Movie Review: Detention of the Dead Dan Koelsch, June 25, 2013 With The Walking Dead off the air until October, are you looking for a zombie fix that doesn’t include Brad Pitt? Then you might be interested in Detention of the Dead which opens in limited theaters this Friday and is available on VOD now. Read my brief review after the break. As you might have guessed from the title, this zombie comedy takes place in a high school. In fact, it’s meant to be sort of cross between The Breakfast Club and Shaun of the Dead. Written and directed by Alex Craig Mann, based on a play by Rob Rinow, the low budget indie film has only a few recognizable actors in Max Adler (Glee) and Justin Chon (Twilight, 21 & Over). Jacob Zachar plays the main protagonist Eddie, a nerd who has a crush on the hottest girl in school, Janet (Christa B. Allen). His goth friend Willow (Alexa Nikolas) and Janet’s hunky boyfriend Brad (Jayson Blair) round out the gang of kids who are in the detention from Hell.The concept behind the movie intrigued me, since there are so many zombie movies now that it can be hard to find a unique way to approach the genre. One of the more interesting elements of The Walking Dead and other slow burning entries is the character development. Having people, especially with different personalities, stuck together can create some great drama, or even comedy. Unfortunately, all we get with Detention of the Dead is cheesy comedy and a predictable plot. Instead of just paying homage, it blatantly rips off chunks of The Breakfast Club.The film offers a thin social commentary about high school students already being zombies, which also isn’t very original. Fortunately, the film’s likable actors and interesting if underdeveloped concept save this from being totally unwatchable.Rating: 2/5 Reviews Detention of the DeadMovie Review
“Captain Phillips” Review: A Harrowing Tale Of Heroism And Fearlessness In The Face Of Adversity October 13, 2013In April of 2009, the merchant trade ship Alabama was boarded by a small group of Somali pirates. Once on board, they attempted to overtake the crew and pilot the vessel themselves, however the crew of the Alabama and its Captain, Richard Phillips, thwarted their attempts which resulted in Phillips… Read More
“Thor: The Dark World” Movie Review November 6, 2013November 6, 2013Marvel’s Cinematic Universe continues this Friday with the theatrical release of Thor: The Dark World. The sequel to the 2011 superhero blockbuster is the second film in Marvel’s “Phase II” movie slate as we move our way closer to The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Read my spoiler-free review after the… Read More
Avatar Review: Is It Revolutionary? December 17, 2009October 18, 2011It’s here! The extremely long wait is finally over and it’s here, in your very own local cinema, awaiting you to take your seat. It seems like a long time since I first read about Avatar, and that’s because it is. About four years ago it was confirmed that James… Read More