Customer Reviews

Dead Air

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I haven't had a lot of luck with horror movies that my Tivo digs up for me from the depths of Showtime's many channels (Showtime Extreme, Showtime Women, Showtime Movies that Time Forgot). So you can understand why I thought Dead Air was probably about zombies on a plane.

I was close. Dead Air is about zombies on the radio. Okay, it's not quite that either.

Dead Air is a surprisingly fresh update on the zombie genre using modern conventions of terrorism, conspiracy theory, racism in America, and freedom of speech. It tells the story from the narrow view of a late night shock jock Logan (horror staple Bill Moseley), and his production team of Lucy (delicious Patricia Tallman, teaming up with costar Moseley from the Living Dead remake), Gil (David Moscow) and Burt (Joshua Feinman). Gil and Logan are America at its worst, crude and condescending, mocking their listeners and taking glee in their paranoid conspiracy theories.

In contrast are the terrorists led by Abir (Navid Negahban). They too take great pleasure in mocking Americans, but unlike Logan and his crew, use more than harsh language on their targets. Abir's terrorists unleash their "zombie bomb" on crowded centers around the world, including a stadium near Logan's radio station. Logan and Gil's snide remarks about conspiracy nuts turn serious when it becomes clear that what's happening is no joke.

What happens next is less Night-of-the-Living-Dead-zombies and more 28-Days-later-zombies as the plague spreads, turning normal citizens into bloodthirsty maniacs. The terrorists are on the loose too, and they decide the best way to broadcast their message is - you guessed it - a radio station.

Dead Air is more interested in the new fragile state of the American psyche than the zombies themselves. Logan transforms from cynically putting down his callers to becoming their voice of reason, keeping his listeners informed and taking calls from witnesses just trying to survive. Dead Air has minimal gore, but it makes up for it with these little vignettes of personal terror as callers whisper into their phones before being torn apart.

The movie happens in real time, taking us through the skepticism, disbelief, resignation, and fear that the four protagonists go through as they grapple with what just happened. For those of us who remember September 11, it's all too real.

The movie shifts gears a bit once Gil decides to rescue Logan's wife and child by fleeing on a motorcycle. The scenes are thrilling but ultimately unsatisfying as Gil tries to navigate a world gone mad, all the while broadcast live on Logan's show via the radio in his helmet. It's an interesting premise, but we just don't get enough of it.

Dead Air has some clever twists that make for an entertaining ride. Although the film is sprinkled with chastising asides about the state of America, it is ultimately a hopeful film with a message: When we turn on each other -- be it as zombies or in the media - the terrorists win.

As in many of the zombie flicks that have popped up as of late, the zombies in 2009's DEAD AIR are not lumbering reanimated corpses but are, instead, living folk who have become fast-moving but mindless flesh-eaters as the result of some sort of viral infection. But what makes this film from director Corbin Bernsen--yes, THAT Corbin Bernsen, he of L.A. LAW fame--stand out from the others is the fact that the virus in question is released by terrorists. In a scenario that's not too far off from reality, the terrorists release the gas at densely peopled spots (such as professional sporting events) in major cities all across the U.S. The film, however, focuses on events that occur in Los Angeles, and the audience sees these events unfold from the perspective of a radio shock jock named Logan (played by genre regular Bill Moseley).

In spite of the differences in the zombies, DEAD AIR in some ways hearkens back to the claustrophobic feel of Romero's original zombie trilogy. Like the surviving humans in Romero's classic zombie films, Logan and his coworkers barricade themselves against the increasing zombie population by holing up in a building, in this case at the radio station where Logan works. Keeping tabs on outside events via TV news broadcasts and call-ins from their radio audience, they helplessly watch as the Los Angeles falls into the hands of flesh-eating maniacs. Eventually, though, their fortress also falls into the clutches of unfriendly hands, and Logan leaves to search for his wife and child...hoping that they have not been zombified.

Overall, DEAD AIR is a well-made little indie horror flick. Moseley and his costars--including Patricia Tallman, here reunited with Moseley for the first time since their appearance together in Tom Savini's 1990 remake of Romero's original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD--do an outstanding job of acting, the directing is solid, and the zombie FX, while on screen for only a minimal amount of time, are realistic and effective. The film does take a bit of a nosedive at the end when Logan, reunited with his family, recites some saccharine (and presumably internal) diatribe in which he essentially blames the governments of the Western Hemisphere for war and terrorism. But that's a minor flaw, and most die-hard fans of the genre will still enjoy the film.

