The Living Corpse

This was one of the films I watched over Christmas via Mondo Macabro's exemplary SE DVD. I had never heard of the film before it was announced for release but I was immediately intrigued by it, and even more so after watching the trailer which had been made available online.

Well, now that I've watched it, I'd say it's a pretty hard one to classify and even more so to recommend: it's more than just a horror film (at the time only the second ever produced in Pakistan) and, frankly, not for all tastes. It follows the basic plot line of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' novel but obviously substituting locations, names, time periods, etc. During the Audio Commentary, Pakistani film critic Omar Khan repeatedly says that while the film-makers were doing their utmost to emulate the style of both the Universal and Hammer films – which is very fairly captured, in my opinion, via several atmospheric sequences (especially those set in the vampire's mansion) and a shock moment or two (the first screen appearance of Stoker's notorious baby-feeding scene, a lady vampire is repeatedly stabbed in the presence of a little girl), what came out of it most distinctly perhaps was their basic lack of confidence in how to tackle the material at hand.

This is clearly evident in their making the vampire a 'Professor' (shades of Jekyll & Hyde) rather than a Count, for instance, but especially in its bizarre soundtrack comprised of unauthorized lifts from James Bernard's Hammer Dracula scores, cues from popular (but, in this case, wholly inappropriate) classical and contemporary tunes and – most surprisingly (for a Western audience, at least) – musical numbers that come out of nowhere and go on for minutes at a stretch, thus effectively stopping the film dead in its tracks! The actors involved (some of whom were highly respected in their country) are adequate under the circumstances but, for obvious reasons, cannot hope to compete in the horror stakes with the more 'professional' approach of the genre stars we know so well. The final obliteration of the vampire at the climax, however, is quite nimbly made and highly effective.

The DVD transfer was as good as could be expected (the main offender is some jittering around the half-way mark). The extras are surprisingly plentiful and very interesting: we've got an Audio Commentary, a three-part Documentary on South Asian horror films (featuring excerpts from a number of unbelievably tacky and campy recent genre efforts), a shorter Documentary about the making of the film proper (comprised of interviews with surviving cast and crew), the trailer I mentioned earlier (more a promo for the DVD), a poster/stills gallery, and there's even an Easter Egg highlighting an unused song originally written for the film that we were mercifully spared from.

In the end, THE LIVING CORPSE is a goofy but agreeable – and oddly endearing – film, one of three 'revisionist' takes on the Dracula 'legend' I received on the very same day incidentally; having recently watched Jess Franco's VAMPYROS LESBOS (1970), I look forward now to checking out the last one of them – Paul Morrissey's BLOOD FOR Dracula (1974)!

Here is an oddity if ever there was one: A 'Dracula' film from Pakistan, one of the few horror films ever attempted in the country, and certainly the first and most famous. In this variation on Stoker's novel, the count is actually a scientist (quasi-mad, perhaps) seeking the elixir of life, a potion that would defy death. But from here on, all similarities to The Fountain end, when the good doc (Professor Tabani to you, dear) not only succeeds in making the life-up soda, he proceeds to drink it himself (Hugh Jackman should have sought this guy's help)! No terminally ill wife to bother with, in fact no family or servants either, except for a full-figured lady assistant, who discovers the professor's inert body behind a sofa. For whatever improbable reason, the scientist had left a note saying that if he was to be found dead, his body should be put into the coffin down in the basement of his isolated mansion. And so it goes. Interestingly, the word Dracula is never used in the film, and people refer to the vampire as "khabees rooh", which literally translates as "evil spirit".

This was not a big-budget affair, and it is therefore quite heartening to see how much they managed to pull off on meager resources. The film retains a lot of Stoker's original plot, despite a contemporary setting, and the inclusion of some silly musical interludes. Some of the direction is…er…wooden, as is some of the acting. But there are also eerie, suspenseful scenes, and good lighting and set design, evoking a Gothic and creepy atmosphere (in black and white).

There are a couple of odd 'fade-outs' at the most inappropriate moments, but I suspect this was done at the behest of the censor board, who were initially aghast at the mere idea of a local horror film. They only passed the film after the producer-hero and director promised that they'd never ever make such a film again. And sure enough, they never did, despite the film becoming an unexpected hit. Even more surprising is that for an industry steeped in plagiarism, nobody else jumped on the bandwagon, either.

Not really scary (but not suitable for young children, either), the film is nonetheless reasonably engrossing and one of the more unique takes on the familiar tale. Horror and cult fans should definitely check it out.

Zinda Laash (The Living Corpse) is the first vampire film produced in Pakistan.

Being based on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, it has similar themes to other Nosferatu-type flicks...mainly the 1950's Dracula film from Britain.

It was considered a lost film, before a degraded copy was discovered, and restored into the version we have today.

The plot revolves around a mad scientist, who is trying to formulate the elixir of life.

When he believe he successfully concocts it, he uses himself as a guinea pig, and consumes it.

But it effectively just renders him a vampire.

Immediately turning his assistant, as well.

Some time later an investigator shows up to see if the house is haunted, like the townsfolk claim.

He is met by the doctor, who instantly becomes infatuated with his girlfriend.

The doctor's assistant, meanwhile, tries to seduce him...and the man ends up being bitten by her.

Now, his brother is trying to figure out what happened to him.

As his girlfriend- who is being kept from his disappearance- starts being courted by the vampire doctor.

Becoming bitten, herself.

Now she too is a vampire.

And the man's brother is left trying to convince the girl's family that this is all the work of such a creature.

However, as a scientific rationalist, her brother finds it all very hard to believe...and, thus, demands explicit evidence.

