Overlooked during its theatrical run but a cult favorite on video, this unique and chilling take on the zombie film finally joins the digital ranks with a two-DVD set from Blue Underground. James Farentino stars as a small... more »-town sheriff who discovers that the victims in a string of grisly murders are reappearing seemingly alive and unharmed. His investigation leads him to suspect that the local mortician (Jack Albertson) is somehow responsible for these reanimated corpses; what Farentino doesn't know is the extent to which the entire town-himself included-is involved. First-time viewers will appreciate director Gary Sherman's attention to pacing and atmosphere, as well as the often darkly humorous script by co-producer Ronald Shusett and Dan O'Bannon (Alien, Total Recall) and the solid cast (which includes future horror star Robert Englund); longtime fans will appreciate the fact that Blue Underground's uncut print restores many of Stan Winston's gruesome special effects. --Paul Gaita« less
Rodney P. from BEAUMONT, TX Reviewed on 9/18/2019...
Sinister horror classic! Gore and creepy atmosphere and shock ending all equal a masterpiece of the Macabre!
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Movie Reviews
Excellent horror movie goes blu ray.
Michael P. Dobey | colorado springs | 05/10/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Dead and buried" was a hit book before it was made into movie and released in 1980. The book wasn't even that old when the flick came out. And the movie was successful because it was well done and very effective in following the books story. It wasn't a drive in b movie cheapie in it's day either it was put out to compete with other higher budget studio efforts and did a good job because it's a great story. The blu ray version only improves the viewing pleasure of this movie. And the ending is still shocking today if you haven't seen the movie before. All the actors are first class and are way above the b movie level (which has it's own level of ratings and charm) that most horror films were at. James Farentino and Jack Albertson really do a excellent job in this movie and the supporting cast shines as well. The effects are from the early 1980's era but still effective and complement the story very well. Blu ray is the only way to go on this movie even though the standard version is excellent as well."
Interesting Little Film
gooniemcfly | out there | 03/12/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Dead & Buried (1981) has an interesting premise to it. Stangers are murdered in a small coastal town and then suddenly appear as townspeople the next day.
I sat through this movie with the highest of hopes. The fact that it was an early 80's horror movie made me jump for joy. I sat through it and patiently watched as I got a wonderful payoff at the end. The ending is the main selling point for this movie. Up until then, the movie had me wondering if it was going to be good or not. The ending is now cliche in today's movie world but back then it was pretty special.
This dvd comes with three commentary tracks. And it also has some theatrical trailers.
Overall this is a good ghost (or you could say zombie) story ala The Fog."
A very watchable horror film
Paul Hite | Ashburn, Va USA | 01/03/2010
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I did like this film and I just watched it for the second time. I give it a very solid 3 stars. But I'm puzzled by the other reviews. I would give Alien 4 stars and Aliens 5 stars. This film does not reach those lofty heights. Even though it's encoded for 7.1 sound, I didn't hear much coming from the surrounds. And while it may be in high-def, it is rather grainy. This is not real surprising with a film this old. But advertising it as high-def with 7.1 sound creates expectations which are not met. The film billed itself as being made by the folks who made Alien. Again, it is raising expectations needlessly. People are going to expect a film equal to Alien in gorgeous hi-def with stunning 7.1 surround sound. This film can't deliver that. But it is a very good grade B horror film and it is worth watching several times.
The cast is very strong. It is cool to see a young Robert Englund. And Jack Albertson's performance as the undertaker is worth an Academy Award. James Farentino never wins any awards but he never delivers a bad performance either. It was good to see him again. Also the film is now a period piece due to its age. It was fun watching the sheriff (or his aide) use a telex to investigate. And we have great fx for a low budget pre-cgi film. The story made no sense, but that is often the case with horror.
So yes, it's a nice 3 star horror film, not another Alien."
A Fun Gory Horror Flick
Michael P. Dobey | 03/25/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Not a fantastic movie, but a fun one. Has some fun scares and sick gore. Some of the gore scenes are way outdated but some are actually still hard to watch. Check it out if your in to zombie movies are anything just gory."