Diary of the Dead

Didn't Romero say he wasn't going to make any more zombie films? Oh, and then he made Land of the Dead. Well, in effort to spread the apocalypse craze even further, Romero lends his output of first-person terror. Sorry guys, but Cloverfield and [REC] did it better.

Well, on the subject of Land of the Dead being released, when the film first debuted, Romero spoke so highly of it; that it is his personal masterpiece. As soon as the negative reviews started pouring in, Romero then harnessed the power of the Internet and began writing blogs and recording webisodes of how studios and executives ruined Land of the Dead.


So each of his "Dead" films attacks a subject or even "problem" in society. Diary of the Dead is a direct attack to the Internet/media fad of this generation. The film spouts YouTube, myspace, and blogging site references. Diary of the Dead is not the proud DIY zombie film that you might think it is, rather, a cowardly attack towards anything that has ever wronged or spoke ill of Romero. Instead of trying to make fun of the critics and people who dislike his accidental cult film's, he should focus more on making a decent film.

One thing that made Cloverfield and [REC] so horrifying, is the lack of music. Being as how it is a character holding the camera, It allows the film to almost break the "third wall." In the opening montage of Diary of the Dead, the female narrator explains how she took the footage of the apocalypse and added music to it; to add to the "effect"

This alone starts the film off on a low note. The plot takes a group of college kids filming a horror movie in the woods. Again, Romero seems to be attacking the indie horror business, as these kids encounter zombies. To watch all these stupid film school kids get killed off must be his wet dream.


"How many times have i told you? Dead things don't move fast"

This is a direct quote and another attack, this one against the constant remakes of his films being made, the "new" zombie that always sprints, and again, his very own creation (Land of the Dead.) One thing I still don't understand is, why when Cloverfield was released, every one commented on this authenticity of the characters? Sure, they had their rough spots, but compared to the acting and demeanor of everyone in Diary of the Dead, they were Oscar worthy.

Diary of the Dead is the ultimate "How to make a bad movie!" reference source. Is it me, or does the narrator purposely speak like Sarah Connor from T2? The film is entirely composed without any horror fan's wit or ingenuity. If i were to encounter a zombie, I'd sure as hell call it a zombie, not call them "dead" or even deny their existence. Black Militants who are on the run make their second coming in this film. First time since Night of the Living Dead, i believe.

When the colored gentlemen are questioned about why they got together, they stated "Because we got the power. For the first time in our lives, we got the power." Romero is now at the point of trying too damn hard to bring social commentary in his films. Diary of the Dead is all about surveillance and censorship. The whole cast features intellectually challenged hicks and film school jerk-off's. This film is nothing new, and it is certainly not good. Zombie effect's don't make movies good, and neither does Romero.

-Maq