George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead

[bassman]

Playing devil's advocate a bit, isn't Survival a risk given Diary's reception? I'm just curious why they wouldn't see his current Dead movie-making efforts as just as risky as a new venture. Moreso since the franchise has kinda run its course and then some. I don't have the sources at hand right now, but I once saw an interview in which Grunwald said that Diary did very well and made back quite a profit. As for something non-horror that Romero has mentioned.....he's said before that he would love to make a Tarzan picture and a comedy.

[capncnut]

I don't have the sources at hand right now, but I once saw an interview in which Grunwald said that Diary did very well and made back quite a profit. Horror films will always scrape in the buckage, that's why they keep making all those shitty Saw sequels.

[darth los]

Horror films will always scrape in the buckage, that's why they keep making all those shitty Saw sequels. I thought I was the only one who felt that way!! God those movies are awful. The first one was good. The franchise goes into a tailspin after that. Among other things it just got too convoluted.

[Yojimbo]

I had read that Diary was made for approx 2 million, and made an instant profit when Weinstein purchased the distribution rights for 2.5. Worldwide gross box office (according to IMDB and other online sources - for what they are worth) is reported at $5,188,755.00, which brings a net profit of 3,688,775 not including DVD sales. DVD sales figures - again if you believe the web - have been reported to be $4,563,262 as of June 2008. All this seems to indicate that DIARY was quite profitable for the investors, especially given the limited distribution and advertising for this independent film.

[darth los]

Say what you will about diary but I'll watch that film over land any day of the week. Imo, diary is closer to what GAr does than land was. Diary just FEELS more like a GAr film to me.

[Trin]

Okay, so if I'm reading this right it was the profitability of Diary that is keeping GAR restricted to further Dead movies. That is, they will only throw movies at him that they know he'll be profitable on, which at this point is Dead movies. Did Diary do better than Land? I'd guess as percent return on investment it was worse, but overall profit it was better. But I'm just guessing. Sorry to disagree with you darth, but Diary actually improved my opinion of Land. It gave me something worse to compare by. Maybe "Tarzan of the Dead" set in a jungle?? He could walk around moaning, "Jaaainnnss... Jaaaaiiinnsssss..."

[MinionZombie]

Horror films will always scrape in the buckage, that's why they keep making all those shitty Saw sequels. lol, innit just... Saw a clip from SAW 6 today ... ugh ... so fed up with them making them. I love the first one, the second is meh, the third is good ... then 4 and 5 were dreadful crap, and 6 will be the same ... oh and yeah, SAW 7 is in the making right now. I've heard they're gonna try and go for NINE of the fuckers. ... GAR wants to keep making movies - the problem is, the only movies he can really seem to get off the ground are zed flicks - he's the zombie maestro, but the money men don't see anything else in him (which is a damn shame, and unjust). I would love to see GAR get to make another kind of flick (especially a comedy), but likewise I will always be there to see a GAR zombie flick if that's all he ever gets to make from now on (although that would be a huge shame, and not a good idea either). I had hoped he would make his zombie comedy idea which was essentially one zombie getting into all manner of Wyle E. Coyote type situations - which, to me at least, sounds frigging great!!!

[krakenslayer]

List of Concerns 1) That the poor weather and troubled production may have robbed the film of its most impressive scenarios and situations (as hinted at in THX's interview with GAR) 2) That there won't be enough zombies. One issue with Diary was that there were never more than five or six ghouls on screen at any one time. The trailer for this looks more promising, but some things that Romero has said have given me a little cause for concern (see above) 3) That it will be too short and have an abrupt ending. Low budget and rushed production schedule usually = low running time. Land and Diary both ended just as the plot was picking up a real head of steam, I'm hoping this won't be the same 4) That there will be too much talk and too many pointless characters we don't care about, doing things that don't make sense. Diary suffered from the talkage and Land (and to a lesser extent Day) had too little character development spread over too many characters 5) That the majority of the film will be set on Plum Island where the only zombies are kept under lock and key and don't escape until ten minutes before the end of the film (a la Day) List of Hopes 1) That we will get to see some of the zombie-infested mainland before we head off to the island 2) That the main character is a Snake Plissken-style badass with depth, and that the island folk are at least interesting and act in ways that, at least within their own crazy logic, make sense 3) That the zombies will be, at least in some scenes, scary again. And also do lots of eating, and get killed in various interesting (but not silly) ways 4) That the zombies are at least a presence throughout the film 5) That there is plenty of action 6) That the wet, dark weather conditions under which it was shot helps lend the film a cool gloomy atmosphere 7) That it feels like a Romero zombie movie

[darth los]

Sorry to disagree with you darth, but Diary actually improved my opinion of Land. It gave me something worse to compare by. Disagreements are great. The problem comes in when people want to disparage others for liking things that they just don't get. For the record I've watched land like twicw the whole way through. I just can't do it man.

[bassman]

Didn't know if this had been posted. Cool pictures... http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/16812

[Trin]

Disagreements are great. The problem comes in when people want to disparage others for liking things that they just don't get. I hate disagreements and I just don't get them and I think it is a severe character flaw that you like them. @kraken - nice list of hopes/fears. Remind me to thrash you with the rubber hose for some of those anti-Day observations!! I find it really disheartening that a few days of bad weather could mar the Dead series. You know that if the movie sucks we'll be bantering about what the weather cost this movie for months, and then years later no one will remember the trials the movie went through as they bash it to pieces. Just sad.

[Monrozombi]

Didn't know if this had been posted. Cool pictures... http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/16812 Dont' I look good on the right side of that picture????? ;-) hehehe

[shootemindehead]

@Krakenslayer... Yep, having people do stupid things is a no-no. That's one of the things that buggered 'Diary of the Dead' for me. Stupid actions destroy credibility. Although, people DO do stupid things all the time (except me). There's a limit to what you can find credible on the screen. 'Diary of the Dead' & 'Day of the Dead' may have been talky. But the difference was that the talking in 'Day of the Dead' was genuinely interesting and helped form the threatening atmosphere of the film. Whereas, the talking in 'Diary of the Dead' was the same old inane "message" being forced through and it became tedious after the first reel.

[darth los]

@Krakenslayer... Yep, having people do stupid things is a no-no. That's one of the things that buggered 'Diary of the Dead' for me. Stupid actions destroy credibility. Although, people DO do stupid things all the time (except me). There's a limit to what you can find credible on the screen. 'Diary of the Dead' & 'Day of the Dead' may have been talky. But the difference was that the talking in 'Day of the Dead' was genuinely interesting and helped form the threatening atmosphere of the film. Whereas, the talking in 'Diary of the Dead' was the same old inane "message" being forced through and it became tedious after the first reel. Of course it destroy's credibility. That and bad acting. I love dawn 04' but one thing that dampened the enjoyment of the film for me were bonehead/inexplicable move. That girl going after the dog. Can you say WTF!?! Another is them saying,o.k. screw the saftey of the mall let's make a break for it and if we don't make it , oh well. Again, can you say WTF!?! Speak for yourself dude , I'm not leaving thins mall no matter how much an asshole steve was.

[AcesandEights]

'Diary of the Dead' & 'Day of the Dead' may have been talky. But the difference was that the talking in 'Day of the Dead' was genuinely interesting and helped form the threatening atmosphere of the film. Whereas, the talking in 'Diary of the Dead' was the same old inane "message" being forced through and it became tedious after the first reel. Amen to that, sir! A well crafted story with engrossing characters will do a lot more to sell a message and get people thinking than furnishing them with a hollow story whose whole point seems to be repetitively bonking the audience on the head with said 'message', which is the unfortunate thing that happened in Diary.