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Diary of the Dead (2007)
Run For Your Life! (Part 2)
Directed By: George A. Romero
Starring: Michelle Morgan, Shawn Roberts, & Amy Lalonde
MPAA Rating: “R” (for strong horror violence and gore, and pervasive language)
Starring: Michelle Morgan, Shawn Roberts, & Amy Lalonde
MPAA Rating: “R” (for strong horror violence and gore, and pervasive language)
We have come to expect a lot from George A. Romero who basically created the zombie subgenre in 1968 with the shocking Night of the Living Dead (1968). Ever since then, he has continued to expand and delve deeper into his own franchise with each installment...until now. Diary of the Dead takes a step back to the beginning of the end of the world and to mixed results. I’m going to try to put all of the negatives out on the table quickly so that we can move onto what Romero accomplishes with the fifth installment in his series. On the downside, the narrative tends to meander and lacks a certain flow that is necessary, the dialog and characterization are pathetic and dull, and the directorial technique made famous by such films as The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield is completely wasted and sometimes obtrusive.
Diary of the Dead occurs at the beginning of the epidemic that began in Night of the Living Dead and was last seen in Land of the Dead. A group of film students who are filming some silly horror film are interrupted by news of the living dead. When they return to their dormitories, they find them abandoned. So, they all pack up in an RV and decide to head towards their homes. On the way, they encounter greedy National Guard soldiers and, of course, the living dead. As they race to survive, one of them decides to film it all and post it on Myspace to show others just how to survive. Of course, as they quickly discover, survival is far more difficult than they ever could have imagined.
Okay, I didn’t buy the entire idea behind Diary of the Dead. Unlike Cloverfield, Diary of the Dead wanted to have its cake and eat it too. Though it is filmed in a first-person narrative, Romero uses music, security camera footage, and a second camera to make sure everyone knows what is happening. My question is this: if you want the effect of a regular movie, then why wouldn’t you just film it that way? The excuse used in the film just didn’t work for me. Also, I found the idea that a person would rather film the events occurring than rescue his friends and even himself at times very far-fetched. Drop the freaking camera and help save your girlfriend already! Now, with all of that spilled out for your consumption, let’s move on to what made me actually like the movie.
No one can handle the undead like George A. Romero and there is no difference here. He still brings his signature flair to the project, providing ample suspense, dark humor, great gore gags, and social satire. Despite the uneven narrative, I still managed to follow the story well enough and I really grooved to the basic plotline. There were a few scenes that I felt really stood out, including the scene at Michelle Morgan’s character’s house and the scene with the Amish man. When it came right down to it, I found Diary of the Dead to be a solid genre offering...straight-forward fun. The problem is that, when it comes to Romero, I have come to expect more. This is probably his weakest entry into the franchise and, though I did thoroughly enjoy it, I couldn’t help but feel as though Romero lost something with it. I certainly recommend it and it will find a place on my DVD shelf, but it could have been great.
Diary of the Dead occurs at the beginning of the epidemic that began in Night of the Living Dead and was last seen in Land of the Dead. A group of film students who are filming some silly horror film are interrupted by news of the living dead. When they return to their dormitories, they find them abandoned. So, they all pack up in an RV and decide to head towards their homes. On the way, they encounter greedy National Guard soldiers and, of course, the living dead. As they race to survive, one of them decides to film it all and post it on Myspace to show others just how to survive. Of course, as they quickly discover, survival is far more difficult than they ever could have imagined.
Okay, I didn’t buy the entire idea behind Diary of the Dead. Unlike Cloverfield, Diary of the Dead wanted to have its cake and eat it too. Though it is filmed in a first-person narrative, Romero uses music, security camera footage, and a second camera to make sure everyone knows what is happening. My question is this: if you want the effect of a regular movie, then why wouldn’t you just film it that way? The excuse used in the film just didn’t work for me. Also, I found the idea that a person would rather film the events occurring than rescue his friends and even himself at times very far-fetched. Drop the freaking camera and help save your girlfriend already! Now, with all of that spilled out for your consumption, let’s move on to what made me actually like the movie.
No one can handle the undead like George A. Romero and there is no difference here. He still brings his signature flair to the project, providing ample suspense, dark humor, great gore gags, and social satire. Despite the uneven narrative, I still managed to follow the story well enough and I really grooved to the basic plotline. There were a few scenes that I felt really stood out, including the scene at Michelle Morgan’s character’s house and the scene with the Amish man. When it came right down to it, I found Diary of the Dead to be a solid genre offering...straight-forward fun. The problem is that, when it comes to Romero, I have come to expect more. This is probably his weakest entry into the franchise and, though I did thoroughly enjoy it, I couldn’t help but feel as though Romero lost something with it. I certainly recommend it and it will find a place on my DVD shelf, but it could have been great.
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