Anthem Pictures' DVD edition of the film has a few flaws. The most egregious problem with the disc is that the widescreen transfer, while crisp and clear, is not anamorphic. Also, when played on blu-ray players, two different copies of the disc skipped at the exact same spot (about the 5:45 mark), though both copies played fine on standard DVD players. On the other hand, the disc has some nice extras, which include a behind-the-scenes featurette and cast and crew interviews.

In short, DEAD AIR is a decent film that horror fans, especially zombie lovers, will want to add to their collections. We can only hope that a better DVD or Blu-ray release will appear at some point in the near future.

We listen to it in our cars, our stereo, our TVs--we're even able to listen on our iPods and MP3s nowadays, all because of the technology of radio waves. Those that host these shows become friends, people we come to know and trust due to their entertaining personalities. Without them, what'd we do on our commute to work, or in our free time if we had nothing else to do?

What would happen if, in the midst of a terrorist attack, one of those radio stations managed to live? And what if, despite the odds, they continued to broadcast?

Welcome to DEAD AIR.

Centering around a radio host named Logan and how a nightly discussion about paranoia turns deadly, we follow a group of radiomen and women who happen to get caught up in what appears to be the worst attack since 9/11. Armed with nothing other than their radio, Logan, Gill, Burt and their producer, Lucy, prepare for the worst, all the while chronicling their experience over the air.

No matter what happens--no matter the odds--these four will continue to broadcast, all in the midst of the apocalypse.

I can't begin to tell you what I thought going into this movie. Though centering around a seemingly-simple thing, DEAD AIR surprisingly turns out to be a highly metaphorical and questioning movie ensues. With underlying themes such as terrorism, comparisons to the war, and a strong background of 9/11, DEAD AIR is sure to strike a point with some people. Therein lies what I believe will be people's main fault with the movie--the political undertones. Though I myself wasn't bothered by said undertones, it may be due to the fact that I'm not necessarily concerned with politics or the deeper undertones that flow through them. The brief bit of racism that ran through the film was unsettling, but not enough to really impact the viewer, as no one other than Logan's wife (who only briefly appears in the movie) catches and questions it.

Like any film, DEAD AIR has its disadvantages, no matter how hard you want to look in the other direction.

- The zombies. They flail their arms to and fro, have no cooperative or defined movements, and fail to act like our traditional undead would. Though fast, they lack the determination and concentration we've seen in previous movies. Whereas in films like DAWN OF THE DEAD '04, where the zombies run fast, have set movements and will attack their prey until completely devoured, these zombies will attack anything, even when they have fresh prey in front of them. They rarely bite, preferring to scratch, they'll 'play dead' when seemingly mortally-injured (ala human style,) then get back up again. This was one of the main faults I had with the movie, but the zombies are almost pushed entirely aside by the end of the film, so it's not that big of a deal.

- The special affects. It's become a common Hollywood idea that putting a bullet in someone's head equals a hole as damage, which entirely defies physical and the way the cranial structure works. Though this is really the only obvious flaw of the special affects department, it's a particular irk that can get to fans expecting more realistic gore. The scratch and bite wounds are realistic, to a degree, but the gunshot wound isn't.

Minor faults aside, DEAD AIR is actually a really good film. But, like I said, I think most viewers (particularly those with strong views or intentionally-fabricated racism) will have either a strong positive response, or a strong negative response. Still, that gives you no reason to turn this film aside. Its strengths lie in the tension it builds up, as well as the atmosphere it gives off.

Ever since I first rented Return of the Living Dead from the local video store when I was about 10 yrs old, possibly even younger - I was hooked on the zombie genre. Although ROTLD was more a comedy-horror, as I grew older I was able to see the serious social contexts that lay underneath the surface of alot of these films, especially in Romero's masterpieces. The tradition is continued in this independent, thought-provoking little thrillride. Dead Air is set mainly in a radio station, late night shock-jock Logan (an awesome Moseley); Lucy (a gorgeous Tallman); Gil and Burt (Moscow and Feinman) are doing a show with paranoia as the main topic when terrorists unleash bombs across American cities that contain a mysterious, biological substance that turns people into murderous, fast-running zombies that attack anyone in sight (similar to the Rage virus of 28 Days/Weeks). Our protaganists at first are skeptical to the calls that are coming in but soon realize the horror is all too real when they are forced to barricade themselves in their office from the carnage occuring outside. What do they do in the meantime? Continue broadcasting live, of course!

