Dance of the Dead (2008)

Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

How many modern zombie films are there these days? Several thousand? This one stands out from the pack by having characters you care about, humour that actually is funny, and doesn't skimp on the gore.The American school system is strange to me - there's the popularity contests, the nerds, the weirdos, and the prom. Growing up in Scotland, instead of a prom the teachers took us out back and beat us with sticks, then buried us up to our necks in manure for a week. Any Scottish person who denies this is lying.The Prom is looming and slacker Jimmy has lost favour with his missus, who is falling for the charms of class president. Meanwhile, the geeks are having major trouble getting a date, and the local band don't even want to go as they're not allowed to play. At first this film seems like it's going to sink into teen drama but instead introducing a lot of characters for you once the zombies rise up (courtesy of a local power plant).Check out the zombies who burst from the ground and hit the ground running! Several of our characters are in a cemetery as this happens and it's a fight for life and various people band together to survive, and to rescue all our teens who are at the prom. Can they make it in time? Can Jimmy win his girlfriend back? And what about the band who can halt the dead with their off-key caterwauling? You've got to root for these people, even the psychotic jock who proves to be an asset to our group of survivors. Although seemingly tame at first, the gore is plentiful as heads and arms are severed, spinal columns removed, and guts are munched on. There's a lot to recommend here from a film that manages to entertain while staying within the parameters of a genre that is almost saturated with movies theses days. All hail the good zombie film!

"Dance of the Dead" is a fun zombie movie that takes place on a high school prom night. The effects and acting are enjoyable.The less fun part was the casual, negative use of "queer", "pansy", "gay", and "girls" (applied to boys) throughout the movie and the otherwise good making-of feature. This is current reality. Still, it is dismaying to hear on the good commentary track that the local, Georgia school authorities reviewed the script, insisted on some clean up of 'f-word' and religiously-inspired expletives, but apparently had no trouble with violence (required by the genre) or repeated anti-gay language. One fears for the safety of local, non-straight students and others.

It's a zombie movie - what can you expect? Like countless others before and after it...it has the same plot.Don't look for anything different than what you have seen in previous movies about zombies - there just isn't.The nice touch however is the band that just wants to play and finally they have an audience.The song version of "Shadows of the Night" fit nice with the entire operation of the movie, but aside from that, it's another zombie movie - with the same sort of story you would expect.High art, and intriguing storyline this is not...but enough of a solid film to entertain on a temporary basis.

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.