Strange things have been occurring in the sleepy coastal town of Potter’s Bluff. A string of seemingly unrelated murders paralyzes the small community in fear, and Danny Gillis, the town sheriff (played by prolific television star James Farentino) finds himself just as helpless as the town’s many victims. Even more troubling is the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of many of the deceased victims. As Gillis closes in on his town’s murderous epidemic, he uncovers the town’s deadly secret, which includes voodoo, reanimation, and demented medical science. And to his horror, Gillis comes to the startling revelation that he too plays a part in this deadly mystery.

Saddled directly in America’s glut of slasher violence, 1981’s DEAD AND BURIED is a welcome change of pace for that era’s ubiquitous stalk-and-slash cinema. A charmingly old-fashioned horror/mystery, DEAD AND BURIED impresses with its self-assured leisurely pace and yokel atmosphere. Potter’s Bluff is a charming old New England town, cloaked in fog and populated with simple Samaritans. The atmosphere of the town is moody and timeless, 1930’s ballroom numbers whisper from phonographs, rustic ships dot the sea, and vintage Buicks and Oldsmobiles blend with the more modern Toyotas and Chryslers. While this may seem a merely aesthetic choice of atmosphere, one realizes upon closer inspection that this timeless motif fits perfectly with the film’s preoccupation with the undead, that is, the past coming to life. In DEAD AND BURIED, the past is never forgotten and, in fact, it returns with a vengeance.

When the past does return to the present, the film’s serenity is punctured by a barrage of grotesqueries (courtesy of Hollywood effects man Stan Winston). While the film is not an all-out gore extravaganza, there are more than a few squirmy scenes (the acid death of a local pharmacist and the stunning time lapse restructuring of a victim’s disfigured face comes to mind). The film’s living dead lineage is hardly surprising, since it was co-written by another 80’s genre luminary, Dan O’ Bannon (director of 1985’s cheeky RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD) and directed by Gary Sherman (who also dabbled with paranormal horror in his 1988 film POLTERGEIST 3). But DEAD AND BURIED’s living dead are not the shambling zombies of Romero or Fulci. They are living, breathing manifestations of their old selves (except for one thing…), and the effect is undeniably chilling.
Equally chilling is the film’s penchant for jarring unpredictability, as things are rarely as they seem: a playful and sexy photo shoot turns deadly when the subject turns on the photographer, burning him alive. And Gillis’ seemingly innocent wife turns out to be nothing but, as she teaches her schoolchildren (in graphic detail) the practices of witchcraft and voodoo. Gillis is the first to admit his disbelief of such events occurring in "a town no bigger than a postage stamp." The insidious dual appearance of the town allows the film significantly more depth than a similar Stephen King film set in his similarly idyllic Castle Rock. Because the town’s secret unfolds slowly, Sherman is able to infuse a successful palpability of dread and the film’s tragic, twist ending will be sure to effectively con at least a few attentive viewers.

Doubling the film’s credibility is a fine ensemble cast. Farentino shines in his low-key way, playing the role to a hilt of a simple man caught in over his head in a whirlwind of violence. Because of his strong performance, we are able to believe Gillis in his desperate pursuit for the truth, and his ultimate tragedy is tremendously heartbreaking. Jack Albertson is equally fine as the (dangerously) eccentric mortician Dobbs, who enjoys his work just a little too well. And Robert Englund (Freddie Krueger himself-one of the omnipresent icons of 80’s horror) blends in quite nicely with the rest of the cast as a gossiping yokel. But the scenery is the real star here. Director of photography, Steve Poster, has a marvelous eye for detail, making the most of the Norman Rockwell atmosphere and permeating this aura throughout the characters and their many hideouts, including vintage diners and Victorian homes.

An imaginative, enjoyable and often terrifying film, DEAD AND BURIED is sure to please for fans of the period’s genre filmmaking. It may not be groundbreaking, but operates with more genre know-how than many miserable genre films today. The film’s simplicity may be its best asset, as Sherman and writers O’ Bannon and Ronald Shusett no doubt have a commendable grasp of the elements essential to the genre.