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Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: jetxl on Mon 21/01/2008 11:07:30

Title: Diary of the Dead
Post by: jetxl on Mon 21/01/2008 11:07:30
George Romero is filming a new zombie movie, Diary of the Dead, which is filmed from the first person perspective (like Cloverfield and a gazillion clones before that).

Anyway, for those creative minds with a camera, you can send in a short horror movie and it might apear on the DVD.

http://www.myspace.com/diaryofthedead
And apparently he's 39...
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Nikolas on Mon 21/01/2008 11:20:52
Quote from: jetxl on Mon 21/01/2008 11:07:30
And apparently he's 39...
In that case I'm not even born yet... ;D

Am I the only one who feel this being a rather... fake attempt to publishity? (yes, tpyo intentional in both cases...)

Then again, why refuse a DVD entry in a film by Romero?... Dunno...

I think I'm too much of a sceptic... Allow me to withdraw and come back later...  :-[
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens on Mon 21/01/2008 17:15:54
I'm not interested in this 'film' for a few reasons:

1.  Land of the Dead was a horrible concession for Romero (a/b-list actors, intelligent zombies?).  Diary is supposed to be something of a continuation on the bad concepts introduced in Land.

2.  It's a deliberate attempt to copy what made Blair Witch a surprise hit (I didn't like Blair Witch but let's face facts, they made a good deal of money off the stunt) while missing all the points that made Blair Witch a hit (the fact that it was advertised as a real documentary gone wrong, poor camera work and tons of amateur actors, no special effects to speak of).

3.  It feels like Romero has gotten so desperate to make a movie that he's willing to compromise everything to get it made.


So yeah, read detailed cast/synopsis info and read interviews with Romero and I am happily avoiding this thing.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: deadsuperhero on Tue 22/01/2008 16:54:58
Bah, Romero's become something of a hack.
I prefer Fido: A Boy and His Zombie. One of the best, most heartwarming zombie films ever conceived.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Evil on Tue 22/01/2008 21:27:36
It looks alright, IMO. From what I've seen it looks a bit too sappy. "What are you doing?" "If this turns out to be a big thing, I want to record it." "I'll never let go, Jack."

It's all boring crap mixed in with the good stuff. I loved the remake of Dawn of the Dead. But again, it was too love-story. Everyone is too ignorant about the zombies. "What is that thing" "People are coming back to life and we don't know why!" They're Zombies you fucks. Why don't they ever call them what they are within the first, I dunno, minute of the event. Someone is dead and they come back to live. Zombie. Shoot it in the head and run for cover. 28 Weeks Later had a great mix of everything. It was well done and I felt there was just the right amount of everything.

But, I do have respect for Romero, so I can only hope for the best. Anything will be better than Land of the Dead. That movie made zombie flicks look like a kids show. The Wiggles featuring their friends the Undead.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Stupot on Tue 22/01/2008 23:17:16
I'm going to take a less cynical view and give Romero the benefit of the doubt.
Yes Land of the Dead was a bit mainstream and there were no real 'characters' in the literal sense.  They were just bland faces on the screen...  However, I still value the film as an important part of my collection and a welcome addition to Romero's catalogue.

I didn't have a problem with the zombies having evolved... I mean lets face it the Zombies of yesteryear are a bit boring, easy to kill, easy to outrun and not really very scary anymore.

As well as this,  with films such as 28 Days Later, where the victims of the virus are essentially zombies who can run fast (although the film's makers would tell you they are NOT zombies), there is a productive reason for having faster more intelligent monsters who are a bit fiercer.  This was also echoed in Zach Snyder's remake of 'Dawn of the Dead' (which I thought was a great film even if it did suffer from the same lack of characterisation). It makes more dramatic viewing.

You could argue that Night, Dawn and Day were dramatic films, and they were at times, but they were also extremely cheesy.  One could even call them B-movies and one wouldn't be too far off.  An attempt was made with 'Land', to cut out the cheese and make a genuinely jumpy film.  Unfortunately it fell into the category of 'teen horror flick' and it suffered from a different kind of cheese, but at least it showed that Romero had been thinking about the evolution of the series and of the zombies themselves.

