Rating: 
Summary: Early O'Bannon Work Promises More than It Delivers
Review: Having penned or co-authored such cinematic genre greats as the early John Carpenter film DARK STAR (1974), the 1979 blockbuster ALIEN, the popular Schwarzenegger vehicle TOTAL RECALL (1990), and the venerated cult horror comedy THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985), writer/filmmaker Dan O'Bannon has a résumé that should leave any fan of SF or horror cinema awestruck. And with such an impressive background, seeing O'Bannon's name in a film's credits tacitly promises top-notch filmic storytelling. DEAD AND BURIED (1981) is a case in point. Indeed, one of the original advertising taglines for the film declared, "The writers of ALIEN bring a new terror to earth." That was when O'Bannon's reputation rested on DARK STAR and ALIEN alone; use of the tagline now on the DVD release of DEAD AND BURIED evokes additional cinematic experience that implicitly promises much more than it did in 1981. Alas, that promise goes largely unfulfilled.The film's basic story goes like this: Visitors to the little coastal town of Potter's Bluff are being brutally murdered, and if that's not bad enough, Sheriff Dan Gillis begins to realize that the new residents that keep popping up in town each bear an uncanny resemblance to the various murder victims! Few of the other townsfolk seem at all concerned about the Sheriff's observations, and it isn't long before he feels as if the entire population of the town, save himself, are involved in some sort of bizarre conspiracy. As he get closer and closer to solving the murders, he comes to the realization that his once-cozy little hometown harbors a dark secret.... The concept of DEAD AND BURIED--that the residents of a small, cozy little town conspire to hide their nasty little secret--is very cliché and was even when the film was made in 1981, so it is surprising that this was co-authored by the same Dan O'Bannon that, as mentioned above, had previously penned such new and refreshing stories as the hilarious SF satire DARK STAR and the highly revered ALIENS. Though the film does have a few genuinely scary moments, including a few that actually make the viewer jump, the overall plot has as many holes as a piece of natural Swiss cheese. And the "twist" ending, in which Shariff Gillis makes a "surprising" discovery about himself, really makes no logical sense at all. The real problem with the material is that it takes itself too seriously. Perhaps if O'Bannon and co-writer/producer Ronald Shusett had taken the same tongue-in-cheek approach that O'Bannon assumed later for his THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, some of the holes in this plot would have disappeared or, at the very least, could have been easily hidden behind a well-placed laugh or two. As for the acting, DEAD AND BURIED offers sort of a mixed bag. In spite of the mediocre material, character actor Jack Albertson, in one of his last roles, does an outstanding job as Dobbs the undertaker. You can see the twinkle in his eye each time he delivers an outrageous over-the-top line, which only serves to support the idea that this should've been written as a comedy or satire. Some of the others do a pretty good job, including the usually gruff Farentino's turn as Sheriff Gillis, but many of the performances by the supporting cast are, to put it simply, downright awful. The film does have its good points, however. Besides the few genuine scares, the make-up effects by Stan Winston are pretty cool (as is usually the case with Mr. Winston's work), and the music by veteran "horror scorer" Joe Renzetti is genuinely creepy and helps to create an eerie atmosphere. In addition, there is the notable appearance of Robert Englund, horror's Freddy Krueger, in a very minor early role. And on top of that, the film offers a great, though brief, topless shot of the gorgeous Lisa Blount (1982's AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN). The DVD from Blue Underground offers a supplementary disc that is actually more incentive for buying the 2-disc set than the movie itself. It features a cool featurette with revered make-up designer Stan Winston, a second featurette with actor Robert Englund (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET's Freddy Krueger), and a third featurette with Dan O'Bannon. DEAD AND BURIED is not a horrible movie, but its not a great one, either, as it promises much more than it delivers. Hardcore horror fans may be interested in the flick because of its place in the catalog of Dan O'Bannon's work and because of the contributions that make-up expert Stan Winston made to the film. And as stated before, the bonus material on Blue Underground's DVD actually justifies the cost, especially to true horror fans. But casual visitors to the realm of cinematic horror are advised to steer clear.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Bad, But Not Good, Either
Review: I bought this DVD blind based on all the great reviews it gets. Well, unless you are a diehard fan of this film I can't see needing to own it. I watched it twice. The first time was kinda cool, but it didn't hold up well on repeated viewings. The story is OK, a twist on the zombie genre, and the very dated effects weren't bad for their time. The acting is uneven, Farentino hams it up to the point of ridiculous. Jack Albertson is alright.
The movie just doesn't have enough going for it to warrant seeing it many times.
The picture quality is pretty bad, too. I'm sure the source print was in rough shape, but good luck actually seeing anything in the movie, it's very dark and grainy.