The film's biggest flaw is the whole conspiracy theory angle of it. The whole "your government is bad and we're just victimized, misunderstood Muslims" won't fly with me. Yes, the mysterious bioweapon, we later learn, was created in a U.S. Govt lab in Virginia. Granted. However, it was the Islamic terrorists who actually went through great lengths to unleash its horror. So I would say they're both at fault but not equally, the jihadists are worse for letting it loose. Also, I thought it was kind of stange that Burt would risk his life to go save Logan's family. Doesn't Burt have any family, friends, or loved ones that he would have rather saved? I found this odd.

Nonetheless the film is entertaining even if its cliched. Zombie apocolypse fans, like myself, will be satisfied.

3 stars.

Directed and produced by Corbin Bernsen, 'Dead Air' stars genre favourite Bill Moseley as Logan Burnhardt, a Los Angeles-based shock jock working the night shift. One night, a group of terrorists releases a gaseous chemical into the ventilation system of a crowded basketball game. This chemical infects the crowd, turning them into murderous psychopaths. When a series of calls comes in to report the attacks to Burnhardt, they (of course) don't believe it. But, when the infection comes to their little studio, they learn the truth and must fight for survival.

The first thing most will notice is how vacant this plot seems to be of originality. Basically the story is British horror '28 Days Later...' mixed with Canadian horror 'Pontypool.' And, yes, that's really all the film seems to be. 'Dead Air' could have done well with a bit of a change here and there to separate it from all the other similar films. However, the fact that it mainly took place inside a radio station ('Pontypool') while infected people with bleeding eyes and infectious scratches were running around the city ('28 Days Later...') really proved they weren't trying too hard to be very original. Another issue with the writing was some of the characters' dialogue, especially Gil's (David Moscow, who played the young version of Tom Hanks's character in 'Big'). Whether it was his dialogue or just not a good time for Moscow, his performance was sorely lacking. A positive in the acting category, however, was the always dependable Bill Moseley who played his Howard Stern-like role very well. He was harsh and honest and constantly entertaining. . . kinda like the movie itself.

On the other technical aspects, Corbin Bernsen's direction was adequate, though it felt a bit too "TV movie" (which he's more than used to). A bit more experimentation with the direction and cinematography really could've jazzed the film up a bit especially because those are two elements that really set a film like '28 Days Later...' apart from its competitors. The gore effects and makeup for the infected were pretty unimpressive : the blood looked fake and there really wasn't enough gore to satisfy that sector of the horror fanbase.

Overall, 'Dead Air' is an entertaining romp with some solid aspects. It's very entertaining with its solid pace, but it does lose some value with its obvious theft from other horror movies. Fans of Bill Moseley will definitely want to check it out, and if you enjoyed superior films like 'Pontypool,' '28 Days Later...,' and 'The Signal,' you might also want to just give it a look if you're bored.

Final Verdict: 6/10.

-AP3-

For those in search of the traditional reanimated corpse zombie film, you may wish to look elsewhere. Dead Air is done more in a style similar to 28 Days/28 Weeks Later. As a viewer I found this film to be very frightening, because in all honesty, it is not all that far fetched to think that the events of this film could actually take place. I have been waiting in eager anticipation for this movie ever since first hearing it was being made in 2007, and I can say it was well worth the wait.

In Dead Air, a plague in the form of a toxic viral gas is unleashed at a major sporting event in Los Angeles, turning its victims instantly into mindless, rage filled lunatics. A few blocks away from the site where the gas was released, controversial talk show radio host Logan Burnhardt and his production team are caught up in the middle of the chaos. They soon begin to receive reports from their listeners calling in with their first hand experiences of the violence and mayhem taking place in the streets. Barricading themselves inside the studio, Logan and his team vow to stay on the air and continue to bring reports to the public of the horrifying ordeal. As if the rioters in the streets weren't enough, the terrorists responsible for the attack are making their way to the radio station, killing anyone who gets in their way.

