Dead Frequency (2010) User Reviews

Oh dear, oh dear.

[Craigix · 2/10 · 27 February 2011]

Why oh why do people think they have what it takes to make films without any professional training? It's horribly clear from watching this film that they had no idea about lighting, depth of field, lenses, sound capture or even direction, I probably don't need to mention acting - just watch the trailer.

Another embarrassing northern amateur film which really does give the amateur scene a bad name. The fact they set up a premier locally and presented this as a quality film is astonishing. It was, to say the least, awkward.

I also suspect that people involved in this film have posted reviews on this site, it just makes it all the more cringe worthy.

Please don't encourage this 'director' to made anymore rubbish.

He needs to go back to his day job, and yes, I'm quite sure he has one and I'm most certain that it has nothing to do with making movies.

Pretty dire

[useme_88 · 1/10 · 20 February 2011]

Although directed well, which makes me feel slightly bad about giving it a 1 out of 10, the acting for the majority of the film was awful.

The leading lady looked out of depth, and generally possessed little charisma or ability at portraying her role. 5 of us began watching the film, 2 walked out and 1 fell asleep.

A shame considering it is a local film. I wanted to enjoy this film, but ended up hating it. I will however keep my eye out for more films by Rob, as he seems to have a good eye for directing, however was let down by some (not all) of the cast.

Perhaps more time perfecting the role, and less time bragging on Twitter about how great the leading lady thinks she is could improve the film!

Awful film, awful Directing and diabolical acting.

[davidmason1963 · 1/10 · 24 February 2011]

This is probably one of the worst independent films ever made. The acting is stale, the story is absolute rubbish and the Direction isn't terribly good either.

Good Points: The end credits, so I could leave this awful film.

Bad Points: Direction, acting, story, camera, style, sound, script.

Not recommended. At all.

Stay well clear. Don;t even watch it for free, it's a disgrace to Newcastle and UK Independent film making.

Hopefully this Direction makes no more films.

1/10

A Vampire Film??? That Definitely Sucked, Literally

[thecriticopinion · 1/10 · 22 May 2017]

Synopsis: Something to do with vampires and a radio station.

Another amateur film gone wrong and you can tell it is truly amateur, if you can call it that. The story is strange and wondered if I was watching the right film. I was told it was a vampire film, but it took over an hour to get to that point.

The acting is so bad and wooden I've seen less wood in a forest. Whoever edited it should be shot. One scene was a fight scene about halfway through if I remember correctly where a gang attacked the main heroin (played by Marshall) outside a youth club. One of the gang swings a baseball bat and it feels like he does it for hours. Another scene shows someone sitting cutting grass with small scissors like you would use for cutting toenails. Pointless.

Story loses its plot and is badly written as well as directed, which might be causing the bad acting, but I think it could be both.

If anyone says they honestly like this film, I'd be shocked. The only people that would like this are family, friends, cast and crew of Mr Burrows. Id rather vampires sucked the life out of me than watch this again. It really is truly awful. Believe the bad reviews not the good. This wont do anyone's career any good.

A one to put in your give a miss book. Up their with The Room and Birdemic and in the top ten worst films for sure. Should be renamed Dead Boring.

Very disappointing

[critique1 · 1/10 · 4 March 2011]

I am a huge film fan, especially independent films. So when I heard that this film was shot in and around my local area, I was excited to see it. I had heard a lot of build up about the film (as I found out later, pretty much all of it was from certain cast members).

When I finally got to see it, I was hugely disappointed. I was shocked at how poor some of the acting was by certain cast members, and the overall script lacked quality, depth, and structure.

It was also quite obvious that the editing was done by a beginner, rather than someone who knows what they are doing - this shows throughout the film.

I don't really have anything positive to say about the film, I would seriously advise people to stay clear of this one!

Not perfect but surprisingly good.

[dewhurstjane9 · 8/10 · 26 February 2011]

I gave this 8/10. I based this on the idea that a standard run-of-the-mill film would be 5/10. The acting was about the same, i.e. average. I added one for the creative filming making 6/10 (the Newcastle by night scenes were really good). It has been put together well, the editing was above average (better than just cutting from one to another as they speak, it seemed they were more interested in catching expression and responses) so I added one (7/10). Finally the music – I loved the ballads, so gave it another one making 8/10.

Other than this, the story had twists and was worth following – but average for a typical feature. A dark sense of humour came across, I liked this although at first I was not sure if it was supposed to be funny or not, but the humour was well measured and combined with drama. I did not make any special allowance for it being low budget as I am not interested in how something was made – I only care what it looks like (in fact it did not look that low budget).

