Scott LeBrun Interesting entry in the 'Masters of Horror' series is well acted, appropriately disturbing, and does the best it can at creating a dystopian future on a budget. If you're like this viewer and haven't read the source material, this adaptation does intrigue you as to where it's going. Why would rebel youth be out to drain the blood from senior citizens? Why are those dead bodies being piled into a garbage bin and immolated? Ultimately, this does have something to say about human nature in the face of adversity, and work its way towards a time honoured twist of just desserts. The frenzied editing and camera-work is merely distracting most of the time; it's unfortunate that has become common in modern fright fare. The music is largely discordant and does a fine job of disorienting the audience. Director Tobe Hooper indeed may have had an uneven career ever since his breakthrough classic "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre", but he actually does a pretty good job with this tale, scripted by Richard Christian Matheson from a story by his legendary father Richard Matheson.Jessica Lowndes stars as Peggy, a teenager living with an overprotective mother, Kate (Marilyn Norry) and working in her diner. A catastrophic event dubbed "The Blizz" has either killed or scarred many humans, and the younger generation are now running amok. One of the bad kids, Jak (Jonathan Tucker), is more sensitive than most and catches Peggy's eye. She sneaks out one night to be with him and goes to the club that he and his pals frequent. This is a decadent place where heavy metal is played and where women are made to "dance" in a rather creepy way. It's ruled by a grinning MC played to the hilt by the great Robert Englund, with whom Hooper had worked on "Eaten Alive" and "The Mangler".The big reveal near the end and the eventual comeuppance do make this intense tale worth sitting through. Until then, Hooper lets the acting carry the story along. Lowndes is appealing in the lead role, and Tucker does a creditable job as well. The atmosphere is pretty heavy and in general this *is* a decently entertaining episode if not among the more well regarded ones of 'Masters of Horror'.Seven out of 10.

trashgang Looking forward for the combination of director Tobe Hooper and Robert Englund it failed a bit. Not that Englund was bad, he dis a great job but the story was a bit weak and the way it was filmed annoyed me after a while. All those shaky shots and picture over picture didn't do this episode well. Not only that, there's not that much for horror buffs to find, there's no red stuff let even say gore to spot and the way the dead danced was a bit ridiculous. The acting itself was above mediocre and Jessica Lowndes (Peggy) as a newcomer did very well. But the end was predictable too. It sometimes looked a bit like a mess in the 'Doom Room'. Was it the way it was directed or filmed I can't tell. Not my favourite Dance Of The Dead and to be honest it was a bit remade again with Robert Englund in another turkey, Zombie Strippers (2008).Gore 1/5 Nudity 1,5/5 Effects 1,5/5 Story 2,5/5 Comedy 0/5

lastliberal Apparently the Rapture has taken place, and only the soulless are left to inhabit the Earth.Robert Englund is really creepy as the MC of a horror show not to be believed. It is especially horrific for Peggy (Jessica Lowndes), who is attracted to Jak (Jonathan Tucker) and goes to the show with him.What she sees is beyond the most unspeakable horror, but, even, more, the shock she next receives is beyond belief.Director Tobe Hooper, and writers Mick Garris and Richard Matheson (Duel, I Am Legend) give us a tale that is about the closest vision of Hell that I can imagine.

gavin6942 The writing of Richard Matheson, the directing of Tobe Hooper, the most violent music ever composed by Billy Corgan... and the legendary Robert Englund. Even if this movie failed, it would still be memorable for such a line up.In a world that has been plagued by terrorist attacks (chemical attacks called "the blitz" if I understood the film correctly), few still live a normal life while many have gone on to a city called Muskeet where death and drugs are a part of life.My only problem with this film is the way things were left unclear. To some degree, a mystery about the past helps the plot, but I was really confused through most of the movie and even after I had many questions. A film of this magnitude would almost have been better as a television series.I also became a bit frustrated with Hooper's repeated camera technique I can only describe as "the water ripple", which he must have done fifty times. Once or twice would have been nice, but the film was hard to watch when it wouldn't stop.Anyway, the acting was great. The main character (Peggy) was beautiful and strong, a great protagonist. Jak was also well cast. Everyone else could have been played by just about anyone (which is not to say they did a bad job, this film has some of the finest goth girls I've ever seen). And Robert Englund? Not his best performance, but great just the same.I saw many parallels to "A Clockwork Orange", which I enjoyed (though some might say it was a derivative movie). The bouncers in suspenders, the car speeding scene, violence to old people. I could even say there's a connection between Alex's gang drinking milk and Jak's gang drinking orange juice (both wholesome beverages for degenerate people).While the film had its weak spots (the actual "dance of the dead" is nothing special), they made up for it with the extra sex and drugs that any good horror film ought to have. And according to my friend Jason, they greatly improved upon what was a mediocre short story (though I cannot independently confirm this).