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Dance of the Dead (Masters of Horror episode)
Encyclopedia
Dance of the Dead is the third episode of the first season of Masters of Horror
. It originally aired in North America
on November 11, 2005. Richard Christian Matheson
adapted the episode from a short story of the same name by his father, Richard Matheson
. Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan
scored this episode.
called "Blizz". They used this weapon in local weather patterns in the United States
. As it falls from the sky, it will instantly burn any living thing it touches. At her seventh birthday party, young Peggy (Emily Graham) watched as her friends were killed by Blizz.
Ten years later, America has been ravaged by the effects of World War III
. The death count continues to rise in this dark and bleak future and some states simply no longer exist. Peggy (Jessica Lowndes
) is now a teenager, ignorant of the world outside of her mother's diner. She has lost both her father and her sister, Anna, and now depends on her mother, Kate (Marilyn Norry
). One day, Peggy meets biker/drug addict Jak (Jonathan Tucker
) and his two "friends", junkies Boxx (Ryan McDonald
) and Celia (Lucie Guest). The three are into some shady dealings with a nightclub called The Doom Room, located in the town of Muskeet.
Kate warns Peggy that "everything the people of Muskeet do is a goddamn trick", and although she's afraid to disobey her mother, Peggy sneaks out with Jak in the middle of the night to the Doom Room with Boxx and Celia. Muskeet, as it appears, is completely ravaged and the home to ravagers, sociopathic bikers, and teenagers. The Doom Room is a heavy metal
bar run by an MC played by Robert Englund
. As Peggy and Celia watch the band Decree perform, Boxx and Jak go behind the stage to perform a business deal with the MC. They trade him packets of blood, for what has yet to be revealed. The MC promises that he will pay them if their product is good enough for the next "performance". If not, he'll make them eat it.
Back at Peggy's house, Kate awakens to find that she is not there, and instinctively knows that she's in Muskeet.
At that point, Peggy witnesses what the performance is. The MC has collected victims of Blizz who suffer from a medical abnormality where they still stand even after they've died. This condition was first discovered in the battlegrounds of the war. They are then pumped with blood and forced to dance, and those who don't move are shocked with electric prods. Peggy watches in horror as the MC brings out her own sister, Anna (Melena Ronnis).
When Anna falls off the stage, Peggy and Jak take her away from the Doom Room, to be followed by the MC and one of his goons. Peggy and Jak meet up with Kate where the MC sheds some light on how he came to "own" Anna. When she was still alive, Anna was just like the other teenagers in Muskeet, and Kate was sick of having to drag her out of the Doom Room every weekend. Then Anna overdosed on drugs, so Kate decided to sell her to the MC, and she was apparently still alive.
Kate is beaten down and tries to explain to Peggy that she sold Anna because they had nothing. Angered at what her mother did, Peggy trades her for Anna. In the end, Peggy becomes another Muskeet style teenager, and watches as Kate's corpse is beaten with electric rods and forced to dance in the Doom Room. Momentarily, Kate's face flashes from that of her corpse to an evil version of her snarling at the viewer menacingly.
Masters of Horror
Masters of Horror is an informal social group of international film writers and directors specializing in horror movies and an American television series created by director Mick Garris for the Showtime cable network.- Origin :...
. It originally aired in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on November 11, 2005. Richard Christian Matheson
Richard Christian Matheson
Richard Christian Matheson is an American writer of horror fiction and screenplays. He is the author of the short story collections Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks and Dystopia; the novel Created By; and the screenplay for the Showtime Masters of Horror installments Dance of the Dead and...
adapted the episode from a short story of the same name by his father, Richard Matheson
Richard Matheson
Richard Burton Matheson is an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is perhaps best known as the author of What Dreams May Come, Bid Time Return, A Stir of Echoes, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and I Am Legend, all of which have been...
. Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
scored this episode.
Plot
In 2008, terrorists developed a biological weaponBiological warfare
Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
called "Blizz". They used this weapon in local weather patterns in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As it falls from the sky, it will instantly burn any living thing it touches. At her seventh birthday party, young Peggy (Emily Graham) watched as her friends were killed by Blizz.
