‘Dead & Buried’ Is a Chilling Zombie Film From the Writers of ‘Alien’ [The Overlooked Motel]
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Today’s selection is an unconventional zombie film from the team that wrote Alien. What’s more, this lost ‘80s effort features genre icon Robert Englund in a supporting role. With a pedigree like that, one would expect Dead & Buried to have a substantial fanbase. But despite its collective merits, this picture remains sorely under-seen by the masses.
Alien scribes Ronald Shusett and Dan O’Bannon adapted the screenplay for Dead & Buried from a novel by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. The flick is an amalgamation of genres that combines zombie tropes with murder mystery elements and a dash of supernatural horror.
The flick is set in Potter’s Bluff, a small, coastal town with friendly locals and a very low crime rate. When visitors to the sleepy hamlet begin to turn up dead under mysterious circumstances, Sheriff Dan Gillis (James Farentino) can’t fathom what might be causing the rash of unexplained deaths. He is further perplexed when the recently deceased begin to rise from the dead and inexplicably reintegrate into society. The lawman investigates the suspicious deaths but initially winds up with more questions than answers.
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Dead & Buried is steeped in an ominous atmosphere. It features a couple of well-timed jump scares that made me leap out of my seat. The picture’s unsettling storyline unfolds at a deliberate pace. But the patient viewer will be rewarded by an unpredictable and highly unnerving conclusion that goes off the rails in the best way possible.
Speaking of unpredictable, Dead & Buried features an innovative opening that pulls a bait and switch on the audience. The viewer is introduced to a character we assume must be the protagonist. But that expectation is subverted within the first 10 minutes. The would-be lead meets with grave misfortune, establishing an air of unpredictability right from the start.
The characters we spend time with are incredibly colorful. The residents of the small town have personality to spare. Having grown up in a tourist trap at the end of the earth, that piece speaks to me. Small towns are often a magnet for the eccentric and that very much proves to be the case here. The strange way in which the locals behave serves to keep the viewer guessing. Are they up to no good, or simply unusual? Or perhaps a little bit of both?
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In addition to its heavy atmosphere, the eccentric supporting cast also works to make Dan a more relatable lead. In a sea of quirky characters, Dan comes across as grounded and balanced. He keeps his cool under pressure, even as he discovers a devious and twisted plan is afoot.
Dead & Buried stands out for the way it breaks from zombie conventions. The flick features a decidedly different type of zombie than we’re accustomed to. The undead easily blend into society. They don’t stand out from the pack and can easily pass for the living. That distinction works well to keep the audience on their toes.
A foreboding score from Joe Renzetti further enhances the paranoia inherent to the narrative. The musical stings build to a crescendo and hold the note to the point of being uncomfortable. That’s a supremely effective tactic I wish more film composers used.
Dead & Buried also benefits from superb effects work from Stan Winston. The celebrated artist brings the zombie carnage to life with aplomb. The gore is sufficiently repulsive. There is a scene featuring a hypodermic needle to a character’s eyeball that is still seared into my brain.
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As for why Dead & Buried remains under-seen after all these years, I think it may have flown under the radar because of how unconventional it is. This unorthodox zombie flick is imaginative and unpredictable, which is excellent. But sometimes films that defy expectations take time to connect with viewers. I hope you’ll take my word for it and give the picture a chance. It’s well worth the time investment.
If you look into the film further before watching it, please be mindful of spoilers. I’ve read multiple plot synopses for Dead & Buried that give away far more information than necessary. Accordingly, I have kept this write-up a bit vague to avoid giving too much away.
If you opt to check out Dead & Buried, you can find it streaming for free (with ads) on Tubi as of the publication of this post.
That’s all for this installment of The Overlooked Motel. If you’d like to chat more about under-seen and underrated films, feel free to hit me up with your thoughts on Twitter, Threads, or Instagram.
Categorized:Editorials The Overlook Motel
