By Felix Vasquez Jr.

In an interview with George A. Romero, the director revealed that he plans to release the sequel to “Diary of the Dead” which will follow the Southern Bell Ridley who blasted off in the climax and is likely meet up with “familiar” characters to survive in that sweet RV.

So as the release of the controversial “Diary of the Dead” finally slams down our doors, why not just revisit the “Dead” series to whet your appetite? You’ve heard it all before, so I’ll be sure to make this as original as possible.

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Night of the Living Dead (1968) allegedly borrowed much of its influences from “The Last Man on Earth,” and it’s a film many, many horror geeks continue to re-watch and discover new things about. For example, last year I was told that the torch lighting the bodies was a KKK flag wrapped up and burning over Ben’s body, and upon further examination I was shocked to see that it was. Romero continues to deny that he cast Ben for social and racial commentary, but I think it’s just George being a brat, because there are just too many instances of racial undertones to pretend it was all so coincidental. Incidentally, “Night” is being re-released yet again on DVD for the 40^th Anniversary, so revisit the public domain horror classic before its remade again by some Hollywood hack or indie director.

How did this not make it on “AFI’s 100 Greatest Movies” list? It boggles the mind.

Dawn of the Dead (1978) is probably my favorite of the series. I constantly jump back and forth between this and “Night” but watching the bold greens and blues matched with the sharp commentary about consumerism and war of the races, I always jump back to “Dawn,” if not for the chaotic Helter Skelter that Romero unleashes on the first thirty minutes that ensure a heart pounding, brutally nerve wracking introduction into a world that’s falling to pieces not just because of the walking dead, but because society is still allowing race, and gender to separate each other. Here, Romero takes the stance that zombie fans have since posed since its initial release. If a zombie apocalypse brought down the world, where would you set down to survive?  I am a pure fanatic for all post-apocalyptic fiction, and “Dawn” really never fails to be darkly funny, and terrifying. Get ready for a 3D version coming our way, fan boys!

Day of the Dead (1985) became the horror geek dumping ground for bile and vitriol against a director who had the chips stacked against him from the get go, but it’s without a doubt one of the most brilliant horror films ever conceived. Why it became the target of pure criticism for years is beyond me. Romero uses the lack of resources to his benefit and creates an incredible tale of man turning on each other, once again becoming their own downfall. Failing to realize that they could survive if they stopped the petty rivalries, Romero explores the survivor and the conditions of the new world where sanity, reason, and common sense fade in a haze of the walking dead. Romero also teases us with hints of a turning of the tide with Bub, a zombie that’s managed to control his hunger and reclaim his humanity, and the potential to cut the infection off at its source. At the same time Romero successfully gives us a zombie hero who we can to sympathize for.

Land of the Dead (2005) was almost twenty five years in the making, and it’s a movie you have to take with some considerations before sitting down to watch it. Romero’s budget was cut in half against his will, Paramount presented no end in difficulties to the man, and Romero just wasn’t given the chance to explore his story as he would have liked, which is why we’re given a slew of under developed characters, a horrible antagonist in the form of “Big Daddy,” and an ending that’s inexplicably sappy. For what it promises though, “Land” is worth the wait as a serviceable fourth leg in the series focusing on society rebuilding itself, and the dreaded development of intelligence in the walking dead hinted at in the first three films. For all the caveats, “Land” eventually will win you over. John Leguizamo is a great anti-hero, Dennis Hopper is a snarky villain, and Romero goes to town on sick grue that works around the MPAA.

Diary of the Dead (2008) is a very vicious attack on the senses and on a society obsessed with information without the ability to properly use it to their benefit. “Diary” has become a film you either love or hate (I’m in the former), and regardless of what you think of it, Romero completely masters the found footage gimmick with a brutally intelligent restart about a group of actors who set out to make a horror movie and walk right into the zombie apocalypse happening all around them. Told through the third person perspective, Romero uses “Diary” as a way to completely make up for “Land” while taking the chance to chastise us, the information addicts, internet journalists, and youtubers who have so many devices to keep us informed and alert, and yet we still prefer to misuse it for self-glorification and sensationalism.

It’s a restart that will hopefully usher in more gems of zombie survival by the man who is one of the few original storytellers in Hollywood. Love them or hate them, Romero’s “Dead” series is groundbreaking entertainment, and “Diary” is no different.

“Diary of the Dead” and “Night of the Living Dead: 40^th Anniversary” are now on DVD and Blu-Ray.