Having 4 audio options is pointless, you can barely tell the difference between them.
The commentary is fun, once. The second disc is worth a look, once.
All in all, I am dissapointed in this DVD. I plan to sell it back.
I would recommend you rent it first, unless you are a James Farentino completeist, of which there can't be many.
Rating: 
Summary: Loved it!
Review: I don't think it's any secret that I love horror films. As regular readers of my reviews can attest to--all one or two of them--I watch an enormous number of these types of films. Most of them are, frankly, terrible. That goes for both high and low budget celluloid monstrosities and the plethora of shot on video dreckfests currently plaguing the market. I've seen so many horrible horror movies that I should have built up a tolerance to them years ago. Well, I haven't. The emotional and physical impact of a bad movie is just as destructive as it was when I saw my first bad film. Fortunately, I didn't have any problems with Gary Sherman's wonderful 1981 release "Dead and Buried." I'm familiar with the director's work on such memorable pictures as "Raw Meat" as well as his forgettable stuff like "Poltergeist III." "Dead and Buried" is his best film, at least when compared to these two works. It's a zombie film, in a way, but unlike any other zombie film I've seen. Forget about Romero's social statements or Fulci's over the top gore. While Sherman's film does have a few cringe inducing moments, "Dead and Buried" is a whole other ball of wax entirely.
The town of Potter's Bluff seems like your typical scenic seaside villa. When a photographer turns up to take some nice pictures on the beach, he runs into a blonde woman who convinces him to take some photographs of her. Oh dear. While under this woman's spell, the photographer fails to notice a bunch of townspeople zeroing in on him. Next thing he knows, he's tied up to a post with rope surrounded by a sinister looking group of Potter's Bluff's finest. "Welcome to Potter's Bluff" grumbles one of the townspeople as the gang douses the photographer in gasoline and lights him up. Flash forward a few hours to a horrific car crash on the outskirts of town. A burning automobile and a terribly burned body brings in Potter's Bluff Sheriff Dan Gillis (James Farentino) and the local doctor who doubles as the coroner, the elderly G. Williams Dobbs (Jack Albertson). Incredibly, the driver of the car is still alive, and we soon discover that it's the very same photographer we met at the beginning of the film. Oddly, Dobbs claims that the guy driving the car was probably burned before the accident. Is there a killer on the loose in Potter's Bluff?
You bet there is, but not in the way you would think. As Sheriff Gillis investigates the mysterious circumstances behind the photographer's accident, he slowly starts to uncover information about Potter's Bluff that would make anyone's skin crawl. For instance, he runs into increasing resistance to his inquiries from both Dobbs and various townspeople (including a young Robert Englund and television character actor Barry Corbin). Gillis's wife Janet (Melody Anderson) also starts acting in a way that plants dark seeds of suspicion in Dan's mind. Although he never noticed it before, the town of Potter's Bluff is just, well, weird. People passing through town tend to disappear under suspicious circumstances, but that's not all. Gillis eventually notices, with a mounting sense of absolute dread, that people gone missing soon reappear as new residents of Potter's Bluff. We see what happens even as Gillis doesn't, and it appears that the townspeople don't take kindly to outsiders of the living type. They'll hunt down anyone they can get their hands on so they can turn them into zombies with a little help from one of the town's most important residents. By the time Sheriff Dan turns up some information on his kindly associate Doctor Dobbs, you just know the film won't have a happy ending. It doesn't, but it does end with a double whammy sure to have you roaring with delight.
I liked most everything about "Dead and Buried." You've got to love a film that has Farentino, Albertson, Englund, Corbin, Lisa Blount from "Prince of Darkness," and Melody Anderson of "Flash Gordon" fame mooning about. You also should appreciate the gore effects created by none other than Stan Winston. A needle in the eye, gruesome facial reconstructions, acid baths, and a few other grisly nightmares await your attention. The gore is good without going over the top (not that over the top is ever a bad thing, mind you). What really grabbed my attention in "Dead and Buried" was the gradually intensifying sense of dread as the story unfolds. Sherman does an excellent job connecting the dots in a way that had me guessing up until the very end. And what an end this movie has! Goodness! Just imagine what it must have been like to be in his shoes when everything comes into focus (you'll know whom it is I'm talking about after watching the movie). Perhaps the most surprising thing about "Dead and Buried" is the treatment it receives on DVD.
