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Michèle Morgan, Joshua Close, Shawn Roberts, Amy Lalonde, Joe Dinicol ... see more see more... , Scott Wentworth , Phillip Riccio , Christopher Violette , Chris Violette , Tatiana Maslany , Megan Park

Horror icon George A. Romero effectively hits the "reset" button on his hugely influential Dead series with this scaled-back look at the zombie apocalypse as told from the perspective of a student fil... read more read more...mmaker who sets out to shoot a low-budget fright film, but instead captures the breakdown of modern society at the decaying hands of flesh-eating ghouls. Jason Creed (Joshua Close) and his crew are shooting a mummy movie in the Pennsylvania woods when media reports begin pouring in about the dead rising from their graves to feast on the flesh of the living. While self-centered star Ridley (Phillip Riccio) beats a hasty retreat to his family's fortified mansion halfway across the state, the remaining cast and crew are forced to fight for their lives despite having no weapons to speak of, and only a wobbly recreational vehicle in which to seek shelter. Immediately recognizing the gravity of the situation and outspokenly skeptical of the media, determined director Creed decides to use his own camera to capture the real story in a documentary entitled "The Death of Death." Now, as the group attempts to fight their way to safety, the skeptics will all watch as their greatest fears become reality, and the realists will attempt to process a nightmare that modern science would pass off as impossible. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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42% liked it

25,527 ratings

Critics

62% liked it

128 critics

R, 1 hr. 34 min.

Directed by: George A. Romero

Release Date: September 8, 2007

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DVD Release Date: May 20, 2008

Stats: 5,395 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (5,395)

  • fb100000257973100
    May 29, 2011
    fb100000257973100
    As of now, one of the main types of horror films that are taking reign as being the main ones made are the 'Found Footage' genre. In case you do not know, found footage is a genre that is a horror film that is filmed like a documentary on a certain event; characterized by shaky c... read moreameras. Examples include Cannibal Holocaust, The Blair Witch Project, and Rec/ Quarantine. Diary Of The Dead is George A. Romero's take on this genre with his famous zombies and what is created is a film that is not terribly smart, but entertaining to say the least with a great political backdrop like most of his films have. Now, the direction of this film, as I have said, is different than the other films in the '... Of The Dead" franchise. With the use of shaky cameras, it gives more chances for scares that, in some ways, actually work and become effective. With the production quality, the only thing that really has improved are the gore effects which there are plenty of (as you can tell, it is not best to watch this if you hate gore). Some times it looks cartoonish and at times it looks good. So, that is a mix bag. Now we have the characters that try to survive this entire ordeal. For the most part, the actors were one dimensional with constant arguments over filming this epidemic and, to be honest, that did take away from the film a bit. The score for this film, unlike most recent horror films, actually works with creating the suspense with the film. There were a couple times here and there that I think it should have been different, but it is not that much to complain about. Now, finally, how good the allegory for this story was. Like with all of Romero's zombie films, there is an underlining message. Here it has to deal with people's usage of the internet and how dependent we are. The use of this allegory, and how it works with the zombies, I feel got the point across, but I doubt most others will get it. So, overall, my main opinion is this: to the general audience, this will be a rather unintelligent but fun zombie film to watch, but try looking for the underlining themes and understand what is really being said. A little fun fact: look for the cameos of Stephen King, Quentin Tarantino, Guillermo del Toro, Wes Craven, and George A. Romero!
  • LoughnerWasLucid
    April 4, 2011
    LoughnerWasLucid
    At the end of the movie, the surviving girl asks, "are we worth saving?"
    and the movie answers its own question by including the scene in which "the world's luckiest aspiring horror filmmaker" gets to tape his girlfriend while they are debating the meaning of death and the two ot... read moreher guys are taping him taping his girlfriend. you know like, just incase someone spills fresca on his tape, then its ok cause they gots extras, bro. so my answer is, "eat us, spare us, save us, but please use a video camera with decent HD quality to tape it with."
  • blacksheepboy
    March 4, 2011
    blacksheepboy
    Romero seems virtually incapable of following the language of modern horror films using the fake documentary style. The subjective camera is too steady and aseptic for an amateurish recording, the dialogue is unbelievable and everything else is just a pathetic embarrassment.
  • ythelastman89
    August 24, 2010
    ythelastman89
    I don't know what George A. Romero was thinking here. It was like a bad version of Cloverfield. It didn't look amateuristic at all, just corny. There were about two interesting characters and way too much cgi effects for zombies that could easily have been done with just make-up.... read more I'm happy that it's not really in continuity with the other Of The Dead series because it sticks out like a sore thumb.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    June 8, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Diary Of The Dead is George A. Romero's latest Zombie nightmare. Much like Land Of The Dead, Romero tried something different. This time, he tried to do a documentary style zombie film. The camera work is similar to Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project. I don't understand why ... read morethis film got so many bad reviews. In a time where the Horror genre lacks originality, at least a few directors manage to turn out some good, original films. George Romero is one of them. Diary Of The Dead is a very good zombie film, filmed docu style and puts you at the centre of the action. Diary Of The Dead has plenty of thrilling moments and it has everything you'd expect from a Romero film, hell any good horror film for that matter. Enjoy!
  • MizturY0da
    April 22, 2010
    MizturY0da
    What is it with the classic directors; Spielberg, Carpenter, and now Romero, that they seem to produce such abysmal drivel as they get older? Dennis Leary once joked that Elvis should have been killed young so that people only remembered him at his best. If that was true, then Ro... read moremero should have joined him before this dross was made.

