Diary of the Dead

Time: 1 Hour and 34 Minutes
Box Office: $958K

Film Analysis

Step 1: Pre-Viewing

1. Title of film: Diary of the Dead 
2. Director & Producer: George Romero 
3. Release Date: February 15, 2008
4. Film Genre: Horror

Step 2: Viewing

1. Important moments:As students and their professor are filming a horror film in the forest, they hear a television broadcast that declares that the dead are walking the Earth. Ridley and Francine decide to isolate themselves from the group, while Jason heads to his girlfriend's dorm. She fails  in contacting her family and they decide to travel to her house in Scranton, Pennsylvania. While driving, Mary witnesses a car accident and runs over a highway patrolman and three other zombies while trying to escape. Later in the film Mary tries to commit suicide by shooting herself. Her friends then take her to a hospital where they finally realize that the dead actually are reviving.
2. Atmosphere of the Film: The film uses low key lighting to make the incidents that occurred mysterious and shady. Loud and intense music is during the zombie attacks to make the scenes more scary. The film uses oblique angles for when there was an encounter with a zombie in which one of the main characters had to fight to stay alive. Close ups were used often so that the characters could document what happened at the time and to show their discomfort within their setting. 

2. What is the mood or tone of the film? The mood of the film suspenseful and mysterious.
3. Explain the look of the film: The look of the film is dark and gloomy. 

5. Explain the use of sound/music and/or sound effects in the film: The music used in the film started off by being low and calm to growing loud and intense for the parts of the film in which the audience was being warned that something terrible was about to happen. 

6. Physical qualities presented in the film: The film presented music, narration, black and white, color and dramatizations. 

Step 3: Post-Viewing

1. What is the central message of this motion picture? The central message of this film could have been to always keep track of everything in order to learn. 

2. Consider the effectiveness of this film communicating its message. As a tool of communication, what are its strengths and weaknesses? The film is effective in communicating its message by showing how badly Jason wants to document what happened as they were trying to film their horror film so that others could be informed on what happened. 

3. How do you think the filmmakers wanted the audience to respond? I think the filmmakers wanted the audience to get startled by the sudden pop outs and feel uneasy with the style of 

4. Does this film appear more to the viewer’s emotion? How does it make you feel? No, it didn't really appeal to the viewer's emotion. The acting was not as convincing as most films. It made me  feel a bit frustrated. 

5. Write a question to the filmmaker that is left unanswered by the motion picture: What were they filming a mummy film for?

6. Would you recommend this movie to your friends? (Y/N)? No, I would not recommend this film to my friends. 

7. How would you grade this movie? (E-NC) I would give this film an AP. I didn't really like it that much, I thought it was a bit too cheesy.