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Diary of the Dead , a review by samuelrichardscott

Diary of the Dead (2007) R2 UK DVD

Overview:
In his first independent zombie film in over two decades, George A. Romero returns to ground zero in the history of the living dead. When a group of film students making a horror movie in the woods discovers that the dead have begun to revive, they turn their cameras on the real-life horrors that suddenly confront them, creating a first person diary of their bloody encounters and the disintegration of everything they hold dear.
Told with Romero's pitch-black humour and an unflinching eye on our modern world, GEORGE A. ROMERO'S DIARY OF THE DEAD marks the legendary trailblazer's return to his roots.

Thoughts:
Diary of the Dead is yet another film in Romero's mainly one trick pony career. Not that there is anything wrong with that, he is damn good at that one trick, and even the critically disliked Land of the Dead was a joy to watch in my opinion. However, my first viewing of Diary of the Dead was rather disappointing. It's good, but there is nothing new, with Romero even jumping on the 'handheld camera footage' bandwagon that started after The Blair Witch Project which Matt Reeves managed to do a whole lot better than Romero with 2008's Cloverfield. I wasn't overly keen on any of the characters and the way a lot of the script revolved around 'why are you filming?' / 'I don't wasnt to be filmed' annoyed me. It's good to see Romero go back to his roots but he's better than this average effort. 3/5

(From Never Ending Movie Marathon (short reviews) on July 6th, 2011)

Kick-Ass, a review by Dragonfire

I finally saw Kick-Ass.  It did take me a little while to get a review done ...had to think on some stuff a bit. 

So much more was going on than I expected, starting with the first few minutes.  There are a good amount of surprises throughout the movie that keep it from being predictable.  The story is very entertaining and it works well.  I like how it is a sort of realistic look at what could happen if someone decided to dress up like a superhero.  I like that Dave has to face the consequences of what he decides to do.  I love all the references to other comic books and superheroes that turn up throughout the movie.  Big Daddy does remind me of Batman with the look of his costume and the fact that he has so many weapons.  He may have more than Batman.  Hit-Girl is awesome, though there is something slightly disturbing about an eleven or twelve year old girl being so good at killing.  The cast handles their parts well.  Nicolas Cage is more understated than he has been in many of his other parts and that works perfectly for his character. 

There is a lot of graphic violence and I have no doubt that the movie is too violent for some people.  The violence works for the movie given what is going on and it doesn't really seem excessive.  Some people probably won't agree.  Humor turns up every so often though things that characters say and do.  The humor is a bit twisted, which is perfect for the movie. 

Overall, the movie is really entertaining and definitely worth watching, though it isn't for everyone.

 

I did post a longer review on Epinions.

Kick-Ass

(From Kick-Ass ***** on May 5th, 2010)

Fear Itself Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

2. Spooked
While on a stakeout in a haunted house,  a private eye hired by a mysterious woman is forced to confront the demons of his past.

Stars:
Eric Roberts
Cynthia Watros
Jack Noseworthy
Larry Gilliard Jr.
Liam James

My Thoughts:
This is one of the few that I have seen before. Spooked is the second one to air... so this one is actually in the right spot in the set. It is one of the good episodes... I enjoyed it quite a bit. Though I will say it was a little on the weird side. But it has a good ghost story atmosphere to it. Definitely worth watching.

My Rating:

(From Fear Itself Marathon on December 28th, 2009)