Maybe the acting stinks. Maybe the effects aren’t up to snuff. But based on what I see in this trailer, someone please explain to me why Dance of the Dead is going straight to DVD this October instead of getting a theatrical release? If it’s as good as as the trailer seems to be, I’d pay to see it.
What’s equally interesting is that the two websites listed at the end of the trailer have no information about this movie. Lions Gate DVD, the distributor, doesn’t have it up on their site yet. And ghosthouseunderground.com only exists as a Network Solutions parked domain. WTF? Someone made a movie and put out a kick-ass movie trailer, but can’t manage to put together a website? If I were financially backing this film, I’d be seriously pissed.
So… I did a bit more digging. According to one site Ghost House Underground is a spin-off company of Ghost House Pictures, “Sam Raimi’s little genre label that can’t”. Apparently Ghost House Pictures wasn’t doing so great, but Ghost House Underground grabbed 8 titles by other studios with the intention of distributing them direct to DVD through Lions Gate. You can read about the whole lineup at DVDactive, but honestly the best of the bunch appears to be Dance. I still don’t understand why Ghost House Underground doesn’t have their own website. Look down. You see that round thing? That would be the ball that was dropped.
Marketing ineptitude aside, come October 14th, look for Dance of the Dead on DVD. It looks like a winner.
Popularity: 14% [?]
I saw this movie at a festival and it is mind-boggeling that they are putting this out on DVD and not in theaters.
Oh, and the effects aren’t bad and the acting doesn’t stink. The great performances from the teens is actually what sets this apart from everything else out there.