Blue Underground, known for their absolute adoration for cult films, pulled out all the stops with this picture. It's a two-disc set loaded with plenty of goodies to get your blood flowing. We get three separate commentary tracks, trailers (done in that great early 1980's style), poster and stills galleries, a featurette about Stan Winston's special effects that is quite informative, a bit of info on Robert Englund, and some background on one of the writers of the script (Dan O'Bannon, the guy who did "Alien"). The picture quality is very good considering the frequent fog shrouded scenes of Potter's Bluff. If you're a horror fan, you simply must watch "Dead and Buried." It's a marvelous picture.
Rating: 
Summary: Freaky Deaky
Review: I first ran into this movie on pay cable back when I was about 12. It scared the living daylights out of me. It has left some indelible images in my brain for 20 years. I'm looking forward to seeing it again and listening to the various commentaries.
Rating:
Summary: Not sure this title warrants a 2-disc deluxe release
Review: I had fond memories of the film, which I saw once many years ago, and so I thought maybe I'd give this release a try. Well, the movie doesn't really live up to the memory I had of it. It really is something of a trifle, with plot holes so big you could drive a truck through them. The presentation on disc is nice, with a plethora of extras, but there are so many more worthy titles that haven't even been released in even a "bare bones" presentation that movies like _Dead & Buried_ really can wait before they make their appearance in deluxe releases. If you're a major fan of this film, this set might be for you. Otherwise, you might want to think twice.
Rating:
Summary: Forgotten Horror Gem
Review: I hadn't heard much about this movie until I read 'Beyond Horror Holocaust' and decided to check it out... I was glad I did. Without trying to give too much away about the movie, it can best be described as a Frankenstein/Zombie flick. Throughout the movie you are left to piece together who is a member of the undead and what their purpose is, you're pretty much left in the dark until the end, when everything is unfolded in front of you in a "Gruesome" fashion. The effects are a little cheesy, but hey... it's 1981! There are several stomach-wrenching scenes, including the infamous "Needle in the eye" scene, which is featured in its uncut and full form. The opening scene of the movie is especially good, with a completely unexpected ending. The movie although not very scary, does have a good sense of dread to it, which puts you in a good "What next?" mindset. Def. worth checking out...
Rating:
Summary: PLEASANTLY SURPRISED!
Review: i read the book because the cover are was so creepy.lo and behold,i ended up reading it many times.then i accidentally bumped into the movie version.now im well aware of the track record of books to movies(does steve king ring a bell?)but i had a free rental so what the heck.again,i found myself watching this many times.its a rare feat to A)find a movie as good as the book and B)have both stand the test of time.I AM HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED that this isnt on DVD.the quality of the vhs version is grainy and while it adds to the creepiness,it also makes the movie look dated.nonetheless,i highly recommend this movie and hope the transfer is in the works.
Rating:
Summary: I...need...an...editor
Review: I really, really wanted to like this film more than I did, but I have to confess it is one of the slowest 'horror' movies I've seen in ages.
The premise is indeed interesting, a nice twist on zombie films, but the execution could have been much better. The film is deathly slow (pun intended) from the outset. This is one of those films where the director decided to shoot entire sequences exactly as they happen, following the characters reverently from here, to there, opening a door, walking in, etc, etc, etc. I don't know if this is what they think is 'suspense', but it actually made me nuts after a while. Only the creepy and quirky morticians made the early bits watchable. The story is decent, though I don't understand if we're to assume the local sheriff is new, or just waking up to the fact that some very odd things are happening in his town, or he's just not bright, etc.
The DVD is great. Another reverent job by Blue Underground, a 2 disc set with plenty of extras. Nice gloomy, grayish colors to the proceedings, setting the proper mood, although the film nearly kills the potential by being so slow, so clumsy, that you may reach for the fast forward button just to see something actually HAPPEN.
Recommended for genre addicts, though I wouldn't overpay for this one, despite the nice job.
Rating:
Summary: Skird the Sh@tt outta me as a kid
Review: I recently starting collecting all of those classic horror movies that I loved as a kid. I first saw this movie at a drive-in movie theater with my friends as a teenager. It was the last movie in a triple feature (which goes to show where it ranked) but we went back the next night just to watch this one again. Now that it's on DVD, I couldn't pass up the chance to get my hands on an old favorite. This DVD does wonderful justice to a forgotten classic. If you like zombie films and just plain good film making, then you'll enjoy this special addition.
Rating:
Summary: Skird the Sh@tt outta me as a kid
Review: I recently starting collecting all of those classic horror movies that I loved as a kid. I first saw this movie at a drive-in movie theater with my friends as a teenager. It was the last movie in a triple feature (which goes to show where it ranked) but we went back the next night just to watch this one again. Now that it's on DVD, I couldn't pass up the chance to get my hands on an old favorite. This DVD does wonderful justice to a forgotten classic. If you like zombie films and just plain good film making, then you'll enjoy this special addition.
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