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Dead And Buried 4K UHD Review

“Dead And Buried” is underrated.

Strange things are afoot in the coastal town of Potters Bluff as outsiders are apparently being murdered by townspeople. Is it a cult? A sacrifice? Revenge? Sadism? Something supernatural? It’s unknown, but a local Sheriff (Danny) is investigating the crimes all while the bodies keep piling up at the eccentric mortician’s (Dobbs) morgue. Once a few bodies begin missing, however, the mystery only deepens.

1981’s “Dead And Buried” is the type of movie best seen knowing as little as possible. It’s not a traditional horror movie by any means. For one, it’s initially unclear just what type of horror movie this is at the start. Two, it’s a multi-genre horror movie that is part mystery, part thriller,  part “Frankenstein” and part Lovecraftian tale (there’s a real “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” vibe here). Due to this, ‘Buried’ remains a rather fresh, overlooked, and atmospheric film even after all these years. It helps that the production is stacked with talent across the board with Gary A. Sherman directing, Stan Winston doing make-up effects (some real nasty creations here), a script by Ronald Shusett and Dan O’Bannon (best known for “Alien”), cinematography by Steven Poster, and a cast featuring Jack Albertson, Robert Englund (in a small role), James Farentino, and Melody Anderson. Of course, there’s plenty of death and gore to satisfy horror buffs as well.

Going back to the cast, everyone is game for this eerie movie but it’s Jack Albertson who steals the show as the odd mortician. Without giving away spoilers, I’ll just say Albertson (best known for “Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory”) gives a really haunting performance. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p with Dolby Vision HDR. How does it look? The print was scanned in 4K 16-bit from its 35mm IP. It maintains the grit and grain (perhaps a little too much for some viewers), but the picture quality is a definite upgrade from past releases.

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos and  5.1 and 1.0 DTS-HD MA. How do they sound? Viewers certainly have plenty of options here with 3 tracks. Obviously, the Atmos track is what will catch the eye of home video buffs and I’m happy to say it delivers a layered audio experience.

Extras:
* CD soundtrack with Joe Renzetti’s score
* Blu-ray copy
* A booklet with credits, photos, a piece on Avco by Michael Gingold
* International, U.S. and teaser trailers
* Steven Poster’s Location Stills along with stills for advertising materials, Japanese souvenir program, lobby cards, stills, Stan Winston’s FX and video + book.
* A whopping 4 commentaries. One by director Gary Sherman, one by Ronald Shusett and Linda Turley, one by Steven Poster and a new one by film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson. Between the 4 tracks, I think you will learn everything you wanted to know about this movie.
* New separate interviews with novelization author Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Gary Sherman and Joe Renzetti (together)
* “Dan O’Bannon: Crafting Fear”- An archival interview with the writer.
* A look at the shooting locations then and now.
* “Behind The Scenes Of Dead and Buried”- A brand new featurette that runs 33 minutes.
* “Stan Winston’s Dead and Buried EFX”- Winston talks about working on the film and his own work on it.
* “Robert Englund: An Early Work of Horror”- Another archival interview with the veteran actor. Always a joy to hear him talk.

July 8, 2021 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | 80's Horror, Dead And Buried 4K UHD Review