The Gravedancers (2006)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Mike Mendez

Writers (WGA):

Brad Keene (written by) &
Chris Skinner (written by)

Release Date:

27 August 2008 (Philippines)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Unrest In Peace

Plot:

After a night of drunken exploits, Allison, Harris, and Kira are chased and terrorized by the ghosts of a child pyromaniac, an ax murderer, and a rapist.

Plot Keywords:

Ghost | Curse | Rapist | Cemetery | Tombstone

Cast

Dominic Purcell	...	Harris McKay
Josie Maran	...	Kira Hayden
Clare Kramer	...	Allison Mitchell
Marcus Thomas	...	Sid Vance
Tchéky Karyo	...	Vincent Cochet
Megahn Perry	...	Frances Culpepper
Martha Holland	...	Emma
Oakley Stevenson	...	Haunted Woman
Samantha MacIvor	...	Nurse Jenny (as Samantha Twyford MacIvor)
Jack Mulcahy	...	Police Officer #1
Jim McKeny	...	Doctor
Geneva Avarett-Short	...	Nurse Brolin (as Geneva E. Averett-Short)
Bob McHone	...	Priest
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Bartusch	...	Police Officer #2 (uncredited)
Brad Batchelor	...	Mourner (uncredited)
Lulu Brud	...	Young Emma (uncredited)
Lonnie Burchfield	...	Wood Chopper (uncredited)
Reid Dalton	...	Charles Dunleven (uncredited)
David Lowe	...	Attorney (uncredited)
Dean Lyons	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Tina Murphy	...	Mourner Young Mom (uncredited)
Rod Pearson	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)
Chris Plouffe	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Les Puryear	...	Mourner (uncredited)
Dustin Thomas	...	Mourner (uncredited)

Directed by
Mike Mendez

Writing credits (WGA)
Brad Keene		(written by) &
Chris Skinner		(written by)

Produced by
Craig Borden	....	co-producer
Val Broeksmit	....	associate producer
Al Corley	....	producer
Jonathan Dana	....	executive producer
Brent Emery	....	executive producer
Lawrence Elmer Fuhrmann Jr.	....	producer
Jonas Hudson	....	co-producer
Bill McCutchen	....	producer
Mike Mendez	....	associate producer
Mark Morgan	....	executive producer
James Mulay	....	co-producer
Eugene Musso	....	producer
Kim Olsen	....	co-producer
Guy Oseary	....	executive producer
Bart Rosenblatt	....	producer
Phil Smoot	....	line producer

Original Music by
Joseph Bishara

Cinematography by
David A. Armstrong

Film Editing by
Mike Mendez

Casting by
Janet Hirshenson
Jane Jenkins
Michelle Lewitt

Production Design by
Carmi Gallo

Set Decoration by
Sophia Madalana Martinez Moore		(as Sophia Madalana Martinez)

Costume Design by
Oakley Stevenson

Makeup Department
Roland Blancaflor	....	key special makeup effects technician: Spectral Motion Inc.
Nikki Carbonetta-Aguirre	....	key makeup artist
Nikki Carbonetta-Aguirre	....	special makeup effects artist
Aimee Circosta	....	assistant hair stylist
Aimee Circosta	....	assistant makeup artist
Mike Elizalde	....	makeup designer
Shannon Jones	....	makeup department intern
Rebecca Wachtel	....	makeup department head
Rebecca Wachtel	....	special makeup effects artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kevin Black	....	additional second assistant director
Craig Borden	....	first assistant director
Eduardo Cisneros	....	second unit director
Al Corley	....	second unit director
Michelle Gold	....	key second assistant director
Alice M. Peschl	....	first assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Christina Aldridge	....	leadman
Christina Aldridge	....	set dresser
Lee Clore	....	set dresser
Richard Colwell	....	scenic artist
Catherine Cravens	....	sculptor
Andrew Crawford	....	prop master
Cory Doggett	....	set dresser
Cory Doggett	....	swing gang
Bill Elias	....	swing gang
Jason Endres	....	propmaker
Melissa Frye	....	scenic artist
Keith Grimmett	....	carpenter
Caleb Kennedy	....	carpenter
William S. Lake	....	carpenter
Matthew H. Pender	....	assistant property master
Tim Potts	....	carpenter
Ben Sakatos	....	on-set swing gang
Ben Sakatos	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Sarah F. Badiee	....	sound effects editor
Kevin Bowe	....	boom operator
Casey A. Fife	....	sound effects editor
Andrew Ing	....	foley editor
Andrew Ing	....	sound effects editor
Sam C. Lewis	....	adr recordist
Sam C. Lewis	....	foley recordist
Michael McDonald	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael McDonald	....	supervising sound editor
John Sanacore	....	sound recordist
Jose Torres	....	sound recordist
Alex Ullrich	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Darin Bouyssou	....	makeup effects technician: Spectral Motion Inc.
Michael H. Clark	....	special effects technician
Mary Elizalde	....	CFO: Spectral Motion Inc.
Jason Knox	....	special effects assistant
Richard E. Perry	....	special effects coordinator
Lisa Reynolds	....	special effects
Bob Shelley	....	special effects
Diana Yun Soo Yoo	....	hair department supervisor: Spectral Motion

Visual Effects by
Miguel Bautista	....	digital effects artist
Chris Ervin	....	digital effects artist
Chris Ervin	....	visual effects editor
Lanmana Parys	....	visual effects coordinator
Antonio Torres	....	digital artist: Digital Intermediate, Pacific Title (uncredited)

