Story: Horror story about an American Air Force engineer who survives a plane crash while trying to flee a zombie apocalypse in Africa, and joins a local military man to battle the living dead. Cast:Elizabeth Akingbade, Benjamin C. Akpa, Stephen Asare AmaningDirector:Howard J. Ford, Jonathan FordOpened:October 7, 2011On DVD:February 14, 2012From:Global Cinema DistributionLength:1 hr. 45 min.
The Dead (2011) played in limited release to mixed reviews. • Joe Leydon wrote in Daily Variety, "...may unsettle some viewers with images of a white American protagonist repeatedly warding off attacks by black African monsters. But the racially charged subtext actually serves to enhance this smart and surprisingly subdued apocalyptic melodrama." • And Chuck Wilson called the film in the Village Voice and LA Weekly, "...superbly crafted..." More Reviews Below...
The Dead (2011) Positive Reviews (8 Reviews, reviews below)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: WEAK "...not really sophisticated enough to be an absorbing zombie movie.... when Rob Freeman speaks, what comes out isn't very compelling.... a long, chemistry-free slog..."(Read the full review...) 199 words, 10/14/11
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "What separates the film is its physical arena: the harsh, withering expanse of northwest Africa.... as it should be with stories like this, it's not a pretty picture."(Read the full review...) 228 words, 10/07/11
Chuck Wilson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "...superbly crafted... with its vast, pitiless landscapes and moral seriousness, it is 'Night of the Living Dead' reimagined as a Sergio Leone western. It's a knockout."(Read the full review...) 224 words, 10/12/11
KEY CITIES (2 Reviews)
John DeFore, Washington Post: POOR(cg) "...serious horror-film fiends may enjoy its approach to gore, which is extreme even by the genre's standards.... But few others will find any pleasure in the duo's dull search for a military base or the rote challenges put in their path."(Read the full review...) 271 words, 10/21/11
Tom Horgen, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "The movie's war-torn African setting suggests a built-in socio-political subtext. But the film stays fairly straightforward, which makes the sight of a white guy shooting down African villagers a little odd, even if they are zombies."(Read the full review...) 203 words, 10/07/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (3 Reviews)
Chuck Wilson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "...superbly crafted... with its vast, pitiless landscapes and moral seriousness, it is 'Night of the Living Dead' reimagined as a Sergio Leone western. It's a knockout."(Read the full review...) 224 words, 10/12/11
Chuck Bowen, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...a perfectly serviceable horror movie.... more preoccupied with Message than drama, which undermines the threat of chaos that drives any good horror movie."(Read the full review...) 417 words, 10/10/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: WEAK "...not really sophisticated enough to be an absorbing zombie movie.... when Rob Freeman speaks, what comes out isn't very compelling.... a long, chemistry-free slog..."(Read the full review...) 199 words, 10/14/11
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "What separates the film is its physical arena: the harsh, withering expanse of northwest Africa.... as it should be with stories like this, it's not a pretty picture."(Read the full review...) 228 words, 10/07/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (3 Reviews)
Joe Leydon, Daily Variety: GOOD "...may unsettle some viewers with images of a white American protagonist repeatedly warding off attacks by black African monsters. But the racially charged subtext actually serves to enhance this smart and surprisingly subdued apocalyptic melodrama."(Read the full review...) 521 words, 10/11/10
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "What separates the film is its physical arena: the harsh, withering expanse of northwest Africa.... as it should be with stories like this, it's not a pretty picture."(Read the full review...) 228 words, 10/07/11
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: WEAK "...not really sophisticated enough to be an absorbing zombie movie.... when Rob Freeman speaks, what comes out isn't very compelling.... a long, chemistry-free slog..."(Read the full review...) 199 words, 10/14/11
30.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Dead (2011)'s reviews are separated by an average 30.1 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Dead (2011) (8 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Dead (2011)'s reviews cover 9.3% of potential readers (average is 68.2%). Volume:The film's reviews total 2,268 words involume (average is 19,979 words). Length:The film's reviews average 284 words in length (the norm is 512 words).
The Dead (2011) Coverage, Volume & Length (8 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 11 Days Before Release (Norm is 0.2 Release)
The Dead (2011)'s reviews on average broke 11 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 0.2 hours after. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Dead (2011)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Dead (2011) (8 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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