Best known for as one of the best special effects guys around, Robert Kurtzman is no stranger to working on films. While Buried Alive is not the first film he has ever directed it’s not his best one either. No before he directed this film he directed the action sci-fi picture The Demolitionist in 1995 and the very well known horror film that bought some of horror’s great actors together; Wishmaster. However with such titles under his belt, he is still new at directing, Buried Alive is his junior effort at it, and it seems that while he had bigger budgets to work with on his first two films, Buried Alive seems to be more of an indie production compared to the first two films.
Buried Alive is about two cousins named Zane and Rene. Both of whom great grandparents have a home in the middle of the desert. Zane agrