Survival of the Dead [Archive] - Horror Digital Forum

Mok

09-09-2009, 07:42 PM

The new Romero Zombie film. Scroll down to view trailer:
http://twitchfilm.net/

What do you guys think? I hated the last film, like most folks did, but this one's look alright. I mean, it's another Canadian production (George Stroumbolopolis is in it for fuck sakes!) but it might surprise us. I'd give it a chance at least.

Workshed

09-09-2009, 08:58 PM

Well, if I saw the right video, it looks more like a scene than a trailer, so I'm not sure how much I can ascertain, other than...at least there wasn't any CGI?

I will see it, of course.

(and i much preferred DiaryotD to LotD.)

Darga

09-09-2009, 09:40 PM

I need to watch DiaryotD a second time one of these days before I can give my final verdict, but I definitely wasn't impression upon my initial viewing.

Of course I'll still check out this new one when it comes out. The scene available through the link almost seems more like a teaser than an actual scene from the film.

Severn

09-09-2009, 11:20 PM

This looks like a lot of fun which is great. I hope it's better than his most recent fair which don't have much re-watch value IMO.

I saw Dairy recently and wasn't a huge fan. I loved the beginning with the newscaster bit but got tired of the usual "we're the real monsters" soapbox he gets on and it wasn't very compelling although it was really trying to. Although it did show us the most badass Amish person I've ever seen (Harrison Ford in Witness doesn't count).

Harry Warden

09-09-2009, 11:33 PM

George Romero has too much time on his hands!! I'll pass!

X-human

09-09-2009, 11:51 PM

Sad thing is I'll probably buy it, but like Diary of the Dead won't have the guts to watch it. Some small hope he'll return to his greater glory again...

I even liked Bruiser, but Land of the Dead was a huge step back for him and when I heard Diary was even worse I'd all but given up hope. He's got considerable money and some level of freedom to make his "message films" but has become so ham fisted it's hard to watch now. When he recently changed his mind and said he should have written NotLD with race in the forefront, that is when I gave up on him. What made NotLD so great in my mind was how in the back of the audience's minds it was there without a single frame devoted to the issue itself.

That he has changed his position on that means he's a different style of filmmaker, one that I'm no longer interested in.

Copyboy

09-10-2009, 01:08 AM

I went into DIARY OF THE DEAD expecting to hate it based on my dislike of LAND OF THE DEAD and the whole "reality" thing that's been done to death and usually not very well. I ended up really enjoying DIARY much more than I ever expected to, so I'm really looking forward to SURVIVAL. And for that reason, I'll probably hate it.

HellRazor

09-10-2009, 01:38 AM

At least he tried something different with DIARY OF THE DEAD. I mean, how many ways is there to tell this story?

Sadly George Romero has been pigeon-holed into the role of "maker of Zombie movies" so this is about all we will let him do any more. I'm expecting the new Dead movie to be the same thing, different day, slightly different plot, yawn.

Harry Warden

09-10-2009, 02:11 AM

Sadly George Romero has been pigeon-holed into the role of "maker of Zombie movies" so this is about all we will let him do any more. I'm expecting the new Dead movie to be the same thing, different day, slightly different plot, yawn.

The pigeon-holed comment I agree with, but it's self imposed, IMO. All WE will let him do anymore? Come on. Romero has always been somewhat of a renegade and I hardly think anyone is forcing or convincing him to continue to to churn out garbage. You're right when you say that it will be the same boring yawnfest with a slightly different plot, but Romero has this fucked up obsession with always trying to tie his plots in with some social commentary bullshit, and his last two outings sucked SOOOO bad. He is capable of making good horror films. Just look at his past. Martin, Creepshow, Monkey Shines, etc. Romero is too talented to keep doing this. For a filmmaker/director who I used to have a great deal of respect for, I refuse to even watch anymore of his shit. Land was abominable and Diary sucked even worse.

KappaMoth

09-10-2009, 02:40 AM

Link wasn't working, but checked out a trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifo7fNnm7EE

If Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud was any indication, adding more hillbillies to a production doesn't typically increase the quality of the film.

17thJuggalo

09-10-2009, 06:04 AM

I actually watched Diary of the Dead last night for the second time.

I actually kinda liked it the second time around. However, the female lead was a horrible actress, the CGI was way out of hand, the ending was abrupt, and the "we're the real monsters" message was way way way too forced. With those and a few gaping plot holes aside, it wasn't nearly as bad as people made it out to be.

x666x

09-10-2009, 06:10 AM

Erick H.

09-10-2009, 06:43 AM

Romero has compared this film to the 1950's western epic THE BIG COUNTRY(an old favorite of mine),and in fact the trailer does have a western vibe to it.I'll see it,as I do all Romero films,but I think he should let the DEAD rest for a while and try something else.Romero has managed to do some intriguing work outside of his DEAD films(THE CRAZIES,MARTIN,CREEPSHOW),I refuse to accept that all he can turn out for the rest of his days are sequels/spin-offs of his zombie pics.When he did DIARY he claimed that the new video technology allowed him to shoot faster and cheaper than ever.Great,now try a new,original project.Don't get me wrong,I love some of his DEAD pictures but the man is more than a one trick pony.Sure,he's been knocked around when he strayed out of the flesh eating arena but he did score with CREEPSHOW so why not try something different,especially now that he claims to be able to make these things faster and cheaper than ever.I'll happily see SURVIVAL but I wanna see something fresh from Romero again.

Ash28M

09-10-2009, 01:45 PM

I'll be seeing this a TIFF this weekend. I or Ash28M (assuming he will be in attendance) will be letting y'all know how it was.

Tomorrow night, Jennifer's Body. Girlie will be in attendance, should be crowded.

Actually I decided to pass on Survival of Dead. I guess I just don't have enough faith in it. The horror films I'm going to are Antichrist, Rec 2, Daybreakers and The Loved Ones.

spawningblue

09-10-2009, 08:40 PM

Land of the Dead was okay, Diary of the Dead was one of the worst horror movies I've seen (Rec was a great example of how to do it right!). I too hope this one fares a little better but I just don't know... And I too would like to see Romero try something different then zombies now. He did three of the best zombie films, isn't that enough?

X-human

09-10-2009, 11:05 PM

The pigeon-holed comment I agree with, but it's self imposed, IMO.

I tend to agree with that. He's had other projects, and between Dark Half and Bruiser he says he made more money working on pre-production on The Mummy and Resident Evil than any time before that. He was comissioned to do a TV movie of Dracula. Then there was Diamond Dead which I think was moments away from shooting before something happened (don't know what, I suspect LotD became a better offer).

Seems like he's been taking the easy way out now. " 'Nother 1/2 'mill for more brain munchers? Make it cheap you say? You got it!"

Shannafey

09-10-2009, 11:29 PM

Not a great clip, but I will more than likely buy it on DVD. I too hated Diary, but think I have to re-watch it at some point to see if it gets better with a 2nd viewing. I still love the man and will watch his films!

