Erin StapletonThe Dead End
September 11th 2008 05:47
"Diary of the Dead" (2007) George A Romero
I actually can't tell you what's more depressing; how shit-boring my generation must be to people from the previous ones, or how bad the film is. I feel like arse for saying this, but the grizzly old zombie master needs to retire, because, in his attempt to stay relevant, he has embarrassed himself. And the zombie genre. Many of Romero's films have been astute social commentaries, but in the new dead film, it goes awry, because Romero has not told a story authentic to him. He's told one that he thinks the young kids will like, but one of the few redeeming features of my gen, gen-y, is we're picky about being lied to.
Now, "Diary of the Dead" was meant to be Romero's return to his roots. Much like "NIght of the Living Dead" it's independently produced, no budget, semi-actors, one or two cameras type deal. But Romero's roots are in the 60s, and personally, I would have loved a film about the 60s. And I would have loved a film about the grand narrative of late capitalism, like he made (cheekily, and under the major studios' noses) with "Land of the Dead", but to focus on a new media in a way that announces his age, is really really sad.
What Romero failed to appreciate in "Diary of the Dead" is that people who are comfortable with such technology as 'the internet' and 'blogging' and 'streaming from youtube' is that they don't tend to constantly label and list it. It just is, in much the same way that the television just was to people in the late 60s while their parents and grandparents were still pretty impressed by it.
Look, the other major problem I have with this film (aside from the forced, bad acting, that's part of the fun of zombie territory) is that Romero has tried to make a social satire in a way that feels outmoded. It is too obvious for these days. Every 'wry' comment is earnestly emphasised, the actors may as well have looked into the camera and raised their eyebrows. I mean, I'm all for it, but I think somewhere along the way, the world changed too much for Romero to be able to reflect it in a zombie film. It got too complicated for the Romero-zombie formula. I love zombies, and especially Romero so I feel a bit shit about that.
meanwhile, I thought of something I would have like to ask Romero at the Q&A session with him I went to the other day (it was on for the Melbourne International Film Festival)... Does anyone know who did the costuming for "Night of the Living Dead"?? The clothes are hot. Because people knew how to design things back then.
I actually can't tell you what's more depressing; how shit-boring my generation must be to people from the previous ones, or how bad the film is. I feel like arse for saying this, but the grizzly old zombie master needs to retire, because, in his attempt to stay relevant, he has embarrassed himself. And the zombie genre. Many of Romero's films have been astute social commentaries, but in the new dead film, it goes awry, because Romero has not told a story authentic to him. He's told one that he thinks the young kids will like, but one of the few redeeming features of my gen, gen-y, is we're picky about being lied to.
poster, 'diary of the dead' (at least the poster is cool)
Now, "Diary of the Dead" was meant to be Romero's return to his roots. Much like "NIght of the Living Dead" it's independently produced, no budget, semi-actors, one or two cameras type deal. But Romero's roots are in the 60s, and personally, I would have loved a film about the 60s. And I would have loved a film about the grand narrative of late capitalism, like he made (cheekily, and under the major studios' noses) with "Land of the Dead", but to focus on a new media in a way that announces his age, is really really sad.
What Romero failed to appreciate in "Diary of the Dead" is that people who are comfortable with such technology as 'the internet' and 'blogging' and 'streaming from youtube' is that they don't tend to constantly label and list it. It just is, in much the same way that the television just was to people in the late 60s while their parents and grandparents were still pretty impressed by it.
the 'film students'
Look, the other major problem I have with this film (aside from the forced, bad acting, that's part of the fun of zombie territory) is that Romero has tried to make a social satire in a way that feels outmoded. It is too obvious for these days. Every 'wry' comment is earnestly emphasised, the actors may as well have looked into the camera and raised their eyebrows. I mean, I'm all for it, but I think somewhere along the way, the world changed too much for Romero to be able to reflect it in a zombie film. It got too complicated for the Romero-zombie formula. I love zombies, and especially Romero so I feel a bit shit about that.
meanwhile, I thought of something I would have like to ask Romero at the Q&A session with him I went to the other day (it was on for the Melbourne International Film Festival)... Does anyone know who did the costuming for "Night of the Living Dead"?? The clothes are hot. Because people knew how to design things back then.
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