User reviews

Very entertaining concoction: in spite of its shaky sets, dresses with zippers and carriages definitely not from the 6th century (if the script is alluding to King Mark of Cornwall), verbose dialogs and a few corny performances, this Roger Corman production has the tone and feeling of a fairy tale, as performed by kids from elementary school with naiveté and spontaneity. The time-travelling premise in the script by Charles Griffith and Mark Hanna is clever and it could have benefited from a bigger budget for revisions, re-writes and higher production values. As it is, I find it funny, charming and even daring, as it somehow aspires to have values similar to literary works written in old times, about death, transcendence and the role of science in the evolution of mankind. It is also another proof of Corman's ability to turn almost anything into a pleasant time for the viewers. Recommended.

I saw The Undead many years ago and sad to say before writing this review I got to see it again as part of Mystery Science Theater. No doubt Roger Corman did a whole lot of Thanksgiving specials especially in his early career. But I always rather liked this paradoxical film about hypnotism and travel. And of course a scientist's curiosity which backfires on him in a most peculiar way.

Pamela Duncan is the subject of hypnosis therapy by doctors Maurice Manson and Val Dufour. She's a hooker, but when we first meet her she's under and regresses back to a life in the first millenia AD where she's been condemned to be a witch and scheduled to die. Her mind goes back to that past and she escapes the headman's ax.

Which creates a paradox because if her past life doesn't die it puts her future lives in jeopardy. Knight Richard Garland who's earnest, but a little thick loves the past Duncan and wants to do the knight errant thing and save her. Real witch Allison Hayes has a thing for Garland and doesn't stand a chance while she lives.

Fascinated by the paradox and the drama Dufour regresses himself through hypnosis to see how it all unfolds and meets none other than a medieval Satan himself played by Richard Devon. He also is watching the drama unfold in fact he recognizes Dufour for who he is and states plainly that he is the critic and let the play continue.

No doubt Roger Corman was influenced by all the publicity of the Bridey Murphy controversy and the book and film that was made about it. Of course this is shot on a dental floss budget and it shows in spots, but only rarely.

I waited for years to see this again and review it and despite the MST snide comments during the film I still enjoyed it though Citizen Kane it ain't.

A clever, sly and witty film disguised as a B movie. I assume its low rating is due to the fact that its rarely seen

Pamela Duncan plays a street walker who is called in to an institute being run by some men who have just returned from Tibet. They all take a trip to the Middle Ages, when the devil, played like a raffish Mephistopheles, is a general in the battle between the forces of good and evil for the soul of an earlier incarnation of Miss Duncan.

It's a fairly ambitious little horror movie from Roger Corman, with an interesting scene in which the Devil raises three witches from their burial to offer some modern dance, gratis of choreographer Chris Miller. I never found it quite involving, because it's all shot on confined stages with AIP's usual budget in this period. Nonetheless, there are bits and pieces that seem quite stylish, like everyone had been to a screening of THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER, and was feeling inspired, particularly Richard Devon as Satan. Billy Barty also has a role as an Imp.

This is a horror movie which seems to be unpretentious, and yet has some inventive quality about it.

It's hard to say who the central character is, because while there are two main characters, many of them share the spotlight. A woman is hypnotized into reliving her past.

To say more will "spoil" the film, I think, because there are many subplots going on here, along with the two chief plots.

While it definitely goes for "unpretentious camp", particularly with the imp and the beautiful evil witch, there is more than meets the eye in the story. Devon purposely hams it up as the Devil, because we've seen Devon do some great acting work in movies like "The Comancheros", and here he just has a blast. In fact, the movie looks like a "Monster Mash" type of blast for the supporting cast.

A few things ruined what could have been great. While a certain character was asking for a come uppance, the fact that she was an unarmed woman killed by the leading man was too much for any heterosexual male to enjoy. Women will like it, though, and most movies by Corman and his breed are made for women.

Mixed feelings, but not a bad flick. It helps when everyone seems to be having a good time. It makes the film more of a joy to watch.

