Diary of the Dead was originally made for DVD. Romero didn't want the studios involved (as they were with Land) and wanted to make Diary as independent as possible (much like Night of the Living Dead). So the limited theater release that it had was actually a bonus.
I liked Diary quite a bit. The acting was a bit underwhelming but it is definitely worth a watch and, in my opinion, superior to Land. It goes back to the beginning when the zombie outbreak is just starting and is creative in the different ways that the footage (like a documentary) is shot. The social commentary that usually separates a Romero zombie film from the rest is alive and well (if, maybe, a bit overstated).
Would make a good watch on Halloween. (thumbs u Enjoy! See if you can find the voiceover that Stephen King did for the film.
I have to agree with a lot of your thoughts on Diary..., I liked it a lot as well and thought it was much better than Land... .
My wife also enjoyed it (she's a keeper!), and we both loved the deaf Amish character. I actually wished his part in the film was a bit bigger....Romero was surely adding his own commentary about technological advancements through this character's heroic appearance.
Heck, imho, there is no such thing as a bad George Romero flick
My wife liked it too (also a keeper). She is actually ahead of me in the Y: The Last Man trades and Walking Dead is next for her. The Amish character definitely needed more screen time. There was a lot of unexplored potential there.
Hail to Zombie Master...George Romero!