Zombie movies are their own genre and, lately, it feels as if it has become a "movement", i.e. film noir or the new wave! I love a fun zombie flick! And DANCE OF THE DEAD has the audacity of taking the milieu and stepping into Teen Slasher Territory and dipping its toe into parody. What makes this descriptive mish-mash work is that it is relatively sincere in its efforts. Director Gregg Bishop has fun with the bloody proceedings, but does not mock them, which would have required the razor wit of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, that this film does not have a strong enough characterization to support. What it does have is a cast of young adults who recognize the emotional immaturity surrounding high school and the prom is of such over dramatic substance that throwing in some zombies doesn't really change the reality of the characters' own self absorption. The Prom King might have been beheaded, but that's no reason to keep talking about him! HA! The makeup and gore effects are pretty impressive for an apparently lower budget indie. There is even a nifty explosion for a climax! The sound mix is pretty outstanding, as is the soundtrack. The pacing is really well kept and it is visually well lit, avoiding the shadowy murkiness of "zombie mumblecore". http://jaycbird.blogspot.com