Dead & Buried (1981)

Mysterious deaths in a foggy coastal town

A puzzled sheriff in a hazy seaside hamlet in Maine (James Farentino) investigates a string of violent murders. Jack Albertson plays the mortician while Robert Englund appears as a mechanic in his pre-Freddy Krueger days.

"Dead & Buried" (1981) is a unique, atmospheric horror that is reminiscent of other spooky flicks taking place in coastal towns, like “The Fog” (1980), “Messiah of Evil” (1973), “The Birds” (1963) and “Humanoids from the Deep” (1980). The opening features some surprisingly classy music (repeated during the end credits) which sets the stage for the slow-paced, moody investigation augmented by some pretty cutting edge and, frankly, shocking effects by Stan Winston.

The striking Lisa Blount stands out on the feminine front, particularly her opening sequence. The head-turning Melody Anderson is also on hand as the sheriff’s wife. Meanwhile Lisa Marie appears as a hitchhiker (not the same actress as Tim Burton’s muse in the 90s). More should’ve been done with these women (not talking ‘bout sleaze).

The film runs 1 hour, 33 minutes, and was shot in Mendocino, California (located about 3.5 hours north of San Francisco on the coast), and The Lot in West Hollywood.

GRADE: B

"Tales from the Crypt" (meets The Stepford Wives) like story that has plenty of entertainment value even though it's more on the creepy spectrum than scary. Jack Albertson as the mortician was a lot of fun and James Farentino had his moments. 3.75/5