In the 1981 horror thriller "Dead & Buried," the billboard leading into town reads "Potters Bluff--A New Way Of Life," and boy, talk about truth in advertising! All newcomers and visitors to this picturesque, New England coastal town have a tendency to get themselves gruesomely murdered by the locals...only to return later on, fresh as the proverbial daisy! This, of course, has Sheriff Gillis, portrayed by the always likable James Farentino, understandably perplexed, to put it mildly. Anyway, from its gently haunting theme song by Joe Renzetti to its double--no, better make that triple--surprise ending, "Dead & Buried" proved a very pleasant surprise for me. Though never really frightening, it does offer some startling moments, some truly yucky makeup FX (thanks to veteran Stan Winston), an involving, slow-burn plot, and one scene guaranteed to give new meaning to the term "acidhead." Yes, there are a few slow stretches, and one too many scenes are underlit or transpire in the dark of night, but the film is never less than interesting, and earns its increasingly freaky final 20 minutes and startling plot twists. Ultimately, Potters Bluff is more reminiscent of a potter's field, and Lisa Blount goes down as possibly the most lethal nurse in film history...well, at least until Daryl Hannah came along in 2003's "Kill Bill," anyway. I haven't yet mentioned Jack Albertson, here in his final film role as the local genius of a mortician, Dobbs, but he is very fine, as well, bringing, er, life to his unusual character. All in all, "Dead & Buried" may prove as surprisingly pleasing to others as I found it. Recommended. And oh...another high-quality DVD from the fine folks at Blue Underground has been provided here, with only minimal grain.
Review of Dead & Buried