MorallySound

11-02-2009, 10:38 PM

Red band trailer (promo edit): http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/of-the-dead/red-band-promo-trailer

nsacci

11-02-2009, 11:48 PM

Been lurking here awhile, finally registered. I actually really liked Diary, mainly because I didn't expect it to be REC given that it's an entirerly different sort of film. REC used the first-person deal as a means of suspending disbelief and ramping up suspense, whereas Diary uses it purely for the sake of its message. It may be hamfisted at times but i also think it has some genuinely interesting ideas and poetic moments. And it's nowhere near as hamfisted as Land, if for no other reason than that it doesn't have over the top performances from Dennis Hopper or John Leguizamo.

But that said, I'm not looking forward to Survival. I would have preferred a continuation of Diary. The concept never sounded that interesting (have yet to enjoy a zombie western), and the whole thing was tainted for me by the very first trailer that came up online with no color-correction or polished sound-effects. It looked like a backyard SOV production.

fceurich39

12-10-2009, 06:33 PM

just earlier the dvd was announced in the UK for a march 2010 release but as far as i know there is still no distributor for the US release everywhere else has a distributor including canada WTF is going on with this title

hegemon13

12-10-2009, 08:12 PM

I hated Diary of the Dead. It seemed odd that a horror filmmaker would take on voyeuristic YouTube culture as an "evil" to be exposed. Really? You do realize why people love your zombie movies so much, right? Because they get to watch realistic, seemingly familiar people in an extremely bad situation. It's the same voyeuristic tendency that has people watching celebrities and funny accidents on YouTube. Whatever. Not to mention that his conversion to CGI gore was unforgiveable, the acting was atrocious, and the story was nonexistent.

All that said, I don't understand all the hate for Land. It was not as good as the original three, but it was a fun movie with lots of epic zombie battles. The performances were decent. The story was interesting. It seemed like the natural evolution of the series; each movie in the series had a larger cast, larger scope, and a larger slice of community. Where was there to go from Day except to a city?

j tea

12-10-2009, 10:06 PM

nice, is that windom earle from twin peaks?

fceurich39

12-18-2009, 08:45 PM

from shocktilyoudrop.com

George A. Romero's latest zombie offering, Survival of the Dead, has found U.S. distribution.

Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced today that they have the rights. Magnet will release the film as part of its Ultra VOD program this spring, debuting it on VOD platforms nationwide a month before its theatrical release.

Like its predecessors, Survival of the Dead takes place in a desperate, nightmarish world where the dead walk the earth, relentlessly attacking the living. It is the story of Plum Island – a beautiful refuge whose isolation allows two powerful families to maintain a semblance of order in the wake of the zombie holocaust. But as the inhabitants slowly die off, the two clans become sharply divided: the O’Flynns believe that the undead must be destroyed without exception, while the Muldoons insist that afflicted loved ones be kept "alive" until a cure is found. The result is an escalating showdown with echoes of a classic Western stand-off that erupts in brutality and violence.

Says Romero, "I'm a big admirer of the team at Magnolia. They’re creative and passionate, and I'm excited to put Survival in their hands."

When a release date comes to light, we'll let you know. For now, check out some stills and video previews here!

Vlachio

01-14-2010, 09:15 AM

http://i49.tinypic.com/2cxf6o5.jpg

George A. Romero's SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD: Arriving on March 15th in the UK from Optimum Home Entertainment is the DVD release of George A. Romero's new film, which stars Alan Van Sprang, Kenneth Welsh, Kathleen Munroe, Devon Bostick, Richard Fitzpatrick, Stefano Colacitti and Athena Karkanis. Filmmaker George A. Romero unleashes the sixth film in his DEAD series (which started with NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD in 1968, progressing through the likes of DAWN OF THE DEAD before culminating with 2007's DIARY OF THE DEAD) with this gut-munching shocker surrounding a clash of ideals between two factions of inhabitants on a remote island after a zombie outbreak."

Here's the US plot details: "On a small island off North America's coast, the dead rise to menace the living. Yet...the islanders can't bring themselves to exterminate their loved ones, despite the growing danger from those the once held dear. A rebel among them hunts down all the zombies he can find, only to be banished from the island for assassinating his neighbors and friends. On the mainland, bent on revenge, he encounters a small band of survivors in search of an oasis on which to build a new life. Barely surviving an attack from a mass of ravenous flesh-eaters. They commandeer a zombie-infested ferry and sail to the island. There, to their horror, they discover that the locals have chained the dead inside their homes, pretending to live 'normal' lives...with bloody consequences. What ensues is a desperate struggle for survival and the answer to a question never posed in Romero's Dead films: Can the living ever live in peace with the dead?" (Bloody-Disgusting.com)

The Chaostar

01-14-2010, 01:56 PM

http://www.horrordvds.com/vb3forum/showthread.php?t=39658&highlight=survival+dead

maskull

01-26-2010, 11:10 PM

A month ago we all learned that Magnet Releasing had scooped up all the rights to George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead. What we didn't know at the time was exact dates on when the film was going to be released. Fangoria has learned that they will be releasing the film on VOD on April 30th and in theaters on May 28th.

Like its predecessors, George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead takes place in a desperate, nightmarish world where the dead walk the earth, relentlessly attacking the living. It is the story of Plum Island – a beautiful refuge whose isolation allows two powerful families to maintain a semblance of order in the wake of the zombie holocaust. But as the inhabitants slowly die off, the two clans become sharply divided: the O’Flynns believe that the undead must be destroyed without exception, while the Muldoons insist that afflicted loved ones be kept “alive” until a cure is found. The result is an escalating showdown with echoes of a classic Western stand-off that erupts in brutality and violence.
from horror-movies.ca (http://www.horror-movies.ca/horror_17443.html)

dickieduvet

03-13-2010, 09:21 PM

Just finished watching this on Blu-Ray, Very good I thought. Better than Diary anyway (Though I still enjoyed it). A few dodgy GGI FX shots and very little in the way of old school latex FX. All in All I was pleased with it. The Blu-Ray has got an excellent transfer and a fantastic DTS MA soundtrack though there are no extras at all :(

Plenty of gore and lots of humour too. Think it's region locked to B but not 100% sure.

SaxCatz

03-14-2010, 01:57 AM

Maybe I'm the odd one out, but I actually enjoyed "Diary of the Dead."
Sure, its not "Dawn..." or "Day..."... or even "Land...", but its still a solid horror flick with some interesting angles and far better than the majority of the shlocky remakes coming out of Hollywood right now.
As such, I am excited about "Survival of the Dead" and look forward to it becoming available on DVD/Blu-Ray in the US.

Shannafey

03-14-2010, 03:13 PM

Alright, decisions, decisions, decisions!! Should I get the Region 2 DVD or wait for a Blu Ray to make it to the states??? I really want to see this!!

Shannafey

03-21-2010, 04:56 AM

x666x

03-21-2010, 05:47 AM

Just watched it. Better than Diary, but still a piece of crap! That script was retarded and the CG shots were horrible!! Romero needs to stop making dead films!! I really love the guy and respect his past work, but he really isn't doing anything good anymore!