I fondly remember Corman's excuse to put a bevy of blonde babes on screen and pretend they were female vikings in Viking Women and the Sea Serpent. Heck, I even enjoyed "I'm a PRINCE!!!", but at times, the stagnation has you thinking, "Oh, yeah, I was watching a movie!" as your trail of thought wanders off. I even recall the yawning plague from the horror he penned in the Gunslinger which was only saved by fiery red maned Beverly Garland.

The Undead (although not pertaining to zombies or ghouls, but the unholy one) has a certain je ne sais quoi...a campy, strange feel. Sure, it was shot on some studio set and it looks like the entire village consists of less than 10 people. However, the effort put into this actually makes it a trip to watch. I don't know what the whole prostitute angle is or the question of whether or not a streetwalker is valued higher than a damsel accused of heresy, but it is a first! The eccentric, yet most recalled character, Smolkin, steals any scene he's in so much so that the "Hey diddle, diddle, the cat in the fiddle..." tune was stuck in my mind that even the homeless guys asking for change gave me odd glances when I was singing that walking near Fulton St. Witch Livia, played by bombshell Allison Hayes (she can hex me anytime!), plays the sultry, seducing spellcaster to a point! No wonder Pendragon couldn't resist (poor dope). Cast a plus for Meg, the gnarled crone who really makes you wonder if she collects toadstools and brimstone in her spare time. Nice chin too! Add in creature transformations, the impishly diabolical Billy Barty laughing from the underworld and this is one strange mamma jamma. Also, they actually took time to write scenes in ye olde English which just throws you for seven loops. This also may require several viewings to figure out what exactly is going on. Oh, last but not least, don't forget cameo by Bruno VeSota who "heads" our cast to his quaint inn.

What's really over the top? Our fey prince of darkness laughs with such levity that cannot be Shatnerized. You have your typical scrupulous doctor who can't even pronounce correctly. It's NEPAL, not nip-pal! I really liked the bureaucractic feel of the Witch's Sabbath too. So be sure to "STAY" and see one of Corman's more entertaining yarns. Also, watch this one MSTified and you'll appreciate it even more. Although I may be mad, but I cannot say....

This movie was awful, although I have seen some worse movies before. The Imp is the most annoying character even though he is supposed to be the most lovable. The witch is fairly attractive and the rest of the characters are really annoying. For example, the madman whom continuously points out that he's mad. And the knight in shining armor whom fights like a sissy and trusts everyone right away. But like I said, there have been worse movies.

Former student Quintus Ratcliff (Val Dufour) wants to show off to old prof Ulbrecht Olinger (Maurice Manson) what he has learned in Tibet. He wants to get into the mind of his subject; a prostitute Diana Love (Pamela Duncan). She is sent back to a previous life in the Dark Ages. Unfortunately they think she's a witch. She escapes the clutches of those who want her dead to try and survive.

While this has all the potential to be horribly silly to me it works. The unexpected setting and unexpected look at reincarnation make this a passable movie. Also has a really nice twist at the end. Directed by Roger Corman. Written by Charles B. Griffith and Mark Hanna. Also starring Billy Barty and Dick Miller.

Can never say enough good things about Roger Corman as a businessman and a producer. He seems to be one of the very first figures in the film industry to find success with self-financing films (him and John Cassavetes at least, who did make very different kinds of films), and so was important for independent filmmaking as a whole.

He produced many cult classics, but his own films that he directed are usually disappointing. I go back to him and keep trying to find a diamond or two, but I never can. The Undead is no exception, but I guess my expectations were pretty low anyway.

With a nutty premise about a woman sent back in time to the Middle Ages only to be persecuted as a witch, this should be a lot more fun than it is. While I've seen worse, and it kinda passes here and there for a low-budget movie of its time, it's still never more than middling, and drags a lot, even at just 71 minutes.

You could do a lot with this premise if the audience is willing to go with it (to get more serious, expand the first act to show the main character being persecuted in the present day before being persecuted in the past, making a comment on how societies always treat women, for example?), but the film really doesn't do a lot with what it's got. Should be at the very least some silly fun, but it's not even really that.

