I have some zombie title card ideas. Rise of the Dead War of the Dead Fall of the Dead Mansion of the dead Castle of the Dead Sewers of the Dead Subway of the Dead Airport of the Dead Island of the Dead Clowns of the Dead Sharks of the Dead Mines of the Dead Beaches of the Dead Pyramid of the Dead Stadium of the Dead The White House of the Dead Caves of the Dead Slaughterhouse of the Dead Space of the Dead Carnival of the Dead Eclipse of the Dead Campus of the Dead Mars of the Dead Swamp of the Dead Transylvania of the Dead Forest of the Dead
Romero was highly involved with the 1990 Night remake. He picked Tom Savini to direct his script because he couldn't be there to do it himself, he visited the set several times but was busy directing The Dark Half and Cannon Films wasn't willing to wait.
For sure. That's the truth and at that point in history Cannon needed money fast!! The end of the company, which gave us so much 80's entertainment was a sad one. They went too big, too quickly and crashed big-time, which was poetic, all things considered. There will never be a sequel to the company, who gave us the greatest sequel (name) of the decade! Hope you have an Electric Boogaloo day.
The Walking Dead show came about a decade after the initial zombie resurgence. I remember being in college in the early 2000s and the Dawn of the Dead remake, Land of the Dead, Shaun of the Dead and 28 Days Later were what brought the non-horror fan into the fold. It wasn’t until years after that TWD made its impact on society.
land of the dead got some potential with dead reckoning and smart zombies, imagine this on other zombie movie/tv shows to me dead reckoning is the most badass vehicle in zombie apocalypse
Man, I love Land of the Dead. That was one of my favourite horror movies in teens. The thing is Romero kept the satire and, although you said it's in a way a time capsule of early 2000's, it's still relevant AF. But the ending is hopeful. No matter, how different we are, we're still neighbours on this tiny planet, and we just must find a way.
Land also isn't part of a trilogy, I don't know why it seems like so many people keep trying to connect it to Diary and Survival. Land is literally the 4th movie and a sequel to Day of the Dead.
Romero should get credit for at least trying to have themes and messages, even if they could be hamfisted at times. That still puts the Dead series (at least the first four) an edge over typical empty-headed slasher fare with nothing to say except "look at this cool kill."
Land was legitimately carried by its phenomenal cast. I saw someone say once, i think on the imdb horror forum waaaaay back in the day (do they still exist anymore?) That Land felt like someone told Romero that his dead films had great social commentary and he was like oh they do? Then ham fisted it into Land
Also dawn, dead and land all have landmark disembowel scenes, but dawn and dead are both with characters the audience is primed against. Land is was just some innocent kid, making it depressing and not satisfying
Land had massive studio interference and the reason why he refused to make any more movies for studios. Besides Land of the Dead being a sequel to Day of the Dead, he wasn't happy with Land because of all the interference he had to deal with.
I agree. I don't think his social commentary was so intentional in the OT. I think it was more a by-product of him just being a blue collar guy outside the Hollywood system.
Man…I’m hoping Twilight of the Dead sticks the landing and respects George’s zombie legacy. The premise being near the definitive end of humanity but on a tropical island sounds a lot like Day’s original working script, which could be interesting.
It is a shame he couldn't do more movies outside of horror, his style of directing is so interesting. The angles are very matter of fact, static, letting composition of elements and dramatic poses in the frame do the talking. It's like Greg Zahler, but sincere.
I found Diary of the Dead more entertaining than it seems many others did. I actually had no idea what it was when i started watching it. It was just starting when i turned the tv on. I didn't know it was Romeri or even a zombie movie. It was just late night and i was bored. Worked for me. I think i just had zero expectations and was kind of piqued by found footage.
That much is true, but at times i felt that maybe Land could fit in with Diary and Survival being so long after them. Either way i think it can be interpreted as the end of both timelines
Rewatching the new ones makes me appreciate the original trilogy so much more. Sometimes you have to watch trash to truly appreciate the beauty of what came before
George and Tom Savini mentioned Twilight Of The Dead in the commentary on one of the Dawn Of The Dead DVD releases from the 90s, the 117 minute Dario Argento version aka Zombi with some edited scenes and different soundtrack, it's available on YT with and without commentary, both of them were interested in the script.
I think the deeper meaning of the three films was so the grandfather of zombie flicks could say "Look guys, I approve of different approaches, go ahead. Enjoy." But I'm sentimental like that.
I always thought that with Land's level of technology (you know, because the Dead Reckoning doesn't feel like a vehicle made from 70's or 80's technology but i'm no expert on that matter) was meant to be an overall chronological leap far after Diary and Survival. I mean, you could have Land be the end of both trilogies
As far as this trilogy goes, I thought Land was legitimately fantastic. I didn’t like Diary, but I thought Survival was a fun Zombie Western with some impressive visuals for a straight to video movie.
Survival could’ve been so much better! And I always thought D diary would’ve been better if it was a mixture of found footage and production footage. Land should have been released uncut like George’s original script.
