The score to greet our ears from composer John Gonzales, the otherwise soundtrack, and original song "Night of our lives"; the costume design, hair, and makeup: it's evident from the outset that 'Death by dialogue' aims to adopt the same aesthetics as its 80s genre kin. That quite extends to how characters are written, and the awful dialogue, among other facets. What the movie cannot claim, however, are the same production values, for the fundamental image of this 1988 flick more closely resembles home video, or public access television, than a theatrical release. The sound design is tinny, and please don't miss the insertion of a rock band into the picture, as if this were a music video on MTV. Then again - after all, this is a Troma film, so I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. I'm not saying it's outright rotten, because that's not true, but from the very start it's something that one can "watch" without actively engaging, and to be honest it kind of encourages that method all by itself.
The practical effects are perhaps a tad modest stood next to those of other contemporary fare, but they still look good enough; the stunts are more plainly admirable. The same quite goes for the art direction. Thomas Dewier's direction, and the acting, aren't exactly the top of the line, but if nothing else, I've certainly seen worse. The broad concept is definitely one that we've seen before - a piece of media, in this case a film script, that causes death and destruction around it - and have again since, but there's no rule that says other filmmakers can't explore their own renditions of an idea. The details of the writing that flesh out that concept, included but not limited to how the script in this instance came into being, are much more questionable; the plot feels a little thin, stretching to make itself work. Some specific moments are extra dubious, like a dream sequence that fills a few minutes in the latter half. Be that as it may, I think the end result is still suitably solid, and I see the hard work that all involved put into the final product.
Still, however much earnest effort was being applied, the fact remains that 'Death by dialogue' is just kind of weak. Though some aspects are much less sure-footed, I don't think anything here is altogether bad; rather, it's just that nothing here bears enough strength - not even in combination - to really make an especially good impression. It never attains the vibrancy to be distinctly striking, is never discretely fun enough to meaningfully come off as a lark like some of its more cheeky brethren, and is probably longer than it should've been. The feature just somewhat languishes in the unremarkable middle - mildly enjoyable, but not entirely convincing, and with shortcomings more evident than any major value. I wonder if I'm not being too harsh; on the other hand, maybe I'm being too generous. I think it's still passably worthwhile as something very light to have on in the background on a lazy day, something that neither requires nor inspires viewer investment. Suffice to say, however, that if you're looking for something more wholehearted and committed, more thrilling, or more impactful, you're best served by passing up 'Death by dialogue' and looking elsewhere.
