I have to say I was utterly disappointed with the nutter ending. I know the whole zombie thing is that it is us that destroy ourselves and not the zombies but turning it into a really crappy serial killer film did nothing for me.
I suppose it would of been really hard to finish up the film as a straight zombie survival tale but I feel a more open-ended story would of been braver than wrapping it up with a mass slaughter.
I did like the fact you had new cameramen as the story proceeded, but it was tough working out who it was at times. I didn't realise the start of the second segment had a new cameraman, I thought he had survived from the first segment, as this was the first change, perhaps it could of been made clearer?
Overall though, while a little confusing and having a weak conclusion the zombie parts were really good and (presumably) shined above their budget. I look forward to your next film.
okay. i've watched this twice now. overall i think it kicks a ss. the only thing i have a real problem with is the dude who goes crackerdog and starts blowing away all of his cohorts. give us one little ray of light other than the chick at the end.
i like the comment about guns. i live in a little town where everyone is armed to the teeth- you can thank deer season for that. but i own 5 of them myself (including 2 handguns).
but anyway-overall loved it. there were some minor hitches but aren't there in any movie?
bravo.
"The bumps you feel are asteroids smashing into the hull."
Watched this last night (alone, in the dark) very good, very bleak low budget effort IMHO. Well worth a place in my zombie DVD library.
Just one point, a few of you folks say the "Goke" character was a serial killer or that he'd flipped...I didn't see him like that, this guy was one of those total and utter nasty bastards who realised that he could rape and murder anybody he wanted without any punishment (that's only my opinion, not stating it as fact, just the way I read him). I would bet money that he decided that his mate from the forest "had to go" as well (which is why he had disapeared by the time that Goke had joined up with the survivors)
And as for the zombie girl, I believe that he was raping and torturing her before she died...once again, just an impression that I got.
Would love to hear what Hydro/Kevin Gates has to say about the character and his motivations.
All in all, I'm glad that I bought this film, it will be watched again.
Oblivion gallops closer, favoring the spur, sparing the rein - I think we will be gone soon
I liked it. The shakey cam wasnt overbearing at all.
The handheld cam was overbearing to the point that I had a difficult time watching this movie without feeling lightheaded. It's understandable why the style was used, but when not used properly it quickly becomes gimmicky and tedious. It certainly doesn't bode well for repeat viewings, just like The Blair Witch Project which I could only stand to see once (in a theater on opening night, no less).
The first segment utilized the documentary style best when introducing the outbreak; following that, the shaky cam could have been kept to a minimum. It should also be mentioned that, although the build-up was well done, the initial reveal was a letdown because there was no doubt you were looking at a Hollywood-type zombie. The best living dead films have a sense of ambiguity.
Originally Posted by scipio70
the only thing i have a real problem with is the dude who goes crackerdog and starts blowing away all of his cohorts.
Didn't he murder everyone because they uncovered his secret? I don't see a problem with that.
Last edited by DubiousComforts; 11-Dec-2007 at 02:22 PM.
Didn't he murder everyone because they uncovered his secret? I don't see a problem with that.
i might have missed that bit. my son came wondering out near the end of this and i lost some time getting him back to bed. damn. now i am gonna have to go back and watch it again.
i will let nick (the boy) watch some horror stuff but i think this flick might be a bit heavy for him.
"The bumps you feel are asteroids smashing into the hull."
Just one point, a few of you folks say the "Goke" character was a serial killer or that he'd flipped...I didn't see him like that, this guy was one of those total and utter nasty bastards who realised that he could rape and murder anybody he wanted without any punishment.
Totally agree with you there Legion, that's exactly how I saw him.
Totally agree with you there Legion, that's exactly how I saw him.
Exactly what I took away from it too. He was free to let his vaguely sealed inner bastard out and not feel the consequences at all. With no normal society, the inner beast is let loose and he indulges his inner sick bastard...
But here's a question, presumably he captured, bound & raped that blonde reporter before she died and zombified ... but did he continue to do the sick deed after zombification?
That was one of the elements of the movie that I thought was really f*cked up and made it all the more powerful, kinda added something not seen in other zed flicks. I mean yes, we've seen people screw others over, but nothing quite that messed up - a new level of messed-up-edness says I!
Well this was my second Diary film within a few days. The first was of course Diary of the Dead and the second was this - The Zombie Diaries. I've wrapped by review and notes in spoiler tags just in case...
Whilst all zombie films tend to be a bit downbeat, I found this to be a little too depressing...! I did like it, but found the endings to be a little off with the while nut job killer thing.