In fact, he accuses the man's brother of being affected by evil, when he suggests they must pierce her heart, in order to drain the tainted blood, so that they can save her soul.

He remains in denial even after a child is found drained of blood, and his own daughter claims she is being seduced toward oblivion by her thought-to-be dead aunt.

Chocking it all up to his daughter's own wild fantasies.

Fortunately for him, his brother in law intervenes right before he and his daughter are about to be turned. themselves.

Now, no longer your typical doubting thomas...he is a true believer.

And the two men set off, together, in order to try and kill the doctor, so as to break the curse, and save humanity.

But while they're out hunting...the doctor get's to his wife.

So, the mission becomes an extra urgent matter.

As they must not only survive long enough to outwit the demonic doctor...but do so before he get's the opportunity to turn his wife into a vampire, as well.

The ending is actually a lot more action packed than I was expecting it to be.

Though the conclusion is pretty standard.

What stands out the most, is the soundtrack...in the most hilariously awesome way.

It goes from what you'd typically find in a Hollywood flick, to more traditional Pakistani pop tunes (that transition, at times, into modern swing), to old time songs you'd expect to hear in a slapstick film, to tribal African rhythms, epic orchestral pieces, and even some 8-bit funk music that seems like it would be more at home in an NES game.

I'm not sure if some of this was added during the restoration, for the tv broadcast...or if it's actually part of the original soundtrack.

But, damn, is it ever all over the place.

Some of it is clearly out of place- and seems to have been overlaid after the fact.

As you can imagine, on top of being a mystery-thriller horror, the film does have a bunch of musical segments, as well.

They act like interjected music videos- that don't do much for the plot- rather than they do pander to an audience that might not have been interested in the film otherwise.

Although these sequences are drawn out, they are spaced out far enough, so as to not become overbearing on the pace of the film.

When all is said and done, it's pretty basic in it's production values, though it has an appropriate atmosphere and manages to keep your attention throughout.

And, honestly, it's nice to see something like this coming from a culture you wouldn't generally expect it from.

5 out of 10.

"The Living Corpse" or "Dracula in Pakistan" is a definitely example of films that are so bad that watching them becomes a good experience. Pakistani version of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" shot in Lahore, "The Living Corpse" haphazardly follows the plot of the famous novel, with an original contribution almost 30 years before Coppola's version: the film explains the origin of the vampire (here called "Professor Tabani") in a pre-credits sequence in which a mad scientist ingests the product of his investigations to find the elixir of eternal life, with the terrible consequence that he becomes the "living corpse" of the title, with an inexhaustible thirst for blood. To his haunted house does not arrive Jonathan Harker, but a curious colleague who, before being sucked by the prof, watches the sexy dance of the vampire's bride to of a pop version of "In a Persian Market" (by British composer Albert William Ketelbey). This is one of the prevailing characteristics of this movie that, like almost all the films made in the zone, includes songs along the plot. Although Prof. Tabani does not sing, the band and dancer of the local bar do, a young woman in love bursts into song in the field and there is a hilarious selection of foreign themes: the credits run to the chords of "Granada" by Mexican songwriter Agustín Lara, a car crosses the landscape to the anonymous Spanish tune "La Cucaracha", and a terror sequence is edited using "Allá en el Rancho Grande" by Mexican Lorenzo Barcelata, without forgetting the fragments of classical works and the use of James Bernard's music for Terence Fisher's "Dracula". In fact, sound engineers can smile while frowning at the soundtrack in which songs come and go at the slightest provocation, where the sound effects are repeated in chain or where the foley has nothing to do with the image: while two men run after the vampire upon soil, the corresponding sound is of a wood floor. However, all this, even if it is pathetic, adds up instead of subtracting the overall effect of astonishment and mockery, although the plot turns a little too serious with the arrival of the curious scientist's young brother, who decides to exterminate the vampire and seeks advice from a Dr. Van Helsing of sorts, who owns the local and bar. Seeing the credits in English and the frequent use of English words, "The Living Corpse" reminded me of some Ibero-American films with anglophile aspirations (made by posh filmmakers and publicists who even gobble up bilingual food) that in a few decades will be seen as this concoction that unintentionally ended up being a joke.

Historically this was Pakistan's first venture into the terror film genre and we came mighty close to losing this film before it was discovered (in some "rusty old cans", according to the brave film buff who found it) in a vault.

The plot borrows heavily from Hammer's HORROR OF Dracula, in fact there are times when the music even has a noticeable similarity to James Bernard's score. There are some classical themes thrown in as well, notice "The Barber of Seville" playing during the car chase scene) and some other cues which are . . .well . . . eccentric to say the least. Early in the film when someone is driving to the vampires mansion you can recognise strains of "La Cucaracha" on the soundtrack. The lighting and the sets reminded me more of the vampire films coming out of Mexico in the late 50's. The vampire's vast home might have suited Count Frankenhausen or Count Lavud quite well. This time though the vampire is created via scientific means. A doctor who believes he has discovered the elixir of eternal life takes one swallow and turns into a vampire! Well, that is eternal life of a sort, right?

Oh and there are songs in the film too, in fact it was beginning to remind me of the Mexican film CRY OF THE BEWITCHED (1965) with the plot stopping . . .er . . ."dead" in its tracks so characters could sing. This is not to say the characterisations were not believable, they certainly are. The hero, our Van Helsing character, has a very hard time convincing anyone there is a vampire stalking victims until our bloodsucking villain strikes very close to home, claiming the sister of a man who refused to believe vampires were real.

Okay, now remember this film was done in Pakistan in the mid-60's so don't expect gore or nudity or anything like that; although there is a great man vs. vampire fight scene near the end. By all means do not miss an opportunity to see this film.