Diary of the Dead

Third Rail Releasing | Release Date: February 15, 2008

5.3	USER SCORE Mixed or average reviews based on 104 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

TiernanS.May 29, 2008

Fortunately, the first person camerawork is far steadier here than it was in films like 'Cloverfield,' 'The Blair Witch Project' and the last two 'Bourne' films. However, I have a nagging point to make. Why and Fortunately, the first person camerawork is far steadier here than it was in films like 'Cloverfield,' 'The Blair Witch Project' and the last two 'Bourne' films. However, I have a nagging point to make. Why and how are the type of zombies portrayed in the vast majority of the countless zombie movies over the years so dangerous and deadly? They move as slow as a lawn mower on idle, and have no real cognitive functioning (hint:they're really stupid). "Oh no, a zombie is going to eat me, I don't know what to do?" Um, how about you just move a little to the left. Geez! This isn't a bad zombie flick. There's the prerequisite gore and mayhem and such. No one call pull this off better than Romero, but I have to wonder how he hasn't become bored with this genre at this point. Oh well!… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

hollowficationJun 3, 2012

this movie is good but problem is the camera works the main actor behind the camera documentary dead around him and watches his friend get bitten just stupid

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

HellHoleHorrorNov 30, 2022

A disappointing fifth entry into the 'of the dead' saga. You can see that they were trying to be different but the problem was that they were hitting two fads in the title alone - the 'amateur' handheld style and the zombie genre. I'm kindaA disappointing fifth entry into the 'of the dead' saga. You can see that they were trying to be different but the problem was that they were hitting two fads in the title alone - the 'amateur' handheld style and the zombie genre. I'm kinda sick of both genres now actually. This was a little engaging and had a little atmosphere and shock moments but nothing memorable or outstanding. The colours looked natural but boring. Entertaining but lacked anything substantial. Shaky camera and gore doesn't bring anything new to the zombie genre.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

CharlesM.Mar 8, 2008

How can the Amish guy make the film, he's not even in it for 10 minutes!! Sorry bout that but I think some people mustve seen a different movie. It's really not that great at all and other than the very heavy handed social How can the Amish guy make the film, he's not even in it for 10 minutes!! Sorry bout that but I think some people mustve seen a different movie. It's really not that great at all and other than the very heavy handed social commentary that Romero fans (of which I am one) always go on about, you wouldnt even know this was a Romero movie. It has a few good moments, notably a humerous part in which the speed of the undead is made fun of. An obvious nod at the modern sprinting zombies. I think Romero must approach his movies with a lot of ideas about what he wants to say, I just wish he'd make his first decent movie in 30 years. Or retire!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

DannyS.Jun 1, 2008

How could you George? The first peron Blair witch thing is played out! This is not your finest hour.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

KrisW.Jun 23, 2008

my girlfriend and i love really bad horror movies. even more so when zombies and a lot of gore are involved. but this takes the cake. this was so horribly done, she and i had a hard time finding a moment that we couldnt stop taking it my girlfriend and i love really bad horror movies. even more so when zombies and a lot of gore are involved. but this takes the cake. this was so horribly done, she and i had a hard time finding a moment that we couldnt stop taking it seriously. yeah its a romero zombie film but they've now become so tiresome that its become hard to take it for even its entertainment value. and, was it just us, or did that well-endowed blonde somehow develop a southern accent halfway through the movie ?? the 1s person camera view was poorly put together. Cloverfield was so so much more worth seeing.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

JCAug 1, 2009

Basically the first half hour of this movie was crap. but the next hour, was very entertaining after they had killed off most of the bad actors and actually got things going. the main thing hated about this movie were the characters Basically the first half hour of this movie was crap. but the next hour, was very entertaining after they had killed off most of the bad actors and actually got things going. the main thing hated about this movie were the characters themselves, many of them were very unlikeable but that's just my opinion. and whoever the actor was that played ridley should be the next Joker, he suits the role perfectly. if the movie was a bit longer and put some more emphasis on survivors against survivors, its would've been great, but alas, its didn't.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

NickM.Apr 28, 2008

Its got a new view on the zombie genre, with great supporting cast, such as the Amish man, and the people who run the outpost in the garage. decent story, but with the exception of the teacher, all of the main characters kind of sucked. I Its got a new view on the zombie genre, with great supporting cast, such as the Amish man, and the people who run the outpost in the garage. decent story, but with the exception of the teacher, all of the main characters kind of sucked. I mean, generic guy, generic girl, generic nerd, generic jock, generic religious girl, generic slut, and generic funny guy. I mean, really, couldn't put some development on the starring roles. The teacher was a good character, with some creativity, but not enough to make up for the sucky college kids.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

