Diary of the Dead (2007)

   

Written & Directed by: George A. Romero

Starring:

Joshua Close ... Jason Creed
Scott Wentworth ...  Andrew Mazxwell
Michelle Morgan ... Debra Moynihan
Joe Dinicol ... Eliot Stone
Shawn Roberts ... Tony Ravello
Amy Ciupak Lalonde ... Tracy Thurman
Philip Riccio ... Ridley Wilmott
Megan Park ...  Francine Shane
Chris Violette ... Gordo Thorsen
Tatiana Maslany ... Mary Dexter

Release Dates: 
Toronto Film Festival: September 8, 2007; Fantastic Film Festival: Spetember 20, 2007; Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival: Octboer 6, 2007; Vienna Intenational Film Festival: October 28, 2007; London FrightFest Film Festival: November 2, 2007; Málaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema: November 11, 2007 (Spain); Sundance Film Festival: January 8, 2008; International Film Festival Rotterdam: January 26, 2008; Limited Theatrical: February 15, 2008 (Canada & USA); Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Films: March 28, 2008; Fantasy Filmfest Nights: March 29, 2008 (Germany)

*Images courtesy at: www.beyondhollywood.com

   


 

 

 

 

 

Rating:

 

 

A student filmmaker named Jason Creed (Joshua Close) makes a horror movie with his classmates out in the woods but then they discover that the dead has suddenly revived and so he turns his camera to the real life horrors that surrounds them making a diary on their journey and escaping from the madness.
He rescues his girlfriend Debra Moynihan (Michelle Morgan) from the girl's dorm as well as travelling with some other survivors in a mobile vehicle driving away from the blood thirsty zombie's but some of them are bitten by zombie's and turning into some themselves.
They also run into trouble with their van as well as being taken in to some thugs and being robbed by an army of men while they try to arrive at their friends mansion by the name of Ridley Wilmott (Phillip Riccio) which is in the middle of nowhere for a hideout spot but things aren't the same for him either they find out which can lead them to more trouble.
However, Jason still refuses to put his camera down to solve these issues as he must keep this all on file and to continue with his movie making by what's happening so others will know what is going on.

 
There's a funny scene with Ridley Wilmott dressed as a Mummy walking around in the woods as well as later on they hear some sounds in the woods which gives it that Blair Witch type of feel to it.
There is a good camera shot around a girls dorm with Jason Creed speaking behind the camera calling for his girlfriend and a funny moment with a Looter who was darn right funny about what his involvement was in the women's dorm and stealing stuff which offers some chuckles.
There's a good shot on Debra Moynihan having an attitude about the taping of them in a mobile when they are trying to escape the zombie's.
There's a good shot in the mobile at their front window on a Zombie Trooper slowly walking towards the van with a police car in flames and then we spot what we might think is an alive trooper panicking but we are caught by surprise later on.
There's a good shot on some paramedic zombies coming out of a room and a good pose on Gordo Thorsen holding a gun and shooting.
We also have a good close up shot on Mary Dexter with her eyes closed in a wheelchair and then she suddenly wakes up looking like a terror which makes you jump.
There is a also a good moment in a hospital hallway with Gordo walking and suddenly a another paramedic zombie starts to attack him.
A nice distance shot on Tracy Thurman standing up with Gordo rising up and her shooting him.
There's a good presence by a deaf farmer trying to help the rest fix their vehicle inside his shack as zombies try to come in which looks suspenseful as you wonder if they will all survive.
A good shot on Mrs. Moynihan rising up from behind a couch and slowly walking towards Debra when she can't believe what happened to her mother.
Another good presence was by a Colonel when he enters their mobile as he gives you an impression that he's not there to greet them and something much worst.
Everyone is good when they enter the mansion they planned to meet their friend at with good shots on the surveillance camera on them wandering around.
A good camera shot looking up on Ridley Wilmott now as a zombie as well as a good running shot on him chasing after Tracy as she screams asking for some help about this along with nice shots in a forestry area.
There are other great shots on the surveillance cameras showing around the place with what is going on as well as other zombie's approaching the house.
Bottom line is that this was my favourite sequel out of all the Romero zombie flicks as it is a found footage flick which should have been done for a zombie flick to make it very creative and that's what it is!!!!