If George A. Romero is guilty of one thing it is a spot of Band-wagon jumping.  He knows what's popular and he knows what sells.  If he wants to try his hand at some Blair-witch/Cloverfield style hand-held action then I'm willing to see how he pulls it off.  I think he's got as much right to try it as J J Abrahms has.  Snyder used it at the end of 'Dawn' when the survivors found that video camera on the boat and you saw them get attacked as the credits rolled.  That was one of the best directed sequences in the film and if Romero wants to use the method in one of his own films then I wish him the best of luck.

I for one will be looking forward to Diary of the Dead.

As for the topic  ;)
I might just have a bash at making my own video... to have something on a Romero DVD is something I would have come in my pants about in my early teens when me and my mates used to make our own special effects with ketchup and roadkill.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: LimpingFish on Tue 22/01/2008 23:39:59
Hasn't been a good zombie movie in years. I'm not a fan of Land of the Dead, nor the Dawn remake. And we'll just ignore Resident Evil, et al, for a number of reasons.

I could be harsh and say that there hasn't been a good movie since Day of the Dead. I could be even harsher, and say that there hasn't been a really good zombie movie since the original Dawn.

The italian cycle, 1979-1985, produced a few decent movies; or movies with some decent ideas anyway. But nothing earth-shattering.

American movies seemed to play it for laughs, for the most part.

People, be it directors or writers, seem intent on either diluting the concept, or shoe-horning their own artist/political/religious agenda into it.

Romero has said each of his zombie movies is a different political/social satire. Land is by far the weakest, and most obvious.

Romero's non-zombie films, from the mid/late eighties onwards, haven't been any great shakes either.

EDIT: Oh, shit. Now they're remaking The Crazies >_<
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Sneaker on Tue 22/01/2008 23:56:00
The trailer looks great, I love zombies. As long as Romero don't follow the trend of fast zombies, I'm happy and really looking forward to it. I love the poster by the way:

(http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/767/diarypostersun1ma0.jpg)
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: radiowaves on Wed 23/01/2008 00:11:03
Wait, so there is hope for the first person zombie perspective? That is actually cool, you could see the part of ripping out guts better :)
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: deadsuperhero on Wed 23/01/2008 01:35:36
If you want to see something really novel, I'd highly recommend renting the movie Fido: A Boy and His Zombie, by Lionsgate Films. It's got some great actors, and is not only funny, but just outright brilliant.
It has a cast including Billy Conolly, Carrie-Anne Moss, Dylan Baker, K'Sun Ray, Henry Czerny, and Tim Blake Nelson.
The premise is that instead of World War II happening, the Zombie Wars happened instead. After the government finds a solution to "domesticate" these zombies, towns start being reinforced with huge iron fences. Radiation is the cause of zombification in this one, meaning anyone who dies becomes a zombie, but bites don't infect you. It takes place in the 1950's with an alternative to conspiracies (who turned who into a zombie?), the Red Scare (Old people could die at any minute, and are therefore treacherous!) , McCarthyism (We think we know you're the one responsible.), the Federal Prison System (just throw people over the fence)
If you took My Dog Skip, Dawn of the Dead, Shaun of the Dead, and The Sandlot, put them together, and made one film that actually turned out to be amazing, this would be it.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens on Wed 23/01/2008 05:46:04
Alliance - right on with Fido!  That was a surprisingly excellent film.

Quote
I didn't have a problem with the zombies having evolved... I mean lets face it the Zombies of yesteryear are a bit boring, easy to kill, easy to outrun and not really very scary anymore.

I do for at least one important reason.  Romero's made it clear many times over that the zombies in his film are decaying at a normal rate (in fact, he cited this as a reason why Savini's Slash character looked bloated and messed up in the movie and why so many other 'characters' would not cameo).  Basically, the zombies are actually dying off due to decay, so none of them can really exist long enough to evolve, or there would have certainly been intelligent ones in Day (aside from the trained zombie Bub).  For another, it introduces a pointless subplot that we as viewers of zombie carnage don't really need.  Sympathetic zombies?  Is that really something we want?  He wasn't really trying to make us feel sympathy for Bub (hell, he was still eating guts) but wanted us to understand his motivations for killing Rhodes, whereas it was like he was trying to force us to suddenly care about this black zombie guy protecting his zombie people, which I refuse to do.  Outside of comedies, zombies are ideal as thoughtless, vicious killing machines.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: jetxl on Wed 23/01/2008 16:24:28
I think the zombie evolving thing is ment as the place of zombie monsters in today's film.
In the old days, a woman fainted when she saw the monster, like Stoker's Dracula (or hugo house of horrors 2 (crap game)). That made perfect sence to the audience. In the 70's, women run away histerical. And today we expect the women to go toe to toe with the monsters.
Old skool zombie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnNIs4YKtZM) are just not scaring them as they use to, but the fast boys do.

