“We made a film – the one I’m going to show you now. Actually, Jason was the one who wanted to make it. Like that cameraman from Channel 10, he wanted to upload it so that people, you, could be told the truth. The film was shot with a Panasonic HDX-900 and an HBX-200. I did the final cut on Jason’s laptop. I’ve added music occasionally for effect, hoping to scare you. You see, in addition to trying to tell you the truth, I am hoping to scare you so that maybe you’ll wake up. Maybe you won’t make any of the same mistakes that we made. Anyway, here it is, Jason Creed’s The Death of Death.”
It’s ironic that 28 Days Later and the Dawn of the Dead remake (which was originally a George Romero film), have jump-started Romero’s long-running “Dead” series that started in 1968 with Night of the Living Dead. Since 28 Days Later and the Dawn remake were released, Romero has released two new installments: Land of the Dead in 2005 and now Diary of the Dead in 2007.
It’s also quite ironic, and perhaps a little sad, that 28 Days Later and even the Dawn of the Dead remake were better movies than any of Romero’s “Dead” films since the original Dawn of the Dead was released in 1978. But with Diary of the Dead, Romero clearly isn’t putting this series to bed any time soon. And according to IMDb, a sequel to Diary of the Dead is on its way.
So, is Diary of the Dead any good?
“Can somebody please explain to me why girls in scary movies always have to, like, fall down and lose their shoes and shit? It’s totally lame. And why do we always have to get our dresses torn off?”
Right off the bat, Diary of the Dead screams low-budget. I’m not exactly a huge Romero or “Dead” fan, but I would imagine that those who are would say that a return to Romero’s low-budget roots is a good thing. After all, Romero made the original Night of the Living Dead on a shoestring budget. And even though it took me a while to adjust my eye and ear to a no-name cast and low-budget look/feel, before long I got into the mind frame of the film, despite some bad acting and cheesy lines.
The plot is as follows: a small horror film crew slowly realize that the dead are coming back to life. Only the director refuses to turn off his camera, shooting the carnage as it happens, Blair Witch and Cloverfield style, so that someday people will know the truth before the media spins it into something different.
As you know, Romero’s “Dead” films are usually recycled versions of the same movie with a new social commentary thrown into the mix. This time it’s television and the Internet and how the media massages the truth. And as you probably also know, Romero hammers the viewer over the head with this message. He’s never been one for subtlety, and here it’s no different. Romero hits the mark on several occasions, but other times the viewer will be like, “OK, I get it. Enough.”
What does set Diary apart from some of Romero’s other “Dead” films is that he returns to the day that the shit hit the fan. His characters are in ground zero, and the “as it happens” news reports on the radio heighten the suspense. However, the characters are never really given much to do other than argue with one another and beg for the director to turn off the camera. And this is where Diary of the Dead feels more like The Blair Witch Project than a bona fide “Dead” movie.
But Romero doesn’t skimp on the blood and guts, and he mixes in some good black comedy. From that standpoint, the movie manages to score some points. But overall, Diary of the Dead is more proof that Romero’s “Dead” series is getting long in the tooth. It’s also been one-upped by other directors who have re-invented the zombie genre with a more biting and subtle social commentary, so it may be time to shoot this zombie in the head and call it a day.
The Steelbook Blu-ray ports over three of the original release’s extras: Character Confessionals, The First Week and Roots. The Audio Commentary also remains. The steelbook is cool, and if you haven’t added the film, I’m not sure waiting for 4K is your way forward. Here it is; take it. “Take this. It’s too easy to use.”
Parts of this review were written by Sean Jester
