Diary of the Dead (2007)

DIARY OF THE DEAD is another zombie movie from genre founder George A. Romero, this time combining the found footage and zombie genres into a supposedly fresh and original product. What it turns out to be is a crushing disappointment in every respect, especially so given that Romero himself invented the modern zombie genre pretty much single-handedly.DIARY OF THE DEAD isn't just a bad film; it's a bad film even by found footage standards. It's not the first found footage zombie film I've seen, and I can report that the same year's Spanish zombie flick REC is about a hundred times better than this movie. What we get here is a cheap, slapdash, and completely boring zombie story as a bunch of uninteresting characters wander around a world which is quickly being taken over by the undead.This film looks and feels cheap throughout and Greg Nicotero's zombie effects are surprisingly cheesy looking, which I guess comes down to budget again. The script is awful, merely attempting to reheat former themes (us vs. them, the breakdown of society, there's even a militant black guy) instead of delivering anything new. The attempted scare scenes are anything but frightening and the story is so predictable that everything that happens is signposted way in advance. Of the cast, the worst actress gets the lead role, with the likable Tatiana Maslany hidden way down in the cast list. DIARY OF THE DEAD is a complete bore and it's difficult to credit this to the man behind the classic DEAD trilogy.

As much I enjoy the works of George A. Romero, then "Diary of the Dead" from 2007 did swerve somewhat from his usual standards, and equally swerve from my preference and liking. And it was a shame, because I do remember being hyped up about the movie when it was initially released.I have seen it twice, and must confess that I have ended up with the same hollow feeling at the end of the movie. What doesn't work for me in "Diary of the Dead" is the hand-held camera point of view. I loathe that, especially since if I have paid money for a movie, then I want a movie with proper production value and not just be served something that I could have filmed myself with my DV camera.It should be said that the story in "Diary of the Dead" is good, and it does have the proper Romero spirit and contents. Just a shame that he opted for a 'found footage' approach.Similar to his previous movies, then the zombie make-up and special effects is quite good and does come off as being believable. And in my opinion, the visual effects is alpha and omega to a zombie movie. If a zombie movie doesn't have proper effects, then it is already fighting a losing uphill battle.The characters in the movie were detailed and well-developed and they had a good ensemble of talents to perform the various roles. But in all honesty, then I can't really pinpoint any one single actor or actress who performed particularly memorable compared to the rest.Compared to the previous zombie movies directed by the godfather of zombies, then "Diary of the Dead" has much less zombie action. And that was a shame, because the movie would have been so much more enjoyable with more zombies, especially since it has been present in all his previous movies.Because of the hand-held camera point of view and the constantly rocking motion of the camera delivered a blow to the movie which ultimately lowered the enjoyment - even for a Romero zombie movie. And as such, then I am settling on a mere six out of ten stars rating for "Diary of the Dead".

I'll keep this short: This is not what you would normally expect form George Romero. The story line is weak, the acting is weak and the screenplay is, guess what, weak.These "actors" in this movie are not qualified to do the only thing they are Required to do - act! The first time i saw this movie, back in '08, it didn't seem as boring and poorly done as it seems now, that's why i decided to re-watch it again. Honest to god i nearly fell asleep, i wanted it to be over as quickly as possible. The only thing scary about this movie was that it sucked so frigging much!If you're looking for a good horror flick watch something else, Romero's early works perhaps. As for me, i want my 95 minutes back.

Dead corpses reanimate during a TV newscast and start chewing on ambulance personal. These are the flesh-eating zombies who first appeared in director George A Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" (1968). They wander around looking for victims, which understandably causes much chaos. Meanwhile, in a secluded woodsy area, some Pittsburgh college students are making an amateur horror movie. We follow this group through the remainder of the film. The fictional filmmaker most involved is Josh Close (as Jason Creed). "Diary of the Dead" is narrated by his girlfriend, Michelle Morgan (as Debra Moynihan)...This begins with the "subject" of broadcast journalism turning on the broadcaster. Thereafter, it seems to comment more on the topic, or perhaps not - whatever the intent, interest is not maintained. However, the "Media" is a deserved whipping boy. Some nicely staged gore splatters around, but to indifferent effect. One of the better sequences occurs when the cast goes to the home of wealthy "Mummy" actor Philip Riccio (as Ridley) as it successfully parallels the introduction of the characters. Something masterful was possible, but the "shaky camera" ruins everything. Next time, let the dead try steadying the camera.**** Diary of the Dead (9/8/07) George A. Romero ~ Michelle Morgan, Joshua Close, Joe Dinicol, Shawn Roberts