I would like to plug a comic book now.
The Walking Dead (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead), which is like the romero zombie film style but more and there for better.
Thank you.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Evil on Wed 23/01/2008 18:10:12
I wrote an article for a school newspaper (that was rejected) about how nuclear war now is less of an issue then bio-terrorism and how it's possible and more likely that terrorists would release a mass zombie pandemic than give us smallpox or something.

In reality, if it was possible to turn a human into a zombie (dead back to life to kill people) they would be fast and mobile, just like the zombies from the remake of Dawn of the Dead or 28 Whatevers Later. There would be a loss of sensory of fatigue and they could run faster longer.

Sure they could be less intelligent and moan and move in heards and whatnot, but they would move just as fast as we would. Prog is right about the decaying thing, but most of the zombies in movies are infected from a bite, which would hardly "decay" your body any. Maybe you'd lose mass amounts of blood and lose dexterity and some mobility, but a simple hand bite would turn you into an olympic runner, but with a taste for brains.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Sneaker on Wed 23/01/2008 18:23:25
But a fast zombie doesn't make sense. A zombie is a living dead. When you die, Rigor mortis sets in and there limbs and muscles become stiff, making it hard for them to move fast. That is the reason why the "old" zombies walk slowly. And that's how it should be. Exception of course are the "zombie-like" humans in 28 Days Later. They are not dead yet, but only infected with a virus. So not zombies, but scary as hell.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Stupot on Thu 24/01/2008 00:35:07
Quote from: Sneaker on Wed 23/01/2008 18:23:25
But a fast zombie doesn't make sense. A zombie is a living dead. When you die, Rigor mortis sets in and there limbs and muscles become stiff, making it hard for them to move fast. That is the reason why the "old" zombies walk slowly. And that's how it should be. Exception of course are the "zombie-like" humans in 28 Days Later. They are not dead yet, but only infected with a virus. So not zombies, but scary as hell.

When people 'die' they don't move at all.  Zombies are already breaking that rule, so why not break it further.
Today's general audiences want fast-paced high-octane explode-'em-ups.  I must admit, I think reverting back to the old slower zombies would give Romero a chance to make a character-based, artistic, film for appreciators of subtlety, but he's probably more interested in reaching the popular masses and to do that he has speed everything up, make everything bigger and spend more money on it... and use a shaky camera.

I don't blame him, and unless he reeeeally cocks up, I'll always be a fan.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Sneaker on Thu 24/01/2008 02:27:20
I agree with you on the audience wanting fast paced action, but I don't like it. Zombies have to be slow. According to the trailer of Diary of the Dead, the zombies are slow (but I'm still in doubt because of the zombie in the hospital). Well, let's just hope that it will be good.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Evil on Thu 24/01/2008 02:36:25
Well, my argument was that in order for a human to die and come back to life, would be for a virus to take control of the brain and start the body back up again and bring itself back to life. The heart would have to start again to pump blood the the limbs so they could move and the lungs would have to provide blood, and the body would be taking in blood and guts as a food providing the body with some nutrients. All of this activity would reactivate the body and slow the deterioration and decay.

Depending on how you claim a zombie virus would work will change how they move. Some claim it takes over the brain and just controls the body. If that's the case, without blood pumping to the muscles, you could move hardly at all before your body completely stopped.

Realistically, how a zombie virus could actually bring someone dead back to life, would require brain function, which would require oxygen, which would require blood flow, etc.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: LGM on Thu 24/01/2008 03:41:34
The closest to real that this scenario could ever become would be like 28 Days Later. A virus that infects our minds and makes us go crazy. You never die and come back to life, you just start eating people.

