George Romero—My new hero

I was sitting at another press junket the other day for George Romero's adequate new zombie movie, "The Diary of the Dead," when the horrormaster uttered something that totally took me by surprise and gave me all new respect for him. In talking about how he wants to see more traditional and gothic elements in movies, he said this: "I guess that's also one of the things that really is disappointing to me, that a lot of films these days sort of leave those values out. I went to see 'Atonement' and I expected to need a tissue. It didn't happen. That same week, Turner Movie Classics showed 'Brief Encounter.' You laugh at the style (of this old movie), you laugh at the techniques and everything else for 90 minutes, and then at the end of the film, there's a tear in your eye."

I too was bored to tears watching "Atonement," which is perhaps the most overrated, overhyped movie of 2007. I couldn't agree more with Romero's assessment. Now just watch it win an Oscar. Hoo boy!