This Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + CD package from Blue Underground will be available for purchase on July 20th.
Dead & Buried is a movie that really does qualify as a cult classic. Produced and released during a busy period for horror features, this atmospheric and creepy effort had a unique concept and benefitted from incredible talent in front of and behind the camera. Perhaps there were too many genre pictures coming out at the time, but this tale got lost in the shuffle and underperformed at the box office during its original release. In the decades since, the movie has built up a following of fans who managed to discover it on VHS or DVD, or became intrigued by the picture through word of mouth. It’s an exceptionally effective film and a personal favorite of this reviewer. In fact, I wrote about it extensively some time ago in this book.
Distributor Blue Underground have been knocking it out of the park in recent years with their stunning 4K upgrades of titles like House by the Cemetery, Vigilante and most recently The Final Countdown. You can now add Dead & Buried to the list. Decades ago, the company released an extras-filled DVD “Special Edition” that wowed horror fans. And now they’ve got an even better product. They have meticulously gone over the 35mm inter-positive of the film and given it a phenomenal 4K, 16-bit scan for an Ultra HD disc and regular Blu-ray. If that wasn’t enough, this new “Limited Edition” also includes a CD with the film’s rare score and several new bonuses that have never been seen before. It’s another stunner.
Written by Dan O’Bannon (who had previously scripted Alien and would later write and direct The Return of the Living Dead) and Ronald Shusett and directed by Gary Sherman (who also helmed the criminally underrated Raw Meat aka Deadline), the story successfully transplants old-fashioned Caribbean-style zombie-like creations into a seemingly incongruous Norman Rockwell-like New England town. In a seemingly perfect little village, Sheriff Dan Gillis (James Farentino) has to deal with an extraordinary problem – any recent visitor who comes to town ends up meeting a violent death. These slayings come at the hands of locals, who go so far as to photograph their victims during the act. Even stranger, those who are killed immediately reappear as residents and behave as if nothing ill has befallen them.
An elderly, quirky mortician (Jack Albertson) with a taste for big band tunes helps Gillis with the case, but things get increasingly complicated as more townspeople get involved. The situation becomes really disconcerting for the protagonist when he discovers that his wife (Melody Anderson) has books on witchcraft and voodoo in her drawer and then learns that the schoolteacher has been giving her class lessons in the occult.
The film is notable for its remarkable atmosphere and genuine sense of eeriness. When shrouded in fog, the town itself becomes a character and there’s something truly eerie about seeing the locals behave in a calm yet viscous manner. Mood may be emphasized, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a couple of big jolts included over the running time. In fact, one of them is guaranteed to rattle first time viewers. Sherman expertly builds suspense throughout, resolving the climax in a disturbing yet oddly moving. And just when the final explanation is delivered, the writers add a brilliant second surprise that should floor many viewers. It’s a great ending to a wildly entertaining picture.
The movie also benefits from Stan Winston’s incredible practical make-up effects. There are some incredible, cringe-worthy achievements on display, including an eye-related mishap that isn’t easy to forget. Horror-hounds are also treated to disturbing shots of undead residents (and sometimes individual body parts) on the move and in various states of decay. There’s only one poor effect and it isn’t from Winston. As the extras later explain, there was studio interference with this picture. Executives insisted on adding a graphic murder involving acid. Alas, the make-up master wasn’t available to shoot this bit and another less-experienced technician was responsible. Still, this scene is a minor issue in an otherwise incredible film.
So, as you might have guessed based on the previous paragraph, there was some studio tinkering in the final picture. Many of the extras go into the changes in detail. The “Limited Edition” contains four commentary tracks. The first is a great archival track from the previous release with director Sherman, who goes into great detail about how he got involved in the film, the wonderful time he had shooting the picture with cast and crew, and then the problems he faced in post-production with his distributor. He and his producer successfully attempted to make an atmospheric and creepy feature (and there is some fascinating discussion about using camera angles to subconsciously create unease), but it seems others wanted the movie to feel more like a garden-variety slasher picture.
