An appreciation by Bob Ignizio
Arthur (Dominic Monaghan) and Willie
(Larry Fessenden) are a likeable if unsavory pair of grave robbers,
and very likely murderers as well. As I SELL THE DEAD
begins, the two have been sentenced to death for their crimes.
From his prison cell, Arthur recounts to Father Duffy (Ron
Perlman) the events which led him to this fate. As a child,
Arthur (played in his younger years by Daniel Manche) learned the
tricks of the ressurectionist trade from Willie. At first
the duo’s main employer is Doctor Quint (Angus Scrimm, familiar to
horror fans as “The Tall Man” from the PHANTASM films), an
unscrupulous physician in need of fresh corpses for his medical
research and not too picky about where they come from. But
things turn from the merely morbid to the supernatural when the
Arthur and Willie learn there’s an even better market for the
bodies of the living dead. Business picks up
considerably once they start dealing in vampires, zombies, and other
assorted oddities. But not only is the product more dangerous
to handle, there’s a rival group of grave robbers who don’t take
kindly to anyone infringing on their turf.
Most contemporary
Hollywood horror films tend either to want their audiences to feel
like taking a shower by the time the credits roll, or else downplay
their horror elements completely in favor of slick action movie
tropes. I SELL THE DEAD is defiantly un-modern, instead
drawing its inspiration from the gothic British horror films of the
sixties and seventies and their American counterparts from AIP, most
notably Roger Corman’s THE RAVEN and Jaques Tourneur’s
COMEDY OF TERRORS. Although released unrated, the film
contains no nudity, very little gore, and only mild profanity.
It doesn’t try to numb you with constant noise and action, instead
trusting in its characters, story, and gleefully black humor to hold
the viewer’s attention.
The casting is also refreshingly
old fashioned, favoring seasoned character actors over more
marketable pretty young faces. Usually cast in comic relief
supporting roles, Monaghan acquits himself well here as the more
subdued half of the grave robbing duo that the audience can relate
to. John Speredakos makes a fine villain as the leader of the
rival gang of grave robbers, and Brenda Cooney conjures the spirit of
Hammer movie sirens like Ingrid Pitt as Willie and Arthur’s saucy
apprentice Fanny. Scrimm and Perlman don’t have a lot of
screen time, but they make the most of what they’re given, hamming
it up in a manner that would have brought a devilish smirk to Vincent
Price’s face. But it’s Fessenden, himself a director of
several horror films (HABIT, WENDIGO, THE LAST
WINTER), who steals every scene he’s in as the crassly comical
Willie.
This is writer/director/producer Glenn
McQuaid’s first film, and as such it’s an impressive
achievement. Some have pointed out a few minor anachronisms and
inaccuracies, but that seems like nitpicking given the plainly comic
and unrealistic tone of the film. Besides, considering the
budget, the period set design and costuming are more than sufficient
to create the necessary atmosphere. The special effects are
also well done. There’s no CGI here, just practical make-up
and a few bits of old-school trick photography. On the
downside, the movie could stand to flow a little better, and not
every one of its episodic vignettes packs as much of a punch as one
might like. There’s also a revelation about Perlman’s
character that appears to be meant as a surprise, but any viewer
paying even the slightest attention will see coming a mile away.
One can’t completely gloss over those issues, but they’re
still not enough to prevent the film from being a great bit of fun.
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