This is my style of 1950s horror. It's has the elements for a fun horror: time travel, hypnotism, witches, a devil, medieval setting, and magic. The film also has great direction, cinematography, casting and story with an awesome atmosphere.

It's hard to believe this film has such a low rating; its' severely underrated - in my opinion. This is a B film... a low budget film. The critics should never watch a low budget film if they are going to complain about it being on a low budget - that seems to be a big complaint about this film - not enough money. Sure if they had more money to make this film then it would have been even better that it already is.

Another complaint about this film is it's mistakes. Every single film out there has mistakes in it - including multi-million dollar films. Read the "goofs" section - every film will have them.

This is a fun fantasy-horror that is easy to kick back and enjoy. Ignore the critics and judge the film for yourself. This film is entertaining in it's own way.

8.5/10

I had long wanted to purchase the Region 2 DVD (it's still M.I.A. in the U.S.) of this one, but somehow I kept postponing it – I remember there was some discussion whether the Fullscreen presentation here was the correct Aspect Ratio – and it eventually went out-of-print. Luckily, I stumbled upon a single copy at the Oxford Street branch of Virgin Megastores while in London last month and quickly lapped it up. Distressingly, as has been happening with some of the stuff I brought over from the U.K., the picture froze as soon as the film started on my Pioneer model – so I switched it onto the cheaper DivX player I acquired some months back and it proceeded to play all the way through without a glitch!

Anyway, to get back to the film: I have to admit that I was somewhat underwhelmed by it on this initial viewing – even if I readily concede that it's one of Corman's most ambitious and interesting efforts from this era (with a plot clearly inspired by the true case history dealt with in THE SEARCH FOR BRIDEY MURPHY [1956]); the only other three of Corman's early horror titles that I've watched are A BUCKET OF BLOOD (1959), THE WASP WOMAN (1959) and THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1960). I know that, with the budgets usually allowed Corman at this time, not much could be expected with respect to the film's look – but its partial period setting, perhaps, hampers it more than most; in later years, the black-and-white TOWER OF London (1962) suffers a comparable fate vis-à-vis the more visually lavish Poe adaptations.

The inadequate leads notwithstanding, the cast responds enthusiastically to the inherent campiness of the piece with Allison Hayes (as a wicked yet voluptuous sorceress), Mel Welles (as a Shakespearean gravedigger) and Richard Devon (as an equally theatrical Satan) coming off best – though the usually reliable Billy Barty makes for a rather obnoxious imp. Still, while the climactic Witches' Sabbath (with its clever twist ending and a brief appearance by the ubiquitous Dick Miller) is an undeniable highlight, the blank verse and 'Olde English' pronunciation utilized throughout the re-enactment of the heroine's past life gets tiresome pretty quickly; that said, this ill-advised attempt at respectability (the barren sets and general lack of period sense would have fooled no one even back then!) – for the record, the film suffered the ignominy of being spoofed on "Mystery Science Theater 3000" – does look forward to the somewhat similar yet rather more successful INCUBUS (1965) which was filmed, for no discernible reason, in Esperanto!

Among the DVD supplements are 9 theatrical trailers of titles in the "Arkoff Film Library" – though, curiously, not one for THE UNDEAD itself: I'd be interested to watch DAY THE WORLD ENDED (1955), THE SHE-CREATURE (1956), BLOOD OF Dracula (1957), EARTH VS. THE SPIDER (1958; promoted here under its original title of THE SPIDER), HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER (1958) and WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST (1958) – all of which promise to be cheesy fun…not that I'd rush out and go purchase them or anything at this stage, mind you! With a backlog of some 600 legitimate DVDs and almost as many recorded VHS titles, God knows I have enough stuff to tide me over for a long time to come; however, one film I wouldn't mind getting my hands on is Corman's influential sci-fi classic NOT OF THIS EARTH (1957) – itself remade no less than three times! – but which has, mysteriously, never been available on home video.