    Like reality TV, these stupid home movie within a movie offerings are popular at the moment, probably because they're cheap to make. Blair Witch has a lot to answer for. If Cloverfield left you cold, this movie will give you rigor mortis, with its aimless plot, its set-piece action, and its massively, completely unimaginative, by the numbers encounters.

    To say that the basic premise of this film is ridiculous, is a huge understatement - and I'm not talking about the zombies either! Even if you accept that the film is set in a world where zombies can exist, I simply refuse to accept that anyone would tolerate the lead character constantly filming instead of helping his friends to survive. In the real world, I think it would be a dead cert that one of his friends would either have fed him to a zombie, or at very least, smashed the hell out of his camera to re-engage him with the real world.
  • thefog1331
    April 12, 2010
    thefog1331
    I don't know if it's the whole documentary feel or the SOV gimmick or the fact it's not anywhere as gory as his previous efforts but it just doesn't feel like a Romero film. Or maybe its just the fact it sucked unlike any other previous Romero film.
  • 3niR
    January 27, 2010
    3niR
    "I told you dead people walk slowly"...
    This camera movie idea is getting old. And the zombie thingy is like oldest. This was no near a good movie. But at some point it was okay.
  • matertenebraum
    August 25, 2009
    matertenebraum
    I have always admired the films of Romero and there can be no doubt that he is the godfather of zombie films. Alas, i think he should have finished his zombie career with day of the dead. Land of the dead certainly wasn't a bad film and this is far from the worst i've ever seen b... read moreut the step down is none the less noticeable. The modern cinematic world owes a lot to Romero but it's clear that the modern cinematic world has moved on from him.

    Lets start with the main problems(and ignore the million little ones):-

    1. An idiot who keeps filming even when he or his friends are in danger (at no point does the brilliant idea of putting the camera down occur to him)

    2. A narrator that appears to have edited the film so that it looks polished and yet who chooses to leave in the moments when the camera goes off or turns black

    3. A narrator (and editor) who thinks incidental music should be added for tension (imagine those who filmed 9/11 doing the same and you will arrive at the same tasteless nature of this)

    4. A narrator (and editor) who wishes for us to witness her rotting corpse family attack her (journalists may pretend to put journalistic integrity before emotional involvement but this is perverse)

    5. An allegory for the war in Iraq (we aren't being given the full information etc) that needs to be endlessly repeated.

    6. The notion that they needed to film everything to show the world the truth (like walking zombies wouldn't do it for most people)

    7. Romero getting the opportunity to remind everyone that he thinks zombies should be slow (and reminding us again and again)

    This isn't an absolutely awful film by any stretch but in relation to the history and reputation of Romero, it is alas.....somewhat of an embarrassment
  • phubbs1
    April 7, 2009
    phubbs1
    Yet another boring, unscary and totally unneeded zombie flick hurrah!!

    Yes I admit it is a clever twist to have it done like its really happening ala via a handheld cam and like all zombie flicks by Romero it is eerie and well made, BUT its just ANOTHER zombie flick, it seems to... read more be all Romero can do, enough all ready, we get it, you like zombie films jesus.
    He made some crappy zombie flicks along time ago and seems to think thats a license to make even more of the same, nooooooooooo STOP.
    To be honest as I said it is well made and some of the zombie deaths are cool as usual. The whole thing does take time to get going and the end sequences inside a mansion with cams looks very much like the Resident Evil computer game, not bad but not original either.
    The cast are the usual screaming teens who get popped one at a time till only 2/3 remain (one character looking very much like a young version of the Half Life computer game main character) and yes Im afraid its an open ending for yet more of the same, NOOOOOOOO.
    Lets leave this bloody zombie rubbish alone now please, yes the zombies win, yes the world must obviously surcome to the zombies, thats where it all seems to be leading in Romero's films and yes we all know how zombie flicks go now.
    Hopefully the last.

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Critic Reviews

Desson Thomson
July 16, 2008
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

We want to high-five Romero for finding new ways to off his lifeless marauders. Full Review

James Berardinelli
June 10, 2008
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Not only the most satisfying motion picture Romero has made in a long while, but one of the best of his career. Full Review

Manohla Dargis
April 14, 2008
Manohla Dargis, New York Times

It's clever, or at least clever enough to keep you going and interested from start to finish. It just isn't scary.

Colin Covert
March 6, 2008
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

It's a shame to speak ill of the dead, but Romero leaves us no alternative. Full Review

Dana Stevens
February 17, 2008
Dana Stevens, Slate

Hardly top-drawer Romero. In fact, it may be his worst zombie film yet. But even bad Romero is a far sight more interesting than the coolly sadistic guts-porn that currently passes for mainstream horror. Full Review

Peter Howell
February 15, 2008
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Romero turns his no-frills production into an asset. Full Review

Peter Hartlaub
February 15, 2008
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle

It's one of the least scary films that [Romero's] made -- but still entertaining, and very, very gory. Full Review

Roger Moore
February 15, 2008
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Even a legend's got to make a living, sure. But Diary, for all its core audience appeal, feels like a filmmaker lurching slowly down a path he's already worn out. Full Review

Kyle Smith
February 15, 2008
Kyle Smith, New York Post

A movie in which victims wander as aimlessly as their undead stalkers. Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman
February 15, 2008
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

It seems sacrilegious to dismiss a zombie movie by Romero, who's been blending horror and satire since 1968's Night of the Living Dead. But his latest approach feels uncomfortably behind the curve. Full Review

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