History Film / DiaryOfTheDead

Heading for Debra's home, they have encounters with the zombie-movie equivalent of [[WackyWaysideTribe Wacky Wayside Tribes]]: a BadAss mute Amish farmer, a group of black people who have set up a survivalist-type fort, and (briefly) a gang of [[Film/SurvivalOfTheDead National Guard deserters]]. When they finally reach their destination, they find that [[spoiler:Debra's family are all either dead or zombiefied]], so they decide to go to the mansion owned by Ridley's family.

* ShowWithinAShow: "The Death Of Death"

''Diary of the Dead'' (2007) is the fifth movie in the ''Film/LivingDeadSeries'' written and directed by George A. Romero, and marked his return to making independent films after ''Film/LandOfTheDead''. The movie is followed by ''Film/SurvivalOfTheDead''.

''Diary of the Dead'' is the fifth movie in the ''Film/LivingDeadSeries'' written and directed by George A. Romero, released in 2007. It marked his return to making independent films after ''Film/LandOfTheDead''. The movie is followed by ''Film/SurvivalOfTheDead''.

''Diary of the Dead'' is the fifth movie in the ''Film/LivingDeadSeries'' written and directed by George A. Romero, and marked his return to making independent films after ''Film/LandOfTheDead''. The movie is followed by ''Film/SurvivalOfTheDead''.

The movie opens on a [[ActionPrologue news report]], being narrated by the FinalGirl, explaining the reasoning behind the movie itself. The main story line starts of with a group of film students, along with their sardonic boozing professor, making a classic cliched horror movie. When the group hears escalating radio reports of people coming back from the dead, the shoot falls apart, with monster-player Ridley departing in his sport car as the rest of the group leaves in a Winnebago.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/404px-DiaryofDeadPoster2.jpg]]

''Diary of the Dead'' is the fifth movie in the [[ThematicSeries "Dead" series]] written and directed by George A. Romero, and marked his return to making independent films after ''Film/LandOfTheDead''. The movie is followed by ''Film/SurvivalOfTheDead''.

'''''Diary of the Dead''''' is the fifth movie in the [[ThematicSeries "Dead" series]] written and directed by George A. Romero, and marked his return to making independent films after ''Film/LandOfTheDead''. The movie is followed by ''Film/SurvivalOfTheDead''.

Heading for Debra's home, they have encounters with the zombie-movie equivalent of [[WackyWaysideTribe Wacky Wayside Tribes]]: a BadAss mute Amish farmer, a group of black people who have set up a survivalist-type fort, and (briefly) a gang of [[SurvivalOfTheDead National Guard deserters]]. When they finally reach their destination, they find that [[spoiler:Debra's family are all either dead or zombiefied]], so they decide to go to the mansion owned by Ridley's family.

'''''Diary of the Dead''''' is the fifth movie in the [[ThematicSeries "Dead" series]] written and directed by George A. Romero, and marked his return to making independent films after ''Film/LandOfTheDead''.

The cameraman/director, Jason, decides to return to their university to pick up his girlfriend, Debra, but the [[TheJaywalkingDead Winnebago plows through a group of zombies on the road]] along the way; still skeptical that they are in fact the walking dead, [[spoiler:the grief-stricken driver, Mary, shoots herself]]. The others take her to a hospital, which turns out to be abandoned -- at least by the living. The remaining survivors are quickly forced into the realization that the ZombieApocalypse is indeed upon them.

The group finds Ridley alive, but come to the painfully belated realization that [[spoiler:the rest of his family is dead or walking dead, and he has been bitten]]. Still wearing his mummy movie-costume, he ends up reenacting the opening horror movie scene; Tracy, the "victim" in the horror movie, becomes disgusted and drives off in the Winnebago. [[spoiler:Ridley]] kills two of the group, including [[spoiler:Jason,]] and the movie ends with [[spoiler:Debra, the professor and Tony]] watching from a "panic room" as a growing horde of zombies slowly breaks into the estate.

* AbandonedHospital

* IdiotBall: Honestly, half of the victims pretty much deserved to die due to their terrifying moments of stupidity. Special mention goes to the guy who gets killed [[spoiler: because he can't hear a zombie approaching while blowdrying his hair]].

