Advance Screening of George Romero's DIARY OF THE DEAD with Romero in Attendance in NYC

While the buzz counts to build up to its theatrical release, George Romero's DIARY OF THE DEAD, the latest flick from the NYC-born horror guru gets an advance screen on Wednesday February 6th at the AMC Empire 25 (42nd Street between 7th and 8th Ave, closer to 8th) courtesy of the Museum of the Moving Image. DIARY leaves behind the setting of his classic four zombie films (for the poor sucker not in the know, those would be the classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, the colorful but equally iconic DAWN OF THE DEAD, the middling DAY OF THE DEAD and the underrated LAND OF THE DEAD) by grounding the story in a world where zombies are already the stuff of horror films. In DIARY, a group of college film students set out to make their own zombie flick when the shoot is abruptly halted thanks to the inopportune timing of the Zombie Apocalypse.

If you need more incentive, Romero will be in attendance and the screening will be followed by a Q&A session moderated by museum curator Olivia Bloom. For a measly $18 ($12 for Museum members) you too can bask in the soon-to-be 68 year-old's warm glow AND catch his latest flick on the big screen before your clueless compadres can. I haven't seen DIARY yet but considering that it's featured as part of Lincoln Center's annual Film Comment Selects program--a program that celebrates some of the prestigious Film Comment magazine's favorite undistributed and upcoming films. -This year's program ranges from foreign period pieces (Jacques Rivette's THE DUCHESS OF LANGEAIS) and American indies (Ramin Bahrani's highly anticipated CHOP SHOP) to a slew of horror films including Xavier Gens' "FRONTIèRE(S) and highlights from American auteur Damon Packard's career, including his REFLECTIONS OF EVIL, a horror comedy about a dead teen's search from beyond the grave for her sickly (but very much alive) brother--I expect good, nay, great things! Look for my thoughts on DIARY as part of my coverage of Film Comment Selects in mid-February.

For more information on the screening, go here