The funny thing about Dennis Hopper in Land Of The Dead is that he almost looks like President Koopa from The Super Mario Bros. Movie, doesn't help that he rules over a dystopia and has John Leguizamo as his main henchmen
When LAND OF THE DEAD came out in 2005, when I was 19 going on 20, I actually had to write a three-page review of it as an assignment for a summer film appreciation course at my alma mater. I had a lot more fun with this than I did with either Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith or War of the Worlds (the latter which Romero was actually attached to in development back in the 1990's). I see it as the last half of the third and final installment that Romero wanted to conclude his original trilogy with, the first half being DAY OF THE DEAD (which actually came out the year I was born and had my own Film Appreciation course teacher in it as a foreground zombie!!!) It was so good to see Romero back on the big screen, even if it was the R-rated version of LAND and not the unrated version later released on DVD that was closer to his vision and style. The last two films, sadly, were the point in Romero's career where he was becoming a parody of himself. It was such a sad note to end on - largely due to mainstream studio interference starting back in the 90's, he found it really hard to get anything greenlit, even non-horror projects, and many of them, including his own dream versions of Tarzan and The Mummy, ended up in development hell. But on the basis of the original Dead saga alone - my Top Favorite Film series of all Time, and again I do personally include LAND in it - I find Romero to still be not only one of the greatest horror filmmakers, but best filmmakers overall.
Day is my favorite, and I enjoy Night and both Dawns but I've always liked Land, too. It seemed like a natural progression from the first three as far as how the living might try to survive in the zombie apocalypse.
Alan Van Sprang was also in Land of the Dead. Shawn Roberts is in both Land & Diary. Rodrick from Diary of a Wimpy Kid was also in Land & Survival. Also Grace from Manifest is in Survival.
I saw Land of the Dead in theaters, but I haven't seen it since. I remember liking it well enough at the time, but I also had some issues with it. I think I would probably enjoy it more now. I have never seen Diary or Survival, but I'd like to watch them for completion sake. I think a full series viewing is in order.
The high point of zombie media right there. Assuming we're not talking about that shitty remake with Mena Suvari. I feel sorry for everyone involved in that piece of shit.
Land of the dead never gets the love it deserves. The cast, effects, and overall premise was great. RIP George A Romero. He inspired so many of my favorite games and movies. Dying Light has a full blow ln memorial for him which is so cool and George like shaun of the desd sonhe put Simon pegg and Edgar wright in as zombies.
Land of the Dead is top tier. It really does a great job of mixing elements from Dawn and Day of the Dead together and you gotta love the class warfare allegory.
There's something wrong with that movie. I'm not sure if it's the acting or what but the whole presentation feels cheap or something. Plasticy... Fake... Doesn't feel like a real movie. There's something about the overall feel of the others, and countless old crappy horror movies that sucks me in and makes me feel like I'm watching a movie. Maybe it's the film stock, or lack thereof, assuming they shot digitally. I don't know, but it's missing something.
Matt thanks for making a video on George A Romeros other zombie works outside of the living dead trilogy! Happy 55th anniversary of the film that gave us the modern zombie genre as we know it, Night of the Living Dead.
Dude. "Go mimis" and my actual favorite Garth Marenghi quote of all time?! Are you me?! You're me. Man, I'm good at making videos and whatnot. Look at me go. Another great vid, Matt. I'm going to start a podcast solely so I can interview you as an excuse to chat about movies.
I love all three. While Land is more well regarded, I love both Diary and Survival, the former demonstrating George’s ability to make FF, the latter an utterly weird remake of Big Country that explores our inability to let go of our loved ones. But regardless, George has more than earned the right to make personal films💪🏼
I fell in love with the Zombie Film Genre when I happened to be home sick from High School in October of 2003. Night of the Living Dead was playing on IFC, and I was head over heels with the film. So I ran to see the Dawn Remake and Shaun of the Dead. So Land of the Dead was a very exciting time because I'd finally get to see a Romero film as it came out in Theaters. I like the movie, even with its flaws. I really think Cholo would have made a better main character overall for the film if the Riley character had been cut.
Great video! I’m a massive Romero fan and it’s always nice to hear about his lesser watched flicks. Can’t wait to hear you talk about Martin and hey maybe the Crazies???
Love your vids and I’m always excited to watch them. I know you produce these a lot and I’m sure the editing is a labor of love but I find myself binging once every 1-3 months even though I check subscriptions each day. I think it may be your thumbnails, which I do think and have always thought are fantastic, but I don’t have a running theme or identifiable feature. I follow a lot of accounts and I’d say your videos are ones I always watch within the day of seeing them release but I might scroll past them because it could be from any creator. Just a note that I realized as it’s happened several times and I nearly scrolled past this video before seeing it was yours. Loved the video love Romero love Pittsburgh. Sadly I’ll be leaving the city soon but it was just a year ago I came upon your channel. Glad Romero still has as much love as he deserves. I’ll stop by monroeville mall one more time before leaving for the last time.