* JitterCam
* JustBeforeTheEnd

* MonsterClown: The recording they found of a zombiefied clown bitting someone at a child's birthday party. Crossed with IncongruouslyDressedZombie.
* NotUsingTheZWord

* TheCameo: Both Romero and the make-up director appear in the movie. Not forgetting voices overs from various horror icons.
* TheDocumentary: The film itself.

* TooDumbToLive: Played with. Jason is too busy filming to get involved most of the time, but almost everybody else is pretty useful in fighting the zombies. But as he points out to Debra at one point, his documentary being uploaded to the internet is showing pretty much anyone around the world who watches it exactly what they need to do to survive themselves. Debra's voice-over mentions that she agrees with this point in hindsight.
* WackyWaysideTribe: As noted above. A common complaint about this movie is that most of these "tribes" are more interesting than the main characters. The Guard deserters become the protagonists of Romero's later movie ''SurvivalOfTheDead''.
* YouFailStatisticsForever: A radio broadcast says that the number of deaths caused by the zombies will quadruple. It then says that it will increase by 100%, even though quadrupling is to increase by 300%.

'''''Diary of the Dead''''' is the fifth movie in the [[ThematicSeries "Dead" series]] written and directed by George A. Romero, and marked his return to making independent films after ''LandOfTheDead''.

* DuelingMovies: In the UK at least, ''Diary'' was released at almost the exact same time as ''{{REC}}'', another handheld zombie film. Some critics drew unfavourable comparisons between the two.

The cameraman/director, Jason, decides to return to their university to pick up his girlfriend, Debra, but the Winnebago plows through a group of zombies on the road along the way; still skeptical that they are in fact the walking dead, [[spoiler:the grief-stricken driver, Mary, shoots herself]]. The others take her to a hospital, which turns out to be abandoned -- at least by the living. The remaining survivors are quickly forced into the realization that the ZombieApocalypse is indeed upon them.

* TheCameo: Creator/StephenKing, Creator/WesCraven, SimonPegg, Creator/QuentinTarantino and Guillermo Del Toro all voice radio announcers, and Romero himself has a small role as police captain.

* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: "Are we worth saving? You tell me." are the last words spoken in the movie, over a viral video of two men using a tied-up zombie woman for target practice.

* HumansAreBastards: "Are we worth saving? You tell me." are the last words spoken in the movie, over a viral video of two men using a tied-up zombie woman for target practice.

* WackyWaysideTribe: As noted above. A common complaint about this movie is that most of these "tribes" are more interesting than the main characters. The Guard deserters [[spoiler: become the protagonists of Romero's later movie ''SurvivalOfTheDead''.]]

* TheCameo: Creator/StephenKing, WesCraven, SimonPegg, QuentinTarantino and Guillermo Del Toro all voice radio announcers, and Romero himself has a small role as police captain.

* EvilClown: Footage from the camera salvaged at the hospital shows a zombie clown attacking at a child's birthday party.

* IncongruouslyDressedZombie: See EvilClown, above.

* NotUsingTheZWord

* MonsterClown: The recording they found of a zombiefied clown bitting someone at a child's birthday party.

''Diary of the Dead'' is the fifth movie in the [[ThematicSeries "Dead" series]] written and directed by George A. Romero, and marked his return to making independent films after ''LandOfTheDead''.

* ActionGirl / HeroicBystander: In the opening scene, a female paramedic karate-kicks a zombie in the head.

* DrivenToSuicide [[spoiler:Poor Mary]]; worse when you consider she ''didn't even do it right'' and instead of dying a quick, painless death, she has to suffer through a gaping head wound until she finally dies.

* FinalGirl: [[spoiler: Not played entirely straight. Debra is the narrator and protagonist (and survives) but while she isn't TheMillstone she doesn't actually contribute much to killing zombies or keeping the group safe (even her quick thinking use of a defibrillator doesn't truly finish off a zombie).]]

** Which is odd, since the film didn't make any overall comment on humanity except for this last scene at the very end.
** Nor did it imply zombies are anything other than shambling killers with no value.
*** But the movies have always been about how the still-human population react to events. Even if you believe zombies don't have value, tying one up by the hair and using 'it' for target practise doesn't say much about the shooter's value as a human being.

