Being independently made, Diary of the Dead was difficult to find in its limited theatrical release. However I took a little drive to see it and I'm glad I did. I enjoyed Romero's 2005's Land of the Dead, but I was a bit put off by the big budget feel of it, its many attempts at comic relief, and its lack of continuity with the previous three films. However, Diary of the Dead makes it clear from the start that it serves no purpose as a sequel and is its own interpretation of the zombie epidemic.



Vaguely similar to Cannibal Holocaust, Diary utilizes the "film within a film" type of idea. This is about a group of college film makers who are busy at work when reports of the dead returning to life begin appearing across news stations. In an attempt to be the documenter of the historic event, one student insists upon filming everything that is occurring as him and his classmates flee to their respective homes. What we are watching here is his account of the fiasco entitled "The Death of Death", which makes up the entire film up until the final moments.



The vast majority of the film takes place on the road in an RV as the film makers attempt to evade the zombies and reach safety. The occassional pit stops are usually the scenes involving the zombies, and as you'd expect Romero lays the gore on pretty thick here with a couple truly impressive death scenes. Diary incorporates a lot of modern technology into the film as the film maker attempts to upload his footage onto the internet to benefit the living. Cell phones and youtube are also incorporated into the plot putting a modern spin on the movie, and demonstrating why it could not possibly have served continuity with the previous films while maintaining sense. As the epidemic spreads, the herd of students thins until a select few remain in the fight for survival. The film is rather inconclusive storywise, but the overall message illustrated seems to be criticizing those who feel the need to document tragic events rather than be a solution to the problem as the final line states, "Are we worth saving?".



Overall, although the film had the makings of a modern horror film with its sharp picture and CGI laden effects, the feel of it was the closest to a good old school horror flick I've seen in a while. While I would certainly not consider Diary of the Dead Romero's crowning achievement, I have to say it's a drastic step up from Land of the Dead and typical modern day horror films in general. It's a shame this didn't see wider release theatrically. If you didn't have a chance to see it in the theater, I definietly recommend picking up this DVD when it hits the shelves, you will not be dissapointed.