rating: ***1/2
starring: Alex Cord, Samantha Eggar, John Marley
With a very misleading title and video boxart, where it showcased what appears to be a living corpse with half of its face rotting off, I wouldn't be surprised if you were expecting a zombie movie.This is a lie.
Make no mistake, The Dead are Alive is far from a cannibalizing undead film despite its tagline “There’s No Place To Hide When… THE DEAD ARE ALIVE!” .(what a load of boh wash...) It is, rather, a purebred Italian giallo.
An archeologist with a drinking problem, Jason, visits the countryside with his crew to excavate and study an Etruscan tomb. He's staying in the mansion owned by a renowned orchestra conductor Nikos, and his wife Myra, whom the latter Jason once had a romantic flair with until the relationship went bitter due to his drinking.

Whoever is behind it, it's likely they'll do it again, and Jason is running out of time to prove himself innocent...

Narrative-wise, I like the archeological premise of this film as it's an unusual (if not rarely tackled) subject to focus on, adding the possibility of a supernatural or supernaturally-inclined motive for the deaths. The first act of the film was rather productive with the characters being introduced in depth, letting us know at least a bit of what may be running through their heads. Some possible red herrings were thrown in to provide some twist and turn to the story but, sadly, it all strolls further along, a melodrama involving a love triangle between Jason, Myra and Nikos starts to get it the way in a not to welcome fashion.


The score, both from the red herring tape and the entire movie itself, was provided by Mondo Cane's Riz Ortolani, which did an outstanding job. The film boasts some beautiful country side shots and some great cinematography; especially during the last act where it's full use of shadows and corners brought up the much needed intensity of the danger.
I could blame the misleading marketing this film has, but for all giallo enthusiasts, this is a definite keep. While most would prefer the hallucinatory nature of the director's next giallo effort, or some would be wondering when will the zombies make their shambling entry, The Dead are Alive is a clever and beautiful giallo that really deserves a lot more than what's coming to it.
Bodycount:
1 male and 1 female bludgeoned to death with probe
1 female found beaten to death
1 male found beaten to death
1 female beaten to death with probe
1 male dies from drug overdose
1 male gets a glass shard to the gut
total: 7
Looks like something I'd enjoy. I'll keep an eye on it.
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