In fact, they were ready to alter significant elements, but the director and his team fought them off and managed to rescue the disturbing tale. However, there were some forced changes. Sherman shot a few lengthy master shots (in which a scene would play out in without cuts using elaborate choreography) that were chopped up by money-men. The filmmaker laments the fact that they threw away this footage and that sadly there is no way to reconstruct his original cut. Still, he does admit the final product still works, even if some elements weren’t as he intended.
There is also an old commentary track with co-writer/co-producer Ronald Shusett and supporting cast member Linda Turley. The pair share their experiences and listeners learn more about the writer’s process and how he felt about the adaptation. And there is yet another track recorded a few years back with the director of photography discussing his use of fog and soft lighting techniques featured the film. Both of these are fun and informative to hear. The new addition with this release in the inclusion of a new fourth audio commentary with film historians, sharing their perspective today on the 40-year-old title. They add even more details about the production and discuss the career and credits of just about all of the participants involved. It’s also an enlightening listen and the men talk about Sherman’s body of work, even discussing their feelings about his other works. It may make many want to revisit other flicks from the director.
In addition to the four commentaries, there are also fun featurettes from the previous release about make-up man Stan Winston, as well as a discussion with the late, great co-writer Dan O’Bannon about his work on the screenplay. There’s also a fun little special on actor Robert Englund (“Freddy” from A Nightmare on Elm Street) who has an early role in this feature as one of the outwardly friendly yet violent townspeople.
And there are a ton of other extras. Interestingly enough, there’s a behind-the-scenes using a great deal of previously unseen silent footage shot on set by the cast and crew, with commentary explaining what was occurring. One of the most notable pieces is rehearsal footage of a long master shot that was cut from the final film. It takes place on a forest road and follows Sheriff Gillis as he finds another victim. The camera keeps pulling back and moving further away as he examines the carcass and moves around the crime scene.
There is also a new piece about the location used, comparing then with how they look today. While the film has a northeast coast vibe, it was all shot in Mendocino, California. Many of the buildings haven’t changed dramatically and certain sites are similar to the way they appeared in the feature. Additionally, you’ll get a new discussion with Sherman and composer Joe Renzetti on the movie score, which reveals more about the use of music and the effect it had on the film. And there is another discussion with author Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and her work creating a tie-in novel for the film that was adapted from the screenplay. All of it is very informative and interesting. And there are tons of publicity materials as well as an impressive booklet and essay with more details about the movie.
Remarkably, Blue Underground has also chosen to include the score to the movie a CD. The music is haunting and memorable, really helping to create the foreboding atmosphere on display. It is truly fantastic to receive a hard copy of this hard-to-find but incredible music as part of the package and will please anyone who enjoys collecting movie soundtracks.
As for the image quality, this film is a notable improvement over the previous edition. In fact, it’s another stunning transfer from the distributor. It should be noted that the movie was shot in softer tones and focus. This was obviously done to visualize a warm, picturesque seaside town at the outset, but the hues turn cold and things turn violent. So, the photography isn’t as sharp as a few of Blue Undergrounds other recent titles. However, this was the intended look of the film and was done intentionally by the filmmakers. This release beautifully recreates the proper look while still providing added clarity a significant upgrade that is gorgeous to behold in 4K and on Blu-ray. Viewers will certainly note just how exceptionally shot the film is.
Dead & Buried is an exceptional cult movie that features engaging and unique characters, a surprising and twisty story, as well as style and atmosphere thanks to some impressive photography. This “Limited Edition” looks and sounds better than any previous edition and it is also chock full of hours upon hours of extras that inform viewers about just about everything that went on behind the scenes. In addition, you’ll finally have a copy of the score to enjoy on your own. If you’re a horror fan, then you really owe it to yourself to pick up Blue Underground’s remarkable “Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + CD” of this classic chiller.