George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead: Reviewed
Godfather of Gore Romero Re-boots his classic Zombie series
Dec 23, 2008 Andrew Swidenbank
In this re-boot of Romero's Dead series, a group of film students shooting their own horror movie suddenly hear the news that the dead are coming back to life. Before they know it they're in the middle of a full on zombie apocalypse, and director Jason (Joshua Close) keeps the camera rolling as they attempt to escape the flesh eating hordes...
Zombie Nation
Anyone would think that George A. Romero would be sick of zombies by now. But, no, even after four films featuring the living dead he's returned with a fifth, Diary of the Dead. As ever, the rotting masses are as much a tool for Romero to communicate his satirical messages as they are objects of horror. This time around the media gets lampooned, as we follow a bunch of film students shooting the unfolding crisis first-person with hand-held cameras (à la Cloverfield).
Romero's subversive comments may have always been a little heavy handed (commercialism in Dawn of the Dead, militarism in Day of the Dead), and Diary is no exception, but they always ring true. Even as the college kids fight for survival, we see through their eyes how the media are spinning the situation, and this contrast works all the more neatly with the first-person viewpoint.
The cast is largely made up of unknowns, creating an air of authenticity around the film. For the most part they do a good job, chewing through some of Romero's more sketchy dialogue with a realness that adds to the documentary feel. They're all irritating and irresponsible in their own ways, but only enough to seem like real people, not horror movie caricatures. Especially prominent is the dry and cynical college professor that tags along for the ride, constantly swigging bourbon and spouting philosophy in a manner that suggests he's seen all this crap before.
Gory. Funny. Scary?
As should be expected, the zombies themselves are suitably gross, as are the ways in which they and their victims are dispatched. It is a shame though that Romero opted for CGI blood and guts for the most part, as his earlier films pioneered in-camera special effects make up, and they still look far superior today.
Not that it's all grim. Romero weaves in some genuinely funny moments despite the horrifying events that are unfolding around the protagonists – notably a chance meeting with a mute Amish man called Samuel.
Diary does have one potentially problematic flaw though; the fact is that it isn't scary. Even if you are the kind of person who keeps a copy of The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks on their bedside table just in case (and who doesn't?), chances are you won't find the ghouls in the movie particularly frightening. There seems to be so much potential for tension building and scares with the first-person camera perspective, but it is never truly utilised, which is disappointing.
The film does however raise some interesting questions about human nature, as we see main camera-man and director Jason become increasingly more obsessed with documenting what is happening – to the extent that he keeps shooting the footage even when he should be helping his friends.
In Closing
As a whole, Diary is a worthy addition to Romero's Dead canon. It might not reach the heights of his classics but it certainly shows an evolution in his film making from 1968's Night of the Living Dead. Bloody good stuff.
- Dir. George A. Romero.
- Starring: Joshua Close, Michelle Morgan, Shawn Roberts.
- 112 Mins.
- Cert: 18 (UK), R (US).
Diary of the Dead US Poster
|
Diary of the Dead UK DVD
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Film & TV
Latest Articles