Go go Gadget Blog Revitalization! Sorry for the three month lapse in activity folks, but hopefully I'll be able to get back in the swing of things with today's review of Diary of the Dead. Now, I love a good zombie movie. Hell, I love a bad zombie movie, too. Romero's Diary of the Dead falls somewhere in between.
Unfortunately, this film didn't see a US-wide release until after Cloverfield was released, which could lead to viewers seeing the cinematography as derivative. However, it's important to realize that Diary of the Dead was screened at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2007, a few months before Cloverfield was released. With that in mind, the cinematography does have a few major differences from that of Cloverfield. The biggest difference is that Diary is presented as having been shot by film students and then later edited, so it has a soundtrack and some strategic editing. Also, Diary has more than one camera active at points in the film, when it shows more than one character's point of view.
My brother has always said Romero always does a good job making zombie films which aren't necessarily about zombies. This is especially true for Diary, but unfortunately Romero is anything but subtle about it. A lot of the dialogue preaches about the horrors of modern media and the inhumanity of mankind to the point where mid-way through the film I was thinking "Yeah, we get it, how about some more zombies now?" Also, several of the characters are just plain annoying with their outright cynicism over everything that's happening in their lives. There is one particularly enjoyable character in the deaf/mute Amish guy, but unfortunately he is only around for a few minutes.
So, to sum up: zombies = good, preachiness = bad, movie = entertaining.
Three and a half stars out of five.
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