The Gravedancers (2006) User Reviews

I Spit on Your Grave...Dancers

[The_Void · 5/10 · 19 October 2008]

Well, this film is often regarded as one of the better entries in the 'Eight Films to Die For' sets; but I wasn't very impressed with it. Sure, it has a handful of good points; but unfortunately the film is not particularly original or interesting and that ultimately condemns it. The film does feature a starring role for Dominic Purcell; who apparently is a star of a TV program called Prison Break, which I've never watched. So I guess that a lot of Prison Break fans have given this film a high rating. Anyway, the plot focuses on three people that used to be friends and have reunited for the funeral of another friend, who died (obviously). Anyway, the three of them go out and get drunk and then decide (as you do) to go to a graveyard, where they read an incantation from one of the gravestones and then proceed to dance on the graves. This might not have been such a bad idea if it wasn't for the fact that they were in the 'psycho section'. Anyway, it turns out that the dead don't appreciate having their graves danced on; and the three are terrorised by vengeful spirits.

Credit where credit is due; and it's due in the case of whoever designed the ghosts. Like most people, I'm tired of the Japanese style watery black haired ghosts, and the common smoke-like spectres that have featured all too often. For this film, the ghosts look more like something out of The Evil Dead (and possibly took some influence from the final chapter of the Mario Bava masterpiece Black Sabbath) and they really do look horrific. They're mostly well used too, and while the film goes way over the top on many occasions; it does feature a few jump scares that work well. However, the simple fact is that the story and characters just aren't interesting enough and the reason behind what is happening to the central characters lacks imagination. I have to admit that I didn't really care about anything that went on with the plot of this film and things only got less interesting when the whole ghost hunter plot was introduced. It all boils down to a silly ending and overall, while I really did like the special effects, this is a disappointing horror film and I do not recommend it.

I'm not going anywhere unless something is chasing me.

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 17 February 2008]

Wow! I get to see Tchéky Karyo (The Patriot) two days in a row. I just watched him with Nick Nolte in The Good Thief, and now here he is as a ghost hunter (yeah, right) with a beautiful assistant Megahn Perry. But, they come in later.

First, there is the grave dancing - and grave pissing. I am sure everyone has at least thought about pissing or dancing on someone's grave. Well, you might want to rethink that after seeing this film, especially if you are the type that watches "Ghost Hunters" on TV. Hee Hee.

After doing the drunken deeds, our heroes: Dominic Purcell (Primeval, Equilibrium), Josie Maran (Van Helsing) and Marcus Thomas (Edmond), are getting their reward - crazed spirits after them.

This spooky film has it all: creaky sound, apparitions, super special effects, blood and gore, and perversion in what i would call a traditional horror film. There is enough to keep your interest throughout, and certainly enough to keep you jumping out of your seat.

And, hey, I wonder who did the casting here as I see a couple of more people from The Patriot?

This is no masterpiece but it supplies enough scares to make it a worthwhile watch

[K_Todorov · 6/10 · 5 January 2007]

The name "The Gravedancers" sounds way too much like something coming out from the 80s low budget b-movie horror era. With its absurd plot and not so strong characters. But it still succeeds in creating some nice scenes where the viewer feels at least a bit unease.

The story is about a group of childhood friends who reunite after several years for the funeral of one of their pals. After a night of drinking they return to the cemetery in order to pay proper respect to their dead friend. On his grave they find a weird letter, written to sound as a "celebration of life". Our unlucky heroes while under the effects of alcohol naturally decide to begin chanting and dancing (on the graves) thus unleashing a trio of ghosts that begin terrorizing their lives.

There are several problems with the script. Besides the corny outline. There is the problem regarding the characters, more specifically there are several situations throughout the film that feel underdeveloped and possibly left unexplained. Such as for example, the presence of one of the leads wife. With her being out of danger, why did her husband still kept her around thus putting her at risk of being killed? This lack of providing solid reason is one that becomes very familiar in the movie. The characters themselves are nothing new we haven't seen before, their lines are monotonous and boring but not horribly acted. Indeed the performances are fairly decent and the actors could've done even better had they had a better script to work with.

