A film by George Romero, the legend of zombie films.
Look, someone needs to say it and others need to hear it, so I'll do it: George Romero is a washed up hack and the most overrated horror creator of all time. Everything he's made is quite honestly a poorly written turd that does more to push his ridiculously insane politics than to entertain.
I mean let's look at his body of work:
Night of the Living Dead - Maybe the first real movie about our modern day zombies. Outside of the opening scene, which was fantastic (let's give the devil his due), it wasn't that good and definitely doesn't age well.
Dawn of the Dead - This is the one that really put him on the map, particularly with horror audiences today. While Night was his introduction, Dawn put him on top. This was hugely popular, a popular sequel was recently made, and hell I own it. The problem is that it wasn't especially good. Truth be told, the allure of the mall was the real selling point of the movie, not anything Romero did as writer/producer. Everyone who watched it just thought it would be cool to take over a mall if the zombie apocalypse (sorry Gordo...WHEN not if) happens. The film itself was horribly written and directed.
Day of the Dead - A steaming piece of shit. Nothing more needs to be said.
Land of the Dead - The best example of his terrible politics disguised as a zombie movie. The ending is easily one of the worst in the history of film making with its: "Live and Let Live" message. Because humans should honestly turn the other cheek instead of exterminating zombies whose only purpose is to feed on human flesh.
Back to Diary of the Dead, this shows what a joke Romero has become as it's a blatant rip off of the excellent "World War Z" by Max Brooks.
On a sidenote, the film for that book is forthcoming from Brad Pitt's production company.
In more questionable territory is the appearance of a Winnebago. To non-zombie lovers, you have no idea to what I'm referring, but for those who love the zombies (or as Gordo likes to call them: "people who will survive the inevitable zombie apolalypse") you know what I'm talking about. In the phenomenal comic series called "The Walking Dead" by Robert Kirkman, the main characters traveled across the country in a Winnebago for quite some time. Blatant rip off or homage? Your call. Although there is a sequel coming out in 2009 (I wish I was kidding) and let's just say that a logical place for this sequel to at least begin, would be in the Winnebago...
The plot follows student film makers as they document and try to survive the initial days of a zombie apocalypse.
Every horror movie cliche is here from the terrible direction, bad camera angles, laughable acting, piss poor writing, unrealistic characters and actions, stupid situations, etc.
In fact, there was not a single moment in this movie where the characters were in danger without their own stupidity having caused it.
I really want to go nuts ripping this movie apart, but making this spoiler free prevents me from doing so.
Look, I love horror films and especially zombies. I used to give Romero his credit and never bashed him, but at this point I can't take it anymore. He's flooding the market with other people's ideas, bad movies, and even worse politics. Not to mention he doesn't have any original ideas anymore. His imdb listing shows he's working on nothing but remakes and sequels of his own work.
Romero needs to call it a career and leave now before other people wake up and realize talentless he is, thus ruining his legacy.
Only horror and zombie lovers need apply to see this film. Everyone else is advised to skip it. It IS a fantastic idea (thanks Max Brooks) and I hope Brad Pitt does it justice.
(Unless you're playing a drinking game where everyone drinks when someone does or says something stupid. I'm not sure anyone would be able to make it halfway through the film.)
3 out of 10.
Diary of the Dead
I've never liked any of his direction. His whole career has been based on a couple of brilliant creative ideas that were implemented in a hamfisted but acceptable manner, and ever since he's been beating that desicated horse.
"ATTENTION: Customers browsing porn must hold magazines with both hands at all times!"
I've never liked any of his direction. His whole career has been based on a couple of brilliant creative ideas that were implemented in a hamfisted but acceptable manner, and ever since he's been beating that desicated horse.
Exactly!
No Romero, no "Shaun of the Dead."
I give the man credit for starting a genre, but that doesn't mean he's not overrated or a bad director who had a few good ideas (which may not have been his own...).
“Activism is a way for useless people to feel important, even if the consequences of their activism are counterproductive for those they claim to be helping and damaging to the fabric of society as a whole.” - Dr Thomas Sowell
DVR'd this. Oh ye fucking gods. I thought George had exec producer creds, and that was it. Nope. Written and directed. Ouch. The hardest part to swallow is the notion that the narrator constantly has a camera on him and refuses to put it down, even when he's watching someone get attacked. He's worse than dead weight, he's wannabe reality TV director dead weight. My theory is the living humans are still affected by the virus, but it drops their IQ in the negatives before it zombifies them. The way the ex-Nat'l Guard dudes handled the lockdown situation was what really started me cheering for the shambling corpses. Then there were the moral and emotional breakdowns a couple characters after they had to put down some zombies that otherwise would've killed them. I know I'd lose hours of sleep over it.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."