THE LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE

Spain - Italy | 1974 Directed by Jorge Grau Starring Ray Lovelock Christine Galbo Arthur Kennedy Color | 93 Minutes | Not Rated Format: DVD (R0 - NTSC | 2-disc set) Blue Underground

He doesn't like hippies. WAV format | 0.2 MB

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9     10   10 = Highest Rating   Guest Review by Troy Howarth

Sonic radiation causes the dead to rise in a sleepy English village...     Conceived by producer Edmondo Amati and screenwriter Sandro Continenza as a color rip-off of George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968), The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue emerged as something much more memorable under the guidance of Spanish director/co-writer Jorge Grau. Grau first attracted attention in genre circles for his stylish version of the Countess Bathory legend, The Legend of Blood Castle (1972), and his affection for the genre coupled with his respectful desire to pay lip service to Romero without ripping him off made him the ideal director for the picture. Apart from being one of the most confusingly retitled films in Euro-Cult history — Let Sleeping Corpses Lie and the unlikely Don't Open the Window being two of the more familiar English language variants — it remains a high watermark in its respective subgenre.     While there is a fair smattering of gory highlights, Grau is far more interested in generating mood and tension than in overindulging in excessive violence. The director determined early on that the bursts of violence should be quick, and sensibly opted not to linger on special effects inserts any longer than necessary. True, the effects work by the gifted Gianetto De Rossi (who later found infamy working with Lucio Fulci on his far more outrageous zombie epics, including Zombie and The Beyond) are of a very high calibre, but in resisting the urge to dwell on such imagery Grau ensures that the film never becomes unintentionally comic at any point. The film takes a while to get started, and hardcore gorehounds may have a difficult time with this, but once the story kicks into high gear it moves at a ferocious pace. The early section's emphasis on character and suspense adds immeasurably to the film's impact, however, and none of the material seems gratuitous or superfluous.     Grau is ably abetted by an appealing cast. Ray Lovelock (Murder Rock) makes for a likably sarcastic and quirky leading man. He's credible as the ecologically-minded 'hippy' figure, but never comes across as hollow or hypocritical in his point of view. Indeed, his character is very capable and resourceful in a pinch and generally avoids the pitfall of doing stupid things just to help advance the plot — a typical sore point in films of this sort. His main costar is the lovely Christina Galbo (What Have You Done To Solange?), and while they spark off each other in an endearing manner, the film doesn't bog itself down with a half-baked love story — they are in danger pretty much from the time they first meet, and theirs is a relationship built on altruism and survival rather than inane double entendres. Galbo is extremely credible as her character begins to lose control, but she is never reduced to the role of a simpering, helpless damsel in distress. Faded American leading man Arthur Kennedy (Lawrence of Arabia, Ricco the Mean Machine) has taken a lot of knocks for his blustering portrayal of the bigoted cop with an axe to grind against Lovelock, but I would argue that he's perfectly acceptable in the role. His Irish accent isn't exactly flawless, but the actor brings a sense of rage to the role that is truly formidable. The whole contrast between Lovelock's New Age mentality and Kennedy's macho man routine is central to the story, and the two actors play off of each other very effectively. Kennedy may not opt for subtle introspection, it's true, but this is not the type of material that calls for that approach; he's an ideal representation of "The Man" as viewed by the younger, authority-averse generation.     With its exceptional cinematography by Francisco Sempere (Cauldron of Blood) and gorgeous avant-garde soundtrack by Guiliano Sorgini, The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue remains one of the finest zombie films ever made. While it falters slightly in its would-be ironic, but slightly incongruous, finale, Grau never allows the tension to falter — and in not relying exclusively on splashy gore effects, the film is bound to age better than many other films of its ilk.

Blue Undergound's new two disc special edition of The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue is a thing of beauty. Previously issued by Anchor Bay and BU under the title Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (though the content is otherwise identical; both versions are fully uncut), the film has been thoroughly remastered. The 1.85/16x9 transfer looks stunning — colors are eye-popping, detail is sharp and print damage is limited to some minor speckling typical of a film of this vintage. The original dubbed English mono soundtrack is clean and clear, and there are also punched up Surround and 5.1 audio options. The latter is very effective conveying Sorgini's eerie music, though purists will want to stick with the mono track.     BU has ported over the extras included on the AB disc, including a filmed intro with director Jorge Grau, a 20-minute interview featurette with the director, and the usual array of trailers and still galleries. The new extras, however, are far from pointless. A 45- minute featurette with Grau touring the film's English locations is absolutely fascinating and loaded with trivia about the film and its stars. Up next is a 16-minute interview with a gracefully aging Lovelock, who discusses his fondness for LDAMM despite his basic disinterest in the horror genre. Last but not least is an interview with FX maestro Gianetto De Rossi (15 min.), who rightfully takes pride in the film and its place in his canon of work. Far from being a repackaged piece of old goods, the new SE of Living Dead at Manchester Morgue is a must-have for fans. 3/09/08

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