Diary of the Dead as inspiration

[Tricky]

So, since Cinemax is showing Diary of the Dead (Romero's last zombie movie, retelling the story of the rise, but now it's happening in modern times and the main characters are filiming it ala Cloverfield) this month, and after watcing it again, I realized that there is alot of good stuff for GMs and players to use for their campaign.

The main characters are College kids filiming a student film. They hear the news of dead people coming back to life, and try to get home. One guy starts filming it (of course; zombies everywhere and rather than a gun, he carries a camera!). But, you do get alot of things (besides some rather shakey acting): after running into zombies, the group argues about what's really going on; on character uses a gun for the first time to save his friends; a surprising character turns out to know how to fix a car; see society fall apart as those in power try to keep the truth hidden; and there are some really interesting ways to fight zombies too!

Now, as a zombie fan, I own this movie, but like I said, some people might not like it, but you might want to rent it (or watch it on Cinemax...it's On Demand too!), if nothing more than to get some ideas or maybe get a group of players into the mood.

I mean anyone can play a group of cops, gangbangers and SF guys; but who has the 'balls' to play as a group of college kids with one gun and a handful of bullets during a zombapocalypse?

[Tricky]

I've seen it a couple times now. I also picked up 'Zombie Diaries', but havent watched it yet.

I've heard mixed things. But then, i like bad movies almost as much as good ones.

If i get a zombie game going, I so want to do a 'zombie fishbowl'.

[Rathorc Lemenger]

Own it, love, Perfect. I really enjoy the Amish seen where the group meets up with him... I laughed so hard, I had cramps in my side for a whole 5 minutes.

Signed,
Rathorc Lemenger.

[Lenwen]

Own it, love, Perfect. I really enjoy the Amish seen where the group meets up with him... I laughed so hard, I had cramps in my side for a whole 5 minutes.

Signed,
Rathorc Lemenger.

Agreed , I own it as well an it is one of the first things I think of when I think of Zombies , well this and that old Zombie movie Night Of The Comet (1984, U.S.A., 90 min.) . It was one of the First of all zombie movies I've ever seen . heh .

[sHaka]

Think "Wolverines!!!!" except with Zombies.

Like it

The big problem with Dead Reign though is that the Zombies are FAR more durable than the ones in these movies, so you couldn't really capture it because the gun was effective, and head shots weren't nearly impossible. In Dead Reign you can shoot a Zombie in the head (requireing an unlikely die roll) with a .44 magnum twice and it might not drop.

I don't see this as a problem. Dead Reign is Palladium's Zombie game, not "How to recreate Diary (or Dawn/Land/Day etc) of the Dead". The zombies being rather tough should be seen as part of DR's unique flavour as well as keeping this fresh for players (IMHO).

The college students are zombie chow, because they never would have survived the first couple of encounters against Dead Reign Zombies given how things went down there.

Agreed here!

A lot of horror movies tend to overlook that humans are not only the ultimate predator

Disagree here - humans are poor to good depending on terrain and other factors, but that really is splitting hairs!

[Vidynn]

I liked the movie, watched it in the cinema when it was shown. But Im more into fast zombies nowadays, like in the redone Dawn of the Dead or in 28 Days Later (lets count the infected as zombies of sorts).

[Vidynn]

yeah, I loved the classic slow zombies, but once I saw the fast ones in newer movies, I was really awed...and scared. so, now Im all for the runners.

[asajosh]

Okies, Since I started a DR campaign (based on the write up in in Rifter 40), I have been devouring zombie flicks and just finished "Diary..."
I love how Romero tries to add in his message of "Man's Inhumanity toward (dead) Man". Specifically I speak of the last scene with the zombie woman strung up by the hair, you know what I'm talking about. Romero's Zombie movies are more about the pychological and emotional struggles of his human survivors in a world gone mad, I love it! This is an aspect I try to work in heavily to my DR campaign: The grinding down of the human psyche from collosal stresses.

My little take on the flick as a whole: Pretty good (4 out of five moans). Its a good look at the psychological toll on the living after dealing with the walking dead. The mousey college girl who kills herself in despair, the rich kid who goes psycho after his parents and family kill each other, and of course, the people who do WELL in this zombie world are folks you wouldn't want to meet in a normal day (thieving National Gaurdsmen and sadistic rednecks).

The BEST aspect (again IMHO) is the active dis-information campaign from the traditional news media and the "kids" who fight back with unabashed film clips uploaded to the web (before utilities start to fail). I can totally see "President Bush being advised on the situation from his ranch in Crawford".... sounds all too familiar from RL tragedies.
Anyway, I begin to ramble, and its nearly DR time so I need to psych up! I think Shaun of the Dead is on my watch list this AM, funny funny.

PS: Deaf Samuel the Amish farmer was a great character!

PPS: Fast attack Zombies are funner then Hell!!

[Rathorc Lemenger]

Note: Deaf Samuel.... Hilarious character/scene.

Signed,
Rathorc Lemenger.

[Vidynn]

zombie nazis, zombie strippers - this genre really has it all.