I tried to warn people in the other thread. Land, Diary, Survival. 3 strikes. I am done with him. Hey, he revolutionized the Zombie genre. But decades ago. There are new directors who are more worthy of attention nowadays. One Uwe B in the genre is too many as it is.

I am due for another viewing of Night. I need to watch it to leave a good lasting impression of the man in my mind.

Bobbywoodhogan

03-21-2010, 11:20 AM

Survival looks awful, Land of the Dead was ok to me, I turned Diary off after 10 minutes.

Harry Warden

03-21-2010, 12:20 PM

SaviniFan

03-21-2010, 02:41 PM

Ok, I saw this. I think Romero needs to hang it up with the zombie films. The zombies in this one almost never posed a threat to the humans effectively removing any sense of dread in the film, the kills were more CGI than I would have wanted to see in a Romero film and there was not one single likable character. The main protagonist is an arrogant douche bag that I couldn't give a rats ass about. The warring families who play out like a modern day Hatfield and McCoys just seem ridiculous and their motivations laughable.

The only thing I liked about this one is that it ran at a brief hour and a half, although it felt longer. This entry makes Land of the Dead look like a classic.

Avoid.

Shannafey

03-21-2010, 02:57 PM

shape22

03-21-2010, 05:15 PM

Definitely a good synopsis!! I actually like Land of the Dead. I think it's his last good dead film.

I agree with the criticisms of this one. It's so bad that I wonder if it's supposed to be an all-out comedy. As mentioned above, there was no sense of danger. And some of the performances are so broad that I thought I was watching Tod Slaughter. Romero has also totally lost his ability to write nuanced quality characters. Everyone in this movie seems like a cliche.

I too fear that George has lost it for all-time. He used to be a guy with such a strong vision for each movie. With Diary and Survival I get the impression that he's thinking about what a modern audience might want instead of what kind of film HE wants to make. That's a shame.

And I too am really stunned at the amount of CGI in Survival. That's bad enough on its own. But it's so poorly done that I felt like I was watching a parody of a real zombie movie (made by a director with serious contempt for the genre). It definitely gives a cartoonish vibe that I found very off-putting.

I'm really surprised that so many people have such low regard for Land of the Dead. To me, there was a bigger drop-off between Dawn and Day than Day and Land. I like Day and Land about the same. Just my two cents of course.

I am done with Romero zombie flicks. If I watch any more of these travesties it may begin to taint my feelings for his classics. I REALLY hate Diary and Survival. No more George. Please.

Dave

03-21-2010, 05:47 PM

CGI was awful; story was awful; characters were awful.

Why the nonsense about training zombies to eat animals? Downright silly stuff. We simply want people in tense situations with zombies trying to eat them alive. It's really not that difficult to follow.

I did love the underwater zombies (loved it in World War Z) but that was only a minute or two.

Shannafey

03-21-2010, 05:53 PM

And I too am really stunned at the amount of CGI in Survival. That's bad enough on its own. But it's so poorly done that I felt like I was watching a parody of a real zombie movie (made by a director with serious contempt for the genre). It definitely gives a cartoonish vibe that I found very off-putting.

You're not kidding!!

Hatchetwarrior

03-21-2010, 11:04 PM

After watching this, I'm still at odds with how I feel. I mean I didn't hate it or anything, it was just o.k. and thats coming from me, who enjoyed and owns both Land and Diary. But this I don't know. The CGI was so awful it made me cringe at times, like the "Special Effects" were two notches above a SyFy original movie. It also had the most throw away cast in the entire Romero "Of The Dead" series, The only ones worth mentioning are the two old men.
Sure people complain how awful Land and Diary are, but at least there ambitions were in the right place. This film had little ambition, a lot of cool action sequences and a stock pile of forgettable characters. I'm sorry Georgie, I admire and appreciate what you did for the horror genre, but it's time to call it a day and leave with what little dignity you have left. With other zombie-esque films coming out the wood work (REC, 28 Days Later, etc.) your little Survival Of The Dead film is 10 miles behind.

Rating: (6/10)

Darga

03-22-2010, 03:55 AM

I'm really surprised that so many people have such low regard for Land of the Dead. To me, there was a bigger drop-off between Dawn and Day than Day and Land. I like Day and Land about the same. Just my two cents of course.

While I was never a huge fan of Day, I actually beared a fare amount of dislike for Land so that still gets my vote for being George's first bad zombie film. Just the ending with them shooting off all the fireworks out of the truck (ummm, maybe you could use those in the next town you're in where the zombies aren't desensitized to them?) makes me groan and ends the film on such a stupid note.

shithead

03-22-2010, 12:29 PM

Lousy director.

Are you INSANE???

Diary is pretty much his only lousy film. And Judging by the trailer for Survival...maybe that too. I still need to see it for myself though.

baggio

03-22-2010, 03:12 PM

Seen the film:

Key points:

- At exactly 2 min & 18 seconds... My reaction... Oh boy, this is gonna be bad.

- Somewhere around the dock scene. It turned into a comedy for a while.

Very poor output by Romero. A little embarrassing imo.

slinker

03-22-2010, 04:20 PM

Terrible plot, lousy acting, ridiculous CGI and intentional / unintentional humour?? i just didnt get it......as said above "embarrassing" indeed.

MisterTwister

03-22-2010, 06:20 PM

I loved Land but didn't like Diary. Well I hated Survival. The whole film felt lazy and going through the motions. Even the zombies felt boring this time around. This series is officially dead to me.

maskull

04-11-2010, 12:03 AM

OK all you hardcore Romero fans are going to hate this movie. It's pretty goofy actually but I got some enjoyment out of this....apart from truly terrible cgi at the beginning. As I said, it's a pretty silly zombie film version of the Hatfields and the McCoys (but Irish), but there are some laughs (both intentional and not), a few really nice gore moments (and some really bad ones), and Kenneth Welsh stealing the show.

It was very light entertainment for those who don't take zombie films (especially Romero ones) too seriously. More like Flight of the Living Dead than Night.

I just kind of wish Romero'd give up on the Zombies getting smarter thing. Never liked that idea. At least this one wasn't as preachy as Diary.

maybrick

04-11-2010, 12:16 AM

McCoys (but Irish)

McCoy isn't Irish? :lol:

Myron Breck

04-11-2010, 04:35 AM

killit

04-11-2010, 05:05 AM

GodDAMN. I am really dreading this one now. Sure, I'll watch it 'cause it's Romero but...I didn't care for LAND and downright hated DIARY....looks like there's no chance in hell I'll enjoy this one. I'm bummed. I was really hoping for something (anything) from ol' Georgie this time around.

it's slightly better than diary but pretty un-interesting all the same. it is better though, but this one is even less serious.

Zombie Dude

04-11-2010, 08:24 AM

Wow, just finished watching Survival and I have to say Romero has lost his touch. This latest entry was almost comical, drifting far from the seriousness of the original trilogy. The acting was average and the characters remained mostly uninteresting, aside from Patrick O'Flynn who kept me amused throughout.

