There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Breakfast Club Meets the Living Dead. The Harvard-potential geek (Jacob Zachar), horror-loving goth chick (Alexa Nikolas), popular cheerleader babe (Christa B. Allen), the cheerleader's bully jock star dumb-as-a-brick quarterback beau (Jayson Blair), jock quarterback's football pal (Max Adler), and the dope-head skateboarder (Justin Chon) all get detention and must try and survive a high school of zombie students and faculty. This is the zombie joke: a host of high school stereotypes pitted against halls and classrooms of the hungry, walking dead. There's even the expected "smoke dope and share" scene with indie music tunes underlying the absurd situation. There's the idealistic goth who doesn't pretend to be anything but herself surveying the rest and telling the dork that being your own individual instead of following the status quo is the way to go: it was obvious from the get-go she was the cool kid who many of the "misfits" and "rebels" respond to. The dork becomes the hero. The cheerleader realizes her jock boyfriend is a jerk and could do better while bitching about how "difficult it is to be popular". The pothead doesn't want the zombie crisis to damper his mood, opting for "chillaxing" instead of falling prey to the moody blues. There's a running sight gag of the decapitated head of the zombie detention teacher, with the pothead especially enjoying tormenting her. I guess there's only so many times I can see intestines jerked from stomachs or zombies munching on arms; the effect has just wore off. The film does have "ass munching"…that is a first for me as a zombie movie viewer. There is an American flag handle stabbed into the head of a zombie librarian. As you might expect, the cheerleader's skirt is jerked away with her running around in what's left of her skimpy uniform, lots of legs and bimbo tendencies. The goth has the hots for the geek but the geek has the hots for the cheerleader; eventually it all sorts itself out. There's the ventilation shaft attempted escape…undermined by a zombie rat! There's even a conversation between geek and cheerleader over why they cannot date. All of this playing out as all the teens and teachers they once knew are now trying to get at them and eat them! The pothead can't leave behind his pot and succumbs to the zombie rat (which, no matter how grotesque, looks like a hand puppet!). At least the cheerleader makes out with the geek...that's something right? There are scenes of legs, pencils, sports equipment, and books (!) used as weapons of defense! Christa B. Allen gets down to nothing but her undergarments and says, "I don't want to die a virgin." The geek gets to see her in bra and panties, allowed to cop a feel and get a kissy. Bodies go over the roof at the top of the building. The high school gym has plenty of "athlete zombies" perhaps bitten during PE. How does it all start? One teenager gets bit by some infected guy outside the school and brings it to the school where it all goes to hell. Simple way to get the ball rolling. There's some funny moments along the way, but after a while the zombie genre's "comic juice" is certain to be squeezed dry. The cast, though, gives the material their all. I especially liked Nikolas who sums up what she sees throughout realistically and pragmatically, all the while dressed in black with fish net stockings. This does stretch credibility to the max, but the zom-com is know for that.

Jacob Zachar is geeky Eddie. Alexa Nikolas is goth chick Willow. Christa B. Allen is cheerleader Janet. Jayson Blair is jerky Brad. Justin Chon is stoner Ash. Max Adler is meathead football player Jimmy.They are all stock characters being completely stereotypical. The big problem being that they are all too old to be in high school. This is especially true for Jacob Zachar. He's suppose to be a geeky weakling, and he looks more like a haggard teacher. In fact, the only one that could pass for a high schooler is Alexa Nikolas, and just barely.This is a weak effort from first time writer/director Alex Craig Mann. It's a derivative story of every other high school zombie movie. There is nothing new in the script or in the directing. Maybe he's trying to parody the whole genre by mocking it with a stupid weak Zombie Breakfast Club. But even a parody would add something new rather than just copying everything.

Do you remember all the typical garbage you had to deal with in high school? You had to wear the right clothes, hang out with the right crowd, and get all your homework done so you could pass. All those seem hard enough to handle. Now add to your laundry list of things to do "Escape from my fellow students who have turned into zombies." High School was bad enough before. Imagine having to attend "Detention of the Dead."A nerd, a jock, a cheerleader, a bully, a goth, and a stoner are stuck together in detention. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? It's just a typical afternoon in high school until ravenous zombies overtake the hallways. Now the motley crew of teens must put aside their differences in order to survive a terrifying night of the walking dead."Detention of the Dead" is exactly what it looks and sounds like. It's "The Breakfast Club" and "Night of the Living Dead" blended together. It's impressive how well Director/Co-Writer Alex Craig Mann takes a zombie apocalypse and uses it for the backdrop of a film about six high schoolers from different walks of life. Not only are they struggling to fight the stereotypes, but now they have to save themselves from being devoured by masses of teenage walking dead.There are several ways "Detention of the Dead" pays homage to "The Breakfast Club." Each of the characters here are basically updates of the ones in John Hughes' legendary film. At one point, the kids climb through the air ducts, just like Judd Nelson's character did in the classic 1980's film. No matter how tough Nelson's character was, he would have freaked out and ran in the other direction if he came face- to-face with these flesh-eaters.It's nice to see a movie where practical effects take front and center. Every scene of zombie carnage uses real props, giving the film a classic flavor sorely missing these days. The makeup for the living dead is good for the most part, with only a few missteps here and there when it comes to detail. This minor fault can be overlooked if you take into account how many people had to have makeup applied. Add to that the fact this is a low-budget flick shot in a small time frame.The cast of "Detention of the Dead" is an impressive mix of television and movie stars. Christa B. Allen of "Revenge" plays the cheerleader. "Greek's" Jacob Zachar portrays the nerd. Alexa Nikolas of "Zoey 101" and "The Walking Dead" takes on the role of the goth girl. Jayson Blair from "The Hard Times of RJ Berger" and "The New Normal" is the bully. "The Twilight Saga's" Justin Chon plays the stoner. Max Adler of "Glee" portrays the jock."Detention of the Dead" is unrated, but if put before the MPAA would be given an R. There's plenty of gore and bloody violence to satisfy bloodhounds. The language is what you would expect from a movie set in a high school. There's no nudity, but plenty of adult situations and sexual humor.Zombie films are a dime a dozen these days, and they're all preaching some type of serious social commentary. "Detention of the Dead" rises above the multitudes of "Night of the Living Dead" and "The Walking Dead" impersonators by injecting a dose of comedy and relatable characters to the recipe. Everybody went to high school and they all fell into one of the social circles represented in the movie. The only difference here is that viewers probably didn't have run-ins with zombies stumbling through the hallways. Okay, I'm not counting the potheads or druggies shuffling by as you ran to class before the tardy bell rings.

I caught an early screening of Detention of the Dead a few months ago in LA. This is a very funny and engaging take on the zombie-comedy genre by director Alex Craig Mann. I enjoyed the performances, mainly Jacob Zachar's as the nerdy guy fighting the zombie apocalypse and still finding time to win over the popular cheerleader's heart. Alexa Nicholas and Justin Chon also stand out among the cast members. The movie does not take itself too seriously but it's a great popcorn flick. This is the kind of movie that provides entertainment by following a simple but effective storyline (Breakfast Club meets Dawn of the Dead)and some memorable scenes. It only gets a 9 because I'd love to see more of that rat.