Movie Reviews

‘Dead & Buried’ Limited Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – Chilling Horror Film Will Get Under Your Skin

By Dillon Gonzales
August 31, 2021
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Note: Publicity stills are NOT screenshots from the 4K master

Welcome to Potters Bluff. This is a phrase repeated many times throughout the underrated 1981 American horror film Dead & Buried from director Gary Sherman (Poltergeist III) with various meanings behind it. The feature about a small town where not all is as it appears to be is one that presents as a possibly forgettable, gory fright flick, but in truth has quite a bit of depth and subtlety that sets it apart in the genre. Upon the completion of the first cut of the film, Sherman received negative feedback from the head of the production company that “if [he] wanted [Ingmar] Bergman to make a horror movie [he] would have hired Bergman.” While this sounds like a winning formula to us, Sherman was forced to add a few more violent moments to the runtime but mostly retained the soulful identity of the narrative. Audiences did not flock to this film at first, but over the years it has grown in appreciation from the horror community at large as an inventive twist on insular folk horror. We only hope you enjoy your stay in Potters Bluff because you may never leave.

From the very first scene the film seeks to play with your expectations of what is actually transpiring in this sleepy town. Photographer George LeMoyne (Christopher Allport) is first seen walking along the idyllic beach in Potters Bluff on an overcast day shooting pictures of his environment. He happens upon a mysterious and alluring local woman, Lisa (Lisa Blount), who takes an interest in his photography while posing for a few shots herself. The scenario coupled with the gentle score and charming performances feels like something out of a romantic drama, but when Lisa invites George over for a little roll in the sand, he gets quite a surprise. He is suddenly surrounded by a group of people who tie him up and burn him at the stake. We soon learn that this group is composed of everyday citizens from the town – it is a welcome wagon from hell. LeMoyne’s attack is just the first in a series of deaths that start to raise some red flags about this sleepy little town.

The fascinating mystery behind Dead & Buried is not who is committing these killings – we see the perpetrators every time it happens – but rather why these seemingly normal citizens are killing newcomers to town. Sheriff Dan Gillis (James Farentino) is one of the people not clued in to this plot, and with help from coroner-slash-undertaker William G. Dobbs (Jack Albertson) in his investigation hopes to get to the truth. The fine ensemble of performers assembled here do a fantastic job of bringing these characters to life. Farentino provides a nuanced performance as this officer who finds himself face-to-face with increasingly suspicious developments with which he has to wrestle. It is Alberston, though, who gives the performance of the film as this coroner who fancies himself the Michelangelo of sculpting corpses to a state worthy of viewing. The various townspeople make an impression at different points including a young Robert Englund before he would start invading your dreams in A Nightmare On Elm Street.

Even with the addition of some of the brutal imagery mandated by the production company, the story unfolds at a very deliberate pace with revelations dropped at the perfect time. The musings on life and death bring a rare thoughtfulness to the genre that many offerings do not take time to develop. The cinematography from Steven Poster has a very rough and dour aesthetic that helps cement the unsettling atmosphere of the tale. The days are overcast and the nights are extremely foggy in a way that makes this seem like a town out of step with time. The way he captures camera flashes or headlights also goes a long way to disorienting the audience, as well. The MVP of the film might just be Stan Winston, who brings his mastery of makeup effects to this project in a very memorable manner. An early jump scare can be attributed entirely to his animatronic prowess and his full-body cast creation is a thing of beauty. The choice to go for atmospheric scares over straightforward, short-lived thrills allows this one to live in your brain for much longer. It is an undervalued classic ripe for rediscovery.

Video Quality

Blue Underground presents Dead & Buried with a magnificent 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 16-bit 4K scan of the 35mm interpositive with Dolby Vision HDR approved by Director of Photography Steven Poster. The level of detail and clarity is stunning with an excellent amount of natural film grain intact. The grain mostly resolves quite well with some minor fluctuations due to the original photography. The texture on display in the outfits and within the production design are a revelation. Even the special effects details from Stan Winston present with impressive clarity that makes his work all the more visceral. This transfer does not register anything in the way of print damage. This presentation is true to the original look of the film with the added resolution making elements seem more natural. There does not appear to be any jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the disc is the application of Dolby Vision for increased color output that has to be seen to be truly appreciated for its lustrous beauty. The film ranks among the best films of this age that I have seen on the format. The new master features some colors in the production design and costumes such as the opening red dress that pop off the screen with a vibrant intensity. Lighting is an essential part of establishing the mood of this film and this disc handles every slight environmental change such as dense fog with ease. The black levels are outstanding with nothing in the way of crush present, and white levels are solid as a rock with no evidence of blooming. There are some camera flashes throughout this film that are so bright you feel like your eyeballs might be permanently damaged. It is very impressive. This presentation is a knockout effort from the good people at Blue Underground

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with four tremendous tracks including a Dolby Atmos track, a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track and a DTS-HD 1.0 Master Audio track in both English and French. These tracks provide an expansive soundscape that perfectly captures the artistic intent while harnessing the technology of the present. The track does not feature constant activity in the side and rear channels, but it goes towards making the world sound fuller. The score from Joe Renzetti has never sounded better and is used impeccably to establish the mood of the story. There is never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. The environmental sounds such as the chatter of the patrons in the diner and motors from cars are rendered well alongside everything else. There does not seem to be any noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Blue Underground has given this film a perfectly preserved audio presentation that brings the movie to life in an exciting manner.

