I Bury the Living

Rating:
Summary: Pretty darn clever!
Review: The title conjurs up images of violence, grossness, etc. Nothing could be further from the truth. Made in 1957, the movie has the tone and production values of an episode of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS...not a cheap horror flick. It moves slowly, and when Richard Boone keeps testing his theory (if I try THIS pin, will someone die?) it gets a bit wearying.

But the movie, obviously shot on a low budget, is pretty nifty all the same. The protagonist as a classic man of the '50s...a well dressed (in gray tones) department store owner...a minor pillar of the community. A sane, rational man with a nice "American dream" sort of life ahead of him. But when the shock of what he may or may not have done by putting the wrong colored pins on the cemetary map begins to sink in, we get to see him slowly unravel. The music gets hokey, and the camera-work is either very static or goes totally off into "la-la land." But behind it all, we've got a fairly solid script, with enough twists to keep things interesting, and a solid performance by Richard Boone. Never a huge star, this is one of the best performances I've seen him in. I recommened the movie for that alone.

Theodore Bikel (who later played Teyve in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF) plays Angus, the cemetary jack-of-all trades caretaker. His makeup is as thick and phony as his accent, and this does distract from the power of the ending, no question. But all in all, this is a movie worth taking a look at. It can be obtained quite inexpensively on many of the horror movie compilations out there now...you know the ones...10 movies on 2 DVDs for $6. Well, this movie is certainly worth $3 of that investment!!

Rating:
Summary: An Unacknowledged Classic
Review: This film is terrifying. I expected some hoky fun when I rented it (judging from the cover), but then recalled that Stephen King had listed it (in "Danse Macabre") as one of the ten most frightening films he'd ever seen. All the same, I figured his memory must have gone foggy.

I was wrong. The plot, when laid out bare, sounds ridiculous. A rather ordinary, boring caretaker of a cemetery (accompanied by a hilarious 'Scottsman') happens to gain power over the fundamentals of life and death with a board that lays out the structure of the cemetery--where people are buried, have been buried, and will be buried. All this sounds absurd and very 1950's, yes, but it turns out well. You actually start believing it yourself and can feel the protagonist's anguish. The end is disappointing, but the buildup is more than worth it. Black pin, white pin, black pin, white pin.....

Rating:
Summary: An Unacknowledged Classic
Review: This film is terrifying. I expected some hoky fun when I rented it (judging from the cover), but then recalled that Stephen King had listed it (in "Danse Macabre") as one of the ten most frightening films he'd ever seen. All the same, I figured his memory must have gone foggy.

I was wrong. The plot, when laid out bare, sounds ridiculous. A rather ordinary, boring caretaker of a cemetery (accompanied by a hilarious 'Scottsman') happens to gain power over the fundamentals of life and death with a board that lays out the structure of the cemetery--where people are buried, have been buried, and will be buried. All this sounds absurd and very 1950's, yes, but it turns out well. You actually start believing it yourself and can feel the protagonist's anguish. The end is disappointing, but the buildup is more than worth it. Black pin, white pin, black pin, white pin.....

Rating:
Summary: Interesting 50's indie...
Review: This independent film, written by Louis Garfinkle, is better than you might think. It's an interesting plot, though the final outcome is somewhat predictable. BUT...getting to that final outcome, there's some eerie and wonderful psychological-thriller-type stuff going on. Richard Boone made this just before he started playing Paladin on TV ("Have Gun, Will Travel") and he shows more committment than I've seen from him. The wonderful Theodore Bikel, Scot brogue & all, is quite fine. All of the acting is good. I won't blab away the plot, but the technical aspects of this film are extraordinary, and are displayed very well on this inexpensive DVD. The photography by Frederick Gately is exquisite, showing every crag in Boone's craggy face, and every bead of sweat on his bulbous nose. The opening credits, shown agaist a craggy brick wall show such detail, though you don't know it's a brick wall till later. Lighting is crucial, and mood is well-sustained. The artwork of E. Vorkapich (the map) is as creepy as it gets; great terror potential. Most of all must be the music of Gerald Fried; his deft use of harpsichord adds to the creepiness. The film also relies heavily on sound effects, and the spoken dialogue (all by Ryder Sound Services) is crystal clear. I see moments of Hitchcock...and even Bergman...in the images. "I Bury the Living" isn't a fright-fest; rather a slow, interesting walk down the path of psychological terror. Another feather in Albert Band's indie hat. A very worthy film experience.

Rating:
Summary: fine cult flick
Review: This stylish cult flick casts Richard Boone as a man who may have the power to control life and death.

Inheriting the post as chairman of the Immortal Hills cemetary, Robert Kraft (Boone) is intrigued by the detailed map which shows the location of all occupants of the cemetary. Two sets of pins are used; black for occupied graves and white for graves that are reserved for the inevitable.

Accidentally using black pins to mark the graves for a newly-married couple instead of white, he is shocked to discover that they died within hours of visiting the cemetary.

Feeling strangely responsible for the tragedy, he randomly changes another pin to test the notion. When the owner of the grave dies, Kraft is forced to test his theory again...and again...

Fairly standard cult film, with some marvellous, Hitchcock-like touches.

With Theodore Bikel, Peggy Maurer, Howard Smith, Herbert Anderson and Robert Osterloh.