I think the worst part is that Romero is now a CG head and all the gore tends to be digital (a lot of which doesn't look good). I'm not sure if digital is cheaper than practical but I do know practical effects often look better. In terms of gore, this one ain't got much of it (well, compared to Day anyway).

Maybe Romero needs to get back to bigger budget pictures, either that or retire. Survival ain't nothing special, new or exciting. I find that a real shame as I had hope for this one. :(

JoseCocodrilo

04-11-2010, 03:30 PM

I really like Romero, i'm always expecting what he's doing next. I think that "Diary" was scarier than "Survival", but at least "Survival" had more zombie action and enjoyed "Land" because all the gore. But it's true about the CGI effects, romero is best when he uses real stuff.

ReelFear

04-11-2010, 03:37 PM

I went into this one with zero expectations due to the mostly poor advance word.
It wasn't bad. Sure the CG is terrible. But I liked the scaled down approach, no doubt due to budgetary restraints, and the running time of 80 minutes kept me from losing my interest. As a matter of fact the movie actually got better as it went along and by the last 15 minutes i was really into it.
It just seems as if someone else besides Romero made this, and thats the sad part. There's nearly no trademark of a master director left here.
Still, i'm gonna give SOTD a generous 7 out of 10.

fceurich39

04-11-2010, 03:51 PM

supposed to be debuting on xbox live this month

DeathDealer

04-30-2010, 02:48 AM

Man, all these posts are really depressing...

YottNik

04-30-2010, 10:18 PM

supposed to be debuting on xbox live this month
It's available as of today. If I'm converting the stupid MS points to dollars correctly, they want close to $15.00 just to rent it. I love you, George, but no way. At that price, I'll just wait til it comes out on DVD.

buck135

05-01-2010, 01:38 AM

It's available as of today. If I'm converting the stupid MS points to dollars correctly, they want close to $15.00 just to rent it. I love you, George, but no way. At that price, I'll just wait til it comes out on DVD.

It's $10.00 on Amazon to rent. Who are they kidding? I'll pick up the Blu when it's $10.00.

fceurich39

05-01-2010, 02:05 AM

can't find it on xbox live i am sure the dvd/blu-ray is a couple months away anyway

YottNik

05-01-2010, 03:06 AM

can't find it on xbox live i am sure the dvd/blu-ray is a couple months away anyway
It's under Zune and then "G" for "George"

Shannafey

05-01-2010, 03:15 AM

It's not worth $10 or $15!!

fceurich39

05-01-2010, 04:38 AM

It's under Zune and then "G" for "George"

thanks i found it not sure if i want cause i knoe the dvd/blu-ray release is right around the corner

CPT HOOK

05-01-2010, 08:50 AM

It is also available OnDemand for $9.99 (or $10.99 in HD).

maybrick

05-01-2010, 03:11 PM

I watched the first 30 minutes or so last night and boy, people, it's not that bad. There's CGI gore but it's not nearly as distracting as I was led to believe. Everything seems to be about on the level of Land of the Dead (albeit on a lower budget). People apparently expect way too much out of Romero and take him way too seriously these days. Yeah it's not on the level of his classics but it's still loads better than the likes of Tobe Hooper's Mortuary or the Day of the Dead remake.

SaviniFan

05-01-2010, 03:42 PM

Unfortunately when fans hear the words Romero and Dead in the same sentence, you have certain expectations because of the first 3 film pedigree (me included). There is no denying that the last 3 Dead films are not on par, kinda like Lucas' Star Wars films. That said, I really disliked this last entry. I could not bring myself to give a rat's ass about any of the characters in Survival. That is what hurt the film for me the most, not so much the CGI kills. Even though Land is rather weak, it had a couple of characters I liked such as the lead and Asia Argento.

George needs to move on, but I'm sure funding isn't easy for him when it isn't another Dead film.

maybrick

05-01-2010, 08:35 PM

Land of the Dead has grown on me more over the years but I still find all of the characters to be pretty flat, even the ones that I like. I do wish George would find the budget to produce something closer to his heart but it's just not meant to be, I guess. I'll have more to say in regards to Survival once I finish watching it later tonight.

maybrick

05-02-2010, 02:52 PM

Guess I'm the odd man out, but I really had a lot of fun with SURVIVAL! Aside from complaints about CGI I don't see what people's problems are. It may not be "classic" Romero, but if you enjoyed LAND OF THE DEAD this wasn't all that different. I could easily tell that it was directed and written by the same fella and it's a thousand times better than DIARY. Yeah, the zombies aren't all that scary but I don't think that was the point or the intention. After more than 40 years what else is left to do with them? It's obvious to me that Romero just wanted to have a little fun and didn't want to deliver a straight-up horror film as expected, but that said, there were plenty of worthwhile scenes and haunting images in this film to justify me watching a second and third time. It has a lot of interesting concepts and I'm glad he tried something a bit different this time around. I also liked the characters, too, for the most part. They are certainly no worse than the ones in LAND for sure.

maskull

05-02-2010, 03:06 PM

I think I enjoyed it a lot more than Land and Diary actually.

maybrick

05-02-2010, 03:20 PM

I think I enjoyed it a lot more than Land and Diary actually.

I'd need to see it a few more times before I agree with that statement, but there are certainly a lot of things I enjoy more about it than I did with LAND. The complete absence of Big Daddy and Dead Reckoning, for instance.

But I totally think that SURVIVAL is meant to be tongue in cheek. I mean, Romero didn't even care if some of the Islanders off the coast of Delaware had Irish/Scottish accents while others of the same family had Southern ones. That's just plain hysterical in my book! :lol:

maskull

05-02-2010, 04:39 PM

Well at least it wasn't as preachy as Diary, especially the voice-overs that kept saying the same thing over and over again.

And at least it didn't have Big Daddy, Dead Reckoning, and that lame "they're just looking for a place" final line.

It did have Kenneth Welsh over-acting, some cool gore, and a pretty fun sense of humour to it that I enjoyed. Not a movie to be taken seriously, but definitely a good time when watching it if you can leave your expectations at the door. Also enjoyed the Showdown at OK Corral with zombies in the middle ending.

That accent thing threw me at first. I couldn't quite figure out if the story was taking place in Ireland or something, but then I decided it didn't matter and just enjoyed the show.

Erick H.

05-03-2010, 07:01 AM

Anyone wanting to see it at a theater can do so on May 28th,it starts at the E-Street Theater in D.C. It's a Landmark theater,pretty nice.I've seen a lot of art house stuff there.

MrKateB

05-03-2010, 07:39 AM

Unfortunately when fans hear the words Romero and Dead in the same sentence, you have certain expectations because of the first 3 film pedigree...

I dunno...I was somewhat into horror movies at a pretty early age, and although I was nowhere near ready to see Dawn of the Dead when it came out (being only 9), I was aware of it, and totally sought it out when video hit...I loved it when I finally saw it, and looked forward to seeing Day of the Dead when it was announced...Somewhere in between the time I saw Dawn and Day, I saw most of Romero's other 70's flicks, and with the exception of "The Crazies", which I found fairly interesting, I didn't really care for the others...Day of the Dead failed to excite me either, although it has grown on me over the years....