The one thing this movie does good comes in terms of setting up an atmosphere and creating some nice jumping moments. For once instead of just remaking it, an western director has decided to employ a similar style to that of the more commercial successful Asian horror movies (Ringu, Dark Water etc. etc.). There are some very nice scenes that keep the viewer on the edge. The effects are nothing to brag about but still reasonably well done considering the not so high budget. Keeping to its corny name the ending looks like something out of a cheesy over the top horror movie, but by this point the final conclusions are already made so it doesn't really ruin the experience.

"The Gravedancers" is unlikely to cause any shift on the current direction of American horror movies but it is still a nice change from the never ending wave of remakes and weak teen slashers that over-flood our screens.

Watchable but nothing special.

[poolandrews · 4/10 · 20 May 2010]

The Gravedancers starts as three close friends Harris McKay (Dominic Purcell), Kira Hayden (Josie Maran) & Sid Vance (Marcus Thomas) mourn the death of friend Devin Lansing who was buried earlier that day. For some reason Sid suggests that they all go to the cemetery, break in with lots of booze, sit around their Lansing's grave & get drunk which Harris & Kira surprisingly agree to. While at the cemetery Sid notices a note & starts to read it as Harris & Kira randomly dance around on graves while drunk. Two weeks later & the three friends are experiencing supernatural phenomenon, they see ghost's who try to attack them & notice things moving on their own & general spooky stuff. Sid contacts paranormal investigator Vincent Cochet (Tchéky Karyo) who quickly realises that they are dealing with a bad case of burial desecration, with the vengeful spirits of an arsonist, a axe murderer & a rapist trying to kill them Harris, Sid & Kirra must lay the ghost's to rest before it's too late...

Directed by Mike Mendez this was one of the so-called Films to Die For at the 2006 After Dark Horrorfest or whatever it's called along with the likes of Wicked Little Things (2006), Unrest (2006) & Penny Dreadful (2006) & isn't the worst of the bunch but The Gravedancers isn't the best either, as a straight supernatural horror film it's watchable enough but it's by means any sort of masterpiece. The script is a mixed bag really, the tone is very serious & I just couldn't get over how three grieving friends would break into a cemetery in the middle of the night & get drunk while dinging & dancing, you know I just didn't buy it & these are supposed to be adults with one a respected lawyer. The first hour or so of The Gravedancers is quite slow, doors open by themselves, the pet Cat goes mental & strange noises are heard but it's all pretty standard dull haunted house horror stuff. Then the final thirty odd minutes is a roller-coaster of effects & set-pieces as we get rotting zombie ghost's, possession, an obvious plot twist, giant screaming ghost heads, & fires popping up all over the place as it feels like the makers wanted to cram as much in as they could during the last thirty minutes to compensate for the none event of the first sixty. To be fair to it The Gravedancers is alright, sure there are elements of Poltergeist (1983) & any Japanese-Asian ghost horror you can name but it's watchable & it competent if not amazing.

Ther's not much gore here, there's a cool slit throat & some blood splatter but nothing else really, the body count is low & all the death's happen during the final twenty minutes except one during a seemingly unconnected opening sequence that was included against the director's wishes apparently. The special effects are pretty good actually, the giant screaming ghost face that chases Harris & Alison through the house is actually quite impressive. While the first hour or so goes for suspense & cheap scares the final thirty minutes goes all out for spectacle, as I said it's just rather uneven & why didn't they dance on graves belonging to nice people?

Probably shot on a low budget this was apparently meant as the start of a trilogy & the script was around as early as 1999 but didn't get made until 2005. Filmed in Greensboro in North Carolina. Apparently the actor's didn't meet each other until two days before filming, while it's not great I have seen worse acting I suppose.

The Gravedancers is an alright supernatural haunted house horror that has obvious influences, the whole story is silly yet it takes itself very seriously which gives it an odd vibe. Worth watching as a cheap rental or if you can catch it on telly for free but otherwise you can easily skip this one.

Fine Low-Budget Supernatural Horror.

[drownsoda90 · 7/10 · 8 April 2007]

"The Gravedancers", one of the 8 Films To Die For at the After Dark Horrorfest, is a surprisingly original little supernatural horror movie. The film centers around three long-time friends - Kira, Sid, and Harris. After their close friend dies, Kira and Harris show up for the funeral, and later meet up with Sid, who decided not to attend it. Wanting to say goodbye, Sid convinces them to go out to the graveyard with him, where things get out of hand after the three have been drinking, and they ultimately end up dancing around the cemetery on some graves. Unfortunately for them, they danced upon the graves of just about the worst people possible - and soon find themselves haunted by the ghosts of a child pyromaniac, a woman who killed her lover with an axe, and a sadistic sexual murderer who was the town judge. They decide to seek help in two parapsychologists, and try and survive until the curse ends - but can they?

