Dead Men Don't Die

I never post reviews on the IMDb.

But for reasons best known to my subconscious, the memory of this film slipped into my head on the bus this morning. Wandering online, I was amazed to find this had mustered above 3 stars.

Woeful in every manner, devoid of comedy or redemption and leaving a slightly nihilistic sick taste in the mouth, even as an undemanding teen

I remember my childhood abhorrence for this film. And since it was on Sky Movies weekly for a month back in the 90s I had enough opportunities to hate it.

I think a comment from my father best sums up this mess.

'Dear God, what is wrong with Elliot Gould? Things can't be that bad?'

Ugh.

During the first minutes you think that this movie is terrible, and Gould must have gotten himself into something really bad- but from the moment on he becomes a zombie it's certainly one of the funniest flicks in history, IMHO. I would give him a 7 to 8 out of 10, but it's impossible to rate such a film with anything else than "awful" or "excellent". You will hate it, if you expect blood and gore. You will hate it, if you expect realism or a reasonable storyline. You will hate it, if you hate Voodoo/hoodoo-clichés or Eliott Gould stumbling around and uttering silly sounds.

But if you don't hate it, you'll love it. Just as I do.

I'm sorry, but this is one case where there needs to be a rating system that takes away stars. I tried to like this movie, honestly I did, but it didn't work. Newscaster dies, is brought back to life as a zombie, and wanders around for a couple of hours, during which the viewers are slowly dying themselves, of Neverendingus Boredomitis. There is not a single part of the ratings scale that this movie works on. There is no plot. There is no characterization. There is no storyline. There is no comedy. Basically, a person could get a better show watching the snow that shows up on the TV channels you don't quite get.

Never fear, though -- there are movies just as lousy as this one. One step up you've got "The Stoned Age", and one step down you have "Broken Arrow". If you want to visit the realms of the truly lousy, check out most of Jim Carrey's films. But even Carrey's infomercial, "Copper Mountain", manages to do better than this bomb.

This film is so off the wall it has to be a comedy classic. Elliot Gould was fantastic as the Zombie, (remember him in such classics as Capricorn One?). It does remind me of a B-Movie, daft but highly enjoyable.

Can't help wondering if it influenced "Anchorman" (Ted Burgundy. But perhaps not.

The rest of the cast look familiar and perhaps have appeared in other American films/TV productions, but Eliott Gould appears to be the only Famous face, (albeit in heavy white foundation to compliment his "undead" Zombie persona). If you get the opportunity to see this film give it a go, the surreal humour will not disappoint.

Can't help thinking David Cameron would make a good Zombie, hang on I thought he was already!!!)

Elliott Gould scraping rock bottom. TV news-anchor sees something suspicious going down in the parking garage and, having been encouraged to start livening up his news report, follows the men upstairs, where he encounters a drug-smuggling ring. Slapstick comedy with voodoo and TV news satire, both gratingly broad. Very sloppily made, with poor writing and directing (both by Malcolm Marmorstein), a gloppy production and hammy supporting performances. Gould's deadpan charm has been heightened to ill effect (he comes off like a schnook), while Melissa Anderson as his co-host looks attractive but is never given the chance to create a character. Amateur night in Zombie Land. NO STARS from ****