Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things

1972
PG
1h 27m

IMDb RATING

5.2/10

5.3K

YOUR RATING

Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (1972)

Trailer for Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things

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1 Video

81 Photos

Comedy Horror

Six friends in a theatrical troupe dig up a corpse on an abandoned island to use in a mock Satanic rite. It backfires with deadly consequences.Six friends in a theatrical troupe dig up a corpse on an abandoned island to use in a mock Satanic rite. It backfires with deadly consequences.Six friends in a theatrical troupe dig up a corpse on an abandoned island to use in a mock Satanic rite. It backfires with deadly consequences.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.2/10

5.3K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Jeff
(as Jeffrey Gillen)

Anya Ormsby

Anya

Paul Cronin

Paul

Jane Daly

Terry

Roy Engleman

Robert Philip

Emerson

Bruce Solomon

Winns

Alecs Baird

Caretaker

Seth Sklarey

Ourille

Bob Sherman

Ghoul
(as Robert Sherman)

Curtis Bryant

Ghoul

William R. 'Bob' Smedley

Tallest Dead Thing
(as Robert Smedley)

Debbie Cummins

Ghoul

Gordon Gilbert

Ghoul

Peter Burke

Ghoul

Chester Phebus

Ghoul

Director
- Bob Clark
Writers
- Bob Clark
- Alan Ormsby
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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9:57

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Director Bob Clark was planning to release a remake of this film in 2007. Unfortunately, though, he died in a car accident before production plans could get started.

Goofs
Orville is misspelled "Oruille " in the film's closing credits.

Quotes
Terry: Gee, Mr. Wizard, how do you get the litmus paper to turn blue?
Alan: The same way I get the egg into the Coke bottle, bitch.

Crazy credits
The zombies get into the boat and sail to the city throughout the course of the film's closing credits.

Alternate versions
Although the UK theatrical release of the film was uncut by the BBFC, the 2005 UK Anchor Bay Entertainment DVD release of it was missing about seven minutes of dialogue scenes for unknown reasons. The earlier Exploited Video DVD release of it, however, was completely uncut.

Connections
Featured in TJ and the All Night Theatre: Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things + the Invisible Terror (1980)

User reviews136

Featured review

6/10

A cabin in the woods on an island with a book of spells and a graveyard

A theatre troupe is misled by their crackpot leader (Alan Ormsby) to spend the night on an infamous isle off the coast of Miami known for its cemetery of outcast criminals. There he tries his hand at raising the dead using a grimoire.

"Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things" (1972) is a horror indie by Bob Clark (director/writer) & Ormsby (writer) inspired by "Night of the Living Dead" (1968). It only cost $70,000 (about $45,000 less than "Night"), but the spooky atmosphere is effective (with eerie sounds for the soundtrack rather than conventional music), the zombie make-up is well done and the amusing characters were written & performed with personality and spunk.

Brunette Jane Daly stands out in the female department as Terry (the girl with the yellow shirt) while Anya Ormsby is reminiscent of Parker Posey as the spiritually sensitive lass (she was married to Alan at the time of shooting). Meanwhile Valerie Mamches is entertaining as the quasi-Gypsy woman.

While watching I couldn't help think of Steve Gerber's Man-Thing comics from 1973-1975. The location and vibe are similar, just without a swamp monster. He was obviously influenced by this cult flick.

The film runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, and was shot in the Coconut Grove area of Miami.

GRADE: B-