Definitely one of the better films to be part of the After Dark Horror Fest, "The Gravedancers" is a pretty original movie that captures the style of '70s and '80s supernatural horror films. Storywise, I thought it was pretty unique. The entire idea of desecrating someone's grave and having the spirit come back to haunt you is unique, and the first time I've seen something like it done in the genre. The writing is pretty good here, and the movie was entertaining and significantly thrilling at times. It plods a bit in areas, but during the last thirty minutes things really kick in. There are a few typical scare moments in the movie though (and there are some clichés that abound), but for the most part I thought this film at least tried to avoid most of the clichéd horror set-ups, which was a real benefit here. There is actually some really scary substance here, and I was genuinely spooked by some scenes in this film. The director took good advantage of those "things that go bump in the night" kind of scares, and they are effectively used and really creepy.

As far as the acting goes, it isn't bad. Could have been more convincing I suppose, but I thought everyone gave competent performances. Dominic Purcell (of TV's "Prison Break") is our main lead, and Clare Kramer ("Bring It On" and TV's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer") plays his wife. The acting isn't bad, it's a little bit lacking on some occasions, but overall good enough. The only real complaint I have is the special effects used in the film. The strange thing about this is that they are really good in some scenes, but in others just not. The incarnations of the ghosts are leaning on the corny side, mainly because of the facial makeup (grinning teeth, large eyes - something that almost looks like a Halloween mask). I think a more subtle make up would have been more realistic. And the CGI blowout during the last ten minutes of the film was a little overdone I felt, but I'm not going to complain too much, I'd rather just take this movie for what it is.

Overall, "The Gravedancers" is a horror movie that is worth watching. It delivers a fairly original story and some really nice scares, which are always welcome. In some respects it's a bit corny (mostly with it's special effects usage), but the film is done in a style that is reminiscent of past horror films, so these things are forgivable considering that it's a throwback-type of movie. I'm assuming the budget for this film was pretty modest as well, and taking that into consideration, this movie was pretty well done. Worth a look for horror fans. 7/10.

It's a pass from me

[hlebov · 3/10 · 3 September 2019]

I must admit, there were some interesting parts to the story and it had a few good scares. However, in the end, there were just too many laughably bad scenes and too much poor acting to look past.

I really tried to give this film the benefit of the doubt. It wasn't completely unwatchable, but the climax in the third act was comically bad.

I wouldn't say hard pass but definitely pass...

8 Films to Die For Horror Fest Reviews .4: Gravedancers

[ChiefGoreMongral · 6/10 · 25 November 2006]

Gravedancers is a tale of two films. The first part is a real creepy ghost story that tells the tale of a group of 3 friends that have lost one of their own friends to death. Later after the funeral proceedings have ended the 3 of them decide to go back to their friend's grave and drink some final toasts to him. While they are their one of them discovers a mysterious letter is left on their friend's grave that one of them reads out loud and after a few too many brew-skies they begin to turn up the music and as the title states, grave dance.

Thinking that nothing has happened they soon realize that their lives have been forever altered as each one has borough home the spirits of 3 individuals that when alive were not among the town favorites. One a sadomasochistic womanizer,another a vengeful woman and last but not least a pyromaniac child, real nice people to bring back from the dead. As the movie progresses we go through some jump scares here and there and the film really seems to be coming together,until the last act.

For some however the second act will bring its detractors as the final confrontation with the Gravedancing Trio and the spirits turns a tad silly especially a grand finale which features a nearly Two Story Tall Giant P'ed Off Ghosthead (you read that right)that tears its way through a mansion to try to get to one of our characters. Unfortunately it really seemed out of place especially considering what suspense was built up in the first act of the film. Saying that however the parts leading up to "Ghostzilla" did not disappoint me as we do get to see some really nice creature/ghost effects before that questionable Giant Head sequence. The ghosts looked really creepy and added some nice freaky touches.