I don't know where mine falls on the opinion scale, but beyond Night and Dawn, I haven't been all that enthused over Romero's other films...I thought Land was entertaining, but nothing terribly thrilling...I thought Diary was terrible...I guess I'm just saying that I for one don't really have any expectations from Romero any more, and haven't for awhile...I don't question his talent, I think he's definitely got that, so I'm not sure where it is that his movies fail with me, but for the most part I'm pretty blah about it...If he were to put something out that totally blew me away, I'd probably feel differently, and I would then have higher expectations for future projects.

I really feel sad to say that, but that's pretty much where I'm at, having seen Survival of the Dead from beginning to end now...

steveterror83

05-04-2010, 07:16 PM

maybe bc zombies is easily my fav sub genre of the bunch theres some really horrid releases, but i just got done watching it and enjoyed it. I like all of the movies except land. found this one alot goofier then the others and other then the first bit of cgi i didnt mind it it too much. imo not nearly as bad as people are saying.

maybrick

05-04-2010, 07:56 PM

Romero is showing Survival for free at the Brattle in Boston for anybody in the area tonight! It's a little too far away and last moment for me. :(

Darga

05-04-2010, 08:52 PM

Romero is showing Survival for free at the Brattle in Boston for anybody in the area tonight! It's a little too far away and last moment for me. :(

Thanks for the heads-up- I just heard about this myself. I work right down the street in Central Square, I'm too lazy to stand around in line for an hour for tickets. I'll probably just wait for the official release later on this month.

maybrick

05-04-2010, 10:00 PM

Thanks for the heads-up- I just heard about this myself. I work right down the street in Central Square, I'm too lazy to stand around in line for an hour for tickets. I'll probably just wait for the official release later on this month.

I've heard that it's going to be playing at the Kendall Square Cinema on May 25th. I like the film enough to consider making a special trip in to see it.

Dave

05-04-2010, 10:37 PM

Playing for FREE at the Brattle Theatre in Boston tonight, with an intro from Romero. I would go to meet Romero but that's about it. Sadly I'm too tired and have to work. :(

Darga

05-04-2010, 11:22 PM

Playing for FREE at the Brattle Theatre in Boston tonight, with an intro from Romero. I would go to meet Romero but that's about it. Sadly I'm too tired and have to work. :(

He was also doing an autograph session at the Newbury Comics in Harvard Square, but it was only from 5-6pm. I'm still at work so I missed out on that opportunity.

maybrick

05-04-2010, 11:27 PM

I wouldn't be surprised if the show tonight is simply a blu-ray projection, but has anybody heard any word in regards to the official release? Did they strike prints?

fceurich39

05-18-2010, 10:53 PM

Mark down August 24th on your calendars as that's the day the movie will be hitting DVD and Blu-ray from Magnolia/Magnet. From what we hear, the package is gonna be pretty stacked, too. Amazing that we're finally getting a release that's better than our UK cousins! Whodda thunk it!?!

maybrick

05-18-2010, 11:33 PM

It happens a lot actually.

And punctuation!? What the holy fuck! Are you on crack? Surely this must be a sign of the end times...

dentists

05-18-2010, 11:40 PM

I just watched it on pay-per-view (on demand in the bay area).
It is a sequel to 'Diary of the Dead' with several of the same characters returning but it's better than the first one.
It's ok-ish kinda good.
Not great at all but not dog shit like 'Diary'.

Workshed

05-19-2010, 12:53 AM

mods someone has hacked fceurichs account please help please send more commas this is very distressing.

maskull

05-19-2010, 11:18 AM

Finally we get a release date! I was just about to order the UK release but now I'll wait for R1.

Kolpitz

05-26-2010, 07:05 PM

For anyone out there who still cares about this movie, it premieres tonight on HD Net Movies at 8:00 PM EST. I believe it encores at 10 and 12 but don't quote me on those times. Most reviews for the film are negative but, for free and in HD, I'll give it a shot.

fceurich39

05-26-2010, 08:15 PM

YottNik

05-26-2010, 09:10 PM

For anyone out there who still cares about this movie, it premieres tonight on HD Net Movies at 8:00 PM EST.
Thanks for posting this. I don't have HDNet Movies with my current package but I just checked and DirecTV is offering a 3 month free trial for it so I went ahead and signed up.

Looking forward to it, regardless of the negative buzz.

buck135

05-26-2010, 10:05 PM

I've got this set to record as well. Please let it be better than Diary...

maybrick

05-26-2010, 10:30 PM

I've got this set to record as well. Please let it be better than Diary...

Even among those the haters I don't think there's any question that it's better than Diary. But continue to keep those expectations low. I did, and I found myself loving nearly every minute of it. :D

buck135

05-26-2010, 10:50 PM

Even among those the haters I don't think there's any question that it's better than Diary. But continue to keep those expectations low. I did, and I found myself loving nearly every minute of it. :D

Will do. Thanks for the advice. Regardless, hopefully Romero will halt the zombie films for awhile.

MadmanMarz

05-27-2010, 05:59 AM

Just watched this on HD movies, what a disappointment. I hated all the characters and I feel Romero has lost his ability to make good movies. Diary was bad, but this film failed to even create some little bit of tension. I found myself bored to death. It is time for Romero to lay the series to rest before he tarnishes the legacy he created.

buck135

05-27-2010, 04:15 PM

I just watched it. I think it had better potential than the last two, but just didn't deliver. I hate that the zombies eat something other than humans. The CG was horrible. All I kept thinking was, would it really cost that much more to utilize Savini and or Nicotero? All in all, I didn't hate it, but it doesn't belong in the same breath with the first three. If NOTLD gets a terrific blu release along with this one later in the year, then it will be worth it.

Darga

05-27-2010, 05:08 PM

This opens at the Kendall here in Cambridge tomorrow. Too busy this weekend but I'm still considering checking it out next week if I have time. Diary was pretty lame in my opinion though, so I'm tempted to just let it slide and wait and rent it when it comes out on blu.

Queen B

05-27-2010, 09:27 PM

I remember a time not too long ago when we we're all praying for a new Romero zombie film. :)

Paff

05-27-2010, 11:22 PM

I DVR'd it yesterday off of HD Movies

But it's also starting tomorrow at the local art house theater. The DVR version is my backup. I'm going to that theater tonight (OSS 117: Lost in Rio), so I'll ask if it's a 35mm print or a digital screening.

Been to that theater too much though lately! Last couple of weeks has been Ran, Human Centipede, and The Good The Bad The Weird. AND, they're showing Evil Dead in two weeks!! (35mm print, supposedly)

Erick H.

05-28-2010, 06:12 AM

I'm catching it at the theater tonight.

mcchrist

05-28-2010, 07:20 AM

I remember a time not too long ago when we we're all praying for a new Romero zombie film. :)

:lol:

You know, I actually enjoyed Diary quite a bit. Quite a bit more than Land and even Day (still not a fan of that one)

But yeah, Romero... :lol: No want to see this. Looks like Black Sheep with actual zombies rather than something worth watching.

