Dead & Buried (Gary Sherman, 1981, USA)

Dead & Buried is an early 80s horror curio directed by Gary Sherman. Released at the height of the slasher craze, the film had a rough time finding its footing. It has since developed a cult following, and it is easy to see why. The film's glossy beachside setting is evocative of Italian giallo films from the same era, and the film might be viewed as an American answer to that genre. The film is also notable for featuring the makeup effects work of the great Stan Winston (before he became a household name working on projects such as The Terminator and Jurassic Park). The film's pedigree is no stranger to horror legends - Robert Englund, Freddy Krueger himself, plays a small role as one of the townspeople. Additionally, Dan O'Bannon, the screenplay writer for 1979's Alien, shares screenwriting credits for the film.

Evoking The Twilight Zone, the film tells the story of an investigator looking into a series of murders of tourists in a small New England town. Our investigator Sheriff Dan Gillis begins looking into the murders and becomes suspicious of the local coroner Dobbs (Jack Albertson). Albertson is most known to audiences for his role as the grandfather in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory - this was his last live-action role before he died in 1981. To those familiar with Albertson from Wonka, he is almost unrecognizable as the villain here. Still, his performance is one of the highlights of the film. Some of the death set pieces are also highlights, largely due to the rather inventive effects of Stan Winston. While Dead & Buried is not a masterpiece, it is easy to see why the film is going through a critical reappraisal. Recommended for fans of similarly atmospheric early 80s horror cinema like The Prowler.

6/10