I also found it quite hard to kept track of things... having not read much about it in the first place, I wasn't aware that each diary was a different set of characters and so became a little confused during the cross over from one set of characters to another.
At least from reading this thread I am right about the ending... I do agree that these two guys (most annoyed that the "bad" guy was from a scouser!) were a bit messed up in the first place and just took this opportunity to "let loose". Worrying to think that people like they might actually exist. I found these scenes particularly frustrating as this guy was so clearly a freak from the outset and they should have got rid of him way before it escalated. I suppose it was a nice twist and not one I saw coming.
I really liked the effects and make up. It was shot well – more believable that Diary anyway.
Whilst this review may sound negative, I did enjoy the film. It was nice to see it from a UK point of view and the production qualities were pretty good for an indie flick.
I think it my benefit from a second viewing as it may become a little clearer.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that this film has actually gotten a DVD release in Sweden. Apart from the fact that some of the filmmakers had a forum on this site, I knew nothing of it. And I liked the premise, so I got it.
Perhaps a few spoilers ahead, so I'll tag it. Oh, and as you may know, I do have a tendency to get carried away when writing.
The first diary was really cool. I loved it. A bit slow at first, but I like slow buildups to films like these. And the perfect pay-off came when they searched the barnhouse. Me and my two mates were really on the edge of our seats when they searched the house. Brilliant! My heart is still beating from the thrill, I believe.
The second installment then started. Perhaps because I was so into the first one that when the second one came I went "Naw, I wanted more!". An opinion that, after having watched the whole film, I still stick by.
Interesting view on it. I would have liked to have seen it in one full piece rather than in two seperate ones, tho. Again, the ending was great. By the graveyard in the woods, I thought it was really scary. However all three of us easily anticipated the very final end when the guy ran towards the Survivors. I thought it was a bit cliché.
Now, The Survivors. Sorry, but the first part of this diary I didn't like at all. It felt very incoherent and excessively long scenes about things that could have just been mentioned. Such as the water fetching. Also, even up to this point the zombies were not scary to me. They moved incredibly slow and I never saw anyone of them even stretch out their arms to grab someone, preferring to stare at them from a few feet away. Mind you, Part 1 of this diary was shown before the ending of Diary 2 which is when the zombies shined in my book. So here, more or less, all three of us dropped interest in the film. We still watched it with ears and eyes, but it just never got anywhere.
The part with the zombiefied sexdoll was great. Creepy and disturbing. And Gokes final mental mind-**** was really suspenseful. I really dug it. But perhaps it could have been longer and with more focus on the encroaching zombies. Now it felt alot like just flashes of zombies in the distance went by as people screamed. All in all very effectful, tho. Worthy exit to that part of the diary.
But then, the ending to Diary 1 came. And to be frank, I did not like it at all. Sure, Gokes character was explained a bit further. But I felt no need that he needed such. What I had already seen was enough. And from this point forward, the zombie threat was forgotten, replaced by a sick-psycho threat. Not the movie I expected or wanted. I didn't find it very suspenseful or interesting. Just didn't like it. And the VERY final flashback to the military? I didn't get it. So all in all, AWESOME opening, followed by some mediocre and sometimes quite dull (sorry...) scenes being mixed with edge-of-your-seat suspense (like the ending to both Diary 2 and 3). However the ending of the film itself left much to be desired.
Also, the zooms annoyed my much. They were overused in all three segments. Please, if you make another film, take at least THIS criticism to heart. Because they detracted from what was happening on the screen immensly, especially since they occured to frequently. Many a times the camera zoomed in, then two seconds later zoomed out. Why zoom in the first place? When you zoom you instantly make the viewer aware of that he's actually safe in his sofa, watching a film. Whatever object the camera is focusing on loses some of it's focus, which is instead shifted to the zoom. At least this is how I feel.
All in all, a worthy effort. I had no expectations whatsoever, yet I can't say that I loved the film. I loved certain parts of it. But there were probably equally many parts of it that had me checking the timer. So how can I rate an uneven film? I really can't. But I've pointed out the times I felt the film really succeeded and hit the home-run.
I like the bleakness of TZD, I don't always want a happy rosy loose ends tied movie.
This movie also shows what some people would do if they knew there wouldn't be any consequences or accountability to their actions. I think it's right on the money & that if anything like this ever happened - you wouldn't only have to protect yourself from the living dead.
Beware of scousers bearing smokes!
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Originally Posted by MinionZombie
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