I will love Matt if you can talk about the Romero's Undead comics, Toe Tags and Empire of The Dead (and maybe his last book, The Living Dead). And even if the two last Undead Romero films are a little weak, i loved them. He is a master of narration and i see Diary with a clear mind and knowing nothing about it. Blew my mind like this guy always does. I love how he writes. I love all his movies, they special, different and i can't wait to see Twilight of The Dead with the direction of Brad Anderson, the director of The Machinist.
Unpopular Opinion time I watched the dead films last year so here’s my ranking lol: 1.Diary 2.Day 3.Survival 4.Land 5.Dawn 6.Night Hoping both Road & Twilight Of The Dead films happen!!!😇😇😇
The only one that gets close to "stinker" territory was 'Survival Of The Dead'. Even though that one doesn't have much if any replay value for me, there were a few cute moments. I'd give it a D+. I thought overall 'Land Of The Dead' was a solid B+. 'Diary Of The Dead' was C+. But yeah, the original trilogy? All *solid* A+. I used to go with Dawn as my favorite, but in recent years I kind of lean towards Day. It's probably splitting hairs as all three are pure gold IMO.
i'm such a huge mark for romero zombies. so much so that i bought the dawn of the dead novelization he wrote, TWICE. a physical book and an audio book. i've read the physical book 3 or 4 times. i listen to the audio book every summer as i fish/bicycle. i'm curently reading a making o day of the dead book. i bought the new "the living dead" book twice, audio and physical. i watch day and/or dawn of the dead once a month. i can't get across how much i love this stuff. it kicked off my life long zombie obsession when i was like 10 in the early 90s. seeing bad CGI in a romero zombie movie made me feel physically ill. i've never been more sad watching a movie than watching those last 2 movies. i can't believe no one was willing to give him the time and money to make proper romero zombie movies.
Can’t speak on Survival of the Dead as that one I have not seen. However I can mainly agree that Land of the Dead easily is the best. Compared to the original Dead Trilogy, it is a good spiritual continuation with a lot of great production design and exploration about the relationship between humans and zombies. Execution wise it’s very clunky, but again I give it a lot of credit for trying. Diary on the other hand…yeesh. Can’t defend that one. I will say I do applaud Romero for sticking to micro budgeted films even after Land’s success. He knows where he works best and continued (even if it didn’t always work out). Miss the legend. Keep on continuing spreading the word about the Romero Legacy Matt :)
The small initial plot for twilight of the dead sounds incredibly interesting. The last of humanity trying to seek safety on an island from the zombies taking over the world and being at a crossroads between a battle between two different zombie factions sounds like the perfect ending to George’s narrative of the end of of humanity and the zombie genre. I’m thinking that the last of humanity will die or become part of the undead themselves, while two factions of zombies will be fighting over how to creat their new society. This notion of the end of human civilization and the beginning of a new world were the undead become the inheritors of the world definition reminds of the end of the I am Legend book.
I LOVED Land of the. Dead but I thought Diary of the Dead was pretty good too. Documenting the first days of the zombie apocalypse from different points of view and locations are always interesting to me.
I love all of them! I just gel with his kind of thinking and writing I guess. They're low budget af and the film-making definitely aren't as strong as his earlier stuff, but they still have the same philosophical and dark comedic vibe to them that I just love. They feel sophisticated yet pulpy at the same time, kinda the same way as a good 80s/90s comic books ala Alan Moore or Garth Enis or something. Not many people can pull this off even to this day imo
I'm not sure how Survival of the Dead can be deemed part Western. It's in modern times. Just because there is a horse ranch on the island and some of the guys wear cowboy hats, well that doesn't make it a western. Land of the Dead was supposed to be named Twilight of the Dead.
I actually like Diary of the Dead more than Land; it feels more...realistic. BTW, wasn't there a movie in there called Flight of the Dead about zombies on a plane? Or am I imagining it?
I would say it's more of a 4 films vs 2 films thing than a 3v3. Land was admirable, it got the assignment correct. Some questionable casting and script choices but it wasn't trash. I will go to bat for any movie that has Dennis Hopper as a villain full stop.
Also, and I’m sure someone else has probably already mentioned it in the comments by now, but the Sprocket character from survival and diary was also featured in land of the dead. As a matter of fact, his character was killed in land of the dead, making diary and survival inter-quels.
It's a dream of mine (no matter how unlikely this is to happen) to make Romero's original Day of the Dead script into a full length feature. Also on the topic at hand, I like Land. It's mixed for me but still pretty good and I have a lot of respect for it. But Diary and Survival? No, I just really don't like them. I was really excited going into them too!
That original script for Day is excellent - and you can see how much of Land was originally intended for Day. Sounds like he even revisited it for his proposed Twilight of the Dead idea.
I love Land, I saw it opening weekend, but the theatre was maybe 25% full which was too bad. I also really enjoy Diary, I think George did a great job with the budget he had. I was never really a fan of Survival, but it's been 15 years since I watched it, so I guess I should give it another shot.
People are hating on Diary of the Dead sure budget was small he did everything he could to make it look good. For me that movie was GOLDEN I loved every minute of it. Ofc I saw some fake blood bad gore and cgi but still it fulfilled it's potential for that money.
Another connection between two of the movies. The Tom Savini 'Blades' character in Dawn. Appears again briefly in Land. At least it appears to be the same character.
I have a theory film students finished Diary of the Dead. Romero was hospitalized during a long period during the shoot and film students were already involved.
You know, everyone trashes these later films, but at least George died doing what he loved, and that was making zombie flicks. These aren’t as good as the first three but I would argue that land of the dead is very underrated. Diary is an OK time waster but survival has become one of my favorite zombie stories. It’s a very interesting take on the Hatfield and McCoys feud. it proposes some interesting questions and breaks some new ground in the Romero zombie apocalypse. Survival of the dead really deserves a more fair shake. Either way, George went out doing what he loved the most, and that’s the most important thing to me.
15:00 I know I'm entering the Pedantic zone and I hate to take any credit from George but giving him credit for being anywhere near the head of the found footage heard, is a stretch. At best. Anything that comes after The Blair Witch Project, is following. Not leading. When we were in Toronto, at the Fan Expo, I asked him about the choice to go 'Found footage' and he laughed, thought about it for a few seconds and said, 'It was the cheapest way to get the story across'. Once he got farther into the project, he grew to enjoy the freedom that the method gave him and he was all about experimenting, with new (to him) techniques. I Loved Diary, the first time I saw it and did a complete 180° after the 2nd viewing!! I guess it proves how important it is, to watch a movie twice, before talking about it too much. My college professor taught me that, a long time ago and it's so crucial, when judging, or even evaluating a film. Sorry for the long post. Cheers from Canada
Never had the chance to meet the man, and I love Night and Dawn. I also really respect Land, though it is the last "good" Romero film. Wonderful review.
Land of the Dead and Survival of the Dead seemed to have both been made from elements of George Romero's original script for Day of the Dead, which was very different than the shortened version that ended up being made in 1985.
Alan can Sprang was also in Land of the Dead. The Other Dead Trilogy is sequentially Diary>Survival>Land, which also happens to coincide with quality. Sprang plays three different characters in each movie though, as if I remember correctly his name tag on the uniform and credit sequence are different each time
![The History of George Romero's Unmade RESIDENT EVIL Movie [Residecember Evil]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VNSaPo07qsQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![The History of George Romero's Unmade RESIDENT EVIL Movie [Residecember Evil]](/img/tr.png)
Use my code MD at www.ekster.com/pages/lp_influencer to get up to 25% off with Ekster!
I have some zombie title card ideas.
Rise of the Dead
War of the Dead
Fall of the Dead
Mansion of the dead
Castle of the Dead
Sewers of the Dead
Subway of the Dead
Airport of the Dead
Island of the Dead
Clowns of the Dead
Sharks of the Dead
Mines of the Dead
Beaches of the Dead
Pyramid of the Dead
Stadium of the Dead
The White House of the Dead
Caves of the Dead
Slaughterhouse of the Dead
Space of the Dead
Carnival of the Dead
Eclipse of the Dead
Campus of the Dead
Mars of the Dead
Swamp of the Dead
Transylvania of the Dead
Forest of the Dead
Romero was highly involved with the 1990 Night remake. He picked Tom Savini to direct his script because he couldn't be there to do it himself, he visited the set several times but was busy directing The Dark Half and Cannon Films wasn't willing to wait.
For sure. That's the truth and at that point in history
Cannon needed money fast!! The end of the company, which gave us so much 80's entertainment was a sad one. They went too big, too quickly and crashed big-time, which was poetic, all things considered.
There will never be a sequel to the company, who gave us the greatest sequel (name) of the decade!
Hope you have an Electric Boogaloo day.
Day is probably his best work
Day is good but I think Dawn was better.
@@Nooziterp1 Me too especially the director's cut.
Agreed
I’d include Walking Dead as another thing that really raised interest in zombies as the new decade began.
That’s true! I was thinking about the show, but yeah the comic is right there at the start of the boom.
The Walking Dead show came about a decade after the initial zombie resurgence. I remember being in college in the early 2000s and the Dawn of the Dead remake, Land of the Dead, Shaun of the Dead and 28 Days Later were what brought the non-horror fan into the fold. It wasn’t until years after that TWD made its impact on society.
Ps. I love the fact I can interact with two of my favorite RUclips creators and be more right lol :)
Hi Chris!!
Do you think Max Brooks's books had an impact? I don't know how popular they were upon publication.
land of the dead got some potential with dead reckoning and smart zombies, imagine this on other zombie movie/tv shows
to me dead reckoning is the most badass vehicle in zombie apocalypse
Man, I love Land of the Dead. That was one of my favourite horror movies in teens. The thing is Romero kept the satire and, although you said it's in a way a time capsule of early 2000's, it's still relevant AF. But the ending is hopeful. No matter, how different we are, we're still neighbours on this tiny planet, and we just must find a way.
@user-ss2ve4ub2iholy shit this bot is schizophrenic if it thinks people are gonna read all of that
it was crap
it was great@@pa5287
I saw Land opening night. The crowd ate it up. One of the best theater experiances.