** Special mention goes to [[spoiler:the camera man, who caused the deaths of the above guy, and himself, because he left his friend-turned-zombie to get back up instead of finishing him off, when the whole group's seen the need, and shown the willingness, to execute their friends after they turned.]]
** Or the whole group when [[spoiler:they arrive at the mansion and see that the iron gates and the front door is wide open. After going in and finding their friend, who is obviously a bit off and is all by himself, he assures them that everything is fine. Despite all the warning signs, they decide to relax and have a shower (mentioned above) or start having a drink. Surprise surprise, their friend is crazy and there's zombies in the pool.]]

* InferredHolocaust

* MadeOfPlasticine: Come on, they sliced a head in half, vertically.
** With a bastard sword being two-handed, to be fair. While it's debatable whether it was sharpened or not (it was a prop on a wall), if it WAS actually properly sharpened, then yes, it's possible given enough strength behind the blow. It should have gotten stuck in the bone, however.
* MagicalDefibrillator: Making a zombie's eyes explode is magical, right?

* OneSceneWonder The deaf Amish man the group meet halfway during the movie. Blows up a handful of zombie, with Jason crying incredulously "I thought the Amish were friendly folk!" as he holds up a small chalkboard hanging around his neck for him to communicate saying "My name is Samuel, hello", while bits of earth and zombie fall from the sky. Probably one of the few likeable characters in the entire movie.

* TheDocumentary: The film itself
* TheMillstone: You could say it's Jason as he doesn't help, he just films the events. Arguably Debra as well...
** They seem to be a much straighter playing of TheLoad. They don't really cause any problems, but don't really contribute anything positive either.

* TooDumbToLive: There are zombies killing everyone, Jason. Put the damn camera down.
** This is played with. Jason is too busy filming to get involved most of the time, but almost everybody else is pretty useful in fighting the zombies. But as he points out to Debra at one point, his documentary being uploaded to the internet is showing pretty much anyone around the world who watches it exactly what they need to do to survive themselves. Debra's voice-over mentions that she agrees with this point in hindsight.
*** Though in all honesty, in the movie it was explicitly said (and was shown) that there are already ubiquitous amounts of footage of the ZombieApocalypse that was happening in the internet. [[FridgeLogic How would his so called documentary would really help people survive?]]
**** 20 Million hits! 20 Million...
** There were several occasions where he could have placed the camera in a position to get the shot as well as help out with saving his friends from turning into mindless undead.

* ZombieInfectee Averted for the most part. There is a few exceptions, but the characters honestly didn't know any better.

* AbandonedHospital

* {{A House Divided}}
* {{Apocalyptic Log}}: The movie is the log.

* {{Badass Grandpa}}: TheProfessor starts off drunk and looking pretty feeble. He turns out to be a war veteran and a [[TheStraightAndArrowPath crack archer]]. Also Samuel, the mute Amish toting sticks of dynamite. And a [[SinisterScythe scythe]].

* {{Boom Headshot}}

* {{Broken Heel}}: Lampshaded twice in the movie.
* TheCameo: StephenKing, WesCraven, SimonPegg, QuentinTarantino and Guillermo Del Toro all voice radio announcers, and Romero himself has a small role as police captain.
* {{Camera Abuse}}
* {{Clothing Damage}}: Lampshaded.

* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: The movie made by Jason Creed about the ZombieApocalypse is called "The Death of Death".
* {{Distressed Damsel}}: First played straight then subverted.

* {{Driven to Suicide}} [[spoiler:Poor Mary]]; worse when you consider she ''didn't even do it right'' and instead of dying a quick, painless death, she has to suffer through a gaping head wound until she finally dies.

* {{Eye Scream}}

* {{Genre Savvy}}: With horror movies, but clearly not with zombie movies.
* {{Handicapped Badass}}: The Amish farmer Samuel kills himself some zombies and offs himself and the zombie who bit him by shoving a scythe through his and the zombie's head.

* {{Mirror Scare}}
* {{Mixed Archetypes}}
* {{Monster Clown}}: The recording they found of a zombiefied clown bitting someone at a child's birthday party.
* {{One Scene Wonder}} The deaf Amish man the group meet halfway during the movie. Blows up a handful of zombie, with Jason crying incredulously "I thought the Amish were friendly folk!" as he holds up a small chalkboard hanging around his neck for him to communicate saying "My name is Samuel, hello", while bits of earth and zombie fall from the sky. Probably one of the few likeable characters in the entire movie.
* {{Phony Newscast}}

* {{Take That}}: Jason's criticism that dead things are slow.

