Ruhe in Frieden

I don't know about you, but I would like to see Rest in Pieces come out on DVD. I agree that this movie is seriously underrated and that maybe this is the reason.

This movie is definitely a must-have for any avid horror buff. I have Rest in Pieces on VHS. What I really enjoy the most about this fine, suspenseful masterpiece is the music that is played throughout the story. I also enjoy the fact that this movie was made on a highly restricted budget. This does not subtract from a great horror film, but actually adds to its enjoyment potential. You can see the imagination and th ingenuity that was made behind it. You can get a break from special effects and from the Hollywood saturation that is so prominent in so many films, especially the ones of today.

The music and sounds allow for the better movement from the story from one scene to the next. It is very similar to Stanley Kubrick's 1980 production of The Shining. The music allows you to use your own imagination and is so spooky that it actually does a far better job of keeping you on the edge of your seat and be completely entertained. This is why I believe Rest in Pieces should be released on DVD.

I also enjoyed the scenes where Helen is being haunted by visions of her laughing aunt who appears to torment her at various snatches of scenes. Some were peppered with sound effects of when her aunt is speaking to her. I cannot help but laugh, as I can almost see the humor behind it.

I would like to know the piece that was played by the string quartet in the concert scene. It is such a lovely classical piece. If anyone knows the title and the name of the composer, please let me know.

And oh, what a waste of time. Weak plot, unscary 'scary' moments, and very little in the way of gore. The collection of characters was the main thing "Rest in Pieces" had going for it: the blind man, the preacher, the doctor, the slutty maid, and so on. But what exactly was going on here? Are these people the thinking, talking, otherwise normal version of the living dead, similar to the much better (and earlier) film "Dead & Buried"? Why do they slaughter the string quartet? Is the doctor a mad scientist who has brought these people back from the dead, just like the old coroner from "Dead & Buried"? Were we supposed to be frightened or laugh at the repeated appearances of the aunt's ghost? Do the resurrected need hypnotism to 'get adjusted' to their new form of existence, just like they do in "Dead & Buried"? I think I'm starting to see a pattern here. ..

There are more stupid parts – the preacher with his switchblade and the cars in the garage come to mind. In general this movie was just bad. Now that I think about it, the only reason I wanted to see it was the description on the box made it sound a lot like "Dead Alive" (neighbors...undead...kill, kill, kill). I'm sorry I suckered myself into renting this based on that. Don't bother with this one. Watch instead that other horror movie made a few years before this one that was also about people being brought back from the dead to lead almost-normal lives - oh, what was that one called. . .

A woman inherits an estate from her dead aunt who orchestrates her suicide via video tape and, immediately after moving in, she and her husband experience strange haunting-esque activity and odd stalkers.

What Rest in Pieces has going for it is a fairly unpredictable script that just so happens to be told in a pedestrian and unexciting way. It also doesn't help that the leading lady doesn't provide much in the way of excitement or rational human responses throughout. Her line readings sound like they were dubbed by a robot, but the script's oddly paced twists and turns still take the viewer by surprise occasionally and the random bursts of violence and gore do shock after the mostly restrained and by the numbers first half hour.

Helen (Lorin Jean Vail) inherits an old house and the surrounding property from her Carol Channing look-a-like Aunt. When she and her husband arrive there, they find an odd group of folks living in the surrounding houses. Odd in the sense that they like to kill people and, even worse, don't pay rent! Directed by Jose Ramon Larraz (under the pseudonym Joseph Braunstein), this is a pretty weak horror film that might be notable solely for the horrible lead performance by Vail. She is spectacularly bad, which should be expected as she was an interviewee in THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION Part II. There is one creepy moment where the evil group (which features Spanish film vets Patty Shepard and Jack Taylor) slaughter some classical musicians, but not much else. There is also a nice twist in the plot about half way through, but the disinterested direction doesn't help it have the "umph" it should. Which is a shame as Larraz made some atmospheric stuff in the 70s (VAMPYRES, DEVIATION, THE HOUSE THAT VANISHED). Sadly, nothing happens that is nearly as cool as the cover art depicting a rotting zombie bursting through a door.

Years ago I wanted to rent this movie at a video store when I tried the store said they no longer carry the movie so I waited like 20 years 20 plus years to finally see this movie anyway I finally saw it and it's about a husband and wife go to some undisclosed country as the wife inherited her aunts house. Then strange things start happening and they are surrounded by weird people Allstate try to expect these previous tenants from the land to previous tenant start making plans against them the movie doesn't make a lot of sense tells us that the previous owners are ghosts but then they going to make a deal with the husband to try and get rid of the wife so are they really closed or they alive and there's a haunted house across the street never gets explored in a way I like this movie but not enough to give us five stars or more is brought to you by the same film company that brought us Edge of the axe which was a very good film and a better movie than this one whereas rest in peace it was kind of a sponge ghost story still there too many loose ends that are never tied up.