Special Features

The first-pressing of the Blue Underground 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Dead & Buried includes a booklet featuring the essay “Avco Embassy Pictures: The ‘80s House of Horrors” by Michael Gingold. This essay provides a great history of distributor Avco Embassy Pictures from its early days of importing foreign films for domestic audiences to its Oscar win for The Graduate to its importance in the horror genre in the 1970s. There is a section dedicated to Dead & Buried but it is more so interested in exploring the company as a whole which is still a real treat for fans. The Limited Edition 4K UHD set can also be purchased with three different lenticular covers while they last. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary #1: Director Gary Sherman provides a commentary track moderated by David Gregory from Blue Underground in which they discuss the development of the film, working around the weather to capture a “New England” aesthetic, creative things he would change, scenes that he was forced to add, the shifting of tone from his original intent, working with Stan Winston and more.

Audio Commentary #2: Co-Writer/Co-Producer Ronald Shusett and Actress Linda Turley provide a commentary track moderated by Gregory in which they discuss the attitude of the townspeople on location, trying to subvert audience expectations, the makeup and hairstyles in the film, the ensemble performances and much more. The two primary participants are actually married which adds a level of ease to the proceedings that is appreciated.

Audio Commentary #3: Director of Photography Steven Poster provides a commentary track once again moderated by Gregory in which they discuss memories of shooting on location, the use of diffusion in the aesthetic, innovative creative techniques, intricate tracking shots, the production design of the film and more.

Audio Commentary #4: Film Historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson discuss the film from a more impersonal place with copious amounts of background information on the film that supplements the other three tracks quite nicely.

Behind The Scenes of Dead & Buried: A 33-minute featurette introduced by Sherman who explains that the first AD shot some 8mm footage during the production of the film that has been edited into a behind-the-scenes piece which is shown with commentary from Sherman, Steven Poster, and first assistant director Brian E. Frankish. This is a pretty neat time capsule that has some interesting candid moments with fun anecdotes.

Dead & Buried Locations – Now & Then: A four-minute piece which shows some of the locations from the film in a modern setting. This is a lovely piece with some of the music from the film complementing the visuals.

Murders, Mystery, and Music: A new 15-minute interview with Director Gary Sherman and Composer Joe Renzetti in which they discuss their collaborations together, the direction that helped guide Renzetti to the sound of the film, the ideas behind certain scenes, perspectives on the material from a modern viewpoint and more.

The Pages Of Potters Bluff: A new 13-minute interview with Novelization Author Chelsea Quinn Yarbro in which she discusses the novelization of the material, her professional background, the balance of craft vs. art, what she had to change in her version that made certain parties angry and more.

Stan Winston’s Dead & Buried EFX: An 18-minute featurette in which makeup effects designer Stan Winston discusses his career and inspirations, his work on Dead & Buried, working with Gary Sherman, details about specific effects, his work with prosthetics and more. It is always so fascinating to hear a makeup effects designer talk about his craft.

Robert Englund – An Early Work Of Horror: A 12-minute piece which Robert Englund discusses how he came to be in Dead & Buried, his thoughts on some of his costars, memories from shooting on location, the reception to the film and more.

Dan O’Bannon – Crafting Fear: A nearly 15-minute piece screenwriter Dan O’Bannon discusses his love of “weird films”, what fear means to him, trying to craft a story that does not rip off George A. Romero, the production of the film, the one scene that is too much for him to handle and more.

Theatrical Trailers: This disc provides the International Trailer (2:30), the U.S. Trailer (1:55) and Teaser Trailer (0:30).

Posters & Still Galleries: There is a collection of galleries for Posters, Advertising Materials, a Japanese Souvenir Program, Lobby Cards, Stills, Stan Winston’s FX and Video & Book.

Steven Poster’s Location Stills: A collection of images is provided from the location scouting of the film.

Soundtrack: A separate CD is provided for the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD by Joe Renzetti.

Final Thoughts

Dead & Buried is a truly incredible piece of atmospheric horror that elevates the genre with bone-deep thrills from its steady build-up. The performances from all involved are very effective, but it is the efforts from the creative team that might be the most impressive aspect of the film. The combination of the score from Joe Renzetti, the cinematography from Steven Poster and the effects work from Stan Winston is too much to resist. Blue Underground has released a sensational limited edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray package featuring an A+ audio/visual presentation and more special features than you know what to do with. This is the type of release every fan dreams of their favorite movie getting. Highly Recommended

Dead & Buried is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Blue Underground has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.