Dead and Buried

Ahh, this is the stuff ! At long last, someone has seen sense to release one of my favorite horror films onto DVD. And it is the good folk at Dragon Films that get a big pat on the back for unleashing Gary Sherman's classic chiller 'Dead and Buried' on the digital format.

'Dead and Buried' takes place in the small town of Potter's Bluff, where the small town existence is the way of life...or is it ! A spate of dead bodies start to appear, at first it seems like accidental death - but as the body count rises the local sherriff soon realises that it's actually murders that he has to contend with and the locals are acting very strangely. He soon realises something about his hometown really isn't quite right.

No matter how many times I've seen this gem it still manages to scare the hell out of me every time - massively underated and genuinely creepy, 'Dead and Buried' is one of the true sleeper horror classics. Quiet a lavish production it is too, with excellent productions value throughout. Sherman's direction is top notch, capturing the laid back atmosphere of the small town sensibilities - he truly gets the best out of the ensemble cast involved. The town mortician Mr Dobbs is excellently casted and James Farentino is ideally cast in the role of the sherriff, but that is not to say that all involved play their roles with real commitment - because they do, and this is what makes 'Dead and Buried' so much better in it's terrifying experience.

The film is similar in vein to the classic 'Wicker Man', so much so it's a bit like it's little American cousin. So, fans of 'The Wicker Man' can expect what quality standard of horror film this truly is.

Released for the first time both uncut and in widescreen, this is a most welcome release from Dragon. Although there is some NTSC grain apparent in some of the scenes (why oh why aren't all European releases in the PAL format !), the disc is fine enough to appease fans and newcomers to the film.

There's not much in the way of extras, but who cares when the film's so good. There is an old German trailer and some biographys too. There's also optional audio and subtitles (English and Dutch), and hey, the menu's for once are pretty cool too.

If you've never seen 'Dead and Buried', check it out ! Hey, after countless viewings over the years I still managed to 'jump' a couple of times watching this one !! (And not many horror movies can still do that to this old buff!) And old fans will be happy to see this classic make it's way onto DVD - so go track it down, dim the lights and enjoy some true horror fun !