The House of the Living Dead

Honestly, I don't know what to think about this film; it is a curiosity, of course. Please don't despise it, even if it doesn't look like a Hammer film directed by a Freddie Francis or Terence Fisher. South Africa is a very surprising setting for such an "horror" film that precisely tries to look like a Hammer film. Ray Austin was genuinely a stunt man who directed some episodes for TV industry, including some THE AVENGERS. Yes, a curious film, reallly.

Right off the bat, I previously had no idea that South Africa made any horror films, so, simply in that, I learned something.

Over a long career (1968-99), this was one of only three cinematic works that director Austin made (all in the early 70's)--usually he did TV work--and in fact, production value-wise, it seemed like made-for-TV fare. Basically a vineyard/plantation with black, witchcraft-practicing slaves, and the owner harbouring a dark secret: A genius twin brother, who was discredited in the medical community to begin with, and then, since an almost-fatal brain injury suffered in an accident a year ago, basically insane and confined to the mansion's attic.

It was decently made and, as late-night fare, perfectly acceptable. It could have been made a lot better in more capable hands. The underlying ideas were very interesting, though only decently carried out, and the climax was completely predictable, though no less enjoyable. I got my copy very cheaply, in Mill Creek's 50-pack 'Nightmare Worlds', and it's watchable, no better, no less.

You know, this had some potential. The plot is out of that Baskerville, Pyncheon mode, where a family has had a history of horrible personages who have died unnatural deaths. There seems to be an almost satanic element at work. In the old days they would have felt that there was a curse because of some ancestor's evil actions. A man who is "cursed" and has an evil brother, brings his young fiancée to his home. His mother tries to drive her away because she wants to see the lineage end. The brother is apparently deformed and mad and stares from the window upstairs. This sound like a lot of fun. The down side is a rambling, endless story that goes on and on. There are a number of chases that contribute little to the events. The young woman is continuously roaming the mansion and it takes two or three minutes to get to a destination. The upside is that there is lots of suspense and some excellent surprises (not that it hasn't been done before). See this. It's OK.

House of the Living Dead is about a family with a history of mental illness living on the Cape in South Africa. There is the mother and her two sons - Michael, the Master of the house and his brother Breck, the demented mad scientist. Breck, who is deformed and lives shut in a room at the top of the house, believes that the soul is an organic object that can be isolated and contained outside the body.

Michael's fiancé comes to marry him, but she's not welcomed at all by his mother. Strange things are going on at the plantation, including murder and some voodoo-like witchcraft being practiced by the natives.

At this point, the movie starts to drag. There are a couple of chase scenes and an eerie organ inside the house that seems to be playing on its own. When the local constable begins to investigate things, we begin to get a glimpse into what's really going on.

When watching this kind of movie, you hope there will be enough suspense to keep you riveted to the film. If you can't get that, you at least hope you'll get a good ending. I don't want to spoil things, so all I'll say is that this movie at least has a really exciting ending. However, the film leaves you with questions that were never answered and the viewer is left to wonder about certain things.

Overall, if this is a genre of movies that you enjoy, I'd say watch it. If the whole "suspense, mad scientist, witchcraft" thing isn't high on your list as to the kind of movies you like, you'll probably be disappointed.

Some people who have written reviews think the title of the movie is deceptive because it isn't a zombie movie. There is just cause for the title...if you're paying attention!

It starts out really good, with a lot of elements and characters laid out to build suspense and great atmosphere, but by halfway through it narrows itself down to characters seriously wondering if an escaped stallion is behind the murders. Yes, a horse. And it tries to achieve a feel of all Hell breaking loose at the end with some psychedelic lights and crazy acting which both miss the mark. Worth seeing once, but I consider it to be to period-piece Hammer horror films what Space Mutiny was to Star Wars.

Oh, and in a dinner scene about halfway through, our heroine wears an outfit that somehow achieves an insupportable cleavage-to-breast ratio. Science geeks may want to study this scene just to see if they can figure out what laws of physics her corset's breaking. Really. Seriously.

Recently bought this in the Nightmare Worlds DVD 50-pack. Not sure if it's gotten its own release.