NYC preview screening

[DubiousComforts]

Just got back from the NYC screening of DIARY. I'm not going to review the movie other than to say that I liked it, and that the hand-held camera work didn't make me feel sick, for which I'm grateful.

What I will say is this: outside of several trademark Romero gags that everyone will undoubtedly love, DIARY will be without question the most divisive film among dead fans who will either like it/love it or really, really, REALLY hate it.

Forget all the LAND vs DAWN '04 arguments because you ain't seen nothing yet. I'm going to hide in the panic room until it all blows over. :D

[ProfessorChaos]

potentially more divisive than land? uh oh...

*puts on helmet*

[3pidemiC]

Hmmm...Interesting take on it.

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

I've already taken the day off from work for it. :)



oh and I'm one of those wussies that had to leave Cloverfield because I felt very sick. Although, I must say that I really felt like crap going into it....but the film didn't help that when I'm sitting in the 3rd row (because the theater blocked off the upper portion of the seating area of some reason)

[capncnut]

I guess that means the Land hataz are really, really, really gonna hate it.

[DubiousComforts]

My friend who came along to the screening hated it, and he also hated LAND. He feels that both films are too overt in telegraphing a message to the audience. I got that same feeling from the audience at the screening because the applause at the end was respectful but light.

However, as soon as DIARY was over and Romero came out to answer some questions, dozens of people (myself included) whipped out cameras and cellphones to snap that same photo we've already seen a hundred times of the director sitting across from an interviewer. Why? Just because we might be the "first" to post it on Myspace or a message board?

Perhaps that message isn't being telegraphed loud enough.

[joeharley666]

you have to give us a little more to go on. I understand you do not want to review the movie but at least wet our beaks a little.
maybe compare it to the other dead films in the series. is it less corny than "Land"? gore factor? the overall atmosphere of the flick? creepyness?

give me something!

[DubiousComforts]

you have to give us a little more to go on. I understand you do not want to review the movie but at least wet our beaks a little.
I don't mean to be intentionally secretive, although I also don't want to ruin the experience for anyone. I'll gladly tell you whatever you'd like to know about the movie.

Btw, my friend's review has been posted here (http://www.entertainmentgeekly.com/index.php?/site/more/rogers_diary_of_the_dead_review/).

[bassman]

I haven't seen the film....but I really don't see it being more divisive than Land was. In fact, almost all the reviews I've read have said that it's better than Land.

[DubiousComforts]

I haven't seen the film....but I really don't see it being more divisive than Land was. In fact, almost all the reviews I've read have said that it's better than Land.
Read the AICN review that was just posted.

[bassman]

Read the AICN review that was just posted.

I did. And it seems like he suffers from the "it's not Night, Dawn, or Day" syndrome. All he does is compare it to the earlier films. Throughout the ENTIRE review. So that pretty much makes his opinion mean even less to me.

[DubiousComforts]

I did. And it seems like he suffers from the "it's not Night, Dawn, or Day" syndrome. All he does is compare it to the earlier films. Throughout the ENTIRE review. So that pretty much makes his opinion mean even less to me.
But that's the point: whether or not correct, opinions will be extremely divided on this film, more so than LAND and DAWN '04. It's seems that many people wish for a Romero "zombie epic masterpiece" and that's exactly not the type of film that he's made with DIARY.

One point that eluded the AICN reviewer completely is the cheesy horror movie being made by the students at the start of DIARY. The director and actors argue about the fast-moving mummy actor continually catching up with the fleeing actress. Now what could that possibly mean?

[bassman]

But that's the point: whether or not correct, opinions will be extremely divided on this film, more so than LAND and DAWN '04. It's seems that many people wish for a Romero "zombie epic masterpiece" and that's exactly not the type of film that he's made with DIARY.

One point that eluded the AICN reviewer completely is the cheesy horror movie being made by the students at the start of DIARY. The director and actors argue about the fast-moving mummy actor continually catching up with the fleeing actress. Now what could that possibly mean?


Yeah, I see what you're saying now. People WILL be looking for that sort of movie but Romero wasn't trying to make that movie. I gotcha.:)

That mummy thing is great. I look forward to seeing what Romero has in store for me this time.