The film once again brings together Bill Moseley and Patricia Tallman, this time as a divorced couple now working together on a talk radio show. The two had worked together previously on Tom Savini's remake of Night of the Living Dead. The film also marks Tallman's return to the genre. Moseley plays Logan Burnhardt, the host of the show, and the movie follows him as he and his production team attempt to remain on air keeping the public informed while also trying to get in contact with his new wife and daughter.

As previously stated this is not your traditional zombie movie, if one could even call it a zombie movie to begin with. Instead of relying on walking, decomposing corpses to frighten its audience, Dead Air effectively scares us by playing on our paranoia of terrorist attacks and the realism of the events taking place. It is not unfathomable that an attack like this could occur in today's post-911 world.

There is not an excessive amount of gore in this film, but when the blood is spilt it is done to great effect, portrayed realistically and never over the top. The same can be said for the violence in this film, whether it is onscreen or implied off screen, skillfully crafting a very realistic sense of dread. That being said, there are a very few moments where the film does get kind of cheesy, such as a scene in a parking garage involving a man on a motorcycle and one of the infected, but all in all the camp is kept to a minimum and the Dead Air plays it straightforward.
I would highly recommend this movie to fans of 28 days/28 Weeks Later, or for fans of Bill Moseley who might be interested in seeing the actor play a less psychotic character than we're used to seeing him play. However, if you like your zombie movies of the more traditional shambling dead variety - along the lines of Romero's films - this movie may not be for you.

(Written by Lenny Wellman)

As a zombie movie fan and director I just had to check out this movie. While this isn't DAWN of the DEAD caliber it is a still an eerie film in many respects. I think the cast did a great job with what they had to work with here, and director Corbin Bernsen had some nice little tense moments spread out through the film.

Many call this low budget, but I don't consider it low... I know because I make films for $10k or less and this had some money to spread around because there were some very effective set pieces and set ups that effectively make this movie work.

THe basic premise is that a bio-weapon developed by our own US government falls into the hands of some extremeists whom unleash it on the populace and sporting events in a large amount of US cities. As the chaos unfolds LA's #1 late night trash talk show Dj, Logan Bernhardt (Bill Mosely), is doing a show dedicated to paranoia... how appropiate. When word hits the airwaves of a chemical attack causing people to turn into blood crazed killers is when the movie really begins to build its tension and holds you... but it doesn't hold forever. Some of the screenplay and choices of dialogue make the film fall into the full on cheese category, but you know what... its ok, because there is enough here for zombie horror fans to help them feel at home in the favorited zombie genre. Bill Mosely and Patty Tallman are together again, and this hasn't occurred since the Night of the Living Dead remake in 1990 and here they turn in way better performances than the NOTLD remake.

Clocking in at 90 minutes the movie has some slow moments and does falter here and there, and the ending is a bit of a let down, but from the moment chaos begins and you hear callers to the radio station describing the peril they are in makes you wish they could have had a little more money to delve into that situation. Dead Air definitely needed a $20-$30m budget as this film could have been so epic, and it feels epic with what material they have to work with, but it could have gone so much further, but in the end it is what it is and I enjoyed it and I think most will too.

The gore is sparse except for a cool headshot scene that even made me go... HELL YEAH! I could complain there isn't enough zombie footage, but it doesn't really need to be there anyway, it would help, but is not necessary for this type of film.

In the end it is recommended.


Dead Air

Unless someone has a death wish, no one would release a virus that would turn the whole world into a bunch of flesh tearing zombies, unless they planned to take a spaceship to some other planet and live there...that's why this movie fails, BIG TIME! It missed the most fundamental part - the why?

It has happened. The terrorists have struck! Another seemingly average day has turned into chaos and death! DEAD AIR does a competent job of getting this across. Bill Moseley (HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, DEVIL'S REJECTS) is quite believable as the radio talkshow host turned "voice of reason" / survivor. I'm impressed whenever someone makes a film w/ no budget that actually works! The rabid hordes are well represented, w/ their 28 DAYS LATER-type running and thrashing. This movie is timely and entertaining...

This premise is interesting...terrorists, zombies, etc. However I've
already seen pretty much the whole scenario in a scary little flick
called Pontypool.