In the end even though the movie is uneven it does entertain. Those who are creep-ed out by ghost stories will be creep-ed out with this one for the most part but when the final act hits those creep-ed out by its beginning and creature effects will probably be scratching their head in wonder about that darn floating head. In the end there is far more positives than negatives and is a nice little niche cult horror flick. I give Gravedancers a solid; 6/10: Above average. If the tone would have continued and the Giant Floating head and a cheesy "3 point shot" sequence would have been scrapped for an alternate ending this one would have definitely been a total experience. Still those in the mood for a fun creepy at times ghost story with some genuinely eerie ghosts this is a must see, just keep your expectations in check.

I really wanted to like this.

[TheGreatBeyond · 3/10 · 28 April 2006]

Saw the premiere at Tribeca. Was really hoping to love it. Forgave the first onslaught of horror clichés, writing them off as elements of horror movie tradition, but as they wore endlessly on, so did my patience. The director (Mike Mendez) should be praised for doing what he could with an abominable script, mediocre actors, and laughable makeup & effects. The atmosphere was genuinely creepy and the photography very good. However, Mendez overused the clichéd "Creepy music building to a benign startle" and "Eerie silence punctuated by loud startling noise" ad nauseum. Get a new gimmick. Overall, I would be excited to see what Mendez would do with a better script and cast, a larger budget, and the confidence to rely on atmosphere and story rather than cheap scares.

A Cut Above Average Low Budget Horror Flick

[dean2900 · 6/10 · 11 February 2007]

Let me first state that this had a amateur feel to it. However, keeping in mind that it is a horror movie, it much better than 90% of the direct to video garbage out there.

The movie uses a combo to makeup effects and CGI to create the most out of the obvious limited budget. I appreciated the makeup effects more than the CGI gone mad conclusion of the movie.

The acting was tolerable and the side story about the friends honestly didn't bring much to the table. The fact that the ghost story actually had some creepy moments as well as funny moments.

I gave the movie 6 out of 10 which is high for me for this type of production. The bottom line is while the movie has the drawbacks that I listed above, it is still a entertaining horror flick. If you like horror or supernatural thrillers then you could do much worse.

"Respect the dead."

[Backlash007 · 4 May 2008]

~Spoiler~

Mike Mendez has the talent to direct a really great horror film. However, Gravedancers is not it. Gravedancers is not a bad flick. Actually, it's one of the better films from the first After Dark Horrorfest. But it's just silly enough to keep it from reaching the "classic" echelon. The plot follows a group of old college friends who gather to attend a funeral for one of their own. They drink a little alcohol to celebrate their fallen compadre and pretty soon are dancing on graves; hence the title. The ghosts of said graves aren't particularly impressed with their dance skills and decide to haunt them and make their lives a living hell until the next full moon. It sounds a little wacky, no? It is, and it hurts the film. It straddles the line between cheesy and terrifying a little too much often tipping the scales into the cheesy territory. But when's it's terrifying, MAN! Mendez packs a genuine thrill into the scares. There are a couple of scenes that rivaled Exorcist III on the jump scale. For that alone I have to recommend you give this a look. Just remember I warned you about the goofy parts and you will probably enjoy Gravedancers. For the next, drop the comedy Mendez.

Good candidate for worst ever

[realblades · 1/10 · 15 June 2009]

I saw this based on some positive reviews just in case it really was a more serious movie that wasn't based on blood and gore like most "horror" today. Well, there wasn't much blood. The "impressive" ghosts were roughly leftover props and effects from "Ghostbusters", the plot was barely noticeable and they found the most annoying actor available for the male lead. Well, maybe it did match the character. And the "twist" wasn't too overplayed. Barely competent work but pointless and tasteless.

It does deserve some kind of award for the most ludicrous title ever, though.

scaaaaaaaaaaared!

