The Undead

I have seen this weird little movie twice. The first was on MST3K and then I saw the straightforward version on AMC. I must say that this is the only movie I've seen on MST3K that did not fully deserve it's treatment. Granted there are a lot of problems with the film. The perfomers, for the most part, were mediocre. But not so bad as to make the film unwatchable.

The production values had the distinct odor of cheese to them, but what can you expect from circa 1957?

The plotline is interesting. A mad scientist hires a street hooker to be a guinea pig on his experiments on past life regession. He transports the woman to 16th century Europe where, in this incarnation, she is a witch. The woman has to make a choice of whether or not to allow her past incarnation to die so her future lives can come into being-or stay in the past to live with her lover. Of course this guy is such a twit, death might be preferable to a lifetime with him. So maybe she really had no choice, after all.

What makes this so interesting is that the whole thing had a anachronistic new-agey quasi-feminist tone that is about ten years ahead of it's time. I actually found myself ignoring Mike and the 'bots and trying to concentrate on what was going on in the film. It's the first time that had ever happened. When I saw the non-MSTie version I actually grew to like it. Check it out. You might be surprised.

I fondly remember Corman's excuse to put a bevy of blonde babes on screen and pretend they were female vikings in Viking Women and the Sea Serpent. Heck, I even enjoyed "I'm a PRINCE!!!", but at times, the stagnation has you thinking, "Oh, yeah, I was watching a movie!" as your trail of thought wanders off. I even recall the yawning plague from the horror he penned in the Gunslinger which was only saved by fiery red maned Beverly Garland.

The Undead (although not pertaining to zombies or ghouls, but the unholy one) has a certain je ne sais quoi...a campy, strange feel. Sure, it was shot on some studio set and it looks like the entire village consists of less than 10 people. However, the effort put into this actually makes it a trip to watch. I don't know what the whole prostitute angle is or the question of whether or not a streetwalker is valued higher than a damsel accused of heresy, but it is a first! The eccentric, yet most recalled character, Smolkin, steals any scene he's in so much so that the "Hey diddle, diddle, the cat in the fiddle..." tune was stuck in my mind that even the homeless guys asking for change gave me odd glances when I was singing that walking near Fulton St. Witch Livia, played by bombshell Allison Hayes (she can hex me anytime!), plays the sultry, seducing spellcaster to a point! No wonder Pendragon couldn't resist (poor dope). Cast a plus for Meg, the gnarled crone who really makes you wonder if she collects toadstools and brimstone in her spare time. Nice chin too! Add in creature transformations, the impishly diabolical Billy Barty laughing from the underworld and this is one strange mamma jamma. Also, they actually took time to write scenes in ye olde English which just throws you for seven loops. This also may require several viewings to figure out what exactly is going on. Oh, last but not least, don't forget cameo by Bruno VeSota who "heads" our cast to his quaint inn.

What's really over the top? Our fey prince of darkness laughs with such levity that cannot be Shatnerized. You have your typical scrupulous doctor who can't even pronounce correctly. It's NEPAL, not nip-pal! I really liked the bureaucractic feel of the Witch's Sabbath too. So be sure to "STAY" and see one of Corman's more entertaining yarns. Also, watch this one MSTified and you'll appreciate it even more. Although I may be mad, but I cannot say....

Yeah, that's right, I like the grave digger AND his incessant singing. Everyone calls him mad, MAD, I say!--but his little ballads are always right on point. He is very reminiscent of the Fool in King Lear--the observer whose supposed simple-mindedness allows him alone to comment insightfully on the madness of the others.

Also, I like movies that teach me things. Like that women in the fifties somehow had both 14" waists and, well, GIGANTIC BREASTS! Weird science, man. It's a wonder that woman didn't snap in two when she stood up.

I like MST3K, but this movie really does deserve more credit than they gave it. The premise is pretty daring for 1957, and like the earlier film I Married a Witch, this movie forces males in the audience (and probably a few of the women) to feel physical attraction to, and thereby sympathy for, a witch. The actress is really very extraordinary to see. Sympathy in the 1950s audience is also created for a prostitute, another "bad" person, not only by emphasizing her looks but by making her (or, rather, her French incarnation) the most noble character on the screen. The people who sell their souls to Satan, and celebrate a forbidden mass, also come across as basically sympathetic figures, because of their miserable fortunes in a difficult, repressive society. And The Undead is almost aggressively feminist, even, with the bad witch appearing as a much stronger figure than Satan, and the male doctor who manipulates the poor prostitute ultimately looking quite awful. Apart from all this anti-social artistry, the atmosphere is evoked well, and the evocation of lawlessness and life-beyond-respectability is very effective.

I admire The Undead and encourage people to see the film without robots in the way.

This film isn't THAT bad...sure it's a b-movie, but it stars Alison (va-va-voom!) Hayes (Attack of the 50-Foot Woman), has great music by Ronald Stein, and is dripping with atmosphere. The story is thoughtful, clever, and better than most grade-b stuff from the 50s. The ending could go any which way and the surprise twist is the stuff Twilight Zone episodes were made of.

The Undead is a great film to trot out at Halloween time to scare young kids and for adults to giggle at. Hey, when I saw this one as a kid on TV I was totally SPOOKED! Today, it's "badness" is it's strong suit. Then, it showed promise for a young Corman, who would reach his cinematic pinnacle with his superb mature work, Masque of the Red Death.