This, in decades time, could be quite possible. However, someone designing a virus with those distinct effects and having it released into the wild is a highly improbable... But I believe it could be possible at some point in time.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: on Thu 24/01/2008 04:55:26
When we take "zombie" in the original meaning of the word, we have not a dead corpse eating brains, we have a human made subservient to a "master" by a ritual that is tightly connected to voodoo. So an athlete, when turned into a zombie AND when ordered to do so, could actually cover quite a lot of ground.

Sorry. Been reading the 'wiki again.

The movie's looking okay. I'm not too much of a zombie fan in any case, I prefer my horror movie monsters having eight legs, but well, I think I'd rather watch Diary than Cloverfield.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Paper Carnival on Thu 24/01/2008 13:45:48
I can't wait until they finally make a movie version of Three Happy Zombies
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: MrColossal on Thu 24/01/2008 17:08:31
Quote from: LGM on Thu 24/01/2008 03:41:34
The closest to real that this scenario could ever become would be like 28 Days Later. A virus that infects our minds and makes us go crazy. You never die and come back to life, you just start eating people.

This, in decades time, could be quite possible. However, someone designing a virus with those distinct effects and having it released into the wild is a highly improbable... But I believe it could be possible at some point in time.

The interesting thing is that imagine that scenario for a story, a group of mad scientists create this virus. If we have the ability to do that we have the ability to create another virus or antidote to the virus. So it would infect a bunch of people and a new antidote would be released and everyone would be fine. Then the crazy scientists would be back to the drawing board.

It could be like a constant one-upping of crazy deadly super science.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens on Thu 24/01/2008 18:15:47
I don't mind different takes on zombies from different directors at all.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed 28 Days Later's departure from the 'standard' by using an infection that just makes people wildly furious.  Romero, however, has long established his zombies as behaving a certain way, so in 'the Romero universe', zombies rot, zombies move slow both due to injuries sustained before/after death and due to the decaying process of death.  Zombies also (up until Day) showed only the merest intelligence (unless you count Johnny's bizarre ability to just show up and get Barbara at the end as an intelligent action and not coincidence) and the most popular theory (aside from hell being overcrowded) was a passing meteor. 

On an aside, a funny euro zombie film I watched not to long ago called Night of the Living Dorks might get some laughs from fans of Evil Dead/Fido/Shaun of the Dead.  Quite a bit of slapstick humor in it.

Avoid Flight of the Living Dead, however.  Or see it at your peril.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: LGM on Thu 24/01/2008 18:15:59
You should ask Stupot what he thinks. Perhaps they're already doing this. They create super-AIDS, find a cure, sell antidotes, then super-duper AIDS, then super-duper cure, and the cycle goes on!!!

I mean, just think about it!

Edit: Yes, ProgZ... Flight of the Dead was just awful. I was decieved. It's not even entertainingly-bad. It's just bad.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Sneaker on Thu 24/01/2008 19:22:29
I haven't seen Flight of the Dead yet, it is going to be released somewhere in February in Holland. BTW, I really recommend Undead. I really enjoyed that movie, funny with great zombies. 
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Stupot on Thu 24/01/2008 21:32:07
Quote from: LGM on Thu 24/01/2008 18:15:59
You should ask Stupot what he thinks. Perhaps they're already doing this. They create super-AIDS, find a cure, sell antidotes, then super-duper AIDS, then super-duper cure, and the cycle goes on!!!

I mean, just think about it!

Edit: Yes, ProgZ... Flight of the Dead was just awful. I was decieved. It's not even entertainingly-bad. It's just bad.

The common cold was created in a laboratory by representatives of Lemsip, Vicks and Olbas.
It's obvious.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: LimpingFish on Thu 24/01/2008 21:40:23
Some zombie flicks from recent memory:

The Zombie Dead (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081248/) (Italy, 1981): Weird incest sub-plot aside (including a scene which brings a whole new meaning to the term "breast-feeding"!), this is a fairly decent zombiethon. A number of scenes remind me of Resident Evil 4, as "zombies", armed with farming implements, storm a country house. The zombie make-up is fairly down-market, unfortunately. Scores points for sheer weirdness, though.

Zombi Holocaust (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079788/) (Italy, 1982): Belongs more to the Cannibal movie cycle of the same period. The zombies are lame, and bring nothing to the "plot". Overall, a fairly lousy film.

