Zombie gold

It's been 40 years since George A. Romero unleashed "Night of the Living Dead" on a far too unsuspecting public, and it's ownly ballooned in cult stature since, right along with 1978's arguably superior critique of consumer culture, "Dawn of the Dead."  1985's dark Cold War parable "Day of the Dead" and 2005's riff on class wars, "Land of the Dead," followed, and not once did Romero flinch or show noticeable weakness.  Recognized as a master by those he inspired, Romero continues his sporadic reign with "Diary of the Dead," one of 2007's best horror films.

"Diary" follows a group of student filmmakers over the course of several days as they document themselves during the emerging zombie crisis.  Romero's political/social target here is our national/global obsession with having every last moment of our lives on film via YouTube.  It's a fertile target, and Romero's satire doesn't disappoint.  Less gory and in-your-face than "Land," "Diary" aims less for the jugular and more for the cerebrum.  What at first seems like a silly romp with a ragtag group of kids turns out to be a harrowing escape tale documented in real time, and scenarios like the heroine's reunion with her parents and the dispirited ending are unforgiving and bravely shot.

On the extras front, this single-disc edition boasts a feature commentary from Romero playing his usual witty self, and a full-length documentary on the creation of the film that's worthy of praise. Both of these features warrant a purchase from anyone even remotely a fan of Romero's previous zombie ventures. Finally and amusingly, a series of five short zombie films culled from Romero's MySpace-hosted contest for amateur horror filmmakers are featured; some clearly better than others. While "Diary" may one day get the executive DVD treatment afforded "Night," "Dawn" and "Day," the features here are nothing to scoff at.

Romero's latest film may not be as earth-shattering as "Night" or "Dawn," but it proves the director once again to be operating on another, higher level of horror filmmaking, both visceral and subversively political.