Horrorphilly

05-28-2010, 10:36 AM

My wife and I are going to see it on saturday with a double feature with the Human Centipede.Im looking forward to both of the movies.My wife and I have seen the past two Romero flicks together and she really wants to see this new one.She has more of a open mind then me when it comes to his movies,she doesnt seem as let down by his new stuff as much as me.The Human Centipede is like a guilty pleasure for us.:lol:

sean

buck135

05-28-2010, 11:08 AM

Romero took the Guy Ritchie movie Snatch, and added zombies. "They'll be no murderin' done here I don't mind tellin ya!"

Darga

05-28-2010, 05:53 PM

I remember a time not too long ago when we we're all praying for a new Romero zombie film. :)

Yup, and then we got Land of the Dead!:(

Workshed

05-28-2010, 05:56 PM

I liked Diary, so I am cautiously optimistic. But these reviews so far are brutal.

Shannafey

05-28-2010, 07:06 PM

I was in a hotel room this week on business and they had some HDNet movie station and it was playing on it for free!! I couldn't believe it!

Erick H.

05-29-2010, 06:21 AM

Saw it tonight at a theater in D.C.,mixed bag.Some good ideas but more silly comedy than I would have liked.Also featured so many Irish accents that it felt like NIGHT OF THE LIVING DARBY O'GILL at times.Gonna have to sleep on this one.Odd.

x666x

05-29-2010, 04:44 PM

Yup, and then we got Land of the Dead!:(

I think that is why he had to move to Canada. No company will ever give him that kind of money to do a film again after that. So now he has to look for a country that will.

Ash28M

05-29-2010, 06:01 PM

Yup, and then we got Land of the Dead!:(

Land of the Dead was fine, It should of made more money then it did. I think that was a case of overestimating the horror community. There is a big difference between die hard horror fans who idolize Romeo and the casual horror fan who doesn't even know who is

Paff

05-31-2010, 10:16 AM

Land of the Dead was fine, It should of made more money then it did.

should HAVE
should HAVE
should HAVE

NOT should of!

That's something I've needed to get off my chest. OK, enough of the grammar lesson. I saw Survival tonight, although I chose to watch my DVR'd version rather than trek out to the Ken Theatre (although it IS playing in 35mm there!). Like some others have said, the low expectations going in actually made it a little more enjoyable.

The one thing that IS very Romero about the movie is the way he made it about something else, but the zombies kind of intrude on the story. But in some ways, he takes it too far, and the family feud and the zombie story don't mesh as seamlessly (compared to say, the story of the military encampment in Day).

And I'll echo the sentiment that it's better than Diary. But I'll also say that with Romero, we want zombie moves that are more than just "not bad".

buck135

05-31-2010, 03:05 PM

I think that is why he had to move to Canada. No company will ever give him that kind of money to do a film again after that. So now he has to look for a country that will.

Wasn't Land filmed in Canada? Maybe the problem with Romeros films is due to the lack of support that he used to receive from the people of Pennsylvania. I agree with Paff, we should all expect more than "It wasn't terrible."

maybrick

05-31-2010, 03:39 PM

Wasn't Land filmed in Canada? Maybe the problem with Romeros films is due to the lack of support that he used to receive from the people of Pennsylvania. I agree with Paff, we should all expect more than "It wasn't terrible."

Have great expectations and you're bound to be disappointed. I think Romero succeeded in delivering the film he wanted to deliver, and I'm sure he's sleeping okay at night if it doesn't meet the expectations of his core audience. But that said I think the main problem with his new films is that he now delegates the responsibility of editing to somebody else when he used to do most of it himself. It's understandable though. The man is old and I'm sure he no longer has the energy to commit to those kind of hours. Most people his age are retired.

Darga

06-01-2010, 06:39 AM

Have great expectations and you're bound to be disappointed. I think Romero succeeded in delivering the film he wanted to deliver, and I'm sure he's sleeping okay at night if it doesn't meet the expectations of his core audience. But that said I think the main problem with his new films is that he now delegates the responsibility of editing to somebody else when he used to do most of it himself. It's understandable though. The man is old and I'm sure he no longer has the energy to commit to those kind of hours. Most people his age are retired.

If he's too lazy to edit, I'm not giving him a pass on that.

Land of the Dead was fine, It should of made more money then it did. I think that was a case of overestimating the horror community. There is a big difference between die hard horror fans who idolize Romeo and the casual horror fan who doesn't even know who is

Land of the Dead was not fine in my opinion. It was quite painful.

make believe

06-01-2010, 06:51 AM

Land of the Dead was fine, It should of made more money then it did.

If Land of the Dead sold just one movie ticket during matinee hours with the senior discount applied to it, it made way more money than it deserves.

buck135

06-01-2010, 07:19 AM

George Lucas and George Romero share the universal love for their initial epic trilogy as well as the hatred for the follow-up trilogy. At least Romero didn't tinker with his flicks.

HoldenMcNeil

06-01-2010, 09:45 AM

George Lucas is a business man first, then a film maker. At least George still has respect for the genre he created, the problem is that he's run out of ideas.

maybrick

06-01-2010, 01:19 PM

If he's too lazy to edit, I'm not giving him a pass on that.

Ouch, that's harsh. Say what you will about his films, after chain smoking his entire life I'm amazed he can find the energy simply direct a film, period. My grandfather had the same habits but suffered from emphysema at 67, and until he died 5 years later he could barely walk 10 feet at a stretch without stopping to catch his breath. So on not editing his films anymore I can cut him some slack. Not that he's edited a film since Creepshow anyways. Who knows, maybe it's a "union" thing. It's interesting to note that his films have been almost universally panned by critics since then.

Darga

06-01-2010, 05:38 PM

fattyjoe37

06-01-2010, 06:50 PM

I didn't mean for it to sound that harsh, but you'd think he would actually want to edit his own films unless it is a union thing. I know he's a hardcore smoker but he still seems pretty lively and energetic.

A lot of directors don't edit their own films. I'd actually say that Romero is a much better director than editor, one of the problems with his version of The Crazies is the bad editing.

buck135

06-01-2010, 09:05 PM

Magnolia Home Entertainment has announced Survival of the Dead: Ultimate Undead Edition, the latest zombie film by George A. Romero (which picks up right where Diary of the Dead left off), for release on Blu-ray on August 24. The Blu-ray edition will come in "specialty custom effects packaging."

This is according to bluray.com. Haven't these studios figured out yet that we want the poster to be the cover art? Save the frills for commentary, deleted scenes, etc.

maybrick

06-01-2010, 09:44 PM

Darga

06-01-2010, 09:52 PM

A lot of directors don't edit their own films. I'd actually say that Romero is a much better director than editor, one of the problems with his version of The Crazies is the bad editing.

I know most directors don't edit their own films, but George did back when he was making good ones. Is there any correlation? Who knows.....

marcx

06-02-2010, 04:27 PM

Hmm--saw this on PPV last night--I really liked it--I've enjoyed Land and Diary but thought this was more interesting than both of those....something about the tone reminded me more of the earlier dead films too...

moogong

06-02-2010, 05:43 PM

I watched via On Demand this past Monday and hated it. It just felt cheap. I put it just a notch above Children of the Living Dead.