Land of the Dead is one of the most underrated horror films of the last thirty years, so creative with a stellar cast and effects
@01010BThey’re not saying it’s better than Night. Nobody would. They’re simply saying they wish Land got more love, because it does have its charms.
Land also isn't part of a trilogy, I don't know why it seems like so many people keep trying to connect it to Diary and Survival. Land is literally the 4th movie and a sequel to Day of the Dead.
It's badly written shit
There's a reason it was a huge flop.
@01010BAah so pie fights with zombies was “master social commentary” huh
Romero should get credit for at least trying to have themes and messages, even if they could be hamfisted at times. That still puts the Dead series (at least the first four) an edge over typical empty-headed slasher fare with nothing to say except "look at this cool kill."
Land was legitimately carried by its phenomenal cast. I saw someone say once, i think on the imdb horror forum waaaaay back in the day (do they still exist anymore?) That Land felt like someone told Romero that his dead films had great social commentary and he was like oh they do? Then ham fisted it into Land
Also dawn, dead and land all have landmark disembowel scenes, but dawn and dead are both with characters the audience is primed against. Land is was just some innocent kid, making it depressing and not satisfying
Land had massive studio interference and the reason why he refused to make any more movies for studios. Besides Land of the Dead being a sequel to Day of the Dead, he wasn't happy with Land because of all the interference he had to deal with.
I agree. I don't think his social commentary was so intentional in the OT. I think it was more a by-product of him just being a blue collar guy outside the Hollywood system.
i agree with this take
I enjoyed all three. One of his drafts for Dead Reckoning had Zombies just rotting away.
Man…I’m hoping Twilight of the Dead sticks the landing and respects George’s zombie legacy. The premise being near the definitive end of humanity but on a tropical island sounds a lot like Day’s original working script, which could be interesting.
I hope it comes out. I for one am eager to see it.
It is a shame he couldn't do more movies outside of horror, his style of directing is so interesting. The angles are very matter of fact, static, letting composition of elements and dramatic poses in the frame do the talking.
It's like Greg Zahler, but sincere.
I found Diary of the Dead more entertaining than it seems many others did. I actually had no idea what it was when i started watching it. It was just starting when i turned the tv on. I didn't know it was Romeri or even a zombie movie. It was just late night and i was bored. Worked for me. I think i just had zero expectations and was kind of piqued by found footage.
Another forgotten Romero gem is “Martin”. A down-and-dirty, street level addiction allegory about a vampire. It’s a really special movie.
Land is a sequel to the original trilogy. Diary & Survival are their own thing
That much is true, but at times i felt that maybe Land could fit in with Diary and Survival being so long after them. Either way i think it can be interpreted as the end of both timelines
truth
Rewatching the new ones makes me appreciate the original trilogy so much more. Sometimes you have to watch trash to truly appreciate the beauty of what came before
I enjoyed Land and Diary. They’re certainly not like the original 3 but they’re fun. Survival of the dead is another story lol
I wouldn’t call them trash, but they’re absolutely not able to reach the heights of the original 3
Trash? No.
George and Tom Savini mentioned Twilight Of The Dead in the commentary on one of the Dawn Of The Dead DVD releases from the 90s, the 117 minute Dario Argento version aka Zombi with some edited scenes and different soundtrack, it's available on YT with and without commentary, both of them were interested in the script.
I think the deeper meaning of the three films was so the grandfather of zombie flicks could say "Look guys, I approve of different approaches, go ahead. Enjoy."
But I'm sentimental like that.
Land of the Dead is an excellent end to the original Dead trilogy. So underrated!!
A perfect epilogue to the original trilogy.
It's utter shit. Why do dumbasses like badly written plot hole filled crap?
I always thought that with Land's level of technology (you know, because the Dead Reckoning doesn't feel like a vehicle made from 70's or 80's technology but i'm no expert on that matter) was meant to be an overall chronological leap far after Diary and Survival. I mean, you could have Land be the end of both trilogies
Gerorge was so underrated as a film maker may he rest in peace 📼 🕯 🎃
As far as this trilogy goes, I thought Land was legitimately fantastic. I didn’t like Diary, but I thought Survival was a fun Zombie Western with some impressive visuals for a straight to video movie.
Survival could’ve been so much better! And I always thought D diary would’ve been better if it was a mixture of found footage and production footage. Land should have been released uncut like George’s original script.
Land was so bad
I love Survival, the zombie girl on the horse is outstanding✔
Diary was my favorite of the 3 regardless of popular opinion. they're all worth watching
I love any zombie movie the grandfather of modern day zombies makes he's a hero and legend in my eyes! Rip George Romero ✊🧟🧟♀️🧟♂️
Another awesome and insightful Romero retrospective. My favorite Romero zombie films are:
1) Day 2) Dawn 3) Night
4) Diary 5) Land 6) Survival
The funny thing about Dennis Hopper in Land Of The Dead is that he almost looks like President Koopa from The Super Mario Bros. Movie, doesn't help that he rules over a dystopia and has John Leguizamo as his main henchmen
One of the best of all time!
