Diary of the Dead (2007)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

George A. Romero

Writer (WGA):

George A. Romero (written by)

Release Date:

7 March 2008 (UK)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Shoot the dead.

Plot:

A group of young film students run into real-life zombies while filming a horror movie of their own.

Plot Keywords:

Professor | Film Student | Car Accident | Suicide | Pistol

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Michelle Morgan	...	Debra Moynihan
Joshua Close	...	Jason Creed (as Josh Close)
Shawn Roberts	...	Tony Ravello
Amy Ciupak Lalonde	...	Tracy Thurman (as Amy Lalonde)
Joe Dinicol	...	Eliot Stone
Scott Wentworth	...	Andrew Maxwell
Philip Riccio	...	Ridley Wilmott
Chris Violette	...	Gordo Thorsen
Tatiana Maslany	...	Mary Dexter
Todd Schroeder	...	Brody (as Todd William Schroeder)
Daniel Kash	...	Police Officer
Laura DeCarteret	...	Bree
Martin Roach	...	Stranger
Megan Park	...	Francine Shane
George Buza	...	Tattooed Biker

Also Known As:

George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead (USA) (complete title)
Land of the Dead 2 (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong horror violence and gore, and pervasive language.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A | USA:R | UK:18 | Ireland:16 | Argentina:16 | Portugal:M/18 | Australia:MA | Taiwan:R-18 | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:R21 (cut) | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | France:-12

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Artfire Films

Trivia:

Cameo: [Guillermo del Toro]Director of films such as Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004), and El laberinto del fauno (2006) (a.k.a. "Pan's Labyrinth") cameos in a voiceover role as a newsreader.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Scranton is 122 miles northeast of Harrisburg; it does not make sense traveling from Pittsburgh (in the western most part of Pennsylvania) to drop a character off in Scranton before swinging down to take another to Harrisburg.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Police Officer: 628 Tremont. 6-2-8. Three dead. No, just the usual. Fuck. Usual. It's no big deal these days, right?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2008-02-23)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Prelude in D Flat Major

Such a Disappointment!

George A Romero, in my opinion is without a doubt one of the finest directors of his time. His 'Dead' series is my favourite film franchise of all time. So, as you'd expect, I awaited eagerly for the DVD release of this title (I'm 16, so the cinema wasn't an option.) I sat down and watched. And what did I watch? Some of the WORST acting I have ever laid eyes upon on a film with this much hype. I don't know what it was, whether the despicable lead characters and their unrealistic behaviour or the 'comedy' elements that weren't funny but it just didn't work. It pains me to say it, it honestly does but this entry was by far the worst of them all. Romero's previous films in the series always display a subtle and effective message about the social/political or moral attitudes of our society, but 'Diary...'s message is clunky and uncomfortably obvious about the YouTube and MySpace phenomenon. Overall, a total let down, made even worse by the sheer awesomeness of the previous instalment's. I've tried to be constructive with my criticisms here, but even Romero's reputation is struggling to save this one here. I just hope there is another one, to save the reputation of the Series. 3/10 P:(