Diary Of the Dead (18.)
Directed by George A. Romero.
Starring Michelle Morgan, Josh Close, Shawn Roberts, Amy Lalonde, Joe Dinicol, Scott Wentworth. 95 min.
George A Romero’s relationship to zombie movies is like England’s with the game of football – it was their gift to the world but now the whole world seems to have surpassed them. After two decades away, Romero returned to the genre with 2005’s Land of the Dead, only to find his effort was left looking tired by a spoof Shawn of the Dead and a Dawn of the Dead remake. Now he’s tried to reassert his authority by doing a Blair Witch style Dead movie, only for it to come out weeks after Cloverfield.
Diary is a start-all-over-again effort, following the road trip of a group of film students who are making a horror movie when news begins to break of the dead coming back to life and eating people. They jump into their Winnebago and head for home but the director Jason Creed (Close) grabs his camera and is determined to make a documentary of it.
Romero's reputation rests on his once revolutionary ability to make smart, socially engaged horror movies. Now that even the most idiotic of filmmakers are knowing, you notice how heavy-handed Romero's satirical jibes are. His pokes at an age where everyone is a cameraman would have more bite if he didn't feel the need to hammer it home in the narration. At one point he has a character spell out the author's message, "if it doesn't happen on film, it's like it didn't happen."
It’s supposed to be a zombie film for the YouTube generation but it doesn’t have the first person rawness of films like Blair Witch or Cloverfield. It’s far too slick and the narrative is constantly interrupted by external footage supposedly found on the internet.
But Romero has a certain proprietarily authority and there is something thrilling about him returning to his low budget independent roots. He's a 442 traditionalist who believes in slow-moving zombies, authentic low budget horror movie dialogue and bad acting.
Overall he's a bit behind the times but even at 68 years old Romero still sets the standard by which all on-screen decapitations and dismemberments must be judged. Watch out for the deaf Amish man and his innovative use of a scythe; it's simply majestic.
Directed by George A. Romero.
Starring Michelle Morgan, Josh Close, Shawn Roberts, Amy Lalonde, Joe Dinicol, Scott Wentworth. 95 min.
George A Romero’s relationship to zombie movies is like England’s with the game of football – it was their gift to the world but now the whole world seems to have surpassed them. After two decades away, Romero returned to the genre with 2005’s Land of the Dead, only to find his effort was left looking tired by a spoof Shawn of the Dead and a Dawn of the Dead remake. Now he’s tried to reassert his authority by doing a Blair Witch style Dead movie, only for it to come out weeks after Cloverfield.
Diary is a start-all-over-again effort, following the road trip of a group of film students who are making a horror movie when news begins to break of the dead coming back to life and eating people. They jump into their Winnebago and head for home but the director Jason Creed (Close) grabs his camera and is determined to make a documentary of it.
Romero's reputation rests on his once revolutionary ability to make smart, socially engaged horror movies. Now that even the most idiotic of filmmakers are knowing, you notice how heavy-handed Romero's satirical jibes are. His pokes at an age where everyone is a cameraman would have more bite if he didn't feel the need to hammer it home in the narration. At one point he has a character spell out the author's message, "if it doesn't happen on film, it's like it didn't happen."
It’s supposed to be a zombie film for the YouTube generation but it doesn’t have the first person rawness of films like Blair Witch or Cloverfield. It’s far too slick and the narrative is constantly interrupted by external footage supposedly found on the internet.
But Romero has a certain proprietarily authority and there is something thrilling about him returning to his low budget independent roots. He's a 442 traditionalist who believes in slow-moving zombies, authentic low budget horror movie dialogue and bad acting.
Overall he's a bit behind the times but even at 68 years old Romero still sets the standard by which all on-screen decapitations and dismemberments must be judged. Watch out for the deaf Amish man and his innovative use of a scythe; it's simply majestic.
