Zombies in film: The Zombie Diaries

"Brace yourself... this time it's for real."



Film: The Zombie Diaries
Directed by Michael Bartlett and Kevin Gates
Written by Kevin Gates and Michael Bartlett
Produced by Off World Films and Bleeding Edge Films
Year: 2006

Story: Begins with a military unit moving in on a farm. Diary 1 is a documentary made by some British film makers leading up to the outbreak, from it's beginnings in Romania through a lot of technical exploration of the virus and government responses to London's quarantine. Diary 2 takes place one month after the outbreak and follows a few survivors on a supply run. Diary 3 is also one month later and starts with a group of survivors dealing with an attack and the cleaning afterward. Continues to trying to give directions to another group over the radio. Diary 2 picks up again with the group trying to make contact with another group (obviously those from Diary 3) and one of the characters gets bit, it all goes down hill for them from there and gets slightly more interesting. Diary 3 continues once one of their number is infected and shows how this group of more hardened survivors deals with it. Right up until the group is torn apart. Back to Diary 1 shows the first group a month earlier meeting up with a member from the Diary 3 group. The film ends with the military unit finding a member of Diary 1.

Zombies: How did anyone get infected by these zombies? They basically just stand around. The main cause of infection is that the virus began as air born and had the same symptoms as the common cold, plus death and re-animation.

Survival Lessons:

• It might be the common cold, or it might be the virus
• Living in countries with lack gun laws helps
• Don't stand still
• Don't walk around in recently dug graveyards
• No matter how often you check there could still be more
• Check if they are living before you shoot
• Secrets tear groups apart
• Psychos tear groups apart faster
• Kill psychos early
• Sometimes even the nicest people can be the worst kind
• Do not trust quickly, do not show kindness

Warnings: Mature subject matter.





In the end I expected a little better special effects for the budget they had, cranberries for brain splatter just doesn't do it for me. And I know from experience there are many better ways to do blood then red paint. The best effect was a bitten hand which is shown for all of two and a half seconds. Also how hard is it to do an "American" accent? Actually, I wouldn't know but this British actor makes it look impossible. If it seems like I'm being harsh, I am. For a movie that advertises on it's cover that it is "better then 28 Days Later" it is basically a run of the mill low budget zombie film. The diary aspect is pretty cool and well done but nothing really good, like documenting anything really important. And the zombies in this film simply don't pose a threat, and I'm a fan of slow zombies. What the film does really well though is mix the three stories together and show the importance of who you trust and of being able to protect yourself from more then just the zombies.


Stay vigilant, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate, Mike D.