When LAND OF THE DEAD came out in 2005, when I was 19 going on 20, I actually had to write a three-page review of it as an assignment for a summer film appreciation course at my alma mater. I had a lot more fun with this than I did with either Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith or War of the Worlds (the latter which Romero was actually attached to in development back in the 1990's). I see it as the last half of the third and final installment that Romero wanted to conclude his original trilogy with, the first half being DAY OF THE DEAD (which actually came out the year I was born and had my own Film Appreciation course teacher in it as a foreground zombie!!!) It was so good to see Romero back on the big screen, even if it was the R-rated version of LAND and not the unrated version later released on DVD that was closer to his vision and style.
The last two films, sadly, were the point in Romero's career where he was becoming a parody of himself. It was such a sad note to end on - largely due to mainstream studio interference starting back in the 90's, he found it really hard to get anything greenlit, even non-horror projects, and many of them, including his own dream versions of Tarzan and The Mummy, ended up in development hell. But on the basis of the original Dead saga alone - my Top Favorite Film series of all Time, and again I do personally include LAND in it - I find Romero to still be not only one of the greatest horror filmmakers, but best filmmakers overall.
Day is my favorite, and I enjoy Night and both Dawns but I've always liked Land, too. It seemed like a natural progression from the first three as far as how the living might try to survive in the zombie apocalypse.
Alan Van Sprang was also in Land of the Dead. Shawn Roberts is in both Land & Diary. Rodrick from Diary of a Wimpy Kid was also in Land & Survival. Also Grace from Manifest is in Survival.
I saw Land of the Dead in theaters, but I haven't seen it since. I remember liking it well enough at the time, but I also had some issues with it. I think I would probably enjoy it more now. I have never seen Diary or Survival, but I'd like to watch them for completion sake. I think a full series viewing is in order.
I just realized that one guy in Diary of the Dead also plays Wesker in a few of the Resident Evil films
Good to hear “Twilight of the Dead” will finally(hopefully!) get produced. Thanks for the video!
Day all day
Yes! It was my 1st Romero film.
The high point of zombie media right there. Assuming we're not talking about that shitty remake with Mena Suvari. I feel sorry for everyone involved in that piece of shit.
Land of the dead never gets the love it deserves. The cast, effects, and overall premise was great. RIP George A Romero. He inspired so many of my favorite games and movies. Dying Light has a full blow ln memorial for him which is so cool and George like shaun of the desd sonhe put Simon pegg and Edgar wright in as zombies.
That Garth Marenghi clip surprised the hell out of me, Darkplace is so great - respect haha.
Land of the Dead is top tier. It really does a great job of mixing elements from Dawn and Day of the Dead together and you gotta love the class warfare allegory.
It's badly written plot hole filled nonsence.
There's something wrong with that movie. I'm not sure if it's the acting or what but the whole presentation feels cheap or something. Plasticy... Fake... Doesn't feel like a real movie.
There's something about the overall feel of the others, and countless old crappy horror movies that sucks me in and makes me feel like I'm watching a movie.
Maybe it's the film stock, or lack thereof, assuming they shot digitally. I don't know, but it's missing something.
ya, totally disagree with this. as someone who grew up watching the real night of the living dead movies Land was a let down
@@anonamatron agree, ive always felt like this
I was just catching up on the videos i’ve missed this month to be jumpscared by this notif, we’re so back
I thought you were going to talk about 'Knightriders', 'Martin', and 'The Crazies'.
Dawn's my fave, Day my second, Savini's Night third, Romero's Night fourth, then Land. The other two I lump together as the worst.
Damn, Diary didn't seem like a three hour chore to me. Watched it at the moview, like Land of the Dead and I really enjoyed it.
Matt thanks for making a video on George A Romeros other zombie works outside of the living dead trilogy! Happy 55th anniversary of the film that gave us the modern zombie genre as we know it, Night of the Living Dead.
Matt, you should also do a video on the Fulci film ZOMBIE.
Yes, it is an excellent film with an outstanding soundtrack also 👌
I really love diary of the dead
Dude. "Go mimis" and my actual favorite Garth Marenghi quote of all time?! Are you me?! You're me. Man, I'm good at making videos and whatnot. Look at me go.
Another great vid, Matt. I'm going to start a podcast solely so I can interview you as an excuse to chat about movies.
I love all three. While Land is more well regarded, I love both Diary and Survival, the former demonstrating George’s ability to make FF, the latter an utterly weird remake of Big Country that explores our inability to let go of our loved ones. But regardless, George has more than earned the right to make personal films💪🏼
I fell in love with the Zombie Film Genre when I happened to be home sick from High School in October of 2003. Night of the Living Dead was playing on IFC, and I was head over heels with the film. So I ran to see the Dawn Remake and Shaun of the Dead. So Land of the Dead was a very exciting time because I'd finally get to see a Romero film as it came out in Theaters. I like the movie, even with its flaws. I really think Cholo would have made a better main character overall for the film if the Riley character had been cut.
Great video! I’m a massive Romero fan and it’s always nice to hear about his lesser watched flicks. Can’t wait to hear you talk about Martin and hey maybe the Crazies???