A 50-minute audio interview (recorded at London's National Film Theatre) with legendary AIP honcho Samuel Z. Arkoff is also featured on the disc: it's an interesting piece – especially when discussing his early years in the business, the advent of Roger Corman himself and the company's tenure in England; less enthusing, however, are his decidedly feeble comments about the huge dividends made by low-budget productions today (in the face of so many costly box-office failures) – but where their ultimate quality, entertainment value and longevity could hardly be compared to the good old days.

'The Undead' is weird and sometimes confusing horror thriller that mixes reincarnation with time travel. Prostitute Diana Love (Pamela Duncan) is put into hypnotic trance by psychic Quintus Ratcliff (Val Dufor) and sent back into her previous life as Helen who is about to beheaded as witch in the dark ages at the night of Witch Sabbath. The premise is exciting enough and the ridiculous dialogue is well acted like usually in Corman's movies. The sets built out of plywood and Styrofoam are seemingly fake. Even the winged creatures that real witch Livia (Allisson Hayes) and her evil Imp are changing themselves are reused from Corman's earlier film 'It Conquered the World'. That is how cheep he made his movies.

While watching Roger Corman's movies, I occasionally think about the ideas used in his movies and what if he didn't need to rush his productions, but could allow to develop the screenplays and had a bigger budgets to use? Of course they might not be such an outrageous pieces of entertainment anymore as one immediately understands that all his inventiveness was direct result of small budgets. Oh well, one can dream sometimes.

'The Undead' is undeservedly overlooked and even forgotten horror film that again is rather interesting compared to other such productions from that era.

Again, I have to admit the world(cinema) would be much poorer without Roger Corman and his company of writers/actors.

Yeah, that's right, I like the grave digger AND his incessant singing. Everyone calls him mad, MAD, I say!--but his little ballads are always right on point. He is very reminiscent of the Fool in King Lear--the observer whose supposed simple-mindedness allows him alone to comment insightfully on the madness of the others.

Also, I like movies that teach me things. Like that women in the fifties somehow had both 14" waists and, well, GIGANTIC BREASTS! Weird science, man. It's a wonder that woman didn't snap in two when she stood up.

Yes of all the things to notice about the flick the one that stood out for me is the fact the set had to be really small. When ever the characters went anywhere in the movie it seemed they only had to go a couple of steps to get there. Enough of that though I have a movie to review. This movie is a about two researchers and their attempt to send a prostitute back into one of her former lives. They suceed and she ends up as this gal who is imprisoned in the Tower of Death which strangely enough seems to have only one floor. She is accused of being a witch and must die. She escapes with the help from her future self and this messes everything up so that maybe her future self won't live. It gets even more jumbled by the end with one of the researchers going back to that time to...he really doesn't need to, but I guess he just wanted to check it out. Billy Barty appears in this one as an imp and you will meet the most annoying grave digger ever. Also, watch for the good looking evil witch who can change into muliple things. Not much to recommend here, unless you watch the MST 3000 version of this flick. One thing I did learn is that you can't take your clothes with you to the past, but you can take your watch apparently.

This film has one of the most odd concepts I've ever seen. At one point, Quintus,(the hero)is so distraught over the loss of Helen, (the witch) that he tries to rent his soul to Satan. This proposition was so stultifying, it left me speechless. It also seemed to stump the devil as well.

A smug researcher of psychic phenomena picks a prostitute up off the street and, through hypnosis, causes her to go back in time and re-live her previous incarnations. Turns out the young lady was falsely accused of witchcraft back in a foggy medieval forest of Long Ago and beheaded. However, her present consciousness and the doctors interference cause her to escape her prison and alter her future. If she does not die at the headsmans ax, she will never be reincarnated. Her hypnotist then decides to go back into time with her, and convince her former self to remain, and avoid being reincarnated as a hooker. But there are others who would convince her otherwise, including an evil but beautiful witch, her lover Pendragon, an old hag and Satan Himself. Only she can decide, and she has to make a choice before the sun rises.

This is actually a pretty good story. It suffers some from a low budget, cheap sets and some slightly muddy plot points, but it's entertaining. Alison Hayes as the curvaceously gorgeous, but evil witch is a high point, along with Billy Barty who plays her familiar wicked imp. It's better than most of the B-movie fare that was being mass produced at the same time. Cute and engaging, slightly morbid but mostly harmless.