* {{The Cameo}}: Both Romero and the make-up director appear in the movie. Not forgetting voices overs from various horror icons.
* {{The Documentary}}: The film itself
* {{The Millstone}}: You could say it's Jason as he doesn't help, he just films the events. Arguably Debra as well...

* {{The Undead}}

* {{Too Dumb To Live}}: There are zombies killing everyone, Jason. Put the damn camera down.

* {{Zombie Apocalypse}}
* {{Zombie Gait}}: Although Romero's zombie children never seem to be affected.
* {{Zombie Infectee}} Averted for the most part. There is a few exceptions, but the characters honestly didn't know any better.

The movie opens on a [[ActionPrologue news report]], being narrated by the FinalGirl, explaining the reasoning behind the movie itself. The main story line starts of with a group of film students, along with their sardonic boozing professor, making a classic cliched horror movie. When the group hears escalating radio reports of people coming back from the dead, the shoot falls apart, with monster-player Ridley departing in his sport car as the rest of the group leaves in a Winnebago.

The cameraman/director, Jason, decides to return to their university to pick up his girlfriend, Debra, but the Winnebago plows through a group of zombies on the road along the way; still skeptical that they are in fact the walking dead, [[spoiler:the grief-stricken driver, Mary, shoots herself]]. The others take her to a hospital, which turns out to be abandoned -- at least by the living. The remaining survivors are quickly forced into the realization that the ZombieApocalypse is indeed upon them.

Heading for Debra's home, they have encounters with the zombie-movie equivalent of [[WackyWaysideTribe Wacky Wayside Tribes]]: a BadAss mute Amish farmer, a group of black people who have set up a survivalist-type fort, and (briefly) a gang of [[SurvivalOfTheDead National Guard deserters]]. When they finally reach their destination, they find that [[spoiler:Debra's family are all either dead or zombiefied]], so they decide to go to the mansion owned by Ridley's family.

The group finds Ridley alive, but come to the painfully belated realization that [[spoiler:the rest of his family is dead or walking dead, and he has been bitten]]. Still wearing his mummy movie-costume, he ends up reenacting the opening horror movie scene; Tracy, the "victim" in the horror movie, becomes disgusted and drives off in the Winnebago. [[spoiler:Ridley]] kills two of the group, including [[spoiler:Jason,]] and the movie ends with [[spoiler:Debra, the professor and Tony]] watching from a "panic room" as a growing horde of zombies slowly breaks into the estate.

* YouFailStatisticsForever: A radio broadcast says that the number of deaths caused by the zombies will quadruple. It then says that it will increase by 100%, even though quadrupling is to increase by 400%.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Gordo is played by a former PowerRanger. The actor playing the white guy handing out guns in the bunker previously appeared in ''LandOfTheDead'' and the remade ''DawnOfTheDead''. The television thief in the dormitory will be familiar to anyone who has watched any amount of Canadian-produced television.
* HeyItsThatVoice: QuentinTarantino, Wes Craven, Guillermo del Toro, Simon Pegg and StephenKing lend their voices for the radio chatter. First prize goes to Stephen as an evangelist. ''"Get on your knees! Get on your knees! Get on your fucking knees!"''
** The same radio broadcast from the original ''{{Night of the Living Dead}}'' confirming the zombies are, in fact, undead plays in the background at one point during the gang's stay with the army of [[ScaryBlackMan Scary Black People]].

* {{Anvilicious}}: So anvilicious it doesn't even give itself enough air to breath in terms of the constant bashing it does on the manipulation of the media with a bit of "racism stinks and white military are douchebags" and "humanity sucks" thrown in.

* {{One-Scene Wonder}} The deaf Amish man the group meet halfway during the movie. Blows up a handful of zombie, with Jason crying incredulously "I thought the Amish were friendly folk!" as he holds up a small chalkboard hanging around his neck for him to communicate saying "My name is Samuel, hello", while bits of earth and zombie fall from the sky. Probably one of the few likeable characters in the entire movie.