A grave robber reflects on his life of crime.A grave robber reflects on his life of crime.A grave robber reflects on his life of crime.
- Awards
- 1 win & 5 nominations total
Joel Marsh Garland
- Ronnie
- (as Joel Garland)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
This film was really a breath of fresh air from the load of Hollywood crap I've seen recently. The acting is superb and the characters are engaging and oddly endearing. There really isn't much to the story, it's simple and it works well. An easy film to just sit down and enjoy. The mood was fantastic and the sets really helped push the movie along and offered some nice visuals. The film obviously has aspects of horror, yet is geared a little more towards the humorous side of things. You won't be laughing out loud hysterically with this one, but you'll be smiling the whole way through. The humor works very well with the characters and the superb acting doesn't hurt. I really watched this movie based on the fact that Ron Perlman was in it. His role is a bit smaller than I expected, but it doesn't matter; the rest of the cast does more than enough to keep you engaged. If you like horror, watch this. If you like comedies, watch this. Just go ahead and watch this anyway, it's really quite excellent.
This movie totally surprised me; I was expecting your run-of-the-mill zombie apocalypse, with the usual who's-gonna-get-killed-first gamble, but I was wrong: It is about the lives and times of two grave robbers in the mid 1800s England. It is horror in a blasé way, and a comedy by circumstance more than by design.
It is by no way a summer blockbuster; There are no spectacular explosion and CGI, nor there is any romancing "for the female crowd"; It is an old-fashion, hand-made movie with lots of love.
This love is apparent in the actors' play, which is a testimony to their great direction: The two main characters have a synergy that works very well (they look as if they played together for ages) and every other actor in the movie are characterized and unique, even the background and silent ones. The music score, robust and in the right tone, adds to the grim ambiance.
It may not have a spectacular development or a intricate storyline, but it is easy listening due to the anecdotal way it is told and the smooth camera work. I still have pleasure re-watching it, even more-so with a couple of brews under the belt.
7 out of 10: Not a true classic in the cinematographic sense, but certainly worth a try.
It is by no way a summer blockbuster; There are no spectacular explosion and CGI, nor there is any romancing "for the female crowd"; It is an old-fashion, hand-made movie with lots of love.
This love is apparent in the actors' play, which is a testimony to their great direction: The two main characters have a synergy that works very well (they look as if they played together for ages) and every other actor in the movie are characterized and unique, even the background and silent ones. The music score, robust and in the right tone, adds to the grim ambiance.
It may not have a spectacular development or a intricate storyline, but it is easy listening due to the anecdotal way it is told and the smooth camera work. I still have pleasure re-watching it, even more-so with a couple of brews under the belt.
7 out of 10: Not a true classic in the cinematographic sense, but certainly worth a try.
I saw this movie as part of the Midnite Madness at Sitges. Set in 18th century England, the plot covers the life of Arthur Blake from his first outing as an apprentice grave robber to his final confession on the eve of his execution.
The plot moves along via a series of misadventures involving Arthur and his partner encountering various unsavory characters and bizarre situations.
The first thing that strikes you about this movie is how accurately they managed to capture the look of the Hammer period horrors, the atmosphere is set with lots of fog laden graveyards, rowdy tavern scenes and excellent set/costume design.
For a movie titled I Sell the Dead, I was expecting the emphasis to be mostly on horror don't get me wrong there are some jumpy moments and gore, but the tone is very much comedic, driven by the situations the characters get themselves into and their dialog. The closest comparison to the scenes between the two leads (Larry Fessenden and Dominic Monaghan) is the character interaction seen in the classic English comedies Only Fools and Horses, the Two Ronnies and Morecambe and Wise.
The acting is strong and the casting of very familiar faces in Ron Perlman and Angus Scrimm lift the movie above many of the others on view in Sitges.
Overall the movie offers something very different to the current crop of mainstream horror and will leave a smile on your face.
The plot moves along via a series of misadventures involving Arthur and his partner encountering various unsavory characters and bizarre situations.