Dobby

08-27-2010, 09:35 AM

Picked this up at Best "Worst Buy" for only $16 on blu-ray.

SaxCatz

08-27-2010, 03:46 PM

Finally watched this last night...
I am somewhat disappointed, but I didn't hate this film. I agree strongly with what I read in several other films- the "zombie" aspects of this film really take a back seat to the social commentary this time around.
Plot wise, this results in a film that builds slowly to a climax that I can only describe as merely competent. That being said, last shot of the film is brilliant but only serves to further cement the notion that the film exists primarily as social commentary.
Effects wise, practical effects have, too often in this film, been replaced with poor CGI. This makes it LOOK as though it began life as the Direct-to-Video outing that it eventually became here in the States, despite the fact that it received a theatrical release elsewhere. I don't understand how CGI can be cheaper than simple practical effects in a film like this one- Low budget film-makers have been successfully using practical effects to create effective zombie films for decades. The results only serve to convince, apparently, quality CGI effects could NOT be rendered with the budget provided to this film. I could think of only one thing after the "exploding head" sequence- SyFy.
If nothing else, the PQ & AQ are fantastic on the Blu-Ray release. I would say that the PQ is nearly perfect except for a few occassions where the black level is higher than desired, creating a low contrast image. The DTS HD MA mix is great, with prevalent use of surround & sub channels.
My verdict is the same as many others- a definite buy for fans of the series only but casual horror or zombie fans should give it a rent.

maybrick

08-27-2010, 04:55 PM

I watched via On Demand this past Monday and hated it. It just felt cheap. I put it just a notch above Children of the Living Dead.

Now, now. Comparing it to Children of the Living Dead is one hell of an exaggeration. Even if you don't care for the film one has to concede that there's at least some production value behind it. In the annals of zombie filmmaking there's has to be at least a dozen zombie films that are better than Children but worse than Survival. (The Mena Suvari Day of the Dead remake just off the top of my head.) If it feels cheap, then I think that's to be expected. Adjusted for inflation, the production budget for both Diary and Survival were considerably less than either Dawn or Day.

maybrick

08-27-2010, 05:10 PM

I don't understand how CGI can be cheaper than simple practical effects in a film like this one- Low budget film-makers have been successfully using practical effects to create effective zombie films for decades. The results only serve to convince, apparently, quality CGI effects could NOT be rendered with the budget provided to this film.

If you watch the extras, George explains this. Basically, the most expensive dollars spent on a movie is on set. If an effect doesn't work correctly and a take is ruined, you have to reset everything, scrub the set of blood, change clothing, etc, and all this takes more than an hour before you can do a take 2. And there's no guarantee that the second or third take will work either. This can lead to a production going into overtime and thus over budget. So while CGI is expensive, they're not as expensive as the worst case scenario when dealing with practical effects.

In the documentary, Romero also vocally challenges somebody like Savini or Nicotero to be able to achieve the effects he's going for "practically". I can see his point with this in some cases. I doubt anybody could show a zombie walking around with it's head dissolving from acid without cutting to another camera angle. Stop motion possibly, but that is going to look any more realistic than CGI.

I agree with the majority that CGI sucks, but it seems to be a necessary evil from here on out, unfortunately.

cjg

08-27-2010, 05:17 PM

Better then most of the shit rleased today Bring on the new ? Of The Dead

buck135

08-27-2010, 05:42 PM

The Blu-Ray now has another commentary with Romero via BD Live

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=5055

Dobby

08-27-2010, 06:02 PM

Better then most of the shit rleased today Bring on the new ? Of The Dead

Ya way better then most of the horseshit being made today!

x666x

08-27-2010, 06:37 PM

Big deal about the budget. If Land of the Dead was a better film, George would not have to praise cheap CGI effects. He has no choice at this point because he blew his chance at coming back to make films with a budget large enough to make the FX look good.

At that, I do like the head dissolving scene in Diary also. But that's just not enough. And while I did not think Dead Snow was remarkable, it is still better than any recent Romero. There are an abundance of films out there that are better. You take Romero's name off of his recent films and you would have most people agree.

maybrick

08-27-2010, 07:34 PM

You take Romero's name off of his recent films and you would have most people agree.

I can't agree with that. I think if you took Romero's name off them you'd find more people championing them. Most of us just can't seem to divorce his new films from his classics. If some unknown had made SURVIVAL I'd bet there'd be lot of people praising it for being "old school" (*cough, House of the Devil, cough*).

SaxCatz

08-27-2010, 08:54 PM

I can't agree with that. I think if you took Romero's name off them you'd find more people championing them.

I have to agree with Maybrick. I think most of us are being overly harsh on the recent Dead movies because we so fondly recall Night, Dawn & Day and the heights that Romero is (or was once) capable of are well-known to us.
I feel that, had these films been released under an unknown moniker, most of us would have either heaped praised upon them or, at least, meet them with timid acceptance. We definitely would not be "trashing" them.

x666x

08-27-2010, 11:16 PM

I can't agree with that. I think if you took Romero's name off them you'd find more people championing them. Most of us just can't seem to divorce his new films from his classics. If some unknown had made SURVIVAL I'd bet there'd be lot of people praising it for being "old school" (*cough, House of the Devil, cough*).

I was not a huge fan of House of the Devil, either. It takes more than a walkman to take me back. But I think you have something there, maybe it would be praised more because people would expect less thinking it was from a new director. But these films seem to do well, anyway. I noticed even at Dead Snow, much like a Romero screening, the audience comprised of drunks who partook in the zombie walk earlier here in Toronto, so I don't think we are dealing with the acceptance of the old school demographic like you and I. Sadly, we represent less of the market than we'd like to think. This I hate, but it will happen to everyone as they get older.

Regurgitate

08-28-2010, 02:51 AM

I was pleasantly surprised by Survival of the Dead. I certainly cringed at some of the cgi, but I can accept the fact that it is a reality of the day. Dawn of the Dead is my favorite movie of all time but the conventional special effects as executed cannot be considered to be realistic for the most part. Savini had obvious limitations at the time and he worked within those constraints quite well. I think the same thing applies to Survival of the Dead. Though the CGI is not as "pretty" as Avatar, Romero was able to present imagery that far exceeded what could have been done with conventional effects. Don't get me wrong, in a perfect world, I would prefer if the images I saw on screen were directly shot by a camera but the reality is that creativity can be limited by budget.

Slackjaw83

08-31-2010, 06:23 AM

Watched it with the wife tonight. Not Romero's best, but far from his worst. The whole Scottish vibe kinda separated it from the other films in Romero's "Dead" series, but I found the film to be enjoyable. Not the classic that the first 3 are, but I honestly didn't expect it to be.

Dobby

08-31-2010, 07:05 AM

Well to me it was better then the stinkfest pile Diary Of The Dead.
Or did some of you like that movie better then this one?