[there-we-go · 9/10 · 7 November 2006]

This movie reminds me of why I am not the biggest fan of the horror genre…because I always end up with my muscles tensed up for two hours and I sit on the edge of my seat and am left feeling completely exhausted. This is one of the freakiest movies I've seen in a really long time, if not ever, and I didn't even watch it alone at night or anything. Anyway, the story is pretty interesting…a group of college friends reunite after a few years and accidentally call upon some spirits of the dead that end up haunting them after a fateful night in the cemetery. One of the haunted individuals contacts a pair of ghost hunters that specialize in paranormal events. In an attempt to document the "happenings" of the haunted three, the paranormal specialists discover the reason behind the creepy happenings—which start out relatively minor with sounds and whispers and voices and escalate into much more intense phenomenons—and try to find a way to put an end to the cycle. The appearance of these spirits is the effing FREAKIEST thing I've ever seen and the image of their faces is going to haunt me for a couple days. Unfortunately, the end of the movie didn't quite do it for me. It was going really great actually until the story and visual effects went a little over-the-top in the last two minutes. However, as the movie hits its climax toward the end, I was quite impressed with how they took the plot into completion. If you have any desire at all to be totally freaked out, definitely go see Gravedancers. It's pretty bizarre and discomforting and personally, I was scared.

The Gravedancers

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 2 May 2007]

"O Fool, O Lout, O Fortunate one The Dead now mocked, their time has come. Heed these words for souls do roam, And though be dead follow you home. It's rage will swell as nights grow bright, Despair and fear, this fatal plight. From moon to moon, you'll have this guest, To seal thy fate and lay you to rest."

Three college pals mourning a recent chum's passing, dance around graves reciting a poem left at his grave-site while heavily drunk to champagne. What they do not realize is that each individual grave danced upon while reciting that poem unleashes their vengeful, evil spirit. The poem declares what they can do to those who free them and this flick shows it as Harris(Dominic Purcell, the star of the hit Fox series, PRISON BREAK), Kira(the lovely Josie Maran), Sid(Marcus Thomas)are haunted as the spirits grow stronger from day to day. The three(actually four because Harris' beautiful, tenderhearted wife Allison, played effectively by Clare Kramer, is haunted as well)enlist the aid of parapsychologist Vincent(Tchéky Karyo, a welcome veteran presence in the cast)and his assistant Culpepper(Megahn Perry)to find the clues about who each ghost is terrorizing them and how to properly outwit them before death becomes the only other alternative. Kira, found wounded and bloodied by Harris and Allison, has already found out all too well what her ghost can do..she awaits in a hospital trying to recuperate, but can not when even there she is attacked while a nurse is thrown across the room for just being around her. Harris and Sid show Vincent what grave each danced upon and through some heavy research each dead person is identified. Harris danced on the grave of a school teacher who killed her lover and his wife with an ax which might explain why Allison is being haunted as well. Kira's grave holds what appeared to be a church-going judge, but instead he was, behind closed doors, a sadomasochistic torturer with a dead body in his basement. Sid's grave was of a little boy who loved playing with fire..he wasn't an innocent, however as the boy burned his entire family alive with the fire consuming him, also.

So the rest of the flick shows how Harris, his wife Allison, Kira, and Sid try to survive the onslaught of supernatural attacks that come their way. It is found through documentation from a past case where one survived their encounter with such a resurrected evil ghost through re-burying the bones of the one whose grave was danced upon. You see, the gravedancer has one month to outlast the ghost he brought back, and through the reburial of bones will halt the curse. But, for some peculiar reason(..found out tragically later), the new burial of the bagged bones of each body doesn't work with each person still receiving attacks by the spirits. It will all come to a head when they hole up at Vincent and Culpepper's massive mansion compound, set up to capture supernatural phenomena. This very professionally made ghost tale, competently directed by Mike Mendez, works more in the vein of THE HAUNTING. It shows spooky goings-on and saves the real grisly violence for the climax in the mansion at the end. The cast is decent. The cinematography is top-notch. Rather derivative with a whiff of deja vu, but works surprisingly well despite all that. Builds and builds until the special effects-laden showdown when the characters try their best to escape the mansion which is sealed off by a steel gate forced into the compound by the powerful spirits who can also cause the chosen victim to hallucinate(..not to mention, they are stronger than those they haunt often tossing even the beefy Purcell across the room as if he was light as a feather).

what a load of crud!

[toasland · 1/10 · 12 February 2007]

After reading many very positive reviews on 'The Gravedancers', I was so excited at the prospect of seeing an 'excellent' horror, as it has been years since I had my pants scared off. Comments like "I think I am going to have a heart attack" made me turn off the lights, grab the popcorn and set the home entertainment system to max frightening mode! What a waste of clean undies and popcorn that was. The acting was appalling..I think the cast were members of Pinocchio's family, the 'special effects' did not even come into that actual category, and the script..My 2 year old could have done equally as well, if not better. The only scary thing about the whole movie was that I wasted 95 minutes of my life that could have been so much more productively spent, doing something like picking my nose or scratching my butt. Do not bother even picking up the DVD case for this embarrassing example of a horror film. Just awful!