I would watch it again and am waiting to get it on DVD – mainly for the music though.

It is nice to see the actors in this moving on to more.

[murphyhazel · 10/10 · 5 March 2011]

As a friend of one of the cast I think it will be great when this film has been seen by a wider audience and we can move away from the local and very silly comments made towards the actors allegedly based on having seen it at it UK Charity Premiere. I say allegedly because we all know that low voting happened daily in the week before it was even seen here.

This film would not have had official selection an international film festival if half the drivel that has been written about it on this site was true. Another point to consider, the real actors, the ones in the movie and I call it that as it has been in a cinema, are moving on. I am looking forward to seeing some them in other stage and film productions in future. All I can say is good film, good acting and well done!

A film to sink your teeth into

[ukterror3000 · 10/10 · 25 January 2011]

what a knock out film the director is amazing and the acting is great it is so nice to see a Brit film that is done so well , i have had the pleasure to meet the cast and they were all brilliant i cant wait for the next film which i know will be sensational. without giving to much away it's a romantic thriller with a twist a film you can really sink your teeth into. this is a film with a real cult quality to it it leaves you wanting to see a dead frequency two which i think would have a hard time to top the first. i would be great to see rob burrows try though i can imagine the results would be out standing.!!! the music is great in it it sets the mood though out and captures the moment really well. it shows the city of Newcastle in a great light and makes the town seems dark and mysterious. now it's out in movies i hope it does well everyone involved in the film is great i was lucky enough to have a preview of the film it is a must see better than i could have ever imagined it to be ,

Some will love it, some will hate it.

[williams8712345 · 10/10 · 22 February 2011]

It is easy to see why some may hate this film. It is different to any vampire film I have ever seen, but for me this makes it a gem. It has sought to evolve the vampire genre to a new level. The story grows gradually and the interpersonal dynamics in a vampire setting may be wasted on some while providing intrigue and depth that others will revel in. Add in the dark humour, oh, and did I mention an enchanting soundtrack and something tells me that its appeal has just widened.

Not the sulky superhuman vampire now so often now portrayed, but three dimensional characters with very real issues. Although there are some special effects the vampire theme was played down and the human aspects were played up. This gives it substance but may alienate those looking for gore and escapism. The cinematography, particularly impressive in places gave Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and truly existential look and feel.

The leading character Emily – portrayed a certain innocent naivety and vulnerability, while showing a tough side with bite. Sam is a deeper character but harder to read. Both performances reveal actors with a promise of more to come. The film is different because it echoes the lives of real people in contemporary Britain. Take powerful emotions and a dark humour, interleave these with topical issues that concern the undead and you are someway to understanding the triumph of originality that the writer and director has conjured.

The acting is frequently strong and the film espouses an original style that makes it stand out from the plethora of standard vampire theme offerings that flood the market. Very few films have come out of the North East of England. You can count them on half a hand. It has been a neglected area, frowned upon as under-achieving and suffering deprivation.

I hope that there are more original films like this to come and that dowdy image of the North East will be further challenged and finally defeated. This is Rob Burrows first film and the fact that it went straight into the cinema suggests that it has a substance to be reckoned with. I hope Rob stays in the North East to make many more. But then, looking at the talent he has found in abundance and the international acclaim already achieved with his first offering, why wouldn't he?

If you like watching locally produced films, well worth viewing

[FieldMouse1 · 8/10 · 27 February 2011]

I don't usually add reviews to these kind of sites, but having seen the film and read some of the other reviews, I felt compelled to do so.

I enjoyed this film, which I thought was a good effort for something that was produced on a low budget. I think it deserves credit across the board for the the production and in particular for the way that it showed the city of Newcastle.

I did not watch the film at the cinema, however I wish I had. As a first film, I thought it was a great effort and I thought that much of the acting was pretty good. Film for me is about enjoyment and escapism, and I certainly enjoyed watching it.

If you are intending to view this film (or any other like it) you have to remember it is not a 'blockbuster' but a locally produced and self-funded production. It's rare to see film making in this part of the country and I thought this film did a great job of showcasing a less-seen part of the UK.

The profits from this film were also all donated to charity, which I think is really to be encouraged. The cast and crew should hold their heads up and be very proud of creating a genuinely enjoyable movie.

An enjoyable film

[deborahatkins24 · 10/10 · 27 February 2011]

I don't make a habit of writing reviews, but I wanted to for this film. It is so unusual to have a film made in the North East by local people and we see this as our local film.

It was very exciting to see a local film made here. We loved watching out for the landmarks and trying to see where it had been filmed.

I watched this with my movie buddy. We both thought it was fun and enjoyable. The storyline, acting and music were all good. It was also very funny in places so all in all we had a very enjoyable evening.

I hope that this is a sign of thing to come and that there will be more made up here.

It was much better than either of us imagined

[Betty-Timpson · 10/10 · 27 February 2011]

We expected this to look a bit amateur. We knew it was a locally made film by local people as it had been all over the news. To be honest we thought it was getting hyped only because it was local. When we saw it we were really surprised. It was much better than either of us imagined and we can both see what all the fuss was about. It was amazing to see a locally made British film. This sort of this is so unusual up in the North East. It was great think that people from the area had made this happen. It was an uplifting experience. We shall certainly be watching out to see what happens to it in future, and to see what might come next.

Justice For Vampires!!!

[alankentgorg · 10/10 · 12 April 2014]

If you like your genres and sub-genres mixed, this cocktail is definitely for you. The problems of addiction mix with the supernatural in the day- to-day life in a communications corporation.

And romance and law enforcement mix with working on productions in a network studio.

Not to mention, vampires for heroes, law enforcement villains.

The horrors and guilt from their bloody atrocities haunt a vampire clan, driving them to hide and live in human disguise to atone for their past and seek a better future, but the government blocks their reform, counters with more savagery than any enraged monster. Definitely a crazy world for a comedy.

A very original take on a vampire theme!

[cath_zoe_hill · 10/10 · 23 November 2013]

This is a British film that should enjoy a .wide audience. It was one of the funniest and most original films I have seen this year. It tells the story of a vampire clan who are dealing with real-world and very human issues, while dealing with an emergent threat to their way of life - and very existence. The vampire film has been interwoven with a drama that has some almost slapstick moments as well as parody. It is funny in a number of ways as well as showing the dark side of the human condition. To slot it into a vampire genre is challenging as it resists this is an almost inexplicable way as the human aspects are at the forefront. Don't watch it for vampire action or you will be disappointed. If you approach it with a broadminded approach and understand that the humour has a sophisticated yet surreal quality you will enjoy it more. It is a film that if watched in the company of others may assure an hysterical and entertaining evening. Don't be put of by the trolls reviews: In my experience the nonsense they write says much more about the writer than the film that is the target of their acrimony and any film that achieves both festival screenings and release as this one has must have some merit.

One of the best black comedies I have seen

[mattburrows1 · 10/10 · 23 November 2013]

This is certainly not your average vampire movie. The the humour also works on a number of levels and in places it is exceedingly funny. The underlying issues are things that a lot of people will identify with so this is a real world take on life. It addresses the sort of themes that could be a disaster when combined to achieve a comedy effect, but it has been written, directed and acted in such a way that this has been successfully done. The emphasis is on a vampire clan who suffer from human emotions and will do almost anything to remain below the radar. I particularly liked the confession sequence where one goes for confession with a roman catholic priest.

Dark and funny? Yep!

[ranch700 · 10/10 · 8 April 2014]

This is very different, which is a great thing. The vampire thing has been done to death, so anytime someone can take on the subject of vampires and manage to tackle it from a unique and original perspective, they deserve a lot of kudos! That is definitely the case here. The focuses on some real life drama such as alcoholism and depression.....but it's funny too! I think you can categorize this as a black comedy of sorts. This sort of thing is very difficult to pull off, but they are able to do it here. Something to note here, even though this is a movie about vampires, don't expect your traditional vampire stylings. Again, this is an original take on things. If you're looking for the same old thing, you'll be disappointed. If you want something different, here you go.

Very original, funny and dark.

[mottram-alison · 10/10 · 27 November 2013]

I don't usually bother to review films. I wanted to mention some things about this one though. I work at our local university and it there was a screening at our cinema. We do that with films, especially where there is something unusual or cutting about them and where they are not mainstream. We like stuff that is not run of the mill. A drama with serious issues in which the people are actually vampires seemed to fit the bill. We came across this one as we had heard about it being shown at another university in the north of the UK and it had gone down well there. We were all is stitches watching it. Hilarious or what! I don't know how to describe it really. The funny side is there all through, sometimes it is so deep you have a job realising it. The main play of the story are the relationships between the clan and the vampire ingredient is played down, almost taboo, something they just have to live with like a stigma. It was more real life than anything you would normally see vampires in and very original.