• 4Jul 08

  Diary of the Dead

  Okay, so yesterday I saw George A Romero's new film Diary of the Dead. His latest film, Land of the Dead, was fantastic, so I was expecting to be blown away by Diary. Unfortunately this movie lacks almost every bit of wit and charm that made older George A Romero films so fantastic.

  To start off, the characters are static, for the most part. Some of the best parts of previous movies in the Dead Series were the complex interlocking character relationships. This movie lacks any sort of dynamic character development. The characters in this movie, with one or two exceptions, are exactly the same at the end of the film as they were in the beginning.

  But who needs character development when you have gore, right? Well, not right, but momentarily assuming that the previous statement is true, this movie would still fail. The fast, emotional, realistic zombie killings in previous Dead movies that left the audience thinking that they would have acted the same way in that situation are surprisingly scarce in Diary. In fact, most of the gore in Diary of the Dead is stylized and far fetched, and while it may evoke an initial reaction within the audience, in the long run, it only serves to bore. It is also worth noting that most gore in Diary is CG. What made the older Dead movies so cool was the fact that everything you were seeing, with the exception of some blood spatter in Land, was an actual makeup appliance.

  One thing that I noticed about Diary of the Dead, that most people wouldn't, was the lack of relationship with the zombies. In Night you were able to relate to Barbara when she saw the zombie of her dead brother. In Dawn you could laugh at some of the more comical zombies, as well as relate to the zombie version of a few main characters. In Day there was Bub, and in Land there was Big Daddy. This movie has no memorable zombies, albeit the horrible zombie in the ending sequence that clearly mocked older horror movies.

  The one thing I will praise about Diary is the very true social commentary, despite the fact that it is extremely obvious, with no attempts whatsoever to disguise it cleverly. The movie deals with the fact that most modern media outlets can't be trusted to tell the truth, which is exactly what is going on in Diary, and the whole reason that the main characters are making their documentary.

  So, overall the movie could have shined in a few places, but never really realized it's full potential. For the most part I was bored watching it, which is unfortunate because I love zombie movies, and seeing something like this coming from THE George Romero is depressing. If you are a fan of George Romero you might be amused by some of the references to Dawn of the Dead, and momentarily entertained by some of the zombie kills, but if you are a newbie to zombie movies, this film will only serve to draw you away from the genre.

  • Posted Jul 4, 2008 10:10 pm GMT
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• 13Jun 08

  Cloverfield

  I saw Cloverfield yesterday, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. For those who don't know what it's about, it's a monster movie, kind of like Godzilla, but not as... cliche. The entire movie is presented as footage from a handheld camcorder, so the cinematography has a "freehand" feel to it, but it still manages to pull off basic techniques, such as the rule of thirds and framing.

  I was also surprised by the acting. When the acting was good, it was great. The actors did a fantastic job of conveying emotion, and even though the movie was just over an hour, the characters felt genuine enough that you actually feel sorry for them when some of them inevitably perish. That's not to say all of the acting was good, though. When it was bad, it was horrible. But even then, the only reason it was horrible was because of insanely stupid lines.

  I was also surprised by the fact that the monster is hardly ever seen before the end of the movie. Instead of giving a cheap thrill early on, the editors chose to only show bits and pieces of the monster in the first half of the movie. By doing so, they gave Clover (the monster) a more mysterious and ominous feel.

  Something else that is worth mentioning is the fantastic CGI. I, for the most part, am not usually impressed by CGI, but this movie blends actual environment with CG environments so seamlessly that I could never, and I mean NEVER, tell the difference. There is a scene early on in the movie where the characters are on the Brooklyn Bridge. The scene is a mix of greenscreen footage (taking place in some Hollywood warehouse) and actual footage (actually shot on the Brooklyn Bridge). When I watched the movie, I genuinely could not tell the difference. I am excited to see all of the new possibilities that this ultra realistic greenscreen can open up.

  Okay, so overall I have to say I am satisfied. The movie gave off this realistic, intimate, and scary vibe that no other movie to date has matched, and I think it will set the path for more movies like it in the future.

  Thanks,

  SHAZ101

  • Posted Jun 13, 2008 9:58 am GMT
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• 4Jun 08

  Things I Want To Get Done

  I have so much crap going on in my life right now. I have to worry about finishing up all of my Semester Exams and whatnot, and it doesn't help that I have to go on some "shakedown" hike with my scout troop this weekend to get ready for our trip to Philmont Scout Camp this summer. I'm not regretting signing up for the camp, but all of the freaking work is bunched around the end of the school year.

  So... yeah. Lots of crap going on that I have no choice in, but that's only half of it. I have a personal life too. *gasp* Things I want to do include Guitar Lessons. I bought a guitar a few months ago, and have since been playing tabs. I know a couple of songs fairly well, and I'm getting the hang of alternate picking, but if I really want to get good, I think I'm going to have to take guitar lessons.

  I also have to start to think about my Eagle Project. It's the only thing separating me from gold plating my resume with the coveted "Eagle Scout." It's also one of the largest and hardest things that a scout has to go through. I know a guy who owns an old train station that he is trying to fix up. I'm thinking I can do some trail work around the station, maybe build a bench or two. I really don't know yet.

  So... yeah. Lots of crap going on, and not a lot of time. As always I encourage commenting. It makes me feel loved. I really don't know what you could possible comment on from this blog post, so I'll bring up a book I'm reading. World War Z by Max Brooks. It's a great book, really. It's about zombies taking over the world. It's a really smart book, though. Most of what I have read so far is about the political situation. It's scary because it's so plausible and realistic. It also has some cool social commentary, but I won't get into that now. Too hard to explain. There are two stories, though, that stand out to me, both back to back. They start on page 76 and end on page 89. They are about a Russian soldier on patrol when the "Great Panic" starts, and a gun for hire protecting a mansion full of celebrities, respectively. The former can start you thinking about freedom, and if we really want it, and the latter can really make you hate celebrities. The latter doesn't name names, but it's pretty obvious who everyone is. Guess who "little rich, spoiled, tired-looking whore famous for being a rich, spoiled, tired-looking whore" is. It's a great book, though, and I suggest you read it, even if you aren't a fan of zombie culture.

  Okay, I've overstayed my welcome. Please comment!

  SHAZ101

  • Posted Jun 4, 2008 9:15 am GMT
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