Rave to the Grave
For many years, dance music culture was about more than just partying. It was an opportunity for communion, endurance test, revelation and learning experience – all wrapped into one.
Sometimes partying is about more than just having fun – and thankfully there are still places for ravers to go where they can have these moments and learn about themselves and their community. Unfortunately, raves have become synonymous with druggie escapism, losing much of their spiritual and political significance.
It’s a remake of Necropolis
Rave to the Grave is a sequel to Necropolis, an installment from Return of the Living Dead franchise. This movie follows a group of college students as they discover their new drug is actually an addictive chemical that turns them into zombies. It wasn’t until they attend an outdoor rave party that they realize what has happened; their bodies have become flesh-eating zombies!
In Necropolis II, a group of sexually charged teenagers discover a drug more potent than Ecstasy and give it the moniker “Z.” Soon, other partygoers begin turning into zombies as well, and before long the drug spreads across campus, turning everyone who takes it into zombies as well.
Ellory Elkayem directed Necropolis, also known for her work on cockroach-themed horror flick They Nest (2000/trailer). With a similar cast to Necropolis and similar plot lines – except this time set one year after the events of the first movie – this sequel follows suit.
Peter Coyote (Charles) attempts to sell one of his canisters of Trioxin on the black market, but is met with resistance from buyers who become suspicious when he revives three corpses rather than just one.
Charles eventually sells the canisters to a group of Russian government officials investigating the drug. Their intention is to destroy them before selling, but when they enter a mortuary, they accidentally reanimate three more bodies.
Though the zombies in this film don’t possess the same invincibility as those seen in previous ROTLD movies, they’re much easier to dispatch with a few bullets to the head and usually die quickly from natural causes. It may take them some time for them to succumb, but that doesn’t make it any less gruesome for viewers.
If you’re in search of an entertaining night at the movies, look no further than this film. It boasts an engaging story, plenty of action sequences, and some impressive acting from its cast. If you enjoy horror films with some gore and nuance, then this could be a good option for your next evening out at the movies.
It’s a sequel
Fans of the Return of the Living Dead series may recognize Necropolis and its follow-up Rave to the Grave. Shot back-to-back in eastern Europe, these films served as direct-to-video sequels to each previous ROTLD installment.
Although Necropolis and its sequel Rave to the Grave may have been entertaining films to watch, they weren’t particularly good movies. While they lacked bloodshed, they were packed with tired cliches, stereotypes, and tropes that audiences had grown tired of seeing in previous films.
Thankfully, Rave to the Grave attempts to correct some of the shortcomings present in its predecessor. This sequel attempts to maintain continuity with ROTLD canon while injecting some humor into it as well.
The primary plot revolves around a group of college kids who have just discovered that an illegal drug, called “Z,” has turned them into zombies. This drug, sold widely around campus, causes them to take pills and start dozing off – only for their brains to start turning into the kind of rotting flesh typically associated with zombies in movies.
However, the drug turns out to be Trioxin. After some investigation, Julian and Jenny discover a room filled with several canisters of the substance. Desperate, they decide to test it out but are unprepared for what results may follow.
They soon realise the drug is getting out of hand, as children start turning into zombies one by one. This leads to Interpol agents bombing the party.
It’s not a great movie, but it doesn’t fall into the same pit as other ROTLD sequels like 4A or Necropolis either. This one takes on a more conventional tone compared to its two predecessors and even features Trioxin being administered to rats (not like 4A’s hobo banquet!).
Cody and Jeremy’s chemistry may not be as strong as in Necropolis, but it’s still quite entertaining nonetheless. These characters are both great actors, and it’s fun to watch them experiment with their newfound powers in an entertaining horror flick.
It’s a comedy
Rave to the grave is a comedy with an element of gore. It revolves around a drug called “Z,” which turns users into zombies. This potent substance was produced at a lab on campus and sold by unscrupulous drug dealer Skeet (Catalin Parschiv). At his ultimate Halloween party, Skeet uses this drug to seduce raver after raver.
Though the main story of this film revolves around the resurrection of a dead DJ, there are plenty of other aspects that make it worth watching. For one thing, there are numerous zombies dressed up in bizarre costumes like clowns, jesters, demons, warrior princesses, cowboys, disco dancers and knights – making for an entertaining watch!
Another notable aspect of the movie is its end credit scene. In it, Tarman attempts to hitchhike a ride but ends up dropping his sign when the driver stops and yells. Frustrated, he decides to walk instead of getting a ride.
Rave to the Grave is not only a hilarious movie, but it takes partying and club culture very seriously too. As such, it provides viewers with an enjoyable gateway drug that allows them to explore music, society, race, politics, identity and the history of electronic dance music in an entertaining yet educational manner.
It’s a horror movie
Rave to the grave is a zombie horror movie starring Peter Coyote, John Keefe, Cory Hardrict and Jenny Mollen. Directed by Ellory Elkayem, it follows in the footsteps of Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis.
One year after Necropolis, Charles Garrison (Peter Coyote) salvages canisters of Trioxin from Hybra Tech and sells one to a team of Russian government officials who plan to destroy it. When he tragically passes away, his nephew Julian (John Keefe) discovers the gas and begins investigating; unfortunately one of his friends decides to turn it into drug called Z which makes people feel like zombies.
Necropolis was far superior, though it still doesn’t do anything new. This movie has more camp appeal with plenty of topless women and it also contains some serious violence.
It also attempts to add comedy into the mix, but it doesn’t quite hit its mark. This type of comedy doesn’t quite fit with horror themes so it’s not particularly funny.
It’s an entertaining zombie movie that should satisfy most fans of the genre, though not the best in the series. Although not a must-watch, it does contain plenty of blood and gore so if you’re into horror movies then this might be worth checking out for fans of this subgenre. Additionally, there are some humorous moments throughout which should also be mentioned.
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