Love your vids and I’m always excited to watch them. I know you produce these a lot and I’m sure the editing is a labor of love but I find myself binging once every 1-3 months even though I check subscriptions each day. I think it may be your thumbnails, which I do think and have always thought are fantastic, but I don’t have a running theme or identifiable feature. I follow a lot of accounts and I’d say your videos are ones I always watch within the day of seeing them release but I might scroll past them because it could be from any creator. Just a note that I realized as it’s happened several times and I nearly scrolled past this video before seeing it was yours. Loved the video love Romero love Pittsburgh. Sadly I’ll be leaving the city soon but it was just a year ago I came upon your channel. Glad Romero still has as much love as he deserves. I’ll stop by monroeville mall one more time before leaving for the last time.
I will love Matt if you can talk about the Romero's Undead comics, Toe Tags and Empire of The Dead (and maybe his last book, The Living Dead).
And even if the two last Undead Romero films are a little weak, i loved them. He is a master of narration and i see Diary with a clear mind and knowing nothing about it. Blew my mind like this guy always does. I love how he writes. I love all his movies, they special, different and i can't wait to see Twilight of The Dead with the direction of Brad Anderson, the director of The Machinist.
Unpopular Opinion time I watched the dead films last year so here’s my ranking lol:
1.Diary
2.Day
3.Survival
4.Land
5.Dawn
6.Night
Hoping both Road & Twilight Of The Dead films happen!!!😇😇😇
The only one that gets close to "stinker" territory was 'Survival Of The Dead'. Even though that one doesn't have much if any replay value for me, there were a few cute moments. I'd give it a D+. I thought overall 'Land Of The Dead' was a solid B+. 'Diary Of The Dead' was C+.
But yeah, the original trilogy? All *solid* A+. I used to go with Dawn as my favorite, but in recent years I kind of lean towards Day. It's probably splitting hairs as all three are pure gold IMO.
I didn't like Land of the Dead at the time because I kept comparing it to the new Dawn of the Dead. I appreciate it now more.
i'm such a huge mark for romero zombies. so much so that i bought the dawn of the dead novelization he wrote, TWICE. a physical book and an audio book. i've read the physical book 3 or 4 times. i listen to the audio book every summer as i fish/bicycle. i'm curently reading a making o day of the dead book. i bought the new "the living dead" book twice, audio and physical. i watch day and/or dawn of the dead once a month. i can't get across how much i love this stuff. it kicked off my life long zombie obsession when i was like 10 in the early 90s.
seeing bad CGI in a romero zombie movie made me feel physically ill. i've never been more sad watching a movie than watching those last 2 movies. i can't believe no one was willing to give him the time and money to make proper romero zombie movies.
Can’t speak on Survival of the Dead as that one I have not seen. However I can mainly agree that Land of the Dead easily is the best. Compared to the original Dead Trilogy, it is a good spiritual continuation with a lot of great production design and exploration about the relationship between humans and zombies. Execution wise it’s very clunky, but again I give it a lot of credit for trying. Diary on the other hand…yeesh. Can’t defend that one. I will say I do applaud Romero for sticking to micro budgeted films even after Land’s success. He knows where he works best and continued (even if it didn’t always work out). Miss the legend.
Keep on continuing spreading the word about the Romero Legacy Matt :)
I like Land of the Dead as it was my introduction to Romero's Zombie films.
Land is a amazing movie
Rest in peace 😢😢😢 George
Thanks for the amazing video Matt . Big time Romero ❤
Without Diary, I wouldn't have touched the found footage genre. Diary showed, those can be at least kinda cinematic, and thus digestable.
The small initial plot for twilight of the dead sounds incredibly interesting. The last of humanity trying to seek safety on an island from the zombies taking over the world and being at a crossroads between a battle between two different zombie factions sounds like the perfect ending to George’s narrative of the end of of humanity and the zombie genre. I’m thinking that the last of humanity will die or become part of the undead themselves, while two factions of zombies will be fighting over how to creat their new society. This notion of the end of human civilization and the beginning of a new world were the undead become the inheritors of the world definition reminds of the end of the I am Legend book.
I LOVED Land of the. Dead but I thought Diary of the Dead was pretty good too. Documenting the first days of the zombie apocalypse from different points of view and locations are always interesting to me.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN, Mr. Draper!
Thank you Matt.
Land is my favourite! An absolute all timer 🎉
Least surprising opinion ever, Matty
@@MattDraper good old dependable "shit takes" Matty
There kind of that uncle the family doesn't talk about.
Diary of the Dead is one of George's masterpieces.
Rec video would be freaking awesome
Definitely
I love all of them! I just gel with his kind of thinking and writing I guess. They're low budget af and the film-making definitely aren't as strong as his earlier stuff, but they still have the same philosophical and dark comedic vibe to them that I just love. They feel sophisticated yet pulpy at the same time, kinda the same way as a good 80s/90s comic books ala Alan Moore or Garth Enis or something. Not many people can pull this off even to this day imo
The right order is diary night dawn survial day then land and if you want to get technical shaun would be in between night and dawn
I'm not sure how Survival of the Dead can be deemed part Western. It's in modern times. Just because there is a horse ranch on the island and some of the guys wear cowboy hats, well that doesn't make it a western.
