Movie review of Let Sleeping Corpses Lie

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Horrorphile - February 2007

Let Sleeping Corpses Lie

February 14th 2007 00:24

A Spanish-Italian co-production from 1974 Let Sleeping Corpses Lie is a rare zombie treat. Its original Italian and Spanish titles translate loosely as Do Not Desecrate the Dream of the Dead People or Desecrate Not the Sleep of the Dead. You gotta love those original full-length Euro titles.

In America the film was butchered and released under the utterly lame title Don’t Open the Window, while in Britain it was known as The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue (another dumb title, especially since the zombies in this film don’t just hang around at the morgue). Numerous other alternate titles have been attached including Invasion of the Zombies and the bizarre Breakfast at the Manchester Morgue (yawn, intestines on toast anyone?)

Director Jorge Grau fashioned a superbly photographed and well-pitched film. It is set in the English countryside, although the opening sequence has the lead character George (Ray Lovelock) leaving his antique store and motorcycling through the smoggy, depressed streets of London away from the industrial filth and grind.

There’s an hilarious touch of irony as a woman throws off her raincoat and runs completely starkers across a busy street with no one noticing, they’re all too entrenched in their own urban misery. It’s a slight, but intriguing metaphor for the naked shocks and tunnel vision to come.

George meets a young woman Edna (Christine Galbo), after she backs her mini into his bike. Together they drive further across the rural spread to rendezvous with her troubled junkie sister. And it is here that the real trouble begins. An agricultural machine being used to send ultra-sonic waves as a way of killing insect pests is inadvertently bringing the dead back to life. And they sure ain’t a bright and cheery bunch.

Pretty soon torsos are being torn open and chaos is afoot. A gruff detective (Arthur Kennedy) who is convinced the murders are the work of George and Edna, two reprehensible hippies as far as he’s concerned pursues them relentlessly. The action culminates at the Southgate hospital where the Manchester Morgue is stationed. The radiation waves have penetrated the dead across a five mile radius, and it’s up to George to try and stop the machine.

It pre-dates Dawn of the Dead (1978) as a gory zombie flick in colour, but Let Sleeping Corpses Lie is an altogether different movie. It’s not as bleak, sinewy or drawn out as Romero’s mall massacre. It relies more on character interaction and a dynamic use of locations. The zombies move a lot quicker too, although they feed less frenzied. The main zombie’s first appearance is brilliantly staged.

It’s an atmospheric film, but is more subtle than a Fulci gore-fest. There are several well-judged and executed scenes of suspense and extended jeopardy for George and Edna vs. the zombies, especially an excellent scene which has them trapped in a crypt with several of the flesh-hungry ghouls.

WARNING! SPOILER AHEAD!

My only gripe is that the detective’s comeuppance was brief and ultimately not that satisfying, considering he plays a real wanker, he should have had the kind of messy death that befell Captain Rhodes in Day of the Dead (1985). That and the dubbing, but with Italian and Spanish productions you simply must accept this technicality. These are small gripes in an otherwise well-scripted and tightly directed tale of the undead roaming the English countryside.

Here's the original US TV spot to whet your appetite (just forget the stupid title):

* images on this page are courtesy of www.stomptokyo.com

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Comments

6 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Damo

February 14th 2007 01:16

For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics

It has a kind of Hammer look about it

Comment by Bryn

February 14th 2007 03:05

Horrorphile

Hi Damo,
true, there is that almost camp feel, but Hammer never really did zombies (as far as I know). This flick is a lot more unnerving than any Hammer flick, despite the look of the pics and the trailer. Definitely worth renting if you can find it.

Comment by JohnDoe

February 14th 2007 08:17

Film & TV on DVD

The story rings a bell, but with all those different titles I don't know if I have seen this or not. I can visualize some moments, but they may have been from a doco....certainly means its time for me to revisit this one..is it available on DVD??

Comment by Bryn

February 14th 2007 09:35

Horrorphile

JD, yeah (Anchor Bay). I can lend it to you if you like?

Comment by Cibbuano

February 19th 2007 23:04

20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak

Italian zombies... sooo cool...

Comment by Bryn

February 21st 2007 03:50

Horrorphile

Spanish-Italian .... think chorizo bolognaise.

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