I have decided to let Prime pick my movies from now on: Dead and Buried is what automatically started playing after I finished The Prowler, and I'm perfectly happy with it. This 1981 sort-of zombie flick stars James Farentino (overacting his little heart out), has tiny roles for Barry Corbin and Robert Englund, and features Stan Winston make-up effects. Woohoo!
The opening scene is, frankly, the best part of DaB. An photographer from out of town is taking photographs on the Potter's Bluff beach when a very attractive young local lady starts chatting him up. He gets duped and then murdered quite horrifically by a mob of townsfolk, all of whom unabashedly take photos while it's happened. Then they set it up to look like a car accident - and Sheriff Dan (Farentino) , investigating the accident, doesn't seem to be in on it. A few days later, the photographer's doppelganger is working at the local gas station. Also, the townspeople manage to snuff out a few more transient types: a drunken sailor and a family of three who gets lost - and their doppelgangers also show up a few days after the fact.
This is a weird little movie, sometimes unsettling, sometimes funny. It's shot pretty dark and murky, so it's difficult to see what's going on sometimes, as people walk through dark buildings. There is actually quite a lot of people walking slowly through dark buildings. There isn't much story but there is a twist ending that I didn't see coming and thus appreciated. And the Stan Winston make-up effects are AMAZING, as expected.
Dead and Buried was definitely a worthwhile excursion. Prime wants to queue up Prom Night next - I've already seen Prom Night II ... should I watch the OG now?
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