31 More Days of Horror: George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead (2007)

Since American Zombie isn't 'scary' per se, you get this one too.  Diary of the Dead centers around a group of college students set out to make a horror movie for their senior thesis and discover real-life zombies while filming. That's all there is to it.

George A. Romero's knack for re-inventing his own genre is remarkable. This time around he uses the latest trend out of Hollywood, first hand camera (i.e., Cloverfield) to create a startling tale of horror and voyeurism. Elements blend seamlessly. The gruesome and the macabre are blended with the camp and drama. With guerrilla-like tactics, Romero spins a tale of survival and disinformation.

The virtual no name cast, the lack of sound, the film within the documentary-- there is a palatable skin-crawling urgency. Romero employs the tried and true to assault the senses with clever, bloody goodness as this idiot boy insists on making this diary of the dead.

His social commentary is heavy-handed if you choose to overthink it. Fans of the legendary film-maker will overlook it easily. If you want to know: he turns society's current obsession with viral media into a forum for self-examination. The running commentary from various media outlets quickly becomes an inside joke.

Let's get back to the gore.  The hospital gives the best moments despite being pedictable.  It doesn't stop you (or me) from jumping to the ceiling every time.  Equally fun is the weird Amish farmer and the last stand in rich boy's house.  Yummy!

Now... if only we could get Survival of the Dead already!!