Rest in Pieces

I don't know about you, but I would like to see Rest in Pieces come out on DVD. I agree that this movie is seriously underrated and that maybe this is the reason.

This movie is definitely a must-have for any avid horror buff. I have Rest in Pieces on VHS. What I really enjoy the most about this fine, suspenseful masterpiece is the music that is played throughout the story. I also enjoy the fact that this movie was made on a highly restricted budget. This does not subtract from a great horror film, but actually adds to its enjoyment potential. You can see the imagination and th ingenuity that was made behind it. You can get a break from special effects and from the Hollywood saturation that is so prominent in so many films, especially the ones of today.

The music and sounds allow for the better movement from the story from one scene to the next. It is very similar to Stanley Kubrick's 1980 production of The Shining. The music allows you to use your own imagination and is so spooky that it actually does a far better job of keeping you on the edge of your seat and be completely entertained. This is why I believe Rest in Pieces should be released on DVD.

I also enjoyed the scenes where Helen is being haunted by visions of her laughing aunt who appears to torment her at various snatches of scenes. Some were peppered with sound effects of when her aunt is speaking to her. I cannot help but laugh, as I can almost see the humor behind it.

I would like to know the piece that was played by the string quartet in the concert scene. It is such a lovely classical piece. If anyone knows the title and the name of the composer, please let me know.

And oh, what a waste of time. Weak plot, unscary 'scary' moments, and very little in the way of gore. The collection of characters was the main thing "Rest in Pieces" had going for it: the blind man, the preacher, the doctor, the slutty maid, and so on. But what exactly was going on here? Are these people the thinking, talking, otherwise normal version of the living dead, similar to the much better (and earlier) film "Dead & Buried"? Why do they slaughter the string quartet? Is the doctor a mad scientist who has brought these people back from the dead, just like the old coroner from "Dead & Buried"? Were we supposed to be frightened or laugh at the repeated appearances of the aunt's ghost? Do the resurrected need hypnotism to 'get adjusted' to their new form of existence, just like they do in "Dead & Buried"? I think I'm starting to see a pattern here. ..

There are more stupid parts – the preacher with his switchblade and the cars in the garage come to mind. In general this movie was just bad. Now that I think about it, the only reason I wanted to see it was the description on the box made it sound a lot like "Dead Alive" (neighbors...undead...kill, kill, kill). I'm sorry I suckered myself into renting this based on that. Don't bother with this one. Watch instead that other horror movie made a few years before this one that was also about people being brought back from the dead to lead almost-normal lives - oh, what was that one called. . .

That's my only contribution to the board of this very strange movie.

A woman inherits an estate from her dead aunt who orchestrates her suicide via video tape and, immediately after moving in, she and her husband experience strange haunting-esque activity and odd stalkers.

What Rest in Pieces has going for it is a fairly unpredictable script that just so happens to be told in a pedestrian and unexciting way. It also doesn't help that the leading lady doesn't provide much in the way of excitement or rational human responses throughout. Her line readings sound like they were dubbed by a robot, but the script's oddly paced twists and turns still take the viewer by surprise occasionally and the random bursts of violence and gore do shock after the mostly restrained and by the numbers first half hour.

"Rest in Pieces" follows a young woman and her husband who move to the Pennsylvania estate she inherits from her eccentric grandmother who recently committed suicide (on camera!). Pretty soon, it becomes clear that things are not quite normal, as her dead aunt's coterie of bizarre neighbors/friends seem to be sticking around the sprawling property, for reasons unknown.

This later entry in Jose Larraz's filmography is not one of his best, but it does have a number of features that, as is the case with many of his films, make it extremely unique. This flick has goofy written all over it, from the oddball bumbling characters, to the abysmal performance by the lead actress, who blurts out some of the most hilarious (and horrible) line deliveries you will ever hear.

While "Rest in Pieces" does not offer much in the way of scares, it more than makes up for it with numerous head-scratching moments, borne of a screenplay that is muddled and largely incoherent. Was the great aunt in a death cult? Are they all ghosts? It's hard telling. That being said, goofiness aside, there are a few truly eerie sequences in which the deceased aunt (played by Dorothy Malone) appears as a ghostly figure to her niece. These moments are quite spooky, and offset some of the film's more ridiculous elements.

All in all, "Rest in Pieces" is a pretty middling film, and probably one of the weakest in Larraz's filmography--I feel that his other films from this era, particularly as "Edge of the Axe" and "Deadly Manor", both have more redeemable qualities than this does. That being said, "Rest in Pieces" has just enough in the way of absurdity to appeal to '80s schlock fans who are looking for a brainless 90-minute romp. 5/10.