Original title: Dead Men Do not Die. Director: Malcolm Marmorstein . Cast: Elliott Gould (Barry), Melissa Sue Anderson (Dulcie), Mark Moses (Jordan), Philip Bruns (Nolan), Mabel King (Chafuka), Jack Betts (Cavanaugh), Robert Covarrubias (Carlos), Robert Dryer (Mungo), George 'Buck' Flower (Wino), Andee Gray (Isadora), Judy Kain (Margo), Stanley Kamel (Archie). Duration: 94 minutes . Symptoms: A famous television presenter discovers the whereabouts of a store drug in the same building where your tv channel. In turn, this is discovered by the traffickers, who killed him to prevent his testimony. But the presenter will be revived through a voodoo sorceress apprentice cleaning. Now it's revenge on the criminals.
Diagnosis: continue to turn to the zombie theme, this time with an unknown semi comedy for all audiences and thus, without any trace of guts. And is that zombie subgenre has been closely linked for strange reasons always comedy. Maybe we needed to play down the issue of death or remote possibility that a body can return to life to the surprise of these things. The fact is that as early as 1941 with the charming but insubstantial King of the zombies the frame is softened by the presence of color comic Mantan Moreland and theatrical faces at the service in more than a comedy of terror. Since then, as I say, comedy zombies has visited on many occasions and this trend has increased in recent years in the safety of blood and laughter are a good combination for the box office.
At the time of the appearance of this modest film gender Zombie lived the last throes of a golden age experienced during the years 70-80. Just in recent years had been some zombie-themed comedies and achieved a relative success: Re-animator , The Return of the Living Dead , We are dead ... Or what? and much more.
The dead do not walk subscribes to this current and if it deserves its entry into this crazy House is mainly because it is one of the most (exactly) known. In fact, in Spain we went straight to video without becomes aware of its release in cinemas. Discreet as comedy, void as a carrier of any news on the zombie myth, the film has as its main item with the presence of Elliott Gould that was already in steep decline, as evidenced by their participation in this film.
TV Writer, Malcolm Marmorstein , makes this the first (and penultimate) intrusion into managerial work, being unable to take advantage of at least an argument certainly promising for a great comedy dyes . When it starts this title to us promise happy carefree air that designs and a very dynamic pace. Surprisingly, and following the murder of Elliot Gould, the director merely to chase the characters stupid all the halls and rooms of a building without the slightest advance plot and repeating over and over again the same gags of dubious grace thereto.
Marmorstein, also screenwriter of the film as I say, squanders any chance you may have acid history: a television personality become undead continue to exert its influence in a public mackerel, power zombificador holding certain programs sensational ... Not so. The script falls squarely within that nagging belief that the characters in a comedy (and not the situations) should be stupid, without realizing that this premise does all that is so stupid to entertain audiences. And that's the biggest drag on the entire tape. Fails to irritate (too frugal for that) but certainly not to cause the slightest hint of a smile, even though the last part leads to pure slapstick, difficult at the end of his hour and a half of footage, highlight a single truly lucky when (if ever the time of the resurrection of Gould, instant show in the video below, if someone wants save the rest). For the fantastic side the balance is even more disheartening, the appearance of the living dead here is merely circumstantial and could well have been replaced by any other occurrence, pudiéndonos comfort only an occasional nod to the fans (as the emergence of detective with a look at the Kolchack spitting, the famous journalist of the paranormal who starred in a series of the same name in the decade of the 70).
The deal is the only thing that might hold some surprises, highlighting, as I say the role of Elliot Gould , as far the years in which he starred in Robert Altman for major titles such as The Long Goodbye (where a solvent portrayed Phillip Marlowe) or MASH . With him we find a TV deal with some eminently familiar faces like the beautiful Melissa Sue Anderson (the eldest daughter of the Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie, those were) or Stanley Kamel, who died recently and who is remembered for playing the psychiatrist treating infinite patience in his consulting detective Monk . And note for film buffs, the director of the TV chain is played by Jack Betts , great features who starred in many spaghetti westerns of success (or Sartana was Django in multiple titles) with the name of Hunt Powers. Others will remember him for the brief but wonderful characterization that made Boris Karloff (to which it bore a striking resemblance) in the successful Gods and Monsters.
Ultimately, as I say, a rarity destined once more to completists of the zombie theme (this time in the Caribbean version) that can accompany a hot afternoon this summer if accompanied by a cool drink and rich snack.
Even with voodoo could resurrect his career Gould
can not miss it: The fantasy comedy aficionado easy laugh.
Refrain: The fan of Elliot Gould (if there is one already).
