"Diary of the Dead" (2007)

Zombies seem to be everywhere in the past 5 or 6 years in movies and with the emergence of the Walking Dead comics and T.V. show, they have really taken off. In horror, the "found footage"/ first person camera genre has also really become prominent. "Diary of the Dead" is a combination of these two horror elements.

Basic premise is that there is a group of film students shooting a horror movie when the zombie epidemic hits. They all hop in an RV and head for their homes which are scattered throughout Pennsylvania. The "director" of the movie keeps his camera with them and on at all times and is hell bent on filming everything so they can "show people the truth". This is all taking place with the frame narrative that the girlfriend of the director is editing the "movie" they shot and we are watching that movie, which is called The Death of Death.

As I am writing this, I feel like it sounds a little stupid, but I don't know how else to describe the movie except to say that it felt like a movie. Obviously, it is a movie and the fact that they are shooting a movie comolicates that, but none of it felt authentic. The characters were extremely over-acted, especially the douche and the girl from Texas. I understand having the stereotypical, archetype characters, but these were just poorly done. I can also understand the stress of something as huge as the Zombie apocalypse driving a film student to cling to the one thing he is comfortable with, that is still tangible for him, but Jason, the film guy, isn't frantic or fanatic, he is just annoying. His girlfriend begins to challenge him "if it didn't happen on camera, then it's like it didn't happen". This seems like a premise that the movie ascribes to, but they have some stretches to make it happen, like the warehouse they go to having secutiry cameras that are hooked up to some high-tech wifi so that they can immediately rip the video of their RV enetering the warehouse for the movie.

The only moment where I really believed Jason and his fanaticism was his death scene. Their friend has been turned and he is attacking Jason. Jason is on the ground and he has been bitten, but rather than trying to get away or killing his zombie friend, he is crawling to try to retrieve the camera he has dropped so he can record his own death. That is the level of breakdown that they seem to be saying he has had throughout the movie, how much he is relying on the filming, but this is the only moment where I really believed it.

I had two favorite scenes which are both tied to my favorite kills, in my opinion a must for a zombie movie review. The first of these scenes is when they are at Debra, Jason's girlfriend's, house. Her family is supposed to be there, but no one sees them upon arrival. They are searching the house and find the family car in the garage, but still no people. Upon re-entering the house, Debra's zombiefied little brother jumps on her back and attacks her. She doesn't get bitten and the professor with them shoots the brother in the head with an arrow, pinning him to the wall, which was a pretty awesome kill.

My second favorite scene contained my two favorite kills and probably my favorite character, Samuel the deaf Amish guy. The first kill was with the dynamite. It was so unexpected for him to run into his barn and come out with a lit stick of dynamite to throw at the zombies who were promptly blown to pieces. Later in the scene, after helping out the group, Samuel is attacked. He has a scythe and, after being bitten from behind, he puts the scythe through his head and the head of the zombie behind him. It was a great kill and really the only self-less/brave/smart thing that anyone did throughout the entire movie.

Honestly, I was a little disappointed in this movie, but it had some good moments. If you like zombie movies and have an hour and a half to kill, check this one out.