Stunts
Samantha MacIvor	....	stunts
Kristopher Medina	....	stunt double
Tree O'Toole	....	stunt double: Claire Kramer
Tree O'Toole	....	stunt double: Josie Maran
Jerry Spicer	....	stunt double
Patrick J. Statham	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Zachary Atkinson	....	dolly grip
Dave Baney	....	best boy electric
Wylda Bayron	....	first assistant camera
Jim Bridges	....	still photographer (as James Bridges)
Bernard Cistrunk	....	grip
Mark Copeland	....	Steadicam operator
Catherine Cravens	....	grip
Keith Cutler	....	grip
Marcello Duarte	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Daniel Feighery	....	assistant camera
Andrew Givens	....	grip: day player
Mark Hardin	....	dolly operator: motion control
Bob Izzo	....	key grip
Wayne Jacobs	....	epk videographer
Robert C.B. Kearns	....	grip: day player
Joshua Keeney	....	best boy grip
Colin Kelly	....	first assistant camera
Jon Ladd	....	electrician
Jenne Lee	....	electrician
Yaron Levy	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Yaron Levy	....	gaffer: additional photography
Dan Major	....	assistant camera
Matthew B. Moore	....	grip
Soren Nash	....	camera loader
Lisa Origlieri	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Chris Reynolds	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Keegan Sacko	....	additional electrician
R. Samul	....	best boy grip
Matthew Skala	....	first assistant camera
Debbie Stampfle	....	camera loader
Andy Steinman	....	director of photography: second unit
Charles B. Walker	....	electrician (as Charlie Walker)
K. Shane Wilson	....	additional camera operator
Toshiro Yamaguchi	....	second assistant camera

Casting Department
Phil Newsome	....	extras casting
Randee Price	....	casting assistant
Travis Ward	....	casting director: North Carolina

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elizabeth Anderson	....	key costumer
Elizabeth Martucci	....	costume supervisor (as Elizabeth Anderson)
Lauren Waymouth	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Corinne Bogdanowicz	....	assistant colorist
Paul Bronkar	....	digital intermediate colorist
Doug Delaney	....	digital intermediate colorist
C. Robert Dimitri	....	post-production assistant
Kacie Haggerty	....	digital intermediate producer

Music Department
Barklie K. Griggs	....	music supervisor
Sharon Smith	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Hugh Bonner	....	driver
David A. Cole	....	driver
D.J. Hall	....	picture car coordinator
D.J. Hall	....	transportation coordinator
Donald Lee Hall Sr.	....	driver
Mike Hardwick	....	driver

Other crew
Hugh Bonner	....	location manager
Norman Cabrera	....	puppeteer
Fabio Camara	....	location manager
Andrea E. Crampe	....	set production assistant
Edward H. Daniel	....	production office assistant
Minnie Duerr	....	production accountant
Andrew Givens	....	production assistant
Jannatha Guthrie	....	office production assistant
Karen Jo Irvin	....	executive assistant to producers
Joseph Izzo	....	production assistant intern
Keith Kissel	....	set production assistant
Michael Klastorin	....	unit publicist
Kate Matson	....	script supervisor intern
Dustin McNeill	....	script supervisor intern
Tamra Natisin	....	key set production assistant
Ike Quigley	....	script supervisor
Jacqueline Roberts	....	production accountant
William Stine	....	intern
Matthew Storm	....	production assistant
Ryen W. Thomas	....	production assistant
Sharon Davis Walker	....	assistant location manager
Rico Williams	....	production coordinator
Sidni Wilson	....	intern

Production Companies

• Code Entertainment

Distributors

• After Dark Films (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinestar (2008) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• Freestyle Releasing
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Reel DVD (2008) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Casting Company, The  casting

MPAA:

Rated R for strong horror violence/terror and some language.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Germany:16 | Australia:MA (2008) | Netherlands:16 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Finland:K-18 (self applied)

Filming Locations:

Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Code Entertainment

Trivia:

The entrance to the Crescent View Cemetery is misspelled as "Cresent View Cemetery".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Clare picks up the statue to protect herself in the house, she's holding it right-side-up in one shot, then upside-down, then right-side-up, then upside-down again.

Quotes:

Sid Vance: I'm not going anywhere unless something is chasing me.

Movie Connections:

Edited from Spider-Man 2 (2004)

I Spit on Your Grave...Dancers

Well, this film is often regarded as one of the better entries in the 'Eight Films to Die For' sets; but I wasn't very impressed with it. Sure, it has a handful of good points; but unfortunately the film is not particularly original or interesting and that ultimately condemns it. The film does feature a starring role for Dominic Purcell; who apparently is a star of a TV program called Prison Break, which I've never watched. So I guess that a lot of Prison Break fans have given this film a high rating. Anyway, the plot focuses on three people that used to be friends and have reunited for the funeral of another friend, who died (obviously). Anyway, the three of them go out and get drunk and then decide (as you do) to go to a graveyard, where they read an incantation from one of the gravestones and then proceed to dance on the graves. This might not have been such a bad idea if it wasn't for the fact that they were in the 'psycho section'. Anyway, it turns out that the dead don't appreciate having their graves danced on; and the three are terrorised by vengeful spirits.

Credit where credit is due; and it's due in the case of whoever designed the ghosts. Like most people, I'm tired of the Japanese style watery black haired ghosts, and the common smoke-like spectres that have featured all too often. For this film, the ghosts look more like something out of The Evil Dead (and possibly took some influence from the final chapter of the Mario Bava masterpiece Black Sabbath) and they really do look horrific. They're mostly well used too, and while the film goes way over the top on many occasions; it does feature a few jump scares that work well. However, the simple fact is that the story and characters just aren't interesting enough and the reason behind what is happening to the central characters lacks imagination. I have to admit that I didn't really care about anything that went on with the plot of this film and things only got less interesting when the whole ghost hunter plot was introduced. It all boils down to a silly ending and overall, while I really did like the special effects, this is a disappointing horror film and I do not recommend it.