Why I'm leaving George Romero

[Rancid Carcass]

The only scene from it that's actually corny is the golf cart scene. "Rhodes, you bastard!" as Rhodes is doing 5 MPH away on the golf cart and Steele stands there. They can't all be Bullitt.

[Mr.G]

I think the reason why the first three were awesome was because the "political messages" were not intentional. The last three did have intentional political messages. Since the fans found deeper meaning than was actually there in the original three, Romero feels the need to intentionally put the political bullshit in there because he thinks that is what the fans want, and it ends up harming the film and his career (my opinion). IMO, the original three included intentional themes BUT the audience wasn't beaten over the head with the message while watching. However, the new trilogy's messages are so blatant it detracts from the viewing experience.

[DEAD BEAT]

Hey, if you feel that way about "Day" you should check out Romero's 1985 version which is neither corny and certainly not 'ghetto' like the 2008 piece of shit. It's actually probably the greatest horror film ever made. The only scene from it that's actually corny is the golf cart scene. "Rhodes, you bastard!" as Rhodes is doing 5 MPH away on the golf cart and Steele stands there. j.p. ha! that's a funny 1 dude...never really thought of that!

[JDFP]

ha! that's a funny 1 dude...never really thought of that! Someone else here on the board actually pointed it out some time ago, but it's a good point which caused me to only bust a rib laughing so hard in thinking about it. If Steele had wanted to he could have just jogged to catch up with the cart. Eh, who knows... maybe the golf cart had a super-charger on it? j.p.

[Trin]

Maybe Steele couldn't sustain 5 MPH? The first time I saw Day I was like, "Seriously? He's making his getaway in a golf cart?" The only thing I could think is that the distance between things was supposed to be a lot farther than it appeared. Like the elevator to the labs was really more like 5 miles of caves. In which case, yeah, I'm taking the golf cart too!! But still, I'd think they could catch up with him.

[Legion2213]

As somebody else observed on the other thread where this was talked of...it wasn't just the golf cart, it was the reaction of Steele and the others as if Rhodes had just leaped into the only APC available and sped off all armoured up and protected or something. Killer scene anyhow, I always hurt myself laughing when I see it.

[DeadHoosier]

I agree with the original post in that Survival gave me a Fran-like -- "It's really all over, isn't it" moment. I felt it during Land and Diary, but while watching Survival, I knew hope of GAR producing anything great -- hell, even GOOD -- was gone. We'll always have the original 3. I never thought I'd wish GAR would stop wasting his time and ours.

[Trin]

You know, that feeling that it was all in the past was all we had for 20 years and we did okay. Land hitting the radar was like a fanboy dream come true, but it's hard to say we couldn't have survived without it. Just saying, maybe Land/Diary/Survival are like the DVD extras in the Director's Cut of the Original Trilogy, and we just need to start thinking of them as bonus material.

[Yojimbo]

Just saying, maybe Land/Diary/Survival are like the DVD extras in the Director's Cut of the Original Trilogy, and we just need to start thinking of them as bonus material. Interesting concept. In that sense - as bonus material - they kick ass!

[Eyebiter]

"Such zombies would hardly scare a second grader today." http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogsp...weve-been.html

[triste realtà]

IMO, the original three included intentional themes BUT the audience wasn't beaten over the head with the message while watching. However, the new trilogy's messages are so blatant it detracts from the viewing experience. I realized a little while back that the first one was accidental (Ben was supposed to be a big white trucker) and then it was copied in Dawn/Day, formula for success style. The reason movies are sucking more and more is zeitgeist. I haven't seen Diary or Survival but from snippets I think I would like Diary the best out of the three, but I focus on everything but the script.

[fulci fan]

IMO, the original three included intentional themes BUT the audience wasn't beaten over the head with the message while watching. However, the new trilogy's messages are so blatant it detracts from the viewing experience. Yeah, that could be it too.

[SymphonicX]