Slackjaw83

08-31-2010, 07:24 AM

I thought Diary had some good bits, but it had a few elemental problems :

1. The documentary thing didn't work for me and really seemed to strip Romero of the style that's his calling card

2. The CGI was really wonky for the most part

3. I live in PA, and there were some geographical issues in the film (they travel roughly 6 hours worth of road in about 2, etc.)

4. I just couldn't relate to the college kids in the movie.

This one I found much better. Kind of on par with "Land" to me.

x666x

08-31-2010, 07:43 AM

Well to me it was better then the stinkfest pile Diary Of The Dead.
Or did some of you like that movie better then this one?

I could not get past the bad accents in Survival. Uwe could have done a better job.

I was fine with Diary when I saw it at TIFF. I tried a second time and it too was rather painful to watch.

IMO

spawningblue

08-31-2010, 11:27 PM

I have to agree with Maybrick. I think most of us are being overly harsh on the recent Dead movies because we so fondly recall Night, Dawn & Day and the heights that Romero is (or was once) capable of are well-known to us.
I feel that, had these films been released under an unknown moniker, most of us would have either heaped praised upon them or, at least, meet them with timid acceptance. We definitely would not be "trashing" them.

I don't think so. I haven't seen this film but I hated Diary and it had nothing to do with expectations as by the time I saw it it had been thoroughly trashed. I just didn't like it at all and thought Rec did the same thing but way better and more effective. The dialog, acting, and CGI effects were all terrible and I really didn't care what happened to any of them. It is just a terrible movie no matter who directed it, whether it be Romero or some teen doing his first film.

The Chaostar

09-01-2010, 02:34 AM

I don't think so. I haven't seen this film but I hated Diary and it had nothing to do with expectations as by the time I saw it it had been thoroughly trashed. I just didn't like it at all and thought Rec did the same thing but way better and more effective. The dialog, acting, and CGI effects were all terrible and I really didn't care what happened to any of them. It is just a terrible movie no matter who directed it, whether it be Romero or some teen doing his first film.

To tell you the truth, I didn't like it either. But I see it as the only big mistep in his filmography. Truth be told, I haven't seen Bruiser.

Ash28M

09-01-2010, 03:08 AM

Saw this tonight and I'm confused about all the hate it's getting. It's not the greatest zombie film of all time but it was a satisfactory effort.

maybrick

09-01-2010, 04:55 AM

I don't think so. I haven't seen this film but I hated Diary and it had nothing to do with expectations as by the time I saw it it had been thoroughly trashed. I just didn't like it at all and thought Rec did the same thing but way better and more effective. The dialog, acting, and CGI effects were all terrible and I really didn't care what happened to any of them. It is just a terrible movie no matter who directed it, whether it be Romero or some teen doing his first film.

Now wait a minute. Don't get the impression that I'm defending Diary, because I'm not. Diary is pretty hard to defend and I concede that it was a misstep. I'm talking strictly about Survival. Don't go into it thinking that it's nothing more than Diary part 2. It isn't.

Slackjaw83

09-01-2010, 04:57 AM

It's technically more than a diary sequel....it's also a Land prequel....which I guess means that land isn't connected to Night, Dawn, or Day....or something.....

http://www.toplessrobot.com/scanners-headexplode.jpg

MisterTwister

09-01-2010, 05:33 AM

Personally I liked Diary more than Survival. Although as a whole Diary didn't work for me, there was a few things I did like about it. Survival...not so much.

shithead

09-15-2010, 06:04 AM

Saw this tonight and I'm confused about all the hate it's getting. It's not the greatest zombie film of all time but it was a satisfactory effort.

Same. Just watched this and I liked it a bit more than I did Diary.

Out of 5, I'd give it a 3.5

fattyjoe37

09-30-2010, 07:03 PM

Slackjaw83

09-30-2010, 07:14 PM

Watched it today and didn't like it. It was better than Diary, but is still one of the worst Romero movies I've seen. None of the characters were interesting and the comedy Romero was going for didn't work at all, it was just lame.

Romero's never really been that good with comedy though. I know it may sound like sacrilege, but I've always hated the pie fight BS in Dawn

fart_mike

10-01-2010, 12:01 AM

i tried to watch this last night, but i couldn't find two shits to give about any character on screen, so i didn't get far...the dialogue is just atrocious, and the CG "gore" is laughable...wait, maybe that's where the "comedy" aspect comes in...

Criswell

10-01-2010, 11:05 AM

Lord i am now dreading seeing this

Shannafey

12-24-2010, 03:20 PM

I found it used on Blu Ray for $10 yesterday and almost bought it for the special features, but couldn't bring myself to even spend that much on it!! Maybe if I find it used on DVD for $3 sometime!!

buck135

12-24-2010, 04:30 PM

I found it used on Blu Ray for $10 yesterday and almost bought it for the special features, but couldn't bring myself to even spend that much on it!! Maybe if I find it used on DVD for $3 sometime!!

If you're on the fence regarding the special features, there is an additional commentary with George Romero on BD-Live. The DVD doesn't have it.

JGrendel

12-25-2010, 09:42 AM

I personally would like to see George tackle something different but unfortunately Hollywood has him only able to do Zombie movies. So I guess we just have to hope that at some point they get better?

x666x

12-25-2010, 04:29 PM

I personally would like to see George tackle something different but unfortunately Hollywood has him only able to do Zombie movies. So I guess we just have to hope that at some point they get better?

That was generous of you to imply the fact the he "can" still do zombie films.

dave13

09-12-2011, 04:58 AM

i didn't think it could get any worse than diary. i was wrong.

shape22

09-12-2011, 03:11 PM

i didn't think it could get any worse than diary. i was wrong.

That was exactly my feeling Dave.

Survival made me truly sad. It's hard to believe that it was made by the same guy who made Dawn of the Dead.

dave13

09-12-2011, 04:43 PM

That was exactly my feeling Dave.

Survival made me truly sad. It's hard to believe that it was made by the same guy who made Dawn of the Dead.

hell, i'd say its hard to believe it was made by the same guy who made LAND of the dead. At the time it seemed like such a let down. little did i know...

you can't really blame romero, though. i mean the guy is ancient. is it any wonder he's lost his edge?

shape22

09-12-2011, 04:53 PM

hell, i'd say its hard to believe it was made by the same guy who made LAND of the dead. At the time it seemed like such a let down. little did i know...

you can't really blame romero, though. i mean the guy is ancient. is it any wonder he's lost his edge?

I agree. Land is a masterpiece compared to the last two.

I wonder if his struggles with funding and the Night of the Living Dead rights issues have something to do with the quality of the last two films. Romero clearly used to follow his own muse. And he made horror films for adults--usually centered on well drawn adult characters. Diary and Survival both seem like desperate attempts to tap into a demographic (Diary especially with the teenie bopper characters and the fixation with social media). He used to be more interested in the stories he was telling.

I guess we can't blame the guy if these films are strictly work for hire. Night should have made him a millionaire and then some. Maybe he's just grabbing every dollar he can now.