


GOOD MOVIE!

 

[The Lizard]

Sorry, guys - I saw DIARY OF THE DEAD in the theater a few months ago and I thought it was pretty sucky overall.

My original review:

Sorry to say this, Romero fans, but I think old George has gotten a little squirrelly and ham-handed in his old age.

The zombie scenes were effective for the most part. The opening scene with the news report attack was very well-done. The gore was fun, if a bit too familiar in some scenes (for example - there's a split-open zombie that sits up in bed and spills his guts on the floor...Romero did that already, and did it better in Day). Overall, the zombie scenes in the hospital and the home security cameras were probably the best in terms of tension. I also did like some of the random crazyness, like the Amish farmer, and would have liked to see more of that type of humor in the film.

The mostly hand-held camera work created a decent feeling of being in the action, for the most part. It wasn't super-shaky like Cloverfield, which was a relief. However, I never really bought into the concept that the whole movie was actually scenes shot and edited on-the-fly by the film students. At one point there's a tracking shot of the students' camper driving into a warehouse. Shortly afterwards, Jason explains to Debra (ie: explains to the audience) how he adds tracking shot footage from security cameras to his video -- a convenient explanation, but it comes off a bit defensive and not really convincing within the flow of the film.

My biggest complaint, however was how the zombies took a back seat to the heavy-handed "message" of the film. The overblown "earnestness" of the script just took me right out of the action over and over again. The wooden characters spew lines that seem like wacky parody, but unfortunately parody didn't seem to be the goal. I could have overlooked it if this was just another fun, B-movie splatterfest (after all, the performances were never that strong in Romero's classic Dead films either). However, this movie takes itself and its message so damn seriously that it's hilarious for all the wrong reasons.

The insufferable voiceover narration by Debra keeps soberly reminding us that the metaphor this time around is the public's voyeuristic obsession with online videos, fear-mongering paranoia and quick-fix information. OK, we got it the 20th time you spelled it out in neon letters - please give it a rest. Everyone telling Jason to "put the camera down" constantly really gets annoying, since we the audience have indeed figured out that Jason avoids reality by staying behind the camera (like the girl in Blair Witch Project-duh). Just in case we're still missing the point, there are actual montages of eariler scenes in the film that are repeated to remind us, coupled with more pointless voiceover philosophizing. Flashback montages are the sort of thing one expects to see used as a time-killing tool in made-for-Sci-Fi-Channel movies, not a Romero film. It just seemed like Romero had no faith in the audience's IQ this time around, so what should have been a subversive message instead becomes a mass of thudding, awkward expository dialog.

A few examples of the MANY times I rolled my eyes:

When the tough leader of the warehouse gang tells Debra earnestly "We're a lot alike."

The "Don't mess with Texas!" joke.

The professor's solemn musings on old men and mirrors in the morning (and pretty much anything else that comes out of his mouth as the stereotypical "boozy, world-weary, insightful" character).

Debra's final, obvious narration at the end where she reminds us that the zombies "are us", and earnestly wonders if humanity is worth saving...CLUNK.

Night - 10/10
Dawn - 9/10
Day - 8/10
Land - 7/10
Diary - 5/10

 

[Omega Wizard]

I hated this movie because they didnt do the concept right, hand-held camera films arent supposed to have music.

 

[The Lizard]

Yep.

The Spanish zombie/virus movie [REC] is a much, much, MUCH better film.

 

[cabel]

I hated this movie because they didnt do the concept right, hand-held camera films arent supposed to have music.

Debra added the music when she edited the footage together

 

[Omega Wizard]

Yep.

The Spanish zombie/virus movie [REC] is a much, much, MUCH better film.

I loved that movie. Cant wait for the remake.

Debra added the music when she edited the footage together

I know but thats just a ****ing excuse. Romero doesnt know how to do the concept and should stay away from it. Imagine cloverfield if Rob added music for dramatic effect, thats right

 

[shapeshifter]

POV hand cam zombie movie right?

 

[Omega Wizard]

Yeah, and it was actually done right, not like this, which is just a zombie movie with a stupid gimmick added in post production.

 

[shapeshifter]

I suppose I'll netflix it. hand cam stuff usually bugs me, but I'll deal with it for a zombie movie.

 

[Omega Wizard]

Do yourself a favor and dont watch it, its not worth it. If you want a good zombie movie get [REC], or maybe try Cloverfield.

 

[shapeshifter]

Do yourself a favor and dont watch it, its not worth it. If you want a good zombie movie get [REC], or maybe try Cloverfield.

?
all set with cloverfield

 

[The Apatow Crew]

I thought it was all right.

 

[Iron_Stark]

Yep.

The Spanish zombie/virus movie [REC] is a much, much, MUCH better film.

What movie are you talking about?