Zombie Flesh Eaters (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080057/) (Italy, 1979): Responsible for kick-starting the post-Dawn Italian zombie cycle (and marketed in Europe as a "direct" sequel), this is probably my favourite from the period. It's shot well, has good zombies, and features the best Zombie vs Shark fight scene in the history of cinema!

Zombie Flesh Eaters 2 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096511/) (Italy, 1988): Mostly awful retread of it's predecessor, but a couple of interesting scenes make it (barely) worth watching

Zombie Flesh Eaters 3 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094620/) (Italy, 1988): Shockingly awful shite, with gay pornstar Jeff Stryker as the lead. Words cannot describe how hilarliously atrocious this movie is. Inept in every department, this epic shuffles from awful scene to awful scene much like the titular antagonists, whose makeup jobs resemble wet newspaper. If anybody recommends you watch this movie, kick them in the balls and run.

Zombie Creeping Flesh (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082559/) (Italy, 1982): Despite a very poor first half, featuring the least likely SWAT team in movie history storming a terrorist-held embassy, a few scenes of zombie carnage in the latter half elevate this above the norm. Still a fairly bad movie, though.

The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071431/) (Italy, 1974): Probably the best pre-Dawn Euro-zombie movie, this British-set story is well made, with convincing zombies. Definitely recommended.

Dellamorte Dellamore (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109592/) (Italy, 1994): A truly excellent film, that demands repeated viewings. Find it, watch it!

The following aren't technically pure zombie movies, though they extensively feature zombies:

The City of the Living Dead (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081318/), The Beyond (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082307/), and The House by the Cemetery (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082966/) are a trilogy of movies from Italian director Lucio Fulci. Although owing as much to Lovecraft as to Romero, all feature zombies and scenes of zombie attack. All three are definitely worth watching.

The Blind Dead: The Blind Dead quadrilogy is a mostly excellent series of Spanish horror films, made between 1971 and 1975. Though not "true" zombies, The Blind Dead are a band of undead templar knights who ride out of the surf on their undead horses to terrorize and kill various people throughout the series. The first film, Tombs of the Blind Dead (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067500/), and the final film, Night of the Seagulls (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073461/), are the best.

For those interested on the history of the zombie movie, I've found the following two books to be indispensable:

Book of the Dead: The Complete History of Zombie Cinema (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Dead-Complete-History-Zombie/dp/1903254337/ref=sr_1_6/203-4049308-3718318?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201210217&sr=1-6)

Eaten Alive!: Italian Cannibal and Zombie Movies (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eaten-Alive-Italian-Cannibal-Zombie/dp/085965379X/ref=pd_sim_b_title_2/203-4049308-3718318?ie=UTF8&qid=1201210217&sr=1-6)

(The other books featured on Amazon along with those two are also great, particularly Shock! Horror! Astounding Artwork from the Video Nasty Era (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shock-Horror-Astounding-Artwork-Video/dp/1903254329/ref=pd_sim_b_img_3/203-4049308-3718318?ie=UTF8&qid=1201210217&sr=1-6).)


Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: LGM on Fri 25/01/2008 01:07:08
I second Dellamorte Dellamore, or Cemetary Man for some areas. It is quite lovely.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens on Fri 25/01/2008 18:50:55
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie is the title I saw The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue under (for a half-second I was wondering if I somehow missed a zombie film!).  It was okay, a bit drawn out in spots and the cop was impossibly stupid, but overall it was interesting.  Didn't like Cemetery Man at all, sorry.  Felt like they were trying too hard to get an art grant or something, especially the ending. 
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: LimpingFish on Fri 25/01/2008 22:06:39
Yeah. 'Manchester Morgue has sixteen (!) different titles, according to IMDB, so it can be easily mistaken for a different movie. I agree, ProgZ, about the cop being especially stupid; the fact that he seems to be some sort of fanatical hippy-hater first, and a detective second, is pretty absurd. Overall, though, the film has a genuinely creepy sense of doom about it, and the "lead" zombie (complete with post-autopsy stitches) is a great visual character.

