After reading so many positive reviews about 'Dead and Buried', I felt like giving it a try and my try didn't go in vain. D&B is one of the most influential zombie horror films of its time, whose plot still seems fresh. Gary Sherman has done a great job as his characters 'come to life' and stay credible throughout the movie. I bet Gary has got midas touch. The film doesn't rely on a big budget to prove its worth. What scares a viewer to death in 'D&B' are the characters who turn up alive after being murdered in previous sequences. If you are looking for an eerie set-up, foggy and silent nights, spooky town, strange people, hacked but twisting arm, syringe-poked eye, and a crazy re-animator, then Ladies and Gentleman....WELCOME TO POTTER'S BLUFF'. The film deserves a 10/10 for its lingering nature. You won't forget anything about it even after 10 years and I promise, you'll take this to you graves.
Dan Gills (James Farentino) is the friendly Sheriff of Potter's Bluff, a small coastal town. He lives a contented life with his wife Janet (Melody Anderson), who is a school teacher. It so happens that a certain itinerant George (Christopher Allport) is caught by some crazy townspeople and is murdered in a gory fashion. However, George survives, but before he could tell anything to Dan, he is murdered by one of the female assailants right under the nose of Dan and Doctor Joe (Joseph Medalis). George's murder is soon followed by the murders of a vagrant and a young lady backpacker. A family traveling through Potter's Bluff is attacked by some townspeople in the middle of the night. That's when Dan has his first encounter with an assaulter. During all these days, Dan had been discussing the murders with Dr. Dobbs (Jack Albertson), who is apparently Potter's Bluff only mortician. Dobbs is often sarcastic with Dan. Little does Dan know that Dobbs is working on a hidden sinister agenda. Dan's wife Janet had been behaving strange lately. She comes home late at night and it looks as if she is holding a secret. So what's her secret?; and more important, what's the secret of Potter's Bluff? Does this town really teach us 'A New Way to Live'?
Unlike other horror movies, D&B doesn't go around silly teenagers or campfire tales. This is no silly or cheesy stuff. Farentino as well as other characters including a younger Robert Englund have shown the viewers one of the highest crests of the American cinema. Farentino is great as sheriff and so are Melody and other actors, but one who really steals the show is Jack Albertson, with great portrayal of Dobb's character. You want Dobbs to be secretive and he is. You want Dan to be sincere in his efforts and he is. You want Melody and several others to be a part of this fishy scheme and they are. The end comes like a big surprise as the viewers are baffled and forced to think whether they should really believe what they just saw. This movie is credible with its tight plot, effective screenplay and matchless atmosphere. Potter's Bluff reeks blood and has everything a horror addict would ever need; a great set-up, deserted beaches and orphan boats, old-style agoraphobia inducing hospital corridor, freaky café with strange customers, uninhabited houses, rainy hillsides, old truck, foggy nights, and finally a scheming cold-blooded re-animator who is about to take over the town with his re-animated creations. D&B with its great atmosphere is capable of bewitching anyone who wants a relentless dose of atmospheric horror. This film has 80's written all over it and seems obsessed with the quality horror of its time. Simply unmissable!
Dan Gills (James Farentino) is the friendly Sheriff of Potter's Bluff, a small coastal town. He lives a contented life with his wife Janet (Melody Anderson), who is a school teacher. It so happens that a certain itinerant George (Christopher Allport) is caught by some crazy townspeople and is murdered in a gory fashion. However, George survives, but before he could tell anything to Dan, he is murdered by one of the female assailants right under the nose of Dan and Doctor Joe (Joseph Medalis). George's murder is soon followed by the murders of a vagrant and a young lady backpacker. A family traveling through Potter's Bluff is attacked by some townspeople in the middle of the night. That's when Dan has his first encounter with an assaulter. During all these days, Dan had been discussing the murders with Dr. Dobbs (Jack Albertson), who is apparently Potter's Bluff only mortician. Dobbs is often sarcastic with Dan. Little does Dan know that Dobbs is working on a hidden sinister agenda. Dan's wife Janet had been behaving strange lately. She comes home late at night and it looks as if she is holding a secret. So what's her secret?; and more important, what's the secret of Potter's Bluff? Does this town really teach us 'A New Way to Live'?
Unlike other horror movies, D&B doesn't go around silly teenagers or campfire tales. This is no silly or cheesy stuff. Farentino as well as other characters including a younger Robert Englund have shown the viewers one of the highest crests of the American cinema. Farentino is great as sheriff and so are Melody and other actors, but one who really steals the show is Jack Albertson, with great portrayal of Dobb's character. You want Dobbs to be secretive and he is. You want Dan to be sincere in his efforts and he is. You want Melody and several others to be a part of this fishy scheme and they are. The end comes like a big surprise as the viewers are baffled and forced to think whether they should really believe what they just saw. This movie is credible with its tight plot, effective screenplay and matchless atmosphere. Potter's Bluff reeks blood and has everything a horror addict would ever need; a great set-up, deserted beaches and orphan boats, old-style agoraphobia inducing hospital corridor, freaky café with strange customers, uninhabited houses, rainy hillsides, old truck, foggy nights, and finally a scheming cold-blooded re-animator who is about to take over the town with his re-animated creations. D&B with its great atmosphere is capable of bewitching anyone who wants a relentless dose of atmospheric horror. This film has 80's written all over it and seems obsessed with the quality horror of its time. Simply unmissable!