The first thing that strikes you about this movie is how accurately they managed to capture the look of the Hammer period horrors, the atmosphere is set with lots of fog laden graveyards, rowdy tavern scenes and excellent set/costume design.
For a movie titled I Sell the Dead, I was expecting the emphasis to be mostly on horror don't get me wrong there are some jumpy moments and gore, but the tone is very much comedic, driven by the situations the characters get themselves into and their dialog. The closest comparison to the scenes between the two leads (Larry Fessenden and Dominic Monaghan) is the character interaction seen in the classic English comedies Only Fools and Horses, the Two Ronnies and Morecambe and Wise.
The acting is strong and the casting of very familiar faces in Ron Perlman and Angus Scrimm lift the movie above many of the others on view in Sitges.
Overall the movie offers something very different to the current crop of mainstream horror and will leave a smile on your face.
This one is an easy-going story. It's a tale, told first hand, of two friends in England who make their, ahem, living, by Grave-Robbing.
As it is with British-type humor, the funny is in the dialogue and the setting without the usual blunt-nosed set-up that Hollywood sets you up for. Laid back, because the humor is the type that makes you smile afterward as opposed to guffawing out loud -- but funny just the same.
And here and there, throughout, the touches of the Macabre are incidental set pieces that are just 'A funny thing happened on the way to the Graveyard the other night. . .' rather than the central horror of the movie. All in all, very well done, and ALL the characters are engaging and likable.
Give this one a try if you and your friends are in the mood for some light horror with a side of funny. Pick this one for a slow Saturday Night with some good beer & chips.
As it is with British-type humor, the funny is in the dialogue and the setting without the usual blunt-nosed set-up that Hollywood sets you up for. Laid back, because the humor is the type that makes you smile afterward as opposed to guffawing out loud -- but funny just the same.
And here and there, throughout, the touches of the Macabre are incidental set pieces that are just 'A funny thing happened on the way to the Graveyard the other night. . .' rather than the central horror of the movie. All in all, very well done, and ALL the characters are engaging and likable.
Give this one a try if you and your friends are in the mood for some light horror with a side of funny. Pick this one for a slow Saturday Night with some good beer & chips.
"I Sell the Dead" is a horror comedy about a duo of sympathetic grave-robbers.Grimes(Larry Fessenden)and Blake(Dominic Monaghan)rob graves and sell the corpses in Victorian England.Things change when they unearth a body that refuses to stay dead."I Sell the Dead" is narrated by Blake who is waiting in prison for the date with Mrs.Guillotine.The monk played by Ron Perlman listens to his last confession.Pretty funny low-budget horror comedy with Gothic atmosphere and few lovely twists.The characters are entertaining and the film oozes of the E.C. Comics vibe.I am not a fan of horror comedies,but this one kept me quite entertained.6 grave-robbers out of 10.
Did you know
- TriviaRon Perlman was sent a rough draft of the script and initially declined when asked to be in the movie after reading said rough draft. Perlman sent notes to writer/director Glenn McQuaid on how to improve the screenplay. After the script was revised to Perlman's satisfaction, he agreed to act in the movie.
- GoofsDuring the drinking contest, Willie's first tankard has a price tag/bar code sticker on the bottom.
- Quotes
Arthur Blake: You be careful of dreams, Fanny. They'll lead you down a garden path and into a ditch before you know it. The Fortune of War Pub? Filled with people who followed their dreams. Look what they got to.
- Crazy credits"A good cast is worth repeating!"
- ConnectionsFeatures The Resurrection Apprentice (2005)
- SoundtracksWaxies Dargle
Traditional
Vocals: Joe Hurley
Backing Vocals: Glenn McQuaid
Additional Vocals: John Vernon, Aidan Redmond, Alisdair Stewart
Guitar: Brendan O'Shea
Fiddle: Tom Chiu
Arranger: Jeff Grace
Recorded and Mixed by John Moros
- How long is I Sell the Dead?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- I Sell the Dead
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $750,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $8,050
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $3,529
- Aug 9, 2009
- Gross worldwide
- $8,050
- Runtime1 hour 25 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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