Dead & Buried
Encyclopedia
Dead & Buried is a 1981 horror film
directed by Gary Sherman, starring Melody Anderson
and James Farentino
. With a screenplay written by Dan O'Bannon
and Ronald Shusett
, the movie was initially banned as a "Video Nasty
" in the UK in the early 80s, but was later acquitted of obscenity charges and removed from the Director of Public Prosecutions
' list.
It was Jack Albertson
's final film; he died six months after the film's US release.
The movie was subsequently novelized by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
. In a 1983 interview with Starburst
promoting Blue Thunder
, O'Bannon disowned the film (he claimed that Shusett had written the script by himself but needed O'Bannon's name on the project, and promised he'd make some changes; on seeing the finished film O'Bannon realised Shusett had done nothing of the sort, but it was too late for him to take his name off the credits).
coastal town of Potter's Bluff where, in the film's opening scene, a mob of townspeople attempt to kill a visiting photographer; he is beaten, tied to a post then set on fire. The Photographer is later killed under the sheriff and doctor's noses at the local hospital.
As the story progresses, more visitors are murdered by the townspeople. Sheriff Gillis, assisted by Dobbs, the local coroner-mortician (Jack Albertson), works hard to discover the motive for the killings. Gillis becomes increasingly disconcerted as a grisly death occurs every day with the killers photographing the victims as they are murdered.
The film's creepiness is enhanced by the audience knowing the identity of the killers, nearly all of who are friends of Gillis whose wife Janet (Melody Anderson) has suspicious reasons for her own frequent nocturnal disappearances.
After Gillis accidentally hits someone with his squad car following a recent attack, the bizarre nature of the murders becomes even more evident. On the grill of his car, Gillis finds the twitching, severed arm of the accident victim, who suddenly attacks him before fleeing with the arm. After the attack, Gilis scrapes some flesh from the vehicle and takes it to Dobbs, who tells him that the body the flesh came from had died approximately four weeks before.
As his suspicions of Dobbs grow, Gillis conducts a background check and discovers that he was formerly 'Dr. Dobbs', a chief pathologist in Providence, Rhode Island
until his dimissal 10 years previously for conducting unauthorized autopsies in the county morgue – just before he moved to Potter's Bluff.
The film eventually reveals that Dobbs has developed a secret technique for reanimating the dead, and all of the townspeople are in reality reanimated corpses under his control. Dobbs considers himself an "artist" who uses his zombies to murder the living in order to create more corpses on which to practice his reanimation technique.
At the conclusion, it turns out that the Sheriff is actually one of the living dead, having been murdered by his undead wife prior to the on-screen events under Dobb's orders. As the film ends, Gillis notices his own hands decomposing, whereupon Dobbs asks to examine them.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Gary Sherman, starring Melody Anderson
Melody Anderson
Melody Anderson is a Canadian American social worker and public speaker specializing in the impact of addiction on families. She is also known as an actress, with her most high-profile role being Dale Arden in the 1980 adaptation of Flash Gordon. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Anderson started off as...
and James Farentino
James Farentino
James Farentino is an American actor. He has appeared in almost one hundred roles, among them in The Final Countdown, Jesus of Nazareth, and Dynasty.-Career:...
. With a screenplay written by Dan O'Bannon
Dan O'Bannon
Daniel Thomas "Dan" O'Bannon was an American motion picture screenwriter, director and occasional actor, usually in the science fiction and horror genres.-Early life and career:...
and Ronald Shusett
Ronald Shusett
Ronald Shusett is a motion picture screenwriter and producer, usually in the science fiction genre.He wrote the original story for Alien with Dan O'Bannon....
, the movie was initially banned as a "Video Nasty
Video nasty
"Video nasty" was a colloquial term coined in the United Kingdom by 1982 which originally applied to a number of films distributed on video cassette that were criticized for their violent content by the press, commentators such as Mary Whitehouse and various religious organizations.While violence...
" in the UK in the early 80s, but was later acquitted of obscenity charges and removed from the Director of Public Prosecutions
Director of Public Prosecutions (England and Wales)
The Director of Public Prosecutions of England and Wales is a senior prosecutor, appointed by the Attorney General. First created in 1879, the office was unified with that of the Treasury Solicitor less than a decade later before again becoming independent in 1908...
' list.
It was Jack Albertson
Jack Albertson
Jack Albertson was an American character actor dating to vaudeville. A comedian, dancer, singer, and musician, Albertson is perhaps best known for his roles as Manny Rosen in The Poseidon Adventure , Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Amos Slade in the 1981 animated film The Fox...
's final film; he died six months after the film's US release.
The movie was subsequently novelized by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
-Biography:She was born in Berkeley, California. She attended Berkeley schools through high school followed by three years at San Francisco State College .In November 1969 she married Donald Simpson and divorced in February 1982...
