Dead and Buried (1981)
Starring James Farantino, Melody Anderson, and Jack Albertson
Directed by Gary Sherman
***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***
It's not often that a horror movie can be called truly unique, but Dead and Buried has a premise (which I'll attempt not to spoil fully) that, while silly, is quite different from flicks I've seen before. This 1981 flick from the writers of Alien welcomes us to the creepy New England town of Potter's Bluff. When a young photographer stumbles along the town, he stops and wanders along the beach where he finds an alluring young blonde who is more than welcome to have her picture taken. This innocent moment quickly changes into something much more ominous as a group of people sneak up behind the guy, grab him, tie him to a pole, and light him on fire. A few hours later this very same guy is found in an overturned car by Sheriff Dan Gillis (James Farentino) who assumes that this is simply a horrible accident. However, when visitors to the town start turning up dead, Gillis begins to suspect that something more insidious is taking place and he finds it very difficult to determine whom he can trust to help him solve the crimes.
The film is well directed with quite a few "jump moments" that prove successful in performing their required task and it never really lags despite a somewhat repetitive nature in terms of unknowing victims popping up dead in the small town (this repetition is less irksome thanks to some pretty cool make-up effects by Stan Winston). The actors (mostly unknowns) are all adequate, although nothing spectacular...but it's certainly better than your typical 1980s horror movie. Plus -- and this might be reason enough to watch if you're on the fence -- Grandpa Joe from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Jack Albertson plays the town's kooky coroner.
Don't get me wrong...it's not like Dead and Buried is a horror masterpiece, but it's a fun little horror flick that is noteworthy for a premise that provides a rather unique spin to the genre.
The RyMickey Rating: B-
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