Better Late Then Never

Best movie ever!

I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

This film is putrid. Not only does it have completely amateur production values ( my niece could have done better with her iphone) but the acting and makeup are an embarrassment. The film's script and storyline are so bad I almost laughed out loud more than a few times. In fact I wondered how I managed to get through through the whole thing, then realized it was one of those films that was so bad it was mildly entertaining. But beware, it might not have the same effect on you. Pontypool is vastly superior in all areas, I suggest you check that excellent film out before spending your hard earned money on this mess.Corbin Bernsen should stick to his second-rate TV career rather than direct third-rate movies such as this laugher.

A rare treat for horror fans, a chance to see Bill Moseley in a straight role portraying a normal, rational thinking human being who isn't hostile or incredibly inhospitable to innocent people. He stars as a radio personality whose station is located in the center of a city whose citizens have become infected by a bio-weapon released by Muslim terrorists who stole the toxic substance supposedly from Quantico Bay, Virginia. Worried for his wife and child as the outbreak produces insanity, ongoing explosions of violence, and flesh eating, Moseley(..as Logan)remains at his station, communicating what he can to the outside world that may be unaffected by what has transpired. Soon, however, his own crew become infected as the outbreak finds it's way into his building, and Logan(..along with his producer Lucy, portrayed by Patricia Tallman, of Night of the Living Dead fame)must also fend off a Muslim terrorist responsible for spreading the virus(..and who also has an anti-serum for which he keeps to himself, despite having another Muslim comrade in need of it)who has them held at gunpoint, wanting his own message spread across the airwaves. An interesting variation on George Romero's "The Crazies", is confined mostly to the radio station, but occasionally ventures outside where we can see how the infected operate. More or less a zombie film with a message against mankind's continual progression towards destroying itself, whether by chemical or other means. The virus, like a zombie plague, is breathed from the air, taking a slow hold over the human body, eventually turning those infected into raving, bloodthirsty maniacs who attack anyone that is in their trajectory. With David Moscow as Logan's radio partner, Gil(..who courageously braves the outside to ride his motorcycle to Logan's house to see if his family is safe)and Dan Lauria as the man who operates the controls, Fred. Navid Negahban is Abir, the Muslim terrorist who besieges Logan and Lucy, the expository figure who explains to us what the weapon is harming everyone and who was behind it to begin with. Outbursts of violence do occur in the movie, but "Dead Air" isn't as potent or shocking as other zombie flicks of it's ilk. "Dead Air", still, will be of interest to those horror fans who wonder what it would be like to see Moseley as an ordinary man, whose voice is of importance as it relates the horrors occurring on the streets, feeding information to his audience(..and depending on live witness reports from listeners/callers who are experiencing first-hand what is taking place)as he gets it.

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-

This was a great movie! The people who are complaining about the way the infected people acted have been watching too much TV.The premise here is that the "virus" causes people to go mad, they lose all there brain function, memories and priorities and are left with only violent rage. If they were depicted as expert fighters who used reason and tactics to destroy their prey it would not be consistent with the premise.The "bad guys" are depicted very realistically as well, they have an agenda and they are more concerned with that than any individual they encounter on the way.I thought this was a very realistic depiction of how a scenario like this might play out, right down to the myriad of personalities the radio station employees had. Lots of action and void of most of the politically correct garbage that usually accompanies a Terrorist flick.Well worth the watch!