Dance of the Dead (2008)

On the night of the big High-School Prom, the dead rise to eat the living, and the only people who can stop them are the losers who couldn't get dates to the dance.

Director:

Gregg Bishop

Writer:

Joe Ballarini

Stars:

Jared Kusnitz, Greyson Chadwick, Chandler Darby

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jared Kusnitz	...	Jimmy Dunn
Greyson Chadwick	...	Lindsey
Chandler Darby	...	Steven
Carissa Capobianco	...	Gwen
Randy McDowell	...	Jules Reiner
Michael Mammoliti	...	George (as Michael V. Mammoliti)
Mark Lynch	...	Rod
Justin Welborn	...	Kyle Grubbin
Mark Oliver	...	Coach Keel
Blair Redford	...	Nash Rambler
Lucas Till	...	Jensen
Hunter Pierce	...	Dave The Drummer
Jonathan Spencer	...	Frank Hammond
Stephen Caudill	...	Principal Castlemoody
J. Jacob Adelman	...	Mitch (as Jeff Adelman)

Storyline

It is prom night in middle America. Tuxes have been rented and dresses have been bought. But when the dead unexpectedly rise from their graves to eat the living, it's up to the geeks, the nerds, the outcast and the losers who couldn't get dates to the dance to save the town from the undead. Unlikely heroes will rise to the challenge as they are forced to put aside their differences and band together to fight for their lives. Armed with bats, sledgehammers, garden tools and guitars, this rag-tag group of high-school teens are in for a prom night they will never forget.

---

Plot Keywords:

zombie | anti gay language | meanness | schoolteacher | generation y | 

---

Taglines:

It's their night to come alive.

---

Genres:

Action | Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for horror violence and gore, language and some drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Dance of the Dead" was hand-picked by director Sam Raimi for distribution through his new label Ghosthouse Underground at Lionsgate.

---

Goofs

After the group arms themselves at Coach's garage, they pick up the band at Mitch's garage where Coach kills all the zombies single-handed. In the next scene, they arrive at the school and their weapons are all covered in blood even though they haven't eliminated any zombies.

---

Quotes

Jimmy: I know this is last minute, but will you please go to the prom with me?
Terry: Ewww!
Jennifer: Get lost, Jimmy.

---

Connections

References Night of the Living Dead (1968)

---

Soundtracks

That Time
Performed by Paul Layton (as Layton)
Written by Paul Layton
Published by Songs Music Publishing LLC O/B/O Layton Songs (ASCAP) and Ram Island Songs (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Illicit Paradise

User Reviews

Where's Carrie when you need her?

My first and obvious reaction when I saw "Dance of the Dead" standing on the shelves of my local video store a couple of years ago was: "Yet another highly acclaimed and supposedly hilarious zombie comedy? I think I'll pass…" Zombie comedies (also referred to as 'zom-coms' or even 'zomedies') exist since many years, as in the 80's and 90's we already had cult classics like "Night of the Creeps", "Return of the Living Dead" and "Braindead", but particularly since 2004 and the release of "Shaun of the Dead" we can speak of a genuine epidemic. A selected few of them actually manage to be original and funny (like "Zombieland", "Dead Snow" and "Fido") but the vast majority of them are just dumb, derivative and downright pathetic. Automatically assuming that "Dance of the Dead" would fit right into the latter category, I always refrained from watching until now I could pick up an ex-rental DVD copy for the bargain price of $1. Now I'm pleased to announce that "Dance of the Dead" is a lot better than I thought it would be, merely because it's a 200% unpretentious, straightforward and rejoicing little flick. Nearly all the characters are stereotypes and the gags/situations are hugely predictable, but at least the movie is never boring and doesn't waste any time on wannabe intellectual dialogs or far-fetched plot twists. The film opens with a quirky cemetery caretaker having enormous difficulties to keep his cadavers underneath the ground. As the camera zooms out, we perceive that the cemetery lies right next to an overactive nuclear power plant; so there's your explanation. In this same sleepy nuclear energy town, the popular kids prepare themselves for the annual high school prom, whereas the outcasts carry on with their Sci-Fi club meetings, rock band activities and pizza deliveries. As the zombies adrift from their regular cemetery boundaries and head towards the prom, it's up to the freaks and geeks to rescue the rest of the school. Personally, I wouldn't refer to "Dance of the Dead" as one of the best zombie comedies ever made, and I would definitely not label it as an instant cult classic, but it's undeniably a fun and unhinged little gem. The clichés and stereotypes are amusingly enlarged and the make-up effects are often gloriously over-the-top. The pacing remains fast throughout the entire running time and the movie doesn't contain any redundant sequences or padding footage whatsoever. The acting performances are more than adequate, as you can clearly tell that everyone truly enjoyed starring in this one. Recommended to watch in group, or on a lazy and rainy Sunday afternoon.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 March 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dance of the Dead

Filming Locations:

Rome, Georgia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Compound B, Bishop Studios LLC, Bleiberg Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1