Dance or Die

My review was written in May 1988 after watching the movie on City Lights video cassette.

The bluntly titled "Dance or Die" is a by-the-numbers made-for-video feature with unconvincing plot devices.

Ray Kieffer plays Jason Chandler, a Las Vegas choreographer working on a big show who is threatened by drug magnates after his pal Allan, a drug dealer, is blown away together with numerous guests at a party at Chandler's home.

Chandler is being helped, Alcoholics Anonymous-style, o onqur hi own drug dependency by older woman buddy Kaye. He becomes romantically involved with a beautiful blonde, Laurie, whom he meets in a supermarket, but she turns out to be a federal narcotics agent. Pic climaxes with a bloody shootout and chase nearby to the premiere performanc of Chandler's dance show.

Acting is listless but choe4roegrahy by Minnie Madden is adquate. As with nearly all City Lights Home Video productions, the makeup effects by Judy Yonemoto tend to dominate the rest of the film, with slow-motion photography of dozens of exploding blood packs becoming strictly overkill. The contrast of the "real" blood w ith the fake blood packs of Chandler's dance numbers is overly contrived. Title song is silly, as is an inspirational coda to the story.