Review by Larry Stanley

First, let me say that I like Tobe Hooper. Honest, I enjoy his use of visual effects of gore and blood, his use of boobs and his sense of just what it is that a true gore-hound wants. So far, he has never let -me- down.
Even with Dance of the Dead, I am not disappointed with the story or direction.
The episode is set in a post-apocalyptic future where America and the world have suffered through WW3, and chemical as well as Nuclear weapons were used on people. In a chilling scene at a young girls birthday party we get to see the effects of one attack using a weapon called 'The Blizz' which apparently burns the skin off the body while you are still alive.
The images of the children screaming as their flesh are scorched and melted is one that will certainly stay with the viewer.
A decade later Peggy, an innocent and naïve 16 year old girl who meets and is enamored with a motorcycle riding punk named Jak who steals blood from old people. You heard me right; he steals blood from people and then sells it to this weird looking MC at a club called "The Doom Room." Right away, you think you know what is coming.
The every thing is open nightclub is a murderous club where every night the bloodthirsty crowd of two-legged animals watch as the dead bodies of people who have died get tortured into 'dancing' for them.
Peggy defies her mother and meets Jak at midnight (he likes to come out at night) and finds herself careening in a car down a deserted freeway with Jak while a friend of Jaks in the front seat is driving, getting felt up by his girl friend and taking various drugs.
Peggy tries a few of them, only to suffer a flashback to her childhood.
It isn't long before Peggy finds herself at the Doom Room, and Jak and Boxer are in a back room, doing a deal over blood with the host of the Doom Room, The MC (Robert Englund), a somewhat psychotic character with an interest in theatrics.
The MC wants fresh, clean, strong blood. Jak has a sweet little 16-year-old probably virgin out in the club.
Once more, you know where this is going.
But do you?
The episode has several good things going for it, and a couple of bad things against it.
The good is straightforward. Robert Englund is given free reign to give vent to his inner lunatic here (maybe for really the first time since the first Freddy Kruger) and he rips the sets apart with his acting. He is phenomenal; his character is so far over the top that it is scary to think that is what the world could come to.
Let's just let the aliens take over.
Another good thing is that it is from Tobe Hooper. As I said, Hooper can control a scene to make you cringe and your skin crawl by using the most outrageous situation, ones that you often simply -have- to laugh at just to keep from screaming.
The best thing about the film is Richard Matheson and Richard Christian Matheson as original creator and the writer, respectively. Richard Matheson is one of the most brilliant horror writers in the world.
His stories have included The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Box, Blood Son, I Am Legend, Last Man on Earth, Stir of Echoes, What Dreams May Come, The Legend of Hell House and TV shows ranging from The Twilight Zone to The Outer Limits to Kolchak, The Night Stalker, The Martian Chronicles, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. and Star Trek.
He is a true legend in the industry, and his son is making his own mark with work on The Incredible Hulk, Knight Rider, the A-Team, Loose Cannons and Sole Survivor. No one else should have done the adaptation of his father's story by RCM.
Now for the bad things; no there weren't that many, really. However, to me they did distract from the enjoyment of the film. Several of the characters in small, supporting roles were just to over the top. They acted as if they were trying to win an award, not make a movie. That to me is still a problem. People who simply do not understand the purpose of movies is to entertain the public. It is not for the actor or actress to make a billion dollars or win seven or eight statues or award plaques. Crist, have fun in the job or go to work for Chuck E. Cheeses.
The other thing that just ripped through me like bad Mexican food was the overly used visual effects of distracting, jerking, and jarring images. Some multi images (where the same character is shown in various stages of motion, all in the same frame) actually made me dizzy. Even more then Blair Witch.
This is the third episode to air in the Masters of Horror series, in general has the least blood and gore so far, but as a treat for all the young teenage boys who are telling their parents they are watching "Herbie Meets Sponge Bob" it does have a lot of use of the "F" word to shock you and more boobies then you can see on most other shows.
Enjoy.