. In a 1983 interview with Starburst
Starburst (magazine)
Starburst is a British science fiction online magazine published by Starburst Magazine Limited. The magazine is published every month on the 14th, with news and reviews being published daily.-History:...
promoting Blue Thunder
Blue Thunder
Blue Thunder is a 1983 feature film that features a high-tech helicopter of the same name. The movie was directed by John Badham and stars Roy Scheider...
, O'Bannon disowned the film (he claimed that Shusett had written the script by himself but needed O'Bannon's name on the project, and promised he'd make some changes; on seeing the finished film O'Bannon realised Shusett had done nothing of the sort, but it was too late for him to take his name off the credits).
Plot
James Farentino stars as Dan Gillis, sheriff of the small New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coastal town of Potter's Bluff where, in the film's opening scene, a mob of townspeople attempt to kill a visiting photographer; he is beaten, tied to a post then set on fire. The Photographer is later killed under the sheriff and doctor's noses at the local hospital.
As the story progresses, more visitors are murdered by the townspeople. Sheriff Gillis, assisted by Dobbs, the local coroner-mortician (Jack Albertson), works hard to discover the motive for the killings. Gillis becomes increasingly disconcerted as a grisly death occurs every day with the killers photographing the victims as they are murdered.
The film's creepiness is enhanced by the audience knowing the identity of the killers, nearly all of who are friends of Gillis whose wife Janet (Melody Anderson) has suspicious reasons for her own frequent nocturnal disappearances.
After Gillis accidentally hits someone with his squad car following a recent attack, the bizarre nature of the murders becomes even more evident. On the grill of his car, Gillis finds the twitching, severed arm of the accident victim, who suddenly attacks him before fleeing with the arm. After the attack, Gilis scrapes some flesh from the vehicle and takes it to Dobbs, who tells him that the body the flesh came from had died approximately four weeks before.
As his suspicions of Dobbs grow, Gillis conducts a background check and discovers that he was formerly 'Dr. Dobbs', a chief pathologist in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
until his dimissal 10 years previously for conducting unauthorized autopsies in the county morgue – just before he moved to Potter's Bluff.
The film eventually reveals that Dobbs has developed a secret technique for reanimating the dead, and all of the townspeople are in reality reanimated corpses under his control. Dobbs considers himself an "artist" who uses his zombies to murder the living in order to create more corpses on which to practice his reanimation technique.
At the conclusion, it turns out that the Sheriff is actually one of the living dead, having been murdered by his undead wife prior to the on-screen events under Dobb's orders. As the film ends, Gillis notices his own hands decomposing, whereupon Dobbs asks to examine them.
Cast
- James FarentinoJames FarentinoJames Farentino is an American actor. He has appeared in almost one hundred roles, among them in The Final Countdown, Jesus of Nazareth, and Dynasty.-Career:...
as Sheriff Dan Gillis - Melody AndersonMelody AndersonMelody Anderson is a Canadian American social worker and public speaker specializing in the impact of addiction on families. She is also known as an actress, with her most high-profile role being Dale Arden in the 1980 adaptation of Flash Gordon. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Anderson started off as...
as Janet Gillis - Jack AlbertsonJack AlbertsonJack Albertson was an American character actor dating to vaudeville. A comedian, dancer, singer, and musician, Albertson is perhaps best known for his roles as Manny Rosen in The Poseidon Adventure , Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Amos Slade in the 1981 animated film The Fox...
as William G. Dobbs - Dennis Redfield as Ron
- Nancy Locke as Linda
- Lisa BlountLisa BlountLisa S. Blount was an American film and television actress and Oscar-winning producer.-Career:...
as Girl on the Beach / Lisa - Robert EnglundRobert EnglundRobert Barton Englund is an American actor, voice-actor and director, best known for playing the fictional serial killer Freddy Krueger, in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. He received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors in...
as Harry - Bill QuinnBill QuinnBill Quinn was an American actor.Quinn appeared in more than 150 acting roles starting in the 20's in silent films and ending in the digital age in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. He is best remembered as Archie's blind friend, Mr...
as Ernie - Michael Currie as Herman
- Christopher AllportChristopher AllportChristopher Allport was an American actor.-Biography:Allport was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His acting life began at the age of nine in New Canaan, Connecticut at the Children's Theatre. While at Northwestern University, he worked with Paul Sills and Story Theatre...
as George LeMoyne / Freddie - Joseph G. Medalis as The Doctor
- Macon McCalman as Ben
- Lisa Marie as The Hitchhiker
- Estelle Omens as Betty
- Barry CorbinBarry CorbinLeonard Barrie Corbin, known as Barry Corbin , is an American actor with more than one hundred film, television and video game credits.-Early life:...
as Phil