The Undead is a very silly piece of melodrama from Roger Corman. The plot is concerned with a time travelling doctor who regresses his street walking patient back to a time of witches, imps, dumb knights, fey fights, and singing gravediggers. Listening to Smolkin belt out his rhymes is funny. Watching this strange film on MST is even better. They point out things like how come Pendergon trusts everyone right off the bat? They also point out that Quintis has become rather smug toward the end of the movie. If you think that you can't survive this movie, I've just got one word for you, STAY!!!!! At least if you're watching this on MST.

I'm a big Allison Hayes fan and have caught her in most of her horror films such as "The Zombies of Moru Tau" and the MST3K Classic "The Unearthly," but this movie comes a lot closer to trully capturing her presence than her really big hit, "Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman." She was mostly missing from that movie despite being the star and she wasn't given very many 'attack' scenes. In the "Undead," she plays a sexy witch called Livia [sometimes sounds like Lydia] who pines for the heart of a knight, but is waylaid by a time-traveling call-girl in the body of a past life. The Bridey Murphy/ Reincarnation thing was a big topic back then, but then it could have been a much different movie if the hooker had landed in Allison Hayes. This mostly condemmed movie was filmed in a studio that had been a closed-down supermarket which attones for the claustrophobic sense of the sets. Largely ridiculed by critics and true horror fans [not including the guys who prefer the slice-and-dice/body counts/heavy gore movies], this movie redeems itself in the end with a strange twist that really grabs the watcher, but even then, not that many people seem to respect that kind of ending.

Roger Corman's "The Undead" was an early release from AIP theatrically double billed with "Voodoo Woman," marking the genre debut of screen siren Allison Hayes, following on with "Zombies of Mora Tau," "The Disembodied," "The Unearthly," "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman," "The Hypnotic Eye," and "The Crawling Hand." The trenchant saga of Bridey Murphy served as inspiration for a number of then current films, including "The She-Creature," W. Lee Wilder's "Fright," and Ed Wood's "The Bride and the Beast," but Corman typically delivers the most unusual and captivating take on the subject (shooting title "The Trance of Diana Love," shot in six days inside a converted supermarket disguised by dry ice). American housewife Virginia Tighe had undergone a hypnotic trance that went further back than childhood, supposedly revealing her to be the living incarnation of a 19th century Irishwoman named Bridey Murphy. A book on the events was published in 1956 then a feature film starring Teresa Wright, after which the facts slowly revealed themselves as submerged memories from childhood that had nothing to do with reincarnation (one of Virginia's Chicago neighbors was an Irish immigrant named Bridie Murphey Corkell). This Charles B. Griffith collaboration with Mark Hanna featured the stars of the later production "Attack of the Crab Monsters," Pamela Duncan, Richard Garland, and Mel Welles, plus Dick Miller's cameo as a leper who signs a pact with Richard Devon's smiling Satan to cleanse himself. Pamela gets top billing as a modern streetwalker who agrees to hypnotic regression back to a period during the Middle Ages, where in her previous life she was an accused witch feted to die by the headsman's ax at dawn. The scientist conducting the experiment discovers that her journey is physical as well as mental, and that if she survives her past ordeal all of her subsequent lives shall be forfeited. As highbrow as it seems it's an absolute delight to watch a prime Corman ensemble in top form, adding Allison Hayes as sexy witch Livia and Billy Barty as her incorrigible imp familiar (the same flying bat creatures used by the Venusian in "It Conquered the World" are trotted out whenever the two change form), plus Dorothy Neumann as a sympathetic conjurer, Bruno Ve Sota as the innkeeper, and scene stealing Mel Welles as the gravedigger. Allison's witch may be evil but she's also hopelessly in love, and proves a more fascinating character than the central figure. Ronald Stein's music cues were recycled by director Larry Buchanan for his 8 Azalea pictures, all but one color remakes of black and white AIP titles from the 50s, though this title was fortunately spared.