After sitting through three unbearable films by George (Land, Diarrhea, and Survival), I have decided that if George makes one more zombie flick, it will tip the balance to mediocre films. George will have made three good zombies films, and four bad zombies films. Why is this, I wonder? 1. The writing is bad. I'm not sure why he's blowing it now, but the dialogue and premises George has been writing about are extremely boring and uninspired. John Leguizamo ransoming a machine for US dollars???? Idiot college kids running around with HD cameras filming zombies while buddies are getting attacked??? National Guard chicks rubbing one out in a truck in the first scene of Survival??? Muldooon! You baaassstaardd! 2. Zombies are cartoons. They're not your neighbors and friends anymore. They are caricatures with demon eyes that scream. They aren't creepy anymore. It's just another "gag" on how to off a dead head. 3. George is trying too hard to "send a message". Hey, he shot Night with the idea they were shooting a monster flick. Get off the Iraq war, or how the internet works, and zombies learning. 4. Poor character development. The last character that did ANY kind of growing in a Romero zombie flick was CJ form the DAWN remake -- and that wasn't even his film. Bob Kirkman has taken what Romero started and made it what I think is the best entertainment for zombies -- The Walking Dead. It appears the TV Show on AMC will be fantastic. I hope George can look at it (I doubt he will) and maybe learning from it and start writing a decent screenplay with some character developement and an interesting plot. BIG DADDY SAYS AAAARRRRRGGGG!!!! (flame suit on) Agreed with most of it but as sarah once said "you're making a lot of assumptions here" ------------------------------------------------------------- UNRELATED: ---------- Post added at 06:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:04 PM ---------- And I don't get this proclaimation that George should "stop making movies". Shit I'd rather see a bad Romero film than most other kind of films and there's nothing forcing you people to go out and watch them - if you don't like, don't consume his products. if the man has ideas and can get funding then I say let him keep shooting fish in a barrel until he hits one square on the head - George has a great legacy and none of us have any right to issue sad little demands that he should stop working in the film industry. As someone said ages ago, this trend of posting "open letters" to directors is nothing more than an egotistical trip into someone's sense of fanboy frustration - just like George lucas, people may not overly buy into his latest stuff but he is the creator and the executor of all things to do with his world and he has just as much right as Lucas to go out and make movies, this constant backlash is both distracting and pointless - let the guy make movies if he wants to - you don't realise just how much of this stuff he could be reading whilst there's a very dedicated and hungry fanbase waiting to see what he'll come up with next, whether we love it as much as Dawn or not, it sickens me to think that maybe one day, Romero will read one of these overly dramatic posts and say "you know what, fuck you - I've busted a nut to get three more zombie films out in less than 10 years and all I get in return is "fuck you, george"." THIS IS NOT INDICATIVE OF GEORGE'S TRUE FANS. We may dislike some of the movies and we may slate them from time to time - but we're hear because we love George, we love his legacy and we support him and we are HUNGRY for more entries into his well deserved legacy. We just may not overly like them as much as the others, we may rear criticisms against them and we may have issues with certain elements - but let's not forget that George is a fucking legend and we are damn lucky to see more Romero films in his twlight years - I really want George to know what, the interview Lee Karr did with George perfectly fucking highlights his frustration at these silly statements trying to dictate the progression of his career. He's not a fucking hollywood celebrity, he doesn't live life surrounded by press and paparazzi, he belongs to the same frickin' world we do - which means his skin is only *so* thick - don't forget that. He's human and is doing what HE wants to do. By all means express your distaste for the latest entries but don't think for a second you've got the right to dictate what he should be doing with his life. I really, really hope George doesn't read these pages. * none of that aimed at the OP or anyone else in this thread but an expression of general grievance.* ---------- Post added at 06:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:08 PM ---------- As somebody else observed on the other thread where this was talked of...it wasn't just the golf cart, it was the reaction of Steele and the others as if Rhodes had just leaped into the only APC available and sped off all armoured up and protected or something. Killer scene anyhow, I always hurt myself laughing when I see it. yeah but he did have the keys and shit like that - he made a blatant play for the armoury without his men, what a c**t - they may have had more of a chance if they stuck together eh - but yeah Steele and co could've probably chased him and beat him to the bloody door hahaha

[Trin]

@Symphonic - I agree in part. I disagree in part. I think it's lousy that fans write the whole "open letter" calling for a director to stop making movies. That's lame and not supporting. It's also not supportive to continually contend that his best is behind him, etc. At the same time, if the movies suck, the man has got to hear it. Specific criticisms about his released movies may hurt, but sugar coating or disguising the truth is not helping. GAR's career is fan supported. We can talk about art and vision and whatever as long as we want but he is SELLING his movies. Some people make it sound like he's puttering around his workshop tinkering with ideas and spending his retirement on his hobby. He's not. He's spending someone else's money making something to sell. You're damned right people have the right to tell him what to make. Maybe not the fans directly but the financial backers do. And ultimately the financial backers want to please the most fans. How thick is his skin? Thick enough that when Land came out with stupid plot and heaped on message he took all of the criticisms and made something even more stupid with even more heaped on message. I love GAR. I love his movies. I think he has another great one in him. But let's face it - the man needs an intervention. The OP does a pretty good job of stating the salient points of what GAR needs to hear to be successful going forward. I do hope he's reading this stuff because if you filter out all the unfocused "he sucks" messages there are some real nuggets of truth. Nuggets that could've saved Diary and Survival from zombie mediocrity.

[darth los]

The sentiment that if you criticize his work you are not a true fan is silly at best. If it's not a good film you shouldn't have to say it is. And his recent entries are not good, live with it. It's like saying if you don't believe in every single item in the republican party platform then you are not a true republican. You might not agree with everything they roll out there but it doesn't mean that your heart is not with them. It just means you're not a robot. You should be able to voice dissent or discontent for something without fear of being kicked out of the fold. If there's no chance of you losing is it really a sport? If there's no chance of people not liking it is it really art? saying he should hang it up is taking it too far i agree as it's his life and he can do what he wants to do but if he's frustrated that fans actually have the balls to call a subpar movie subpar instead of worshiping at his feet then it speaks alot to his character.