The Living Head / The Living Coffin (Something Weird)

Starring:GastÃ³n Santos, MarÃa Duval, Pedro de AguillÃ³n (II), Carlos Ancira, Carolina Barret, Antonio Raxel, Hortensia SantoveÃ±a, QuintÃn Bulnes, Guillermo Ãlvarez Bianchi, Eugenia Galindo, JosÃ© ChÃ¡vez, HernÃ¡n Vera, JosÃ© DupeyrÃ³n, Ana Luisa Peluffo, Mauricio GarcÃ©s, Abel Salazar, GermÃ¡n Robles, Guillermo Cramer, Eric del Castillo
Director: Miguel San Fernando, Manuel San Fernando, Fernando MÃ©ndez
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

What could be better than a bunch of Italian horror buffs making their own zombie flick in a spooky abandoned hospital? Being attacked by the real thing, of course. The Dead Hate the Living echoes with such American genre classics as Phantasm, The Evil Dead, and Scream, but it's ultimately a love letter to the nightmarish scenarios and visual freakouts of Italian horror pictures. The hapless crew discovers a creepy black altar (complete with its own decorative corpse) and incorporates it into their film. When their scripted ceremony opens a portal from another dimension and unleashes an army of rampaging zombies, the hallways become flooded in red and blue and green pools of light for no good reason other than it looks cool. The hospital is suddenly adrift in an alternate reality because... well, just because. Writer-director Dave Parker never tries to explain the madness (a zombie's exclamation, "Hate the living! Love the dead!" is as much motive as we're offered), choosing instead to simply plunge viewers into the inspired mayhem. What makes it all work is a love of the genre, a cast of energetic, likable performers, cool zombie makeup, and a sure, stylish hand. Horror movie mavens will pick up on oodles of clever references (a bumper sticker that reads "Fulci lives"; a zombie king commanding, "Make them die... slowly"), but these are merely asides in an accomplished, clever, and remarkably entertaining indie horror riff. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

What were they thinking?.......2007-06-03

I purchased this movie with the hopes of finding a diamond in the rough. A gem of a movie that would keep my interest even if it is a "B" horror film. That was not the case. This is a "C" movie at best. Throughout the movie they make small references to others who have influenced the zombie industry but this movie really sucks! It isn't even worth the $8.99 I paid for it. I should get my money back. A group of 6th graders could put on a better production. I went into this movie very optimistic and with my eyes wide open but at the end I just wanted to close my eyes and forget about it. I read others reviews and purchased it based off of the reviews. Trust me...don't buy it. I have seen a lot of bad films and this one ranks right up there. If you are in the mood to lose a few brain cells them rent this one...don't buy it.

The living hate the dead hating the livivng........2007-05-04

I read some of the reviews for this film and went up and rented it to give it a shot.
I'm not sure what people call good anymore these days. The writing, direction, acting,sets, were all pretty bad. I have seen almost every zombie movie I can and I'm starting to loose hope. Hopefully Romero might honor us with one more, or maybe the new 28 weeks later movie will be a winner, as the first was pretty good. I'm not sure what people think they are doing with zombie movies, but it's more than I can bear. I wish we could take all cash lost on the bad ones and send it to Romero.
A good director can make it work on less money. It's been proven.
Maybe these guys who make these trash sellers could really get all together and pool thier talents and make some drivers ed videos.
Those are at least more entertaining than this film...no really.

Get out your copy of Day of the Dead and enjoy.
Don't waste your time or money on this.

Not great, but not to bad either........2007-04-22

This was a surprisingly decent B movie. The effects pretty much sucked, but the zombie makeup was actually a lot better then I was expecting. Over all it almost seemed a bit of a spoof on zombie flicks, and was rather enjoyable. Can't say I'd look to buy it, but is worth seeing.

WHaaaaaaaaaaaT?.......2006-11-26

Why so many glum reviews on this film?

I was lucky enough to find a copy of this movie in a bargin bin in Australia for $10 (to you rich Americans- that's about 6 of your dollars!), anyway- I had seen positive reviews on various horror sites across the internet and decided to check it out.

Now, just to clarify- I'm not usually one to like 'new' low budget horror films if ya know what I mean. They always seem to urke me and loose any kind of 'fun' or 'atmosphere' which was so present in their counterparts from the early 80's through early 90's. I'm sick of zombie movies with no gore and vampire movies being reduced to the same old S#$T about 'Daywalkers' and 'the hunter who passes the book down from generation to generation' and .....BlEH. But this movie is not one of 'those' films.

The director actually has talent. He knows how to tell a story! The film doesn't get bogged down in tired genre tidings or wallow in it's under-develped characters, it gets straight down into the zombie fun in the way that good old Lucio would have done back in the day (which isn't surprising because this film basically pays as a giant homage to the great Mr Fulci). The gore is tops, the good old 'make-up' variety instead of this cg crap.

If you would put of seeing this film because you don't like other full moon offerings, think again! I don't really like Charles Band's films in particular either, but hey, this film wasn't directed by him.

For all of you aspiring film makers out there who are occassionally willing to turn a blind eye to some of the budgetary ristrictions (yes at one point there is some terrible looking superimposed fire), you will find an enjoyable film here. If you have ever made a low budget horror film you will enjoy how true some of the scenes play out, for example, a woman goes to a store to buy some materials for a 'gore' scene and is required to buy packets upon packets of condoms, KY jelly etc. lol- been in the same situations many a time and had many a strange look preping effects on my films!

Anyway- good film. Maybe hire it first (if you can find it).

Pretty Good Zombie Horror .......2006-09-08

Being a Full Moon Movie, I was alittle skeptic about getting it as first. Although, I had seen Puppetmaster, and loved it, they don't exactly put out the best movies, in my opinion. But being a zombie movie fan, I knew I had to see it. I'm glad I did...

Starting out alittle slow, the movie follows a group of friends filming a horror movie in an old hospital late at night, that they're not exactly supposed to be in. About 40 minutes into the movie, one of them ventures into the basement of the hospital, and finds an odd looking coffin. Upon opening the coffin they find a dead body (who by the way, resembles Rob Zombie abit), and decide to use it in their movie. During the filming, they unknowingly bring him back to life along with the rest of the dead. The hospital is soon overrun with zombies and one by one they become victims and come back as the walking dead themselves...there's a few fresh ideas in this film that sets it apart from other zombie movies.

There's a pretty good amount of blood in the film, and for a low budget movie the acting isn't all that bad. Although it starts out slow, it's not boring, the atmosphere is relatively creepy and most of the characters are likable. The make up and effects are also very realistic looking, with the expection of the "Zombie Barbeque" scene with the fire. Overall, it's a creepy zombie flick worth checking out.

DVD:

DVD

Silent Service (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Bye Bye Birdie

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