This film is definitively an improvement over your average found footage horror films. I mean, compared to terrible films like The Gallows or The Devil Inside this movie is a breath of fresh air. We all know and love George A. Romero and his amazing talent at making fun and interesting zombie films. His first trilogy of "The Dead" is amazing as well as his comeback in 2005 when Land of the Dead was released. In this film it is evident that he conserves the ability to create suspenseful moments and kill zombies in ingenious and gory manners. Unlike other directors, George A. Romero knows how to meddle emotions inside of a horror story, he does it in an effective fashion appealing to the humanity of the characters as well as the audience. The way a person seemed to narrate the story with very profound and interesting messages added a nostalgic tone to the film.What I dislike about this movie and why I think it is inferior to his previous work is because, the characters in this movie were not that interesting. Romero succeeds appealing to the humanity in them, but he fails to establish chemistry and connection between the characters. So when they save each other, it is not based on any conveyed compassion at all. There is also lousy writing, some of the actions the characters make just do not make sense following the narrative. It seemed at times that some scenes where just placed unnecessary to fulfill zombie movie clichés. Other actions or dialogue are just annoying.Despite the negatives, this is a fun zombie film. With good suspense, gore, emotions and a direct social critique at the end of the film

DIARY OF THE DEAD is another zombie movie from genre founder George A. Romero, this time combining the found footage and zombie genres into a supposedly fresh and original product. What it turns out to be is a crushing disappointment in every respect, especially so given that Romero himself invented the modern zombie genre pretty much single-handedly.DIARY OF THE DEAD isn't just a bad film; it's a bad film even by found footage standards. It's not the first found footage zombie film I've seen, and I can report that the same year's Spanish zombie flick REC is about a hundred times better than this movie. What we get here is a cheap, slapdash, and completely boring zombie story as a bunch of uninteresting characters wander around a world which is quickly being taken over by the undead.This film looks and feels cheap throughout and Greg Nicotero's zombie effects are surprisingly cheesy looking, which I guess comes down to budget again. The script is awful, merely attempting to reheat former themes (us vs. them, the breakdown of society, there's even a militant black guy) instead of delivering anything new. The attempted scare scenes are anything but frightening and the story is so predictable that everything that happens is signposted way in advance. Of the cast, the worst actress gets the lead role, with the likable Tatiana Maslany hidden way down in the cast list. DIARY OF THE DEAD is a complete bore and it's difficult to credit this to the man behind the classic DEAD trilogy.

'Diary of the Dead' ('DotD' 2007) is indy low-budget production at its most masterful! The 'Dead' apocalypse returns in full force as 'DotD' lightens up on the gore (just a little bit), but revs up the horror & humor. 'DotD' is as entertaining as Romero's 'Dawn of the Dead' was in 1985 & as scary as 'Night of the Living Dead' was in 1968. Using documentary narrative & accompanying narration, 'DotD' is captured in first person/camera perspective under brilliantly dynamic cinematography & direction by The Master, George Romero. While still depicting typically Romero dialogue & acting, don't look for anything resembling meticulous character development & plot structure in 'DotD', as this 'Dead' production has a sense of realism in perspective only. Suspenseful & thrilling throughout, 'DotD' seems a completely new entry into the genre all its own (in as much as a Zombie film can be!). What you can expect from 'DotD' is dark humor wrapped around biting social satire (on the current state of the world/media/technology) that is delivered by a brilliant cast of up-&-comers, spectacular sound/cinematography, a Romero cameo, & gore galore with more incredibly creative new ways to kill zombies that include an Amish farmer named Samuel that steals his scenes! In a gritty resorting of the Zombie/Undead/Sicko genre, 'DotD' is proof Romero is still king of the Zombie/Undead/Sicko genre & a must-see for Romero fans, while genre enthusiasts will be thoroughly entertained. 'DotD' is also recommended for casual horror/adventure viewers. For similar themes consider: 'Shaun of the Dead' (2004); 'REC' (2007); 'Zombie Dairies' (2006); 'Cannibal Holocaust' (1985); 'Land of the Dead' (2005); 'Planet Terror' (2007); 'Dawn of the Dead' (1978); Resident Evil: Apocalypse' (2004); & 'Danger 50,000 Zombies' (2004). Also consider: 'War of the Worlds' (1953); 'Citizen Kane' (1941); 'Resident Evil' (2002); 'Fido' (2006); 'I Love Sarah Jane' (2008); & 'How I Won the War' (1967).

Dead corpses reanimate during a TV newscast and start chewing on ambulance personal. These are the flesh-eating zombies who first appeared in director George A Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" (1968). They wander around looking for victims, which understandably causes much chaos. Meanwhile, in a secluded woodsy area, some Pittsburgh college students are making an amateur horror movie. We follow this group through the remainder of the film. The fictional filmmaker most involved is Josh Close (as Jason Creed). "Diary of the Dead" is narrated by his girlfriend, Michelle Morgan (as Debra Moynihan)...This begins with the "subject" of broadcast journalism turning on the broadcaster. Thereafter, it seems to comment more on the topic, or perhaps not - whatever the intent, interest is not maintained. However, the "Media" is a deserved whipping boy. Some nicely staged gore splatters around, but to indifferent effect. One of the better sequences occurs when the cast goes to the home of wealthy "Mummy" actor Philip Riccio (as Ridley) as it successfully parallels the introduction of the characters. Something masterful was possible, but the "shaky camera" ruins everything. Next time, let the dead try steadying the camera.**** Diary of the Dead (9/8/07) George A. Romero ~ Michelle Morgan, Joshua Close, Joe Dinicol, Shawn Roberts