The Living Corpse

Whilst most genre fans are content with a burgeoning line of upgraded versions of the horror greats, Mondo Macabro seem to have a knack for managing to track down the most obscure bizarro genre movies from around the globe. With the DVD debut of Khwaja Sarfaraz's 'Zinda Lash' (released here as 'The Living Corpse') the team at Mondo Macabro have astonished me yet again.

Produced in Pakistan back in 1967, 'The Living Corpse' is perhaps one of the most alluringly offbeat cult horrors you'll have seen in some time. The cover of this release labels the film quite simply as 'Dracula in Pakistan' and to be honest that's exactly what it is. In fact the only difference between this version and the more popularly recognised Universal and Hammer variations is the opening scenario explaining exactly how our undead bloodsucker came to be. Perhaps the concept of a Transylvanian count with a taste for virgins would not be conceptually appealing to the Pakistani market back in the day, so here we meet a manic professor who dreams of discovering a secret formula for the elixir of eternal life. When he believes he's found this he tries out on himself but promptly keels over dead. Thankfully he's left a note for his shocked wife to stick his body into a coffin in the cellar, just in case!

Well thankfully (for everyone's sake) she paid head to his final request and didn't opt for cremation as soon after the opening titles 'The Living Corpse' kicks straight into the classic Dracula formula (albeit with an occasional song and dance thrown in for good measure!) But rather than the old yarn of Harker coming to Dracula's castle to work for the count, here we get a passing curious doctor whom (making his entrance to the offbeat rhythm of La Cucaracha) just turns up at the bloodsuckers door as the folk at the local hotel told him not to go! Much of the remaining plot does bare a strong similarity to Stoker's novel (well in theme only) but with some twists that will bring a wry smile (or in my case cause to laugh out loud) with moments like the sudden burst of bhangra dancing by the vampires bride before she tries to seduce our hapless visitor and drink his blood (she's only stopped in her tracks when the dark lord throws a baby to her to feast upon!)

The influences of 'The Living Corpse' are glaringly obvious and all the more enjoyable for them. The main look and flow of the film itself is imbedded in the Universal and Hammer Dracula series, with Hammer's variation coming to the fore. Our Dracula variant here bares an uncannily strong resemblance to Hammer's Christopher Lee interpretation, and some of the set pieces (especially the finale) are reminiscent of Hammer's variation of Stoker's story. Now some may wonder why Hammer weren't chasing down the producers of this film for the outlandish plagiarism but you must remember that the Pakistani and Indian film scene has always been made up of local interpretations of popular western cinema. Only here the productions are adapted to please the local market, here with the addition of the seriously whacked out (and highly entertaining) groovy song and dance routines! Yes, Dracula gets the Pakistani make over and whilst some may shudder at the thought, 'The Living Corpse' is a real delight that should gratify greatly fans of bizarre cinema.

Sarfaraz's direction is pretty damn good, more so considering this is somewhat off-track (in a Western style) compared to most local fodder produced at the time. The photography at times is stunning, especially in the cellar scenes with impressive atmospheric shots in the cobwebbed labyrinth. Acting throughout is solid enough with the major kudos going to our lead vampire professor who must have studied Christopher Lee's portrayal countless times to perfect the facial mood. The soundtrack is a hoot with a real hodge podge of odd western tracks throw together greatly out of place to the onscreen tension, some great horror sounds that seem to be lifted straight off a Hammer's Dracula soundtrack and the aforementioned quirky home grown songs. All of which go to make this a delightful package of midnight viewing.

Considering this film is wildly obscure (in fact it was thought it may have been lost to the ravages of time) Mondo Macabro have done a grand job with the presentation here. Lovingly restored from located vault masters, 'The Living Corpse' in the main is clear and detailed throughout but sadly the odd scene could not be fully saved with the odd brief moment of scratchiness and print juddering. But there is a clear warning of the restoration problems before the film begins (so be warned) and I'm glad they made the decision to include all available footage rather than cut scenes for the sake of imperfection. Little touches like the inclusion of the interval card mid movie brought a smile to my face also and captured the feel of what the home audience had when the film was first released (as well as giving us the opportunity to grab another beer!)

The audio is fine (again especially considering the films age) presented with the original Urdu audio track and optional English subtitles that are clear enough throughout.

You'd think the uncovering of such a long lost obscurity would be enough for underground horror fans but this is Mondo Macabro and they hate to disappoint and the extras included here are once again of the highest standard. US readers should be leaping for joy as with Mondo Macabro now producing DVD's for the US market they now get the opportunity to savour episodes of the excellent Mondo Macabro TV series broadcast in the UK a couple of years back. Here we get the 25-minute episode that contains an overview of the Indian and Pakistani genre scene which is packed with great clips from the classics of the scene and some highly informative interview footage. Also included in the extras is an all-new 13-minute documentary 'Dracula in Pakistan' which interviews key members of the films production and covers the films inception and inevitable problems with eh censors just nicely without being overlong.

Now regular readers will know that I'm not the biggest fan of audio commentaries but there is one here that is actually quite an interesting experience. Mondo Macabro honcho Pete Tombs kicks back with film historian Omar Khan to discuss not only 'The Living Corpse' but also the Pakistani genre scene as a whole, so the listening experience is akin to eavesdropping into an enthusiastic chat between two knowledgeable fans, nice stuff. What I enjoyed about this also is the fact that you can watch the film unfold with the English subtitles covering the onscreen dialogue whilst Tombs and Khan chat away amiably.

Wrapping things to make this what quite simply must be the definitive package is not only the films trailer but a collection of stills gallery (posters, stills, lobby cards and more) alongside a text section covering the search and restoration of the film. Whilst many DVD text sections are regurgitated bland filmographies Mondo Macabro always something that's an enjoyable read, here not only do we get an informative read but also tucked away here is a long missing audio track that couldn't sadly be restored for the movie. A welcome touch to an already perfect package.

Of course it goes without saying that like many Mondo Macabro releases 'The Living Corpse' may not be to everyone's taste, such an off kilter experience may perhaps worry fans of mainstream cinema. But it is the unwillingness to expand their film viewing experience that will inevitably be their loss as 'The Living Corpse' (pretty much like Mondo Macabro's earlier 'El Vampiro' release) is a real diamond of the underground genre scene. With this DVD package Mondo Macabro have delivered the final word on the movie with a lovingly presented restoration and a delightful collection of bonus features. Ideal late night viewing, expand your love for the genre by picking this up now!

Review by Alan Simpson

For ordering details visit the Mondo Macabro USA site by clicking here.