DEAD AND BURIED (1981)

Some films just have a unique style/look to them that gives it a better edge than it otherwise would have. Enter DEAD AND BURIED…a nifty little mix of gothic and Italian looking film concerning one of those crazy towns that has a secret. Meaning, if you show up in this place the townsfolk will welcome you with open arms...and an open beating. We start off with a photographer who is taking pictures near the water of a seaside town when a young woman approaches and offers him to photograph her. Since we can’t trust these types of enticements in horror films, soon we see the local people descend upon the area (hint, it was a trap!) and end up burning the photographer alive..all while taking pictures of him now while doing it. As usual, we then get cops to show up to investigate bodies, other missing folks, a mystery involving the grandpa from Willy Wonka (seriously, what a good actor), and folks who may or may not be coming back to life. The whole picture has this dramatic overtone to it that doesn’t really allow for any sort of light comedy or break in suspense. It’s played pretty serious from start to finish. Not necessarily a bad thing and we get some memorable scenes from character actors along the way (a young pre-Freddy!). Though this one starts off a bit slow (after the opening scene) and you don’t’ quite know where it’s going there might be a couple rugs pulled out from underneath later on to satisfy both horror and mystery folks along the way. Or at the very least, may recruit new folks into doing some nurse

roleplay….you’ll know when you see that moment.

SLASH SCENE: That eye scene!

SLASH SCORE: 4/0