Wishful thinking

Even though the announcement of the final 2 Midnight Madness selections are only days away, I can’t help but keep my fingers crossed for a very unlikely entry; [REC] is receiving all kinds of hype due to it’s (originally) imaginative execution and simplistic teaser trailer (see below). The idea of a zombie film shot with hand-held camera footage, documentary style, was an interesting concept months ago, but now with the technique becoming so popular, by the time J.J. Abrams CLOVERFIELD hits theaters in March, it may have already become a tiresome gimmick. Anyone remember the noise theatergoers raised after sitting through THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT? Regardless, I’m sure DIARY OF THE DEAD will be fantastic, given this is Romero’s first independently produced film in over 20 years, and I’m sure it will be filled with his unique blend of social commentary and scares. But for me, [REC] was the one to beat. With such a similar theme and execution, I doubt we’ll see two hand-held, first person perspective zombie films in the same festival. So what are the chances? Not great, but [REC] is playing Venice days earlier, so there is always hope (and whatever the 2 selections are, they’re not UNDERWORLD)!