The acting is well done by mainly a Canadian cast who strut their stuff in a nice way.
Joshua Close (Jason Creed) is good with his part as the stubborn and ignorant student filmmaker as he brings that part across sweetly. He does well with his choked out words while he is dying. Does well by sitting in front of the camera making a speech of why he is shooting this.
Michelle Morgan (Debra Moynihan) really knew how to perform aggressively as well as emotionally proving to be a true character to her part in this film. She also knew how to cry and act scared by what is going on. Does well in a scene trying to comfort his fellow actress by assuring her on some people she thought that she killed. Does well by looking for her onscreen parents at their house and trying to explain why they aren't there and crying about it all. Is good by kneeling down and caressing someone.
Joe Dinicol (Eliot Stone) played a fairly decent type of nerd in the film.
Shawn Roberts (Tony Ravello) really knew how to present himself with his bluntness to his part in the film who is one of the best male actors in this one. Was good in a scene by trying to calm someone down.
Philip Ricio (Ridley Wilmott) also showed a great bubbly type of attitude to his role in the film as he will be remembered well to anyone who watched this film.
Does well in a scene by catching up on his fellow actors by surprise greeting them like none of the terror has ever happened. Performs well when he nervously talks trying to hide his guilt when someone tries to force it out of him where everyone else is and about what is all happening as he really did well by acting tense. He also does well by wobbling when he walks trying to show a couple of people to where everyone is. Shows great facial zombie expressions when he turns.
Supporting actress Tatiana Maslany (Mary Dexter) reacts well in a scene by thinking she saw an alive trooper but then later on react well discovering that the trooper is a zombie panicking. She also does well crying while driving thinking that she killed some people. She looked good sitting at a lawn in deep thoughts looking upset.

Zombie's bite people's necks
Pieces of hands and other body parts are exposed
Guts spill out of a zombie's stomach
Zombie's heads are blown off or shot
A zombie's head is chopped in half
Acid melts on a zombie's head
Lots of blood and other gruesome happenings

There's some fast thumpin sound effects along with the hissing composed by Norman Orenstein

Jason: [to Ridley, who's playing a mummy] How many times have I told you? Dead things don't move fast. You're a corpse, for Christ's sakes. If you run that fast, your ankles are gonna snap off.

Jason: [to Ridley] See? I told you dead things move slow! 

Looter
: What the fuck are you doing here? 
Jason: What the fuck are you doing here? 
Looter: [holding TV] I'm just stealing shit. But you... what's a guy with a video camera doing in the women's dorm, huh?

Mary Dexter: [approaching Zombie Trooper] It's a cop. A state trooper. 
Gordo Thorsen: How do you know that? 
Mary Dexter: Oh, his hat. His hat... his stupid looking hat. 

Jason: [after running over three zombies] Mary, how do you feel about what just happened? 
Mary Dexter: [sobbing] How do you think I feel? 
Debra: [to Mary] They were already dead, okay? You didn't do anything wrong. 
Tony Ravello: Listen to me, unless you're Jesus fucking Christ, you don't stand up and walk around after you're dead! 

Tony Ravello: [yelling into abandoned hospital] Hello! We're not dead! 

Jason: Fuck. Battery's almost dead. 
Tracy Thurman: Yeah, that's not all.

Debra: [recording Jason] Tell us your name. 
Jason: Uh... 
Debra: Say it. 
Jason: Deb, come on. 
Debra: Say it. 
Jason: Give me a break. Jay... Jason. Jason Creed. 
Debra: You see how it feels to have a camera shoved in your face? To have to answer stupid questions when people are dying all around you? You see how it feels?

Andrew Maxwell: [handing gun to Tony] Take this. It's too easy to use. 

Jason: [as a zombie approaches] Shoot him in the head! 

Colonel: [to Jason] Turn it the fuck off. 
[points gun barrel directly at the camera lense
Colonel: Now. 

Jason: Hi, my name is Jay... Jason Creed, and I have been given the opportunity, given the gift to be able to document the events that have suddenly landed in my lap. And I just want to let you guys know, the audience know, that I'm gonna do my best to capture the truth with me and my friends. There's gonna be no fakeness. I'm gonna go after everything. Really raw, really real. And I'm going to do the best job I can. And I'm just really excited to be given this opportunity. And I am not going to fuck it up. 

[last lines
Debra: Jason once said he thought he could help, maybe even save some lives. This is the last thing he downloaded before he died: a couple of hometown Joes who went out to shoot at targets. But that day, they used people. Dead people. You know, just for fun? There was one target that was different from the rest. A woman... tied by her hair to the branch of a tree. The boys had this one set up just for kicks. They got out their favorite 12 gauge and... 
[zombie's head is blown in half
Debra: Are we worth saving? You tell me.