If you have read the synopsis for Dead and Buried be advised that most of the movie your going to be waiting for the main character to wise up to plot. If the synopsis you read contained the word "zombie" you'll be in for an even longer wait, as it takes Sheriff Dan along time to unravel the mystery of the strange going on's at Potter's Bluff. Not that a slow moving mystery is inherently bad, but it is if certain things become obvious to the viewer long before the characters in the film. Those who are patient and continue to watch the film waiting for it to fill in the missing pieces will be disappointed as unfortunately the film isn't very good at doing so. Any film whose substitutes much needed motives for the old "I'm just crazy" bit is leaving a lot to be desired in my book.
Genre fans who have heard this film is a zombie film will be disappointed, as it is not. It has more in common with films like "The Stepford Wives" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", and shows like "The Twilight Zone" then "Night of Living Dead". Not that different is bad, but fair warning to people who want a visceral horror movie, look else where.
This film has serious flaws in term of pacing and logic. It's rare that a movie that is only 92 minutes long can be considered over long, but I think in Dead and Buried's case, less would have been more. The viewer is treated to many gruesome murder scenes, and while they initial provided tension, then eventually just slow the narrative down, by reinstating the obvious, "Bad things are happening in this town".
One such murder scene involves an out of town family and is prefect example of crappy horror movie logic. This family is following one of the locals to a gas station when suddenly something runs in front of the car, they swerve to avoid it, hitting a telephone poll. Then the mother sees a light blink on and off from a near by house, she tells her husband, but he inexplicable refuses to believe her. Obviously, the concept of a light being on in a house is inconceivable to him. After some pointless arguing the husband finally gives in and takes his family to the house, inside they find nothing dust and cobwebs. Not to be deterred by the obvious the wife tells her husband to "check the basement". The basement? Why on earth would you walk into a two story house, check the first floor, and then decided the basement is the next logical place to look for occupants? Especially if every light in the house is off and its obvious that no one has lived there for a very long time? The scene I just mentioned also the distinction of being horrible dubbed (see trivia for the reason why), it would have personally been first on the cutting room floor for me if I was the editor.
In addition to standard dumb horror movie logic, the plot is just not well thought as a whole, full of little things that are so illogical if you find your self accidentally thinking about what is happen on screen you'll just a have a "huh?" moment. For instance, the detective is clued into the possibility of zombies by overhearing a lecture on the subject, a lecture by someone who is revealed at the end of the film, to be a zombie! What? Why would a zombie give a lecture about zombies to possible other zombies? This ham fisted scenes serves no other purpose but to introduce the word into detective Dan's vocabulary. The ending is the biggest offender in terms of bad logic, the script obviously thought it was being clever, but spend a moment of thought on the ending revelation and how it relates to rest of the movie and it just doesn't make any sense.
The film is also brought down by one of the most obvious horror scores in history. Sinister moments are always punctuated, BUM BUM BUUUMM, just so you don't miss them.
On the bright side, this film succeeds at being creepy. There are some scenes in the movie that come off as effectively creepy and that's what saves the movie and makes it watchable. It also contains decent gore effects from Stan Winston, with the exception of one scene (see trivia again). This is one of those films that I think would be more effective if you just accidentally found it while flipping through channels in the middle of the night, as opposed to reading about it on the internet and actively seeking it out. However since you obviously have already read about it on the internet just be advised. Dead and Buried is a flawed movie that overcomes its flaws in places and still manages to be unnerving.
Genre fans who have heard this film is a zombie film will be disappointed, as it is not. It has more in common with films like "The Stepford Wives" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", and shows like "The Twilight Zone" then "Night of Living Dead". Not that different is bad, but fair warning to people who want a visceral horror movie, look else where.
This film has serious flaws in term of pacing and logic. It's rare that a movie that is only 92 minutes long can be considered over long, but I think in Dead and Buried's case, less would have been more. The viewer is treated to many gruesome murder scenes, and while they initial provided tension, then eventually just slow the narrative down, by reinstating the obvious, "Bad things are happening in this town".
One such murder scene involves an out of town family and is prefect example of crappy horror movie logic. This family is following one of the locals to a gas station when suddenly something runs in front of the car, they swerve to avoid it, hitting a telephone poll. Then the mother sees a light blink on and off from a near by house, she tells her husband, but he inexplicable refuses to believe her. Obviously, the concept of a light being on in a house is inconceivable to him. After some pointless arguing the husband finally gives in and takes his family to the house, inside they find nothing dust and cobwebs. Not to be deterred by the obvious the wife tells her husband to "check the basement". The basement? Why on earth would you walk into a two story house, check the first floor, and then decided the basement is the next logical place to look for occupants? Especially if every light in the house is off and its obvious that no one has lived there for a very long time? The scene I just mentioned also the distinction of being horrible dubbed (see trivia for the reason why), it would have personally been first on the cutting room floor for me if I was the editor.
In addition to standard dumb horror movie logic, the plot is just not well thought as a whole, full of little things that are so illogical if you find your self accidentally thinking about what is happen on screen you'll just a have a "huh?" moment. For instance, the detective is clued into the possibility of zombies by overhearing a lecture on the subject, a lecture by someone who is revealed at the end of the film, to be a zombie! What? Why would a zombie give a lecture about zombies to possible other zombies? This ham fisted scenes serves no other purpose but to introduce the word into detective Dan's vocabulary. The ending is the biggest offender in terms of bad logic, the script obviously thought it was being clever, but spend a moment of thought on the ending revelation and how it relates to rest of the movie and it just doesn't make any sense.
The film is also brought down by one of the most obvious horror scores in history. Sinister moments are always punctuated, BUM BUM BUUUMM, just so you don't miss them.
On the bright side, this film succeeds at being creepy. There are some scenes in the movie that come off as effectively creepy and that's what saves the movie and makes it watchable. It also contains decent gore effects from Stan Winston, with the exception of one scene (see trivia again). This is one of those films that I think would be more effective if you just accidentally found it while flipping through channels in the middle of the night, as opposed to reading about it on the internet and actively seeking it out. However since you obviously have already read about it on the internet just be advised. Dead and Buried is a flawed movie that overcomes its flaws in places and still manages to be unnerving.