Ten years later, America has been ravaged by the effects of World War III
World War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
. The death count continues to rise in this dark and bleak future and some states simply no longer exist. Peggy (Jessica Lowndes
Jessica Lowndes
Jessica Lowndes is a Canadian actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Adrianna Tate-Duncan on TV series 90210.-Personal life:Jessica Suzanne Lowndes was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
) is now a teenager, ignorant of the world outside of her mother's diner. She has lost both her father and her sister, Anna, and now depends on her mother, Kate (Marilyn Norry
Marilyn Norry
Marilyn Norry is a Canadian actress performing on stage across Canada and in films and television around the world. Her credits include The L-Word, Flight 93, and Stargate SG-1.-External links:...
). One day, Peggy meets biker/drug addict Jak (Jonathan Tucker
Jonathan Tucker
Jonathan Moss Tucker is an American film and television actor, best known for his roles in the movies The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hostage, In the Valley of Elah and The Ruins, and The Black Donnellys on television....
) and his two "friends", junkies Boxx (Ryan McDonald
Ryan McDonald
Ryan James McDonald is a Canadian actor born 5 August 1984 in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. He is sometimes mistakenly credited as Ryan MacDonald.-Filmography:* "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" * "Terry"...
) and Celia (Lucie Guest). The three are into some shady dealings with a nightclub called The Doom Room, located in the town of Muskeet.
Kate warns Peggy that "everything the people of Muskeet do is a goddamn trick", and although she's afraid to disobey her mother, Peggy sneaks out with Jak in the middle of the night to the Doom Room with Boxx and Celia. Muskeet, as it appears, is completely ravaged and the home to ravagers, sociopathic bikers, and teenagers. The Doom Room is a heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
bar run by an MC played by Robert Englund
Robert Englund
Robert Barton Englund is an American actor, voice-actor and director, best known for playing the fictional serial killer Freddy Krueger, in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. He received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors in...
. As Peggy and Celia watch the band Decree perform, Boxx and Jak go behind the stage to perform a business deal with the MC. They trade him packets of blood, for what has yet to be revealed. The MC promises that he will pay them if their product is good enough for the next "performance". If not, he'll make them eat it.
Back at Peggy's house, Kate awakens to find that she is not there, and instinctively knows that she's in Muskeet.
When Anna falls off the stage, Peggy and Jak take her away from the Doom Room, to be followed by the MC and one of his goons. Peggy and Jak meet up with Kate where the MC sheds some light on how he came to "own" Anna. When she was still alive, Anna was just like the other teenagers in Muskeet, and Kate was sick of having to drag her out of the Doom Room every weekend. Then Anna overdosed on drugs, so Kate decided to sell her to the MC, and she was apparently still alive.
Kate is beaten down and tries to explain to Peggy that she sold Anna because they had nothing. Angered at what her mother did, Peggy trades her for Anna. In the end, Peggy becomes another Muskeet style teenager, and watches as Kate's corpse is beaten with electric rods and forced to dance in the Doom Room. Momentarily, Kate's face flashes from that of her corpse to an evil version of her snarling at the viewer menacingly.
Cast
- Jonathan TuckerJonathan TuckerJonathan Moss Tucker is an American film and television actor, best known for his roles in the movies The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hostage, In the Valley of Elah and The Ruins, and The Black Donnellys on television....
as Jak - Jessica LowndesJessica LowndesJessica Lowndes is a Canadian actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Adrianna Tate-Duncan on TV series 90210.-Personal life:Jessica Suzanne Lowndes was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
as Peggy - Ryan McDonaldRyan McDonaldRyan James McDonald is a Canadian actor born 5 August 1984 in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. He is sometimes mistakenly credited as Ryan MacDonald.-Filmography:* "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" * "Terry"...
as Boxx - Marilyn NorryMarilyn NorryMarilyn Norry is a Canadian actress performing on stage across Canada and in films and television around the world. Her credits include The L-Word, Flight 93, and Stargate SG-1.-External links:...
as Kate - Lucie Guest as Celia
- Robert EnglundRobert EnglundRobert Barton Englund is an American actor, voice-actor and director, best known for playing the fictional serial killer Freddy Krueger, in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. He received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors in...
as The M.C.
External links
- Review for Dance of the Dead at Dread Central