[capncnut]

All he does is compare it to the earlier films. Throughout the ENTIRE review. So that pretty much makes his opinion mean even less to me.
I have to admit, comparisons can be pretty damn annoying in an interview. It's not exactly a mark of professionalism.

That said, if it does turn out to be another Land then I'll be happy with it. I'm not foolish enough to think that Land was by any means a brilliant film, cos it wasn't. I appreciated the effort and felt it was just about worthy. I hear Diary is a bit better than Land so us 'GAR appreciation society' members should be happy with that. But most casual viewers will compare it to his previous works, it's inevitable.

[Mike70]

I did. And it seems like he suffers from the "it's not Night, Dawn, or Day" syndrome. All he does is compare it to the earlier films. Throughout the ENTIRE review. So that pretty much makes his opinion mean even less to me.

my impression as well. he wasn't really judging this movie on its own merits but was rather comparing it point to point with the other films in the series. the article is not so much a review at times as it is a comparison piece.

[DjfunkmasterG]

Well I am still holding out hope this is better than Land. Nothing can be as bad as that turd. So in one week I will be at the Egyptian Muvico off Route 100 in Maryland, at the first show. I took the day off from work and the new significant other will be with me. I hope this film turns out good because so far I have showed her, Dawn, Dawn 04, Shaun and Night and she loved them all. I am about to show her Day this weekend so she is up to date on the zombie mythos.

[thxleo]

I think I need to see the movie again, because honestly my first thoughts mirrored what Vern at AintitCool.com stated. I thought that Romero went WAY overboard with the social commentary this time. It was simply too much for my tastes. Another problem I had with the film was that the world started falling apart much too fast this time around. It was not like Dawn '04 when the world turned into Mad Max overnight, but things started to turn to total **** in just a couple of days. And maybe I'm a pussy, but I hated the jerky camera stuff. After the first 5 minutes I was thinking that I was not going to make it thru the film. It did calm down as the film progressed, but I hate that shaky camera style. There is a scene in the film from what sounds to be a preacher on the radio telling people to "Get on your knees. Get on your knees. Get on your ****ing knees." :annoyed: C'mon man. Romero has always been weak on writing dialogue, but this is right up there with "Bruiser" in my opinion.
The humor is very corny, including the Amish guy. The people in the theater loved his scene, I mean laughed out loud loved it. But it was silly to me.
I really hate to say these things because I wanted to love this film. I know alot of fans don't agree, but I liked LOTD alot. It had very interesting ideas on how things would go if this zombie crisis happened. And I liked Cholo's character and I liked Kauffmann's character. Maybe a second viewing will be different. I don't know.
There are lots of familiar faces from LOTD that show up in small parts. And they even lift a direct line of dialogue from the 1968 NOTLD and layer it in the radio broadcasts the students are listening to. Not someone else reading it, but the the original audio. That was kind of cool. Also you can hear Simon Pegg, along with some other famous voices on the radio broadcasts in the background. There are some memorable images in the film too, like zombies in a pool. And there are little nods to scenes from both Dawn and Day as well, like the housing raid in Dawn and the autopsy zombie from Day.
I hope the Romero gods don't strike me down, but I simply did not like it. I thought he repeated himself alot in this film. Hunters shooting zombies for fun...we've seen that several times. I hope that it changes upon my second viewing.

[DubiousComforts]

That mummy thing is great. I look forward to seeing what Romero has in store for me this time.
If you liked the mummy scenario, and approach the film with no expectations of a zombie epic, I have no doubt that you will enjoy DIARY. :)


I think I need to see the movie again,
I'm with you on needing to see it again. I don't have much of an opinion about the film yet other than generally liking it. But there is too much to take in on just one viewing.

I don't agree on the Amish character, I think Samuel is brilliant. I only wish that he was in the film longer. Also, the NIGHT radio braodcast is used more than once, and I felt that it went a little too long, although that could just be me. Perhaps other people in the audience don't know NIGHT well enough to turn off the audio and mouth the dialog like myself. ;)

[Moon Knight]

What people need to realize is, no matter what kind of movie GAR makes, it will NEVER be accepted by everyone, especially those who are in love with his earlier work.

Do I respect the negative reviews this film has gotten?

Yes.

Will the negative reviews destroy my own opinion on the film.

Never.

I still can't wait to see this flick! :D

Thanks for the post.

[jsz0]

Too much social commentary? I don't believe that is possible. If I was looking for a straight mindless gore/splatter movie I'd skip past the GAR titles and settle for some torture porn like Wolf Creek or Saw. It seems to me the whole point of watching a Romero movie is for the social commentary.

[Neil]

Well I am still holding out hope this is better than Land. Nothing can be as bad as that turd. So in one week I will be at the Egyptian Muvico off Route 100 in Maryland, at the first show. I took the day off from work and the new significant other will be with me. I hope this film turns out good because so far I have showed her, Dawn, Dawn 04, Shaun and Night and she loved them all. I am about to show her Day this weekend so she is up to date on the zombie mythos.

You must realise the moment you spout nonsense like your second sentence:-
1) People turn off to anything else you say because your points of reference are clearly completely unfair and unrealistic.
2) People turn off because they suspect you're simply after attention.

We know you didn't enjoy Land, but (a) get over it (b) get over it (c) get the over it?

Sheesh!


I think I need to see the movie again, because honestly my first thoughts mirrored what Vern at AintitCool.com stated. I thought that Romero went WAY overboard with the social commentary this time. It was simply too much for my tastes. Another problem I had with the film was that the world started falling apart much too fast this time around. It was not like Dawn '04 when the world turned into Mad Max overnight, but things started to turn to total **** in just a couple of days. And maybe I'm a pussy, but I hated the jerky camera stuff. After the first 5 minutes I was thinking that I was not going to make it thru the film. It did calm down as the film progressed, but I hate that shaky camera style. There is a scene in the film from what sounds to be a preacher on the radio telling people to "Get on your knees. Get on your knees. Get on your ****ing knees." :annoyed: C'mon man. Romero has always been weak on writing dialogue, but this is right up there with "Bruiser" in my opinion.
The humor is very corny, including the Amish guy. The people in the theater loved his scene, I mean laughed out loud loved it. But it was silly to me.
I really hate to say these things because I wanted to love this film. I know alot of fans don't agree, but I liked LOTD alot. It had very interesting ideas on how things would go if this zombie crisis happened. And I liked Cholo's character and I liked Kauffmann's character. Maybe a second viewing will be different. I don't know.
There are lots of familiar faces from LOTD that show up in small parts. And they even lift a direct line of dialogue from the 1968 NOTLD and layer it in the radio broadcasts the students are listening to. Not someone else reading it, but the the original audio. That was kind of cool. Also you can hear Simon Pegg, along with some other famous voices on the radio broadcasts in the background. There are some memorable images in the film too, like zombies in a pool. And there are little nods to scenes from both Dawn and Day as well, like the housing raid in Dawn and the autopsy zombie from Day.
I hope the Romero gods don't strike me down, but I simply did not like it. I thought he repeated himself alot in this film. Hunters shooting zombies for fun...we've seen that several times. I hope that it changes upon my second viewing.

Oh dear... Now you've got me worried :(

[thxleo]

Oh dear... Now you've got me worried :(

Don't be worried Neil. You know what they say about opinions. :D
I guess I wanted to see Romero continue on with the events after LOTD. Not with the same characters, but just continuing on with the storyline of the zombies getting smarter. He said in an interview recently he felt like he had finished that, with it being a draw between the humans and the zombies.
I, like alot of members on here, want to see him do something non-horror again. I wish that project he had with Ed Harris a few years back would have worked out. Another Ed Harris/Romero teaming would be fantastic.


Too much social commentary? I don't believe that is possible. If I was looking for a straight mindless gore/splatter movie I'd skip past the GAR titles and settle for some torture porn like Wolf Creek or Saw. It seems to me the whole point of watching a Romero movie is for the social commentary.

Since you are apparently not a fan of subtly, you should love this movie!
For the record, I've never watched Wolf Creek, Saw, Hostel, or any other type of "torture porn".

[jim102016]

Don't be worried Neil. You know what they say about opinions. :D
I guess I wanted to see Romero continue on with the events after LOTD. Not with the same characters, but just continuing on with the storyline of the zombies getting smarter. He said in an interview recently he felt like he had finished that, with it being a draw between the humans and the zombies.
I, like alot of members on here, want to see him do something non-horror again. I wish that project he had with Ed Harris a few years back would have worked out. Another Ed Harris/Romero teaming would be fantastic.



Since you are apparently not a fan of subtly, you should love this movie!
For the record, I've never watched Wolf Creek, Saw, Hostel, or any other type of "torture porn".

What's wrong with "torture porn"? As long as you don't take it too serious, you can't go wrong with naked women who die a bloody death!

[DubiousComforts]

What's wrong with "torture porn"? As long as you don't take it too serious, you can't go wrong with naked women who die a bloody death!
Funny, I didn't see any "naked women die bloody deaths" in Saw, Saw II, Hostel, Fear.com, etc. I just saw a lot of bad cinema, so I quit watching. But point me in the direction of "naked women die bloody deaths" and I'll certainly give it another shot. :D

At the DIARY screening, Romero stated that he doesn't get torture porn, and asked if anyone in the audience could explain the point of these films. He didn't pick my raised hand before I could tell him "frustrated fanboy filmmakers."

He did say that at least when he was making "angry" films, he would try to make the audience feel something for the characters.

[capncnut]

There is a scene in the film from what sounds to be a preacher on the radio telling people to "Get on your knees. Get on your knees. Get on your ****ing knees."
Frankly, that sounds awful. :dead:


We know you didn't enjoy Land, but (a) get over it (b) get over it (c) get the over it?
<claps>

[Monrozombi]

damn, I feel like a stranger in these here parts.

Honestly I was shocked when I read Lee's review. Lee has been probably the most critical reviewer of George's films that I've known (i'll ignore your little Bruiser comment ha) I do agree with Lee that George has never been great w/ dialouge but he has given us some great ones over the years

The times I have talked to George, his manager or anyone who has seen footage has enjoyed it, but yet again thats just pieces of a whole. I really think this will be a great film, probably better then LOTD especially because George had more creative control on this one and from what i've heard from him he's excited about it.

[Danny]

I have to admit, comparisons can be pretty damn annoying in an interview. It's not exactly a mark of professionalism.


damn straight, no ones the same person as they were 25 years ago, do people really expect the flicks to be the same?, people change over time ,and with filmmakers there movies do with them.


I do agree with Lee that George has never been great w/ dialouge but he has given us some great ones over the years


ive allways thought that, whilst great for one liners, georges greatest skill is in imagery ,not dialogue.

[Monrozombi]

damn straight, no ones the same person as they were 25 years ago, do people really expect the flicks to be the same?, people change over time ,and with filmmakers there movies do with them.



ive allways thought that, whilst great for one liners, georges greatest skill is in imagery ,not dialogue.

I love George and his movies to death but I do cringe at some of his writing, most recently that was in LOTD. I did not like the way he wrote Riley or Cholo. "I'm looking for a world with no fences" it was ear peirding to hear that

[Dead Hoosier]

Assuming I'll get it here in Indianapolis, I'll be there for the first showing...with certainly less in the way of expectations after Land's disappointment.
Actually, the only thing cool about seeing Land in its first showing here was seeing the other people there. We all knew we were GAR/Dead freaks...too bad we all walked out like, "WHATTHE****?!"

[Trin]

It's seems that many people wish for a Romero "zombie epic masterpiece" and that's exactly not the type of film that he's made with DIARY.
I think a lot of the problems with Land stemmed from it being billed as the "ultimate zombie masterpiece". The poster for Land shows an endless sea of zombies against a backdrop of a lone building in the background. The scene looked desperate. The film looked epic. It appeared to be taking the events of the 3 prior movies and drawing to the eventual culmination on a much bigger scale.

But what we got was just another chapter in the story. There was no endless sea of zombies. There was no desperate situation. The poster was a lie. Perhaps if it had been billed more along the lines of what it would deliver it wouldn't have generated so many haters.

It's been contended many times on these forums that expectations killed Land. That's probably in many ways true. But it wasn't 20 years of built up expectations based on it being like the original movies. It was a couple of months of expectations based on what Land boasted it would be and failed to deliver.

None of that should hurt Diary. From everything I've heard Diary appears to deliver what it advertises. No one should walk into this movie expecting a bigger movie than Land.

[SoCalLoco]

I'm willing to wager half of the people who claim to have seen the movie are lying. They read a few reviews and are parroting the same summaries here on this forum.

I take these reviews with a grain of salt and will wait to see it for myself.

[cinezombi]

Here are some pictures from the NYC Screening
http://www.zombiefriends.com/image/7378/gallery/opt_georgenyc3.jpg
http://www.zombiefriends.com/image/7378/gallery/opt_georgenyc2.jpg
http://www.zombiefriends.com/image/7378/gallery/opt_georgenyc.jpg

[bassman]

Romero doesn't look right without his glasses.:p

[MinionZombie]

Romero doesn't look right without his glasses.:p
I was about to say the same damn thing, kinda reminded me of Harry from Harry & The Henderson's ... I duno why.

I think I'm gonna dig Diary, I was a tad sceptical at first with the whole over-simplication of "Blair Witch with zombies", but having seen some shreds, I think I'll dig it.

I'm expecting a difference from Night through Land, most notably of course because of the way in which it's filmed, but also because it's not part of that series - although ironically you might say, none of the films in "the series" even relate to one another beyond the common ground of zombies - so I'm completely with you on the Night through Day versus Land thing you mentioned about earlier, Bassman.

Night through Land are four really different movies, you can't compare one to the other, it's not like Rambo 2 and Rambo 3 going head-to-head, or Police Academy 3 versus Police Academy 6, Night through Land just aren't like that ... which is one of the reasons I boggle at the hatred of Land, but whatever - had THAT argument WAAAAAAAAAAAAY too many times, so shaddup Land haters, I ain't gettin' into that all again, so don't bother attempting to get a rise. :p:)

[Trin]

I'd suggest you brace yourself for the reality that Diary is going to be compared to Land, to Night/Dawn/Day, to Cloverfield, and to anything else anyone cares to liken it to.

As you are fond of saying, it is all opinion. That includes whether the comparison itself is valid.

At the highest level we'll all be asked the same question just like we've been asked for each movie - did you like it? Inevitably, valid or not, those responses will be weighed from movie to movie to serve as a basis for comparison.

Night - :)
Dawn - :D
Day - :D
Land - :dead:
Diary - ??

[jim102016]

Funny, I didn't see any "naked women die bloody deaths" in Saw, Saw II, Hostel, Fear.com, etc. I just saw a lot of bad cinema, so I quit watching. But point me in the direction of "naked women die bloody deaths" and I'll certainly give it another shot. :D

At the DIARY screening, Romero stated that he doesn't get torture porn, and asked if anyone in the audience could explain the point of these films. He didn't pick my raised hand before I could tell him "frustrated fanboy filmmakers."

He did say that at least when he was making "angry" films, he would try to make the audience feel something for the characters.

Hostel II!

[DubiousComforts]

Hostel II!
So you're saying that I had to wait until Hostel II, a latecomer in the torture porn genre, for some good old-fashioned nudity? :D

Keep in mind that I lived through the original Friday the 13th cycle: the first movie, while derivative, was edgy and shocking, then each subsequent film featured watered-down sex and violence just so Paramount could continue to garner an R rating and sucker in audiences on the reputation of the franchise name. Sound familiar?

[jim102016]

So you're saying that I had to wait until Hostel II, a latecomer in the torture porn genre, for some good old-fashioned nudity? :D

Keep in mind that I lived through the original Friday the 13th cycle: the first movie, while derivative, was edgy and shocking, then each subsequent film featured watered-down sex and violence just so Paramount could continue to garner an R rating and sucker in audiences on the reputation of the franchise name. Sound familiar?

I'm not saying sex and violence is on the same level as a GAR movie, but if it's Friday night and you're piss drunk at 2am and the choice is a a girl with DD's getting her throat cut and a documentary on trees, what are you gonna pick?

Never liked Friday the 13th, thought Carpenter and the first Halloweens were much better. I was on earth when they came out too.