Strangers who happen through the quaint New England seaside town of Potter's Bluff would be well advised to keep right on drivin'. Should they linger too long, the unfortunate visitors can expect the ersatz Potter's Bluff Welcoming Committee to murder them but good! What's really weird, though, is that after dying a violent death, the strangers come back to life, get a new name, and join the community. Only Sheriff Gillis (James Farentino) seems to think this might be odd, and he decides to get to the bottom of the goings-on.Dead and Buried played a bit like a much longer and gorier episode of Ray Bradbury Theatre, which to my mind isn't a bad thing. There's some great Stan Winston effects here, including a make-you-squirm hypodermic needle to the eye shot. It's big on atmosphere, and while there's some ham-fisted acting going on in places, it's more fun than irritating. The plot twists and turns right up until the fantastic ending, which even M Night Shyamalan wouldn't see coming. And I'm wondering, between this movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and V, has Robert Englund been in a movie where his face hasn't peeled off?
All in all, it's a pretty enjoyable flick- not as scary as the poster led me to believe all those years ago, but worth a watching. I'll give it 7-and-a-half out of 10 faces badly in need of moisturizer.
Joan Rivers gets ready for Oscar night
You have me tempted to check out Dead and Buried. I too was intrigued by the cover art at a young age.
ReplyDeleteI like this movie quite a bit. It didn't do much for James Farentino's film career though. Knowing that Jack Albertson was actually dying of cancer while he was making this film adds unintentional weight to his role as a mortician with a yen for immortality.
ReplyDeleteDead and Buried was my first horror flick. I was 13 when I saw it(2 decades ago) I thought it was very well crafted, for it's time.
ReplyDeleteI remeber the cover when I was 10 years old in 1986! It's one of the best pieces of artwork I've ever seen, and it sold the movie to me. Thankfully it's one of the rare cases of where the film is as good as the poster!!!
ReplyDelete“And I'm wondering, between this movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and V, has Robert Englund been in a movie where his face hasn't peeled off?“
ReplyDeleteAt least one that I’ve seen- Galaxy of Terror. In that one, he fights himself.