Dance of the Dead (2008)

In my opinion, a zombie-comedy is one of the most difficult types of movies to get right. On the one hand it has to have gore, or at the very least it needs to have good action and special effects. That can be difficult for many of these films because they are typically produced with a limited budget. On the other hand, these films also have to be funny. And that is equally difficult with this particular subject matter because zombies are not generally funny—they are ugly and revolting. And so getting the right balance is problematic. Fortunately, this specific film manages to hit that balance. But just barely. It definitely has plenty of gore and it is good for a few laughs here and there. Not many, but a few just the same. Having said that, I thought some of the action scenes were rather absurd and it lowered my overall assessment of the film. I especially didn't care for the scenes involving the rock band because it seemed so odd and out of place. Likewise, I liked the characters of "Kyle Grubbin" (Justin Welborn) and "Gwen" (Carissa Capobianco), and thought their roles should have been strengthened somewhat. Still, all things considered it was a satisfactory film for the most part and I would say it was worth the time spent watching it.

...to the undead competition, "Dance of the Dead" marks the full-length feature debuts of a number of relative unknowns who may (or may not) be going anywhere. In a genre dominated by any number of standout efforts like "Return of the Living Dead," "Shaun of the Dead," "Fido," and "Zombieland," it really takes something special to transcend mere competence in film-making. Sadly, "Dance..." doesn't quite do that, although I give it a few points for the attempt.As is usually the case, it's the tyro script that keeps this one in the realm of the mundane. After a somewhat promising opening, way too much time is spent introducing the principal characters, none of whom are overly interesting (with the possible exception of the criminally underused Gravedigger), and establishing the tone of the proceedings, which promises comedy but fails to consistently deliver. The slim plot that ensues is distressingly banal, centering on the usual hijinks of recognizing the situation, surviving it, and the eventual efforts to save a prom from zombiedom. None of it is unique or terribly entertaining, sorry to say. Perhaps the greatest fault is the hodgepodge of zombie tropes that refuse to mesh throughout the film: sometimes they're slow, sometimes they're fast, sometimes they literally vault from the grave! And then there's just pure silliness like zombies that can drive cars, or carry their severed head around, or are pacified by music. The make-up and fx range from good to slipshod, but nothing stands out as memorable; set pieces veer from the slapstick of a bodiless pair of zombie legs staggering away to straight-up Romero-style grue and disembowelment, but none of it is scary or suspenseful or even particularly disturbing. There's no tension in the film at all, mostly due to characters painted in broad strokes, leaving the viewer no reason to care about them.Basically, "Dance..." brings nothing new to the table, and that condemns it to the disease of boredom. One positive note I have to give it is that the young cast, by and large, actually appears to be the right age for their high school characters. That's just about the only unusual thing in the whole film.Ho-hum DVD viewing that I'm glad I copped at the library. A short piece done by the director in college shows more promise than the feature film can live up to.

Not all zombie movies are the same. I guess that statement would hold true for any category of film. When a genre becomes hot, it's only natural that derivative works will start popping up left and right—good, bad, unexceptional. This movie billed itself as a dark comedy—a spoof of all those high-school/prom horror flicks. In this one, some of the waste from the the local nuclear power plant has apparently gotten into the water, and caused the undead to wake. Normally, this would just be a minor nuisance, except that this time, they're threatening to ruin Junior Prom. The horror! I generally love spoofs, and it seemed like this one would be just witty enough and self-aware to be great. Unfortunately, self-referential comedy is really hard to play, and this movie ends up feeling a little more affected than clever. And, nothing kills cool faster than trying too hard. Oh, the movie is still good fun. I love these new floppy-haired teenagers. Their humor is smarter and more quick-paced than it was fifteen years ago. They're way more sophisticated than my generation was when I was in high school. I think it's because the internet is way better now than it was then. But the movie still isn't that original. Just the same old jokes in a new package. I found it pretty hard to maintain any kind of real interest in the story. This was definitely a "tidy up the house, while the movie plays in the background" kind of a flick. Although the music was pretty awesome. Like all these high school movies, this one features a garage band with members that are just a few years too old to still being in high school. (I think the age thing is intentional). Usually these bands are pretty bad, sounding like they're taking inventory of all the cafeteria's pot and pans. But, in this movie they actually rock pretty hard. It's super fun, upbeat rock with some melody and not too much reverb (plus, the musicians pretty cute too). Again, that may be the age thing. All the other kids are the pimply, "if I had a girlfriend, she'd kill me" type of teenager. I guess that detail makes this movie a little more realistic than some others that star "alleged" high-schoolers. All in all, I think I'd skip this movie if I had it to do all over again. But, if anything, this movie is worth it for the awesome musical numbers.

I find it very difficult to find anything redeeming about this film. It's not funny, it's not scary and it's not even b-movie enough to be so-bad-it's-good.I'm bewildered by the gushing essay long reviews here, there is no way somebody of sound mind could find this film to be good, charming for trying so hard maybe, but in no way can it be viewed as good.The whole thing reeks of a high school writing project. The protagonists are pushed from one scenario (where they get to beat up zombies) to the next (where they get to beat up zombies) as fast as possible in the hope that no one recognises there's no actual plot. Silly, childish stuff, and definitely not in a good way.