DirigiblePulpJun 6, 2018

I don't remember thinking this was especially novel when it came out, although I did have cheap fun with it. Watching it now I had almost the complete opposite experience. Romero was clearly on to something here, and somehow even ahead of theI don't remember thinking this was especially novel when it came out, although I did have cheap fun with it. Watching it now I had almost the complete opposite experience. Romero was clearly on to something here, and somehow even ahead of the time (to think the iPhone wasn't even out yet and Facebook nowhere near popular) but instead of the subtle social satire lying under the surface a great zombie movie, Diary is a one-note in your face social commentary movie with fine zombie action, basic plotting and mostly boring characters and dialogue.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

eTurkeyMar 3, 2012

It wasn't the odd choice to film this movie in a documentary-style narrative which was the sole let down, but rather the character development (or lack thereof) of the survivors. I honestly couldn't care less if they died which is not exactlyIt wasn't the odd choice to film this movie in a documentary-style narrative which was the sole let down, but rather the character development (or lack thereof) of the survivors. I honestly couldn't care less if they died which is not exactly expected of an audience when watching a horror flick as traditionally they should root for the good guys. The entire film was morbidly depressing and is definitely one of the weaker installments in George A. Romero's "Dead" series. Thankfully massive amounts of blood and gore weren't lacking. Phew!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

ILHMFeb 1, 2013

If George Romero had made this three or four years sooner, it may have still been relevant, but DIARY OF THE DEAD comes in way too late in the long line of "found footage" films that became popular in the 2000's. DIARY follows a group ofIf George Romero had made this three or four years sooner, it may have still been relevant, but DIARY OF THE DEAD comes in way too late in the long line of "found footage" films that became popular in the 2000's. DIARY follows a group of college students as they document their first-hand account of the zombie apocalypse using a hand-held video camera. Unfortunately, Romero gets the format entirely wrong in every conceivable way. Instead of producing an ultra-realistic nightmare as we had seen in [REC] from the same year, he gives us a poorly-staged and utterly contrived zombie bore lead by unbelievable characters and lackluster special effects.

In the first of many offenses, Romero allows his characters to edit their footage, which entails adding slow-motion effects, scene transitions, and even narration. The editor has even chosen to emphasize the scares using blaring sound effects! Romero's characters are given painfully unnatural dialog, which makes them come off as being bad actors rather than genuine people. The zombies are killed in a variety of glamorized ways that simply would not happen in a real-world survivor setting. Worst of all, the cartoon gore is comprised almost entirely by computerized effects! How does this, in any way, reflect reality? Why choose this format only to then go back and fictionalize the events? The only answer seems to lie in the editor's commentary, itself. Debra repeatedly stresses how it was impossible to discern fact from fiction with 400,000 spins on the truth available for download online. Perhaps this, too, is some elaborate prank being played by the filmmakers, calling back to the Wellesian War of the Worlds radio drama that Romero references as well? Even in that remote possibility, DIARY OF THE DEAD never displays enough intelligence to credit it as being a satire.

DIARY OF THE DEAD shows an extreme disconnect between concept and execution. Romero may have entered this project with good intentions, but the result is truly horrifying.

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

MattBrady99Jan 15, 2016

I don't know if George A. Romero knows how cameras work, because the camera literally has clear audio even when the characters are having small conversations too far away for a camera to pick up anything. It's like everyone got a mic on them.I don't know if George A. Romero knows how cameras work, because the camera literally has clear audio even when the characters are having small conversations too far away for a camera to pick up anything. It's like everyone got a mic on them.

The one thing I notice in this movie that I never thought about before, is that every time there was a zombie attack, it's always caught on camera and just by the way it was perfectly shot in time for someone to come behind it to shoot or stab it. It would be a lot better if someone died or gets attacked off camera, because it would add a lot to this movie and keeps you guessing on when the next attack happens.

The acting was a bit off at times, the effect's are really dated, and the characters are a bunch of idiots.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

BroyaxDec 28, 2016

Un film assez décevant de la part de l'inventeur du film de zombis surtout en raison de son traitement "documentaire", un procédé qui revient de temps en temps au cinéma dans les genres horrifique et/ou catastrophe et un procédé résolumentUn film assez décevant de la part de l'inventeur du film de zombis surtout en raison de son traitement "documentaire", un procédé qui revient de temps en temps au cinéma dans les genres horrifique et/ou catastrophe et un procédé résolument désagréable, définitivement à éviter.

On ne peut mélanger en effet le documentaire et le film de fiction, ils sont en effet comme l'huile et l'eau, non miscibles et totalement incompatibles. Nonobstant ce choix douteux, ce Journal filmé des morts se laisse néanmoins regarder et peut faire rire de loin en loin pour sa violence très gore et rafraîchissante.

Il ne réinvente pas la roue côté intrigue (quoiqu'intrigue soit déjà un mot bien trop fort en vérité) et ne propose que du déjà vu à droite et à gauche depuis belle lurette. A noter tout de même l'interprétation particulière du "zombi" ici : si le principe épidémique est bien sûr respecté, le dogme précise cependant que tous les morts reviennent à la vie qu'ils aient été mordus ou non. Sauf si vous leur explosez la tête à coups de pelle.

Bref, ce ne n'est pas Résident Evil. Pour le meilleur et pour le pire.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

Dragonfly44Jan 21, 2019

As the movie goes on it gets less and less believable and less and elss enjoyable. Rating - 55%

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

Sosmooth1982Jul 9, 2023

It was an ok movie. I didn't like that you could only watch it through their camera view. I also didn't like that if you died you became a zombie. Even if you weren't bitten.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews