Michael Ledo During the zombie apocalypse, Charlie (Joe Belknap) in Toledo, tries to meet up with his girlfriend (Mary Lindberg) in Wausau, Wisconsin. He travels with some folks, they meet some people along the way. Charlie isn't wrapped tight. The film was too low budget for us to see any infected people outside of their pants leg.The film was boring. The most exciting part was the September calendar with 31 days on it. I thought the film was going to go somewhere other than straight down the tubes. While traveling, Charlie has a bunch of boring meaningless flashbacks, to make us wonder why we are still watching this.Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity. Realistic couple from the UP. They were boring too.

Scott LeBrun This is fairly effective raw and stripped-down genre filmmaking. The people behind "Dead Weight" decide to focus on the human element, presumably not having the wherewithal to stage elaborate set pieces, or construct lots of makeup effects. It's likely not going to appeal to the majority of horror fans, due to this de-emphasis on action and gore. But the writers / directors, Adam Bartlett and John Pata, get excellent use out of some great rural Wisconsin locations, and the acting, while expectedly not that polished, is reasonably convincing.The script moves between different points in time, often flashing back to happier moments from our two main characters' lives. Charlie Russell (Joe Belknap) is a young man who receives word from ex-girlfriend Samantha MacReady (Mary Lindberg) that all of a sudden an apocalyptic viral outbreak is under way. Charlie hooks up with a select few survivors, including Meredith (Michelle Courvais) and Thomas (Aaron Christensen), to make a trek through the Wisconsin woods to rendezvous with Samantha. (Supposedly, the woods are safer than the cities)."Dead Weight" is a quiet film, no doubt about that, that may admittedly test the patience of viewers conditioned to quicker pacing, louder volume, and more action. But at its core it's an effective little mood piece with some impressive atmosphere and a resonant main theme of trust issues in times of crisis.Belknap and Lindberg are likable in the lead roles, receiving fine support from their supporting players Christensen, Courvais, Sam Lenz (as Dustin), and Jess Ader (as Drew). Steve Herson as Harrison does a pretty engaging job of getting out what little exposition there is.Travis Auclair handles the lighting duties and does a good job; Nicholas Elert similarly delivers the goods with his music score.All in all, this is pretty good modern indie horror.Seven out of 10.

Woodyanders Charlie Russell (an excellent and convincing performance by Joe Belknap) embarks on a perilous pilgrimage across a harsh zombie-infested wasteland so he can be reunited with his girlfriend Samantha (a winningly spunky portrayal by Mary Lindberg). During his journey Charlie encounters dangerous fellow survivors -- a run-in with a trio of lecherous rednecks rates a definite chilling highlight -- and struggles with his own burgeoning appetite for violence.Writers/directors Adam Bartlett and John Pata relate the gripping story at a deliberate pace, maintain a bleak tone throughout, make the most out of the desolate wintry landscape, and present a deeply disturbing portrait of the breakdown of civilization that brings out the absolute worst in mankind. Moreover, a welcome and refreshing human element gives this picture extra depth and pathos, with Charlie's gradual degeneration into complete savagery in particular providing this movie with an extra potent and unsettling edge. The sound acting by an able cast keep this film humming: Belknap and Lindberg do sterling work in the leads, with sturdy support from Aaron Christensen as the rugged Thomas, Sam Lenz as the easygoing Dustin, Michelle Courvais as the feisty Meredith, and Jess Adar as the jittery Drew. The downbeat ending packs a devastating punch. Kudos are also in order for Thomas Auclair's crisp cinematography and Nicholas Elert's spare moody score. A worthy fright feature.

Tristan Retzlaff I had the pleasure of being able to attend the premiere screening among a small intimate crowd at the Time Community Theater in Oshkosh, WI.The movie, well, where to begin. I have nothing but love for this movie. It takes me back to when movies were not filled with huge amounts of special effects, but were great because of the story, because of the actors and their performances. This to me is what makes Dead Weight a great movie. It touches on many nerves, it hits you in the gut and in the head with it's thoughtful but truthful portrayal of a man who will do anything and everything to keep a promise to make it to his destination.It's not a long movie, it actually feels much longer I believe because of the depth in which the story unfolds.In the end, I was left wanting. Wanting to know more of the characters and the world that exists in Dead Weight. If you a Walking Dead fan, you know what I mean, it is as if, as soon as one episode is done, you are excited for more! Lastly, even though it only has been a couple of weeks since seeing it. I already want to see it again. Time to buy the DVD.