| One of the best zombie shockers of the 1970s, this Spanish-Italian coproduction (also known as The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue and Don't Open the Window, among other titles) is a real international affair. Inspired by George Romero's genre-shattering American hit Night of the Living Dead, it was shot in England by a Spanish director with a largely British cast, and supplemented by Spanish zombies and American character actor Arthur Kennedy as a bitter Irish police detective (with only a hint of a brogue). He's investigating a sudden rash of violent murders (the work of Satanists, he's convinced) and closes in on a pair of newcomers to the sleepy Northern England town, longhaired antique dealer Ray Lovelock and his nervous traveling companion Christine Galbó. Only they know the real culprits: newly deceased corpses, revived by agricultural experiments in ultrasonic radiation that are also turning newborns into vicious little monsters. Director Jorge Grau delivers all the stumbling zombies and gory flesh feasts you could hope for in a 1974 movie, but more importantly he creates the rare zombie thriller that manages to be both scary and smartly done. Some of the twists are a bit more far-fetched than others (why does dabbing blood on the eyes of long-dead cadavers magically bring them to life, and how would a zombie even know to try?), but it's a minor quibble in the face of the startling blood frenzy and Grau's satisfying dark dramatic twists. The DVD also features an introduction and a 20-minute interview with Grau ("I hope you will suffer profoundly," he jokes in the opening), as well as a gallery of posters and stills, TV ads, and radio spots. --Sean Axmaker |
|
 Best Horror DVD of the Year |
| Review Date: October 22, 2000 |
| Reviewer: frankenberry, Los Angeles, CA USA |
| Anchor Bay delivers the best and most anticipated horror DVD of the year. Never released on home video in the US (except in an atrocious edited low-budget EP VHS version called "The Living Dead"), Grau's super-fun 1974 zombie flick finally receives the definitive presentation it has aways deserved! Originally released theatrically in the States in an edited version called "Don't Open the Window", this DVD is the original UNCUT version and instantly makes the old (and once Very Valuable) Japanese laserdisc completely obsolete since that version pixelated the brief nudity. Anchor Bay's DVD is absolutely exceptional. If you're a zombie film fan or european horror buff, you probably already love this film. If you've never seen it, just go ahead and buy it --- you will NOT be disappointed! It's kind of a rip-off of NOTLD, but it has it's own unique twists, it's in glorious color and delivers some very shocking gore moments. Plus, the zombies are quite unique -- my favorite is the post-autopsy one who's got his chest stitched closed all the way down his torso. All in all, a very entertaining zombie film...not as ridiculous as the later Fulci films, but also not as grim as Romero's seminal classic. The film is presented here in a practically flawless print at 1.85:1. Also on the DVD are a short (and amusing) introduction by Grau (who hopes we have a "bad time" watching the film) plus a separate 20-minute interview with him. He goes into detail about how the film came to be, how he picked the cast, and what he thinks of horror film audiences. He comes off as a very cool, intelligent and nice guy. Too bad he left the business after only a few films. Besides that, the DVD features one TV spot (for "Window") which isn't very thrilling, some "Window" radio spots (much better!), plus a photo and poster gallery of the different artwork and posters from the various release versions of the film around the world. Very cool! Buy it Now!!! |
Great Zombie Film
|
| Review Date: March 15, 2004 |
| Reviewer: Crypt, Arkham |
| If you've watched your Romero and Fulci Zombie films to death and you're wanting something just as good, but different, check this little nasty out. A Spanish film inspired by Night of the Living Dead that came out before Dawn of the Dead started the carnivorous Zombie craze. This is one of the few genuinely creepy Zombie films. Night of the Living Dead and Zombie were the only other two that I found creepy. Dawn and Day of the dead were superior films, but I would never say they were creepy. The story is ambiguous in a true European way, and the cinematography is gorgeous and nightmarish at the same time. Also the Zombies are truly chilling. The gore sequences are well done and the acting is top notch. |
Anchor Bay Rocks with this Exceptional Zombie Shocker!
|
| Review Date: November 1, 2000 |
| Reviewer: , |
I had the fortune of seeing it via bootleg video tape years ago and now Anchor Bay has released it in a GORGEOUS, pristine transfer - it sounds and looks just incredible!
The film itself is a gem - one of the very best zombie films ever made. Eerie, atmospheric and well-acted. The zombies, though not as plentiful as in a Romero or Fulci film, are cool-they lumber around with a very creepy, distinct freshness about them. The suspense builds well and the attacks become icnreasingly gruesome so if you're a gorehound there should be enough to keep you seated and if you're not... well, you can just cover your eyes for a few hair-raising scenes of gut munching.
This is an excellent disc, and along with the Argento releases and Fulci's "The Beyond", stands as the top horror title of the year! |
GUTHRIE THE LOONY
|
| Review Date: November 18, 2000 |
| Reviewer: , |
| LET SLEEPING CORPSES LIE is easily one of the all time top 5 zombie movies ever made. Along with DAWN OF THE DEAD, ZOMBIE FLESHEATERS, ZOMBIE CREEPING FLESH, and THE BEYOND, JORGE GRAU A.K.A GEORGE ROMERO brings us a film of utter terror and ......The zombies are not your run of the mill shambling pathetic looking corpses, but very intimidating individuals. GUTHRIE, played by MICHAELLE JAQUE BACKEUR has to be the most relentless zombie ever.Unfortunately the film suffers from atrocious dubbing, resulting in every character speaking in a different accent. |
A Bright Zombie Flick
|
| Review Date: July 30, 2004 |
| Reviewer: K. Hansen, Moreno Valley, CA |
| To begin, this is one of the most interesting Zombie movies that I have ever seen. Of all the Zombie movies I have seen and own, this is really the only one that gives any explaination as to the existance of the Zombie, i.e, the farmer and his machine. I thought this was an excellent way to start the idea of the Zombie, instead of some Voodoo curse or like in the Romero films the Zombie just appears. Now in Night of the Living Dead, radiation was supposed to have caused the Zombie uprising however, in Let Sleeping Corpses Lie, there is a tangible element into the awakening of the undead. Not to mention that the picture quality is excellent and that it is bright. By that I mean that it isn't always shot in the shadows and at night with a bad camera. There are some night scenes that are shot very very well. So basically I thought that this film was excellent for a European Zombie flick. I enjoyed it and I believe that any Zombie fan will agree with me, and if you haven't yet seen this, I highly recommend viewing and purchasing this one!! |
|
No details are available for this product
No video reviews found for this product.
