Orgie macabre

Now here are a few tips if you happen to stumble upon this "movie" and decide to watch it:

-Ignore the script (there isn't one anyway)

-Ignore the acting (the actors say things like "I'm afraid! We are going to die!" with all the emotion that goes into discussions about the weather).

-Ignore the bad makeup, the inept camerawork, the overabundance of "fog", all the technical mistakes.

-Concentrate on the occasionally amusing dialogue, AND on the naked female bodies. Two or three of them are sensational. That's the only way you can get something out of this one.

-And remember that there ARE worse movies out there. Have you seen "Blood Orgy Of The She Devils"? (*1/2)

This movie has a werewolf, a mummy, walking dead, ghouls, a zombie, the princess of darkness, and an emperor of the dead. Most of the movie takes place in a cemetery. Even with all this, you'll never believe it, but this is not a horror movie. What little there is of acting, is so poor it's a joke. The filming is terrible. Forget about a plot and trying to find out where the movie is heading. It isn't heading anywhere. Don't expect to watch an actual horror movie. The main point of this movie is to show about 10, attractive, topless women doing individual exotic dances. The dancers are attractive, and for 1965 exotic dancing I would have to say they are pretty good. The main problem is, that's it. That's all there is to it. There is no more. Watch this only if you want a poor excuse to watch some strippers dancing.

Looking at the user ratings for this, it is not altogether surprising that most users rate it a one, i.e. terrible. While it is quite terrible, with next to no production values (and it could very well have been made by Ed Wood, who "wrote" it; in fact, I'd classify it as an Ed Wood movie), A.C. Stephen's "Orgy of the Dead" is often at least extremely entertaining; that is, it's entertaining to those who enjoy pure schlock when they see it. If nothing else, this movie offers non stop schlock, ranging from actors who cannot act (but who spout inanely quotable lines, nevertheless), strippers who can't dance, and effects which are anything but special. Because the schlockiness of it is often quite hilarious, I'd thus be inclined to rate it rather higher than a one. Also, to be taken into consideration is that when this was made, it was meant to serve no other purpose than as something to be projected on to the screen at various grindhouse theaters across the country at a time just prior to the advent of harder porno theaters. Hence, it's a relic of an earlier era than our own, serving a kind of sociohistorical value, as well; perhaps it belongs, along with all of the Ed Wood canon in the Smithsonian?

Add this film to the "Looks Better On DVD Than It Has Any Right To" list. The recent DVD release reveals far better original material than the old VHS showed. We get to see every droplet in the swirling fog, every quiver of the dancers' flesh. We get to see just how dead Criswell's pan is. Every flaw is brilliantly illuminated. How can this old low-budget stuff end up looking better than many a modern film?

Sure, this movie is slow, tedious, repetitious and ultimately pointless. But it grows on you. Like fungus. It has an odd sincerity, in its utter badness. Somehow, nobody seems to really understand that they are making a bad movie -- the secret of the charm of the Ed Wood universe.

I have not only the new DVD, but also the full (including dialogue) soundtrack CD which I have listened to many times. I admit to a strange, childish pleasure to be typing away at work while listening to dialogue like, "A pussy cat was born to be whupped!"

Would-be indie filmmakers should take inspiration from this film, as it is proof that no matter how bad the dreck put to film may be, it can see distribution and perhaps even a profit. And, filmmaking lets you hang out with naked babes.

I'm working on the sequel now. Watch for it.

Free your mind people!! Not every movie in the world has to be Schindlers List. There are movies that exist for no good reason. These films offer no morality or underlying message. Get a six-pack, some pizza, pop this bad boy in your VCR and shut-up!! This movie is one of my favorites of all-time and it's really sad to see so many uptight dorks (who wouldn't know a good time if it sat on there face) slag it on this great web-site. So here I am to set the record straight. At the time this movie was made Ed Wood had been reduced to an alcoholic scriptwriter, rumored to be working for bottles of bourbon. So of course the script itself is simply sublime. Obvious ramblings and silly comments. Ed would have made a great writer for a kiddie show. The story itself if basically an excuse to have a dozen or so strippers dance across the screen, because I hate to say it folks but back in 1965 SEX SELLED!! And director A.C. Stephens sold ALOT of sex in his day. And to round out this ode' to burlesque you have a cast that no B-movie fan can resist like Criswell! Rumor has it when Criswell saw the final cut of this film he cried and told A.C. "You made me look like royalty"! Watch Criswells eyes as he read his cue cards. Then there's Fawn Silver, the original Elvira, looking magnificent as she torments her wooden acting captors. And Pat Berrington who achievements in b-movies are legendary (hell she was in a Russ Meyer movie for GOD SAKE!!). And lets not forget the tremendous (and naturally gifted) "dead" strippers who's dances are so mind boggleingly bad you can't help but fall off your couch! AWESOME!! RECOMENDED!!