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DEAD & BURIED

dead and buriedDead & Buried, Gary Sherman’s inventive take on the hackneyed zombie genre, was famously included on the UK’s "Video Nasties" list–although truth be told, it probably didn’t belong there. In case you don’t know, the "Video Nasty" list was compiled in 1980 by puritan Mary Whitehouse and passed by the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC). The guideline for any film included on the list was that it was obscene. However, obscene is not an easy word to define–due to the nature of subjectivity, what is and isn’t obscene is strictly in the eye of the beholder. However, the BBFC decided that any films deemed "obscene" were to be banned throughout England. So what’s obscene? Their answer: any films that "tend to corrupt persons who are likely, having regard to all relevant circumstances, to read, see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it." … Kinda vague, huh?

The Video Nasties list contained a handful of films that deserved such negative notoriety; namely Cannibal Holocaust, Cannibal Ferox, House By the Cemetery and Fight For Your Life; but it also included films whose inclusion bordered on absurdity; Evil Dead, The Driller Killer, Last House on the Left and Possession (if you’d like to see the whole list, click Here).

So where does Dead & Buried fit into all of this? Released in 1981, D&B had the misfortune of being made at the epicenter of Ms. Whitehouse’s finger-pointing. As I said before, D&B doesn’t really belong on the Video Nasties list–not only is it relatively devoid of gore, but it’s got a pretty decent budget and a script by an established writer (Dan O’Bannon wrote Alien). But what really sets D&B apart from the majority of the Nasties is that it’s a well-made film. That’s right. Of all the films on the BBFC’s infamous shit-list, D&B might be the best.

Dead & Buried takes place in the small coastal village of Potter’s Bluff. Although idyllic on the surface, Potter’s Bluff is harboring some dark secrets. Tourists and transients are disappearing. A grisly string of murders begins to develop. Caught in the middle of this is the local sheriff, who can’t seem to figure out why the dead bodies of the murder victims are disappearing. To further complicate things, some of the missing victims start reappearing as normal, friendly citizens.

After the jolt of the initial scene, D&B starts off slow–moving at a leisurely pace in order to develop thick tension and heavy atmosphere. Several of the characters are fleshed out–The Undertaker, the Sheriff–which gives the film a sense of depth that most horror movies never even attempt.

Earlier I mentioned that D&B was lacking in gore, and while this is true, it doesn’t hamper the film’s overall impact. The make-up effects were created by Stan Winston, famous for his work on John Carpenter’s The Thing, Aliens, Edward Scissorhands and Terminator II. A couple of the effects are masterful; one involving a charred corpse trapped in an upside-down car, and another in which a nurse happily plunges a syringe into a patient’s eyeball.

The ending to Dead & Buried is nothing less than mind-blowing–even if you see it coming from a mile away. The available print from distribution company Blue-Underground leaves a lot to be desired in terms of clarity, but more than makes up for its shortcomings with special features (three separate commentary tracks!)

This film is especially recommended for fans of John Carpenter’s The Fog and anyone looking for a new twist on the science-fiction/horror genre.

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  1. Winston's special f/x in this movie are astounding! All the effects regarding the photographer were over the top and crazy go nuts without buckets of blood. Now the special f/x that were added because of the nasty rating it received??? I can't say the same but it wasn't bad enough to detract from the over all awesomeness of this flick!

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