Dance of the Dead reviewed

From AICN, Zombies attack a small town on the night of the High School Prom and the only people left to save the day are the geeks and misfits who couldn’t get a date. Gregg Bishop’s Dance of the Dead is a the kind of balls-out horror comedy that hasn’t been in circulation since the late 80’s and, crucially, it manages to be both funny and thrilling in equal measure. Boasting a razor-sharp script full of spot-on references to the movies it riffs on, it manages to achieve an almost perfect hit-rate for the wall-to-wall gags that come as thick and fast as the zombie-slaying action, with great little touches always keeping the proceedings fresh – our heroes find refuge in a large house surrounded by the undead, only to discover that they’re holed up in a funeral home. Bishop’s cannily inventive direction is largely to thank for the ride – the zombies don’t just rise from the grave, they leap from it with animal-like grace and ferocity, bounding at speed after their prey – but much credit must also go to the excellent (and largely-unknown) ensemble cast, each and every one displaying a talent for comic timing well beyond their limited years. Easily the most raucously audience-pleasing movie of the fest, Dance of the Dead deserves to be a monster break-out hit on DVD (it’s inexplicably bypassing a theatrical release) and is sure to cement Gregg Bishop as a major talent to watch. Completely unmissable and utterly awesome in every way, Dance of the Dead is hands-down the best comedy horror movie in recent years.