About as scary as a Scooby Doo cartoon...in reruns...

[MichaelLibinAP · 1/10 · 12 September 2007]

I can't believe this video was included in the "After Dark" horror package--8 Films To Die For. Every film was exceptionally good, despite low budgets and zero star power. This mess was horrific--but for all of the wrong reasons. I've seen better acting in high school plays, the plot grew more absurd by the minute, the "creature effects" looked like a grade school papier-mache art project...and I'm still trying to figure out if a central character's resemblance to Thelma in "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?" was intentional or an unfortunate boo boo. Speaking of "boo boo", kids in bedsheets are scarier than this recycled mish-mash of "don't disrespect the graves" melodrama.

(Spoiler ahead!) And, can we talk about about the plot holes the size of a Buick? First of all, Allison didn't dance on any graves, so why were the spirits out to get her? Second, if the house (at the end) was completely enclosed in iron fencing, how did Allison escape through the window? And why was there a "Cheerwine" vending machine in the house?! Not to mention half a jaw was left unburied at the film's end...negating the "happily ever after" ending.

Yikes! Skip this film and rent the other 7--they are excellent--particularly "Reincarnation".

horror fest

[rivertam26 · 6/10 · 19 November 2006]

Mike Mendez's follow up to his kick butt movie The Convent is a mixed bag of tricks. some work, some don't. Gravedancers tells the creative and original story of a group of friends reunited by a funeral. On the night of the occasion they get drunk and accidentally dance on some graves releasing the evil spirits in the wrong side of the cemetery. The spirits of a rapist/murderer, a pyre maniac and another murderer. The friends are haunted by these ghosts according to the curse for a month. And as the month comes to a close the paranormal attacks become stronger and stronger as the ghosts try to take the people with them. It's an intriguing concept and much fun is to be had with it. The performances are all decent, the story is creative and the movie is a little slow at the start but is wildly inventive and macabre once it gets going. Everything in the film is done with a winking eye so you can appreciate the film without feeling to guilty about it. The makeup is cartooned and freaky while the cgi is a little fake looking but an understandable necessity with a low budget especially in a film of this caliber. My main gripes however don't come with the film, it's more with the way it was released. You know i didn't mind shelling out 9.50 for this movie but I'm mad as heck that the film's sound transfer was messed up and sounded mono, and the film quality was amateur looking. It wasn't even fine tuned or polished by After Dark. what could've been delightfully freakish come across humorously because of the films lighting. It's dreadfully bright which kind of kills the suspense of a horror flick. The film looks like a rough cut and should have been really touched up before getting a theatrical release. Because they had a good product but ruined it with no effort at all. This doesn't bode well for their film company or the continuing success of a festival of this sorts. But in conclusion I would just like to say although not on the par of a worthy theatrical release this is definitely worth a look on DVD.

How can anyone like this?

[Jacques98 · 1/10 · 3 September 2008]

Even the director himself admits that his movie wasn't that great—sometimes he even compares it to a joke. I'm here to say it outright sucked, even for an indie film.

The opening scene was solid and probably the best scene in the movie. After that, you're thrust into cliché after cliché. It reminded me of those old kid's books/mini-movies, Goosebumps, but without the solid plot structure. Honestly, some of them have better plotting and stories than this. This is nothing but pure traditional horror than your grandparents enjoyed, but it isn't scary or have any true horror to it.

I respect and like the director after hearing his commentary. And it would be a lie to say there aren't some nifty death/scare scenes. But the story and the flow suck, even for amateur filmmakers. Look up Mike Mendez when he makes his next movie—avoid this one with your life unless it's free to watch on TV.

