George A. Romero’s latest zombie entry, about a group of students filming a modern day zombie infestation.
While shooting their own low-budget horror movie, a group of young film students run into real-life zombies, ravenously walking corpses attacking and killing the living. Presented in a first-person style that heightens the reality of each encounter, the entire film is seen through footage from the students’ camcorders, cell phones, security cameras and news footage.
The Truth : While Diary of the Dead had some interesting battles and beheadings, the film really offered little entertainment. No topless babes running from the undead, no braless zombies killing poor unsuspecting white males. Picture “The Blair Witch Project” + “Cloverfield” – “Budget” =
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Diary of the Dead
Damnit, when I watch a good zombie movie, I expect mass zombie killage with every possible tool in the civilized world. I want to see the new F150 plowing masses of zombies, M16’s shooting dozens of the undead… a greyhound bus taking out massive crowds. I want grenades being lobbed into idiotic, crazed zombie crowds, all while people are laughing, pointing and having a good old time.
I didn’t get any of this with Diary of the Dead. A motorhome hit a couple of slow moving dummies on the highway, a few were shot in the head … thats about it. The film fails in comparison to Romero’s previous Zombie movies “Night of the Living Dead” and “Dawn of the Dead”.
The special effects weren’t very impressive, nothing like his previous films. The acting was a step above your average porno, minus any necessary nudity that we come to expect with Romero’s movies.
The Verdict : If you are expecting greatness, forget it. Diary of the Dead isn’t original, or exciting. You’ll watch it because you love zombie movies, you’ll walk away unimpressed.
Recommendations : Dawn of the Dead {1978} {2004}, Shaun of the Dead, Resident Evil