George A Romero's: Diary of the Dead

George A. Romero practical invented the mythology of the modern day zombie. Having directed/written four of the zombie movie staples of the past forty years including Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Day of the Dead Romero is truly a brilliant auteur. Land of the Dead (2005) was his latest effort. The film added to the mythology of the zombie and evolved the entire idea of the living dead. It did not however, quite live up to my expectations. Diary of the Dead (which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival) wasn't much better.

With just about every other movie these days coming out with their own version of the zombie (Resident Evil, 28 Days/Weeks Later, I am Legend) Romero actually has some unexpected competition. Diary however, barely exceeds the level of your standard slasher/horror movie. It does take a very interesting point of view though.

Diary is actually a movie within a movie. Within Diary is a documentary pieced together by a group of film students entitled "The Death of Death." The group was filming their own amateur horror movie when they heard about an epidemic of the dead being reanimated and attacking those around them. The students frantically try to get back home to their families in a Winnebago R.V.

The documentary is pieced together from two cameras held by the students, narration, security footage, and cell phone camera videos. We are able to see the ordeal through the eyes of the victims. As such this is not nearly the gore-fest that many other zombie movies are. Don't worry though, there is plenty of intestine eating, skull melting, and arrow impalings.

The film also contains a hint of relevant social commentary. The media's abuse of power in our commercially fueled communication system is portrayed quite distinctively, and to what end getting the truth out is worth. The end of the movie questions the morality of human beings in general. The last scene begs the question "are we worth being saved?"

I am still a Romero fan and hopefully the next chapter in the Dead series will build on the concept introduced in this movie (because it was a great idea, just poorly executed in my opinion). This was however a decent addition to Romero's resume and it is likely worth a matinée ticket.

3/5 Stars.