Dellamorte Dellamore (Cemetery Man) seems to divide viewers; some people love it, some absolutely despise it. I think, regardless of the genre it belongs to, it's a genuine attempt at a story that, while adhering more or less to the established template of the Zombie (slow and lumbering, shot to the head to kill, etc), tries to build something new around it.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Huw Dawson on Fri 25/01/2008 22:33:00
Zombie Awesomeness = Planet Terror. Other than the first 10 mins of the film, its zombie goodness all the way through. Apart from the Tarantino cameo. Blobzilla??  :P

- Huw

EDIT: Oooh. Green Goodness...
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Evil on Fri 25/01/2008 22:44:32
I loved Tarantino's cameo. It gave you a good sense of what the virus did to people. Willis's part was too over the top. At least the blob was better than the hulk that Willis turned into. Looked like a fleshy Hitler Mecha from Wolfenstein. Besides, Planet Terror didn't even have that many Zombie scenes in it!

Funny bit of info, Tarantino plays one of the zombies that kills Fergie. On the DVD special features she talks about how he kept biting her on the neck and leaving hickies and marks.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Chrille on Sat 26/01/2008 14:37:54
Did any of you see the Grapes of Death? It's a french zombie-flick from 1978 about the owner of a vineyard spraying the fields with some pretty bad stuff and the local population turns into zombies. It might sound really (and is, fairly) silly. But it's rather well done and very entertaining too. If you can find it, go for it.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens on Sat 26/01/2008 19:41:47
I've seen movies with a similar plot to Grapes of Death but I will watch it nonetheless.  Thanks!
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Sneaker on Fri 01/02/2008 18:20:50
First Clip from Romero's Diary of the Dead
Source: The Weinstein Company
February 1, 2008

This is the beginning of the end. Courtesy of The Weinstein Company, we now have the first clip from George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead (http://"http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/films.php?id=837") (opening February 15th). The footage, taken from the outset of the film, features exactly what you want...zombies, zombies, zombies! More "Diary" coverage on the way.

clip: http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=4456 (http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=4456)
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: LGM on Fri 01/02/2008 18:49:48
Awesome, that's a neat way to introduce it this time round. The line delivery is stupid, though, but I guess acting was never a focal point for Romero.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens on Sat 02/02/2008 01:22:07
That looked really, really cruddy, like one of the many z-grade zombie films I've seen.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Gravity on Sat 02/02/2008 02:13:00
One of my most beloved topics to talk about. Zombies. Well for movies anyway. Out of all the zombie movies none are better than the ones George A. Romero has made. Land of The Dead was not exactly the way I would have liked it to be but still watchable. Night/Dawn/Day of The Dead are by far the best ones ever to grace movies. I am stoked that a new one is being made by him and no matter how it actually turns out I will watch and buy it just to add to the Romero Zombie Collection. Strange that I would use this topic to post on after I have been away for three years and some months. Such is the power of zombieness. I'm back, by the way, for the few who still remember me.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: deadsuperhero on Sat 02/02/2008 21:49:13
Well, it can't possibly be as bad as the last zombie film I watched, "Undead".
The cover looked so awesome, but it ended up looking like a horror movie made by the folks who made "Flyin' Ryan" (a film so bad that it was kind of good)
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Stupot on Sun 03/02/2008 12:51:59
If anyone hasn't seen Bad Taste you should put it on your to-do list.
OK the monsters in that film are technically aliens, not zombies, but the effect is exactly the same.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: radiowaves on Sun 03/02/2008 14:44:00
Ahahah, Bad Taste is just pure classic XD The effects, the plot, sounds, everything is just pure awesomness!
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens on Sun 03/02/2008 17:06:07
Watch it for the five minute regurgitation-slop-drinking scene!
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: FruitTree on Mon 04/02/2008 16:14:56
so is anyone gonna have a go at making their own lowbudget zombie short?
'cause I sure am!

back in filmschool I noticed creativity peaked when everybody brainstormed about each other's projects, not as collaborators, more like colleagues...

I'm not good at explaining these things :P
anyway, if other people gonna make zombie shorts maybe we should open a different thread where we can C&C eachother!

good idea, no?

edit:
we could call it the thread of the dead :P
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens on Mon 04/02/2008 23:51:18
I'm all for amateur zombiefiestas.  My best friend and I keep knocking around the idea of filming a zombie flick ourselves (using our vast library of zombie knowledge :P) but it always comes back to money -- of which we have little.  If you can get the money or enough crazy bastards to do freebies for you (like Troma often can) then you're in business!
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: FruitTree on Thu 07/02/2008 00:35:49
Troma kicks ass!
but money isn't really an issue it's amazing how much one can accomplish with loads of energy a set mind and a good plan!
just look at 'worst case scenario'! http://www.gorehoundinc.com/ (even though they've run into some financial trouble still a good example of just how far positivity can reach!)

