Diary of the Dead
While Land of the Dead could have been a continuation of the previous series, this clearly is a new timeline, based in a world that apparently has no knowledge of zombies. They have mummy lore, as they are in the midst of making a mummy film when the zombie outbreak happens, but they are clueless about zombies. So naturally we have to go through the whole "what the f**k is happening" phase that at this point is so tiresome.
Of course, this is Romero's answer to the found footage mockumentary trend. This one manages to be even fuller of meta-wankery as the people filming are actually film students (with film professor in tow) so we get all kinds of terrible dialogue about the meaning of the filming and the idea of a zombie outbreak in a world where video cameras are in everyone's phones and they post the vids up on youtube. This has the potential of insight, but it just feels like it is trying too hard.
There are a few solid moments…quality kills and the like. Enough to make it passable even. Romero just doesn't seem to do bad, he always at least finds the basic level of enjoyment. At the end of the day there was one make or break moment. Right near the start, when they are setting up the film students, they are making a mummy film with a scene of the mummy chasing a hot blonde and it was indicated, or at least someone hoped, that it would involve her dress being torn off and her breasts popping out. This sets a certain foreshadowed expectation of the film to deliver on this promise. But I grew increasingly concerned that like so many films it would chicken out from the nudity its story indicated, which would have been annoying. But alas, it didn't, and it was glorious. I'm a simple man, and I know how to appreciate the little things in life, even when the rest of life is a bit of a disappointment.
3/5
P.S. Against The Dark, Cracks and Document of the Dead are no longer planned for Shocktober.
P.P.S. More people should be watching Teeth for Shocktober if they haven't already. That film is great.