Land of the Dead was supposed to be named Twilight of the Dead.
I actually like Diary of the Dead more than Land; it feels more...realistic. BTW, wasn't there a movie in there called Flight of the Dead about zombies on a plane? Or am I imagining it?
I would say it's more of a 4 films vs 2 films thing than a 3v3. Land was admirable, it got the assignment correct. Some questionable casting and script choices but it wasn't trash. I will go to bat for any movie that has Dennis Hopper as a villain full stop.
(I am all for a RECtrospective)
Also, and I’m sure someone else has probably already mentioned it in the comments by now, but the Sprocket character from survival and diary was also featured in land of the dead. As a matter of fact, his character was killed in land of the dead, making diary and survival inter-quels.
I wasn't Impressed with Land...
Your channel is just better each video
The last movie on this list I always thought was a direct to video movie. Never even noticed it came out in theaters.
It's a dream of mine (no matter how unlikely this is to happen) to make Romero's original Day of the Dead script into a full length feature. Also on the topic at hand, I like Land. It's mixed for me but still pretty good and I have a lot of respect for it. But Diary and Survival? No, I just really don't like them. I was really excited going into them too!
That original script for Day is excellent - and you can see how much of Land was originally intended for Day. Sounds like he even revisited it for his proposed Twilight of the Dead idea.
Land of the dead is my favorite of the whole series it's so under rated
I love Land, I saw it opening weekend, but the theatre was maybe 25% full which was too bad. I also really enjoy Diary, I think George did a great job with the budget he had. I was never really a fan of Survival, but it's been 15 years since I watched it, so I guess I should give it another shot.
I would love to see a remake of Diary of the Dead- with social media and everyone’s need for attention!
All of the second trilogy is great.
People are hating on Diary of the Dead sure budget was small he did everything he could to make it look good. For me that movie was GOLDEN I loved every minute of it. Ofc I saw some fake blood bad gore and cgi but still it fulfilled it's potential for that money.
Wish diamond of the dead would if been made
Another connection between two of the movies. The Tom Savini 'Blades' character in Dawn. Appears again briefly in Land. At least it appears to be the same character.
I woke up with Gunship's Fly for you Lives on my mind this morning. Weird.
can you imagine a resident evil/biohazard done by romero?
I have a theory film students finished Diary of the Dead. Romero was hospitalized during a long period during the shoot and film students were already involved.
The national guardsman in Survival was both in Diary and Land... He was introduced in Diary, he survived in Survival and died in Land of the dead
You know, everyone trashes these later films, but at least George died doing what he loved, and that was making zombie flicks. These aren’t as good as the first three but I would argue that land of the dead is very underrated. Diary is an OK time waster but survival has become one of my favorite zombie stories. It’s a very interesting take on the Hatfield and McCoys feud. it proposes some interesting questions and breaks some new ground in the Romero zombie apocalypse. Survival of the dead really deserves a more fair shake. Either way, George went out doing what he loved the most, and that’s the most important thing to me.
15:00
I know I'm entering the Pedantic zone and I hate to take any credit from George but giving him credit for being anywhere near the head of the found footage heard, is a stretch. At best.
Anything that comes after
The Blair Witch Project, is following. Not leading.
When we were in Toronto, at the Fan Expo, I asked him about the choice to go 'Found footage' and he laughed, thought about it for a few seconds and said, 'It was the cheapest way to get the story across'. Once he got farther into the project, he grew to enjoy the freedom that the method gave him and he was all about experimenting, with new (to him) techniques.
I Loved Diary, the first time I saw it and did a complete 180° after the 2nd viewing!! I guess it proves how important it is, to watch a movie twice, before talking about it too much.
My college professor taught me that, a long time ago and it's so crucial, when judging, or even evaluating a film.
Sorry for the long post.
Cheers from Canada
Never had the chance to meet the man, and I love Night and Dawn. I also really respect Land, though it is the last "good" Romero film. Wonderful review.
Land of the Dead and Survival of the Dead seemed to have both been made from elements of George Romero's original script for Day of the Dead, which was very different than the shortened version that ended up being made in 1985.
Oooooo a video on CREEPSHOW would be 🔥👌🏼
Out of all 3 movies, I love Diary Of The Dead
There was a pretty fun tribute to Romero on the newest season of Creepshow and I really hope Twilight of the dead will be good.
RIP George A Romero 😔✌
🎃🍁🎃
Alan can Sprang was also in Land of the Dead. The Other Dead Trilogy is sequentially Diary>Survival>Land, which also happens to coincide with quality. Sprang plays three different characters in each movie though, as if I remember correctly his name tag on the uniform and credit sequence are different each time
The background music is "Fly for your life" by Gunship
Great video Matt👍, I did really enjoyed Land and Diary, but we know that the original dead trilogy is more superior.
Nice use of gunship for the music bed