Respect the Dead

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 22 September 2007]

The former friends Harris (Dominic Purcell), Kira (Josie Maran) and Sid (Marcus Thomas) reunite for drinking after the funeral service of an old friend that died in a car accident. When the bar closes, Sid proposes to go to the Cresent View Cemetery to say farewell to his friend and drink more. Once there, Sid finds a letter in a tombstone, reads it and they dance on three graves. On the next days, weird things happen in the house of Harris and his wife Allison (Clare Kramer), but Allison believes it is Kira, who has a crush on Harris, stalking them. They go to Kira's house and find her wounded in a completely destroyed place. Later Sid calls them and they are introduced to the paranormal investigators Vincent Cochet (Tcheky Kayro) and Frances (Megahn Perry), who tell them that Sid read an ancient spell that cursed the trio and brought back the ghosts of the graves from the damned sector of the cemetery where they danced. He also discloses that Harris and Allison are being haunted by an insane ax murderer pianist; Kira by a sadistic rapist; and Sid by a pyromaniac. They have to break the curse or survive for an entire cycle of the full moon when the curse would finish, while the ghosts are getting stronger and stronger.

Yesterday I saw "The Gravedancers" on cable and I really liked this horror movie. The supernatural ghost story is original and scary, having right doses of humor and funny moments, and the acting is reasonable. This is the first time that I see the idea of bringing ghosts back from hell through the disrespect to the grave of the dead, and I found it great. This movie is highly recommended to fans of the genre. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Carta Para a Morte" ("Letter to the Death")

some really bad movie

[r-vinci · 2/10 · 17 November 2007]

I just watched this movie and had to write this because of some other comments that were posted here; someone even called this movie "best horror flick recently" or something like that...

I couldn't agree less! This movie is just stupid, not scary, filled with plot holes in the already cliché-seen it a hundred times-wannabe-horror plot. Acting, continuity, gags, thrill effects - nothing worked out in this movie. May it be that it is a matter of taste whether you like or dislike this movie, but i read an awful lot of comments here about this movie that i think really treated it way to good.

You can say as positive aspects that considering the obviously low budget of the movie the cinematography and some visual effects are quite OK, but this couldn't save the rest for me...I can just say; you are not missing anything not watching this flick!

Nice change of pass

[agreigboy · 6/10 · 18 November 2006]

I didn't know what to expect from the so called horror fest this weekend but I liked the trailer for The Grave Dancers so I picked this one to go see at the theater. I liked the way the movies characters both live and ghostly inter acted together and how the story moved and flowed through different characters' personal issue. The film had really good make up and the camera work and shooting was a real eye opener. It was well done. The story at times was predictable at times but the last few scenes really kicks it into high geared as the ghosts let it be known that they are not happy and become completely visible. At times it was a actually funny but I like to be positive and not just trash films because you have to have a level of respect for anyone who creates a film and gets it into a theater of any kind. I did like the fact that the writers didn't feel they needed to be a complete gore slasher type film, so often now blood and guts is king and I don't always need to see all that if it isn't needed to pull off the story. I recommend this film to anyone looking for a good horror type film that doesn't have to have blood coming from all angles to make you feel a little spooked.

A Real Horror flick to Laugh You To Death

[mindcat · 1/10 · 30 July 2008]

I would give this rating a negative 5, but only can go as low as a one. The acting in this flick was so bad, it was down right hilarious.

The plot could have been so much more creative, and the special effects were funny as the devil.

I suppose 12 year old would really find this flick scary. Unfortunately, it came with phony over ratings and in fact wasn't really worth making.

I regret to say, show this at a party of 11-12 year old, they will delight in it. Also I suppose people with severe to moderate brain damage might enjoy it.

Its a dud.

Old school terror, the way it should be

[Craig_McPherson · 8/10 · 16 July 2006]

There can be no surer sign that a horror movie is hitting its mark when your friend whispers that the film's going to give him a heart attack. Such was the case during the screening of Mike Mendez's The Gravedancers at the 2006 edition of Montreal's Fantasia Film Festival.

Starring Prison Break's Dominic Purcell and Clare Kramer (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) the story revolves around the couple whose lives, along with those of their friends, are invaded by a trio of hostile ghosts after they engage in a drunken bout of gravedancing during a wake for an old chum.

The movie is chalk full of horror delights which, while blatant clichés, work wonderfully under Director Mendez's remarkably talented hand.

Drawing on influences such as The Entity, The Haunting of Hell House, and Poltergeist, The Gravedancers hits the pavement running with a gripping opening scene. Mendez quickly slows things down enough to build plot and characters, only to have the film pick up steam in the second act and never look back.