I don't know how many people saw 'a cock and bull story' (haven't seen it? buy a copy asap!) but I was thinking of transfering that amazing concept (or format) to a zombie-short!

also I was thinking, what makes a good zombie movie?

-cool zombies
-loads of gore
-kickass zombie killing weapons
-apocalyptic atmosphere (debatable though)
-spinechilling one-liners!
-out of the box filmmaking!

all these things don't call for a big budget at all!
they call for innovative thinking!

so again, anyone willing to give it a crack, I'll open a thread of the dead and we could get the creative juices flowing, help eachother along the road of our own zombie masterpieces!

I'm not sure if he's been mentioned in this thread but I just looooove Lucio Fulci! great for inspiration!
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens on Fri 08/02/2008 00:51:37
I don't think Worst Case Scenario will be finished at this point, which is sad.  All they do is run into trouble with funding in their native country but still they don't try filming elsewhere. 

Also, I just saw Die You Zombie Bastards! and it's one of those great 'bad' zombie films that truly wallows in its own horribleness! SEE a serial killer-turned superhero with a suit made of human skin (complete with a penis codpiece).  HEAR sound effects re-used from public domain reels.  LAUGH at a villain with a truly strange personality.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: LimpingFish on Fri 08/02/2008 01:19:14
Quote from: FruitTree on Thu 07/02/2008 00:35:49
I'm not sure if he's been mentioned in this thread but I just looooove Lucio Fulci! great for inspiration!

Oh, he has.;D

Quote from: LimpingFish
Zombie Flesh Eaters (Italy, 1979): Responsible for kick-starting the post-Dawn Italian zombie cycle (and marketed in Europe as a "direct" sequel), this is probably my favourite from the period. It's shot well, has good zombies, and features the best Zombie vs Shark fight scene in the history of cinema!

The City of the Living Dead, The Beyond, and The House by the Cemetery are a trilogy of movies from Italian director Lucio Fulci. Although owing as much to Lovecraft as to Romero, all feature zombies and scenes of zombie attack. All three are definitely worth watching.

I always wanted to make a zombie movie(who doesn't?!). Something different though, rather than taking a leaf from the Todd Sheets Big Book of Zombie Filmmaking.

Worst Case Scenario genuinely looks like something different, but, as ProgZ has said, it seems to be stuck in development hell.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: FruitTree on Sat 09/02/2008 13:08:24
I talked to Bart, one of WCS producers, while helping to move some props and there are still lots of opportunities for worst case scenario so don't give up on it yet!
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: jetxl on Sat 09/02/2008 17:18:42
Quote from: FruitTree on Mon 04/02/2008 16:14:56
so is anyone gonna have a go at making their own lowbudget zombie short?
'cause I sure am!

back in filmschool I noticed creativity peaked when everybody brainstormed about each other's projects, not as collaborators, more like colleagues...

I'm not good at explaining these things :P
anyway, if other people gonna make zombie shorts maybe we should open a different thread where we can C&C eachother!

good idea, no?

edit:
we could call it the thread of the dead :P

Hmm, how about we have an AGS film competition. Doesn't have to be zombies or horror. We could call it Film Something.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Mozesh on Sun 10/02/2008 00:01:46
Every day I wake up thinking, why haven't I made a zombie short yet!

I'd love to see some low-budget zombie works from people here!
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: Stupot on Sun 09/03/2008 01:23:51
Did anybody else see Diary... on Jonathan Ross?
It looks like a load of utter shite...
...probably still watch it, though.
Title: Re: Diary of the Dead
Post by: jetxl on Sun 04/05/2008 00:37:57
I got around to see it.
The movie is bit low budget especially compared to Land. It lacks hordes of zombies and gore which is mandatory for a zombie flick. They visit many locations, and that's what this movie is; a collection of short events. Kind of like a road movie.
I liked it myself, but I can empathise why many people don't/won't.

Again, go read The Walking Dead (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead).