I posted my thoughts on Diary... discuss here

[DjfunkmasterG]

Since Neil wants to keep conversation out of the review thread, any discussion about my review can go in here.

For the record I really enjoyed Diary. :D

[Deckard]

I was debating on whether I want to drive 40 minutes upstate to see this, and you have certainly gave me incentive to go and see it (although I might wait for a few more reviews). I know how much you disliked Land (I thought it was ok), so you putting it behind Dawn has got me pretty excited. Great day to be a Romero fan! Wish I could say more, but I will have to wait till I see it myself.

[ProfessorChaos]

dude, i'd drive forty minutes without a doubt....you should consider yourself lucky that you have a showing that close.

[3pidemiC]

I'm seeing it in a few hours! Can't wait!

[DjfunkmasterG]

Hell I drove 50 miles to see it because I missed the 1130 show in Silver Spring so I had to go to Baltimore.

[bd2999]

Sounds good to me. To me Night is the best in the series and then Dawn but to each their own. I like the review though. The "official" reviews I have read have been saying that the message is to in your face but those are people whi are not really fans of the genre and to heck with them.

I look forward to seeing it but nothing is within several hours of me.

[Monrozombi]

I drove 214 miles to see this and I thought it was worth the drive. If anyone has a screening close i'd say make the trek and see it, prove to the Weinsteins that a lilmited release film can make the money.

Gary i'm curious, why do you rank this better then all of George's other zombie films save for Dawn?

[Mike70]

I drove 214 miles to see this and I thought it was worth the drive. If anyone has a screening close i'd say make the trek and see it, prove to the Weinsteins that a lilmited release film can make the money.

Gary i'm curious, why do you rank this better then all of George's other zombie films save for Dawn?

i love how you have it down exact -214 miles. i have been considering going out to pittsburgh to see but i am too damn lazy. i will probably jack it from a friendly neighborhood torrent site when the inevitable DVD screener leak happens- like i did with i am legend, 300, the halloween remake and countless others...

[Monrozombi]

i love how you have it down exact -214 miles. i have been considering going out to pittsburgh to see but i am too damn lazy. i will probably jack it from a friendly neighborhood torrent site when the inevitable DVD screener leak happens- like i did with i am legend, 300, the halloween remake and countless others...

um, becareful w/ disclosing that information, I don't think Neil likes that kind of info talked about it.

I know the distance from my house to Pittsburgh by heart, i go there w/ enough frequency ha

[Mike70]

um, becareful w/ disclosing that information, I don't think Neil likes that kind of info talked about it.

I know the distance from my house to Pittsburgh by heart, i go there w/ enough frequency ha


nah it is only telling people where do find such stuff that is a no no.

[Monrozombi]

nah it is only telling people where do find such stuff that is a no no.

just didn't want anyone getting in trouble is all

[DjfunkmasterG]

I drove 214 miles to see this and I thought it was worth the drive. If anyone has a screening close i'd say make the trek and see it, prove to the Weinsteins that a lilmited release film can make the money.

Gary i'm curious, why do you rank this better then all of George's other zombie films save for Dawn?


None of the other films, aside from Dawn have ever drawn me into the story. This film had me so drawn in I felt like I was right along with them for the ride. Which is why I rate it just under Dawn and Dawn being my favorite.

[DrSiN]

DJ, I agree with you except on one part:

The nice thing about Diary is that the social commentary is not as much in your face as it was in the dreadful Land of the Dead

Were we watching 2 different movies? I'd say his handling of the social commentary was much worse here than in Land. It just didn't suck as much. Both movies are way too preachy.

[DjfunkmasterG]

I feel the commentary in Land was so in your face because it is in our face everyday because of the War in Iraq, 9/11 terrorism etc. With Diary, he kept it way more subtle than with land, my opinion of course. I just didn' feel it to be preachy or over bearing I felt it was well done. I think he might have handled the commentary better which is why I don't see it as much as I did with Land.

[Monrozombi]

I don't think George's message was anymore or less in your face then LOTD. I think we as fans know what we are looking for in regards to George's commentary and it comes easier to some then others. Those who pick up on it easier seem to be thinking that it is more prevelant then before. I don't think anyone of George's films, esp his zombie films, throws it's commentary directly in our faces, but remains as part of the sub-context of the film.

[CapnRhodes]

Just got back from Diary - it was AWESOME!

[Kaos]

Just got back from Diary - it was AWESOME!
I have to agree with your sentiment.

[Moon Knight]

Just watched it tonight in NY. Thought it was really well made and pretty creepy at times. Most def it was a fresh take on the genre. :thumbsup:

[Minerva_Zombi]

You guys are killing me. I CANT WAIT TO GO SEE IT!!!

[Trin]

Wow. Read your review. You really liked it quite a bit, huh DJ?

I didn't find it to be as awesome as you did DJ. I think it was better than Land, but only because it didn't have such drastic problems. It was easy to watch compared to Land.

I agree with you on many points. The narration was good. The main characters were good. I liked them and cared about several of them. The focus on the characters was good. Romero did better with the small budget and microcosm feel.

I diagree with you on several points. I really got tired of the commentary. They spent way too much time restating the commentary. First we'd see it in the action sequences, then we'd get to hear about it in dialogue, and finally we'd get it explained to us in narration. Each location was 15 minutes of beating the message into us followed by 30 seconds of a zombie mass approaching only to be evaded as the group drives off. The movie wasted a lot of time that could've been better placed.

I will say that the plot didn't suffer horribly due to the message. Oh, there was more than enough time where the camareman would've gladly sacrificed a friend for a shot. And the message often slowed the plot progression. But mostly it was believable and the characters made decent decisions. That's a great upgrade from Land.

Where the movie failed, imo, is that it didn't capture any of the claustraphobic and perilous nature of the outbreak.

[DjfunkmasterG]

Hi trin,

I don't see it as a failure, nor does the film need to be claustrophobic, it is a road film and the treatment it received was done exactly the way it should have been done.

One of my biggest issues with Land was how claustrophobic it felt, yet was supposed to be an epic event.

[Trin]

Hi trin,

I don't see it as a failure, nor does the film need to be claustrophobic, it is a road film and the treatment it received was done exactly the way it should have been done.

One of my biggest issues with Land was how claustrophobic it felt, yet was supposed to be an epic event.

I'm not saying that the entire movie was a failure. It was a decent movie. But it failed to tap into the same things that made me love the original series, and I think a large part of that was that it didn't have that "nowhere to run" feeling.

It had more of a teenage slasher flick feel than an apocalyptic survival feel.