Mendez doesn't take long to ratchet up the atmospheric tension as things literally start to go bump in the night. Doors creek open by unseen hands. Pianos begin playing by themselves, disembodied voices are heard, shadows flit by, all to great effect. As explained by a pair of paranormal investigators (French actor Tchéky Karyo and Dawson Creek's Megahn Perry), the malevolent ghosts have one lunar cycle to extract their revenge for being pulled back to this dimension, and will grow stronger and more violent with each passing night.

I was particularly impressed by the film's makeup effects, which are some of the most horrific I've seen in decades. Mendez deployed an old-school approach by eschewing CGI (with the exception of one scene) in favor of makeup, prosthetics, and green screen matting effects, all of which render an impressively scary result.

Sure the movie isn't without its flaws. For one thing, I found the ending a bit over the top and in need of restraint. However Mendez did such a great job getting me to that point that I can easily forgive him. It's hard to make a perfect movie, and in comparison to others, the flaws in The Gravedancers are comparably minor.

If you're a horror fan, keep an eye out for this title. It's too early to tell if the studio will give it a cinematic release, or if it will go directly to DVD, but either way, you won't go wrong plunking your butt down for this one. Just make sure you're wearing clean undies.

Really Not So Bad

[Rathko · 7/10 · 6 January 2011]

The opening features such bad titles and crappy camera work I almost turned 'Gravedancers' off before it even started, but it turned out not to be so bad after all. As direct-to-DVD horror goes, this occupies the high end and for all its plagiarism and clichés, it's entertaining enough. The budget limitations lend the whole thing a vaguely old-fashioned quality, not least when the ghosts are finally revealed, reminding us that static latex can actually be far more creepy than CGI. There's nothing particularly original or inspired here, and the actors, save for Tchéky Karyo and Megahn Perry, deliver nothing more than functional performances, but for all its faults I was inexplicably entertained.

Eerie as hell, I cant wait for the DVD!

[krebstar138 · 11 June 2006]

I was lucky enough to see "Gravedancers" at Another Hole in the Head film festival in S.F., if you were not one of the lucky members of the audience, keep your eyes peeled for the DVD you won't be disappointed.

For fans of director Mike Mendez, who's know for adding comedic elements to his films, "Gravedancers" is a slight departure from his previous work on films like "The Convent". This time Mendez goes the straight horror route and it works out magnificently. While there are moments of genuine levity, it never distracts from the film, as proved by the screams echoing from the audience at the Roxie last night. "Gravedancers" is a unique take on the rather stale "haunting" formula, and is full of self-aware characters in a well rounded script that doesn't send stupid people into stupid situations.

I was shocked at how great the film looked, if you held this film up next to any of those crappy bloated multiplex horror flicks starring some blonde ditz from a forgettable UPN/WB show, I think you'd have a hard time figuring out which cost more. The atmosphere is perfectly creepy and has many moments that will have you squirming in your seat. Great sound effects and prosthetics add to create some truly creepy ghosts, and probably the best use of a "floating ghost" since the original "House on Haunted Hill". It may have taken almost 50 years but at least somebody has made ghosts scary again. Three cheers for Mike Mendez.

Ummm... Not really

[trashley38 · 4/10 · 13 September 2007]

It had a great plot... but the props and production were so poor that it ended up being a cheesy horror flick... I laughed through it! Oh yeah, it's not that I necessarily blame AfterDark Films for it... they're new and don't have a whole lot of money to make great production. If it had been produced a little better, it would have been one of the best I had seen in a while... If you can get past it... great... if not... oh well!

I definitely would rent it all over again knowing what I know now because it did gave some great jumpy moments where I was screaming, and some just overall creep-you-out factors. For the most part, the movie did have a great story line and plot. I really enjoyed the whole poem/curse idea, but it would have been a lot better to get some background information. I think it would have been better to see more of the scary scenes, for instance, one of the main characters is found beaten up; it would have been a lot better to see her scared out of her mind, running through the house.

Also it mainly focuses on the married couple, and not the other two people involved, so you really do not see a lot of background information with them, so it feels a little rushed in that sense as well.

Plus, the whole affair issue was not played off very well at all. It would have been more effective if the wife at least slapped the other woman or yelled or something. However, talking calmly just did not cut it for me at all. So I'm not sure exactly what they were trying to accomplish with that scene either.

The ghosts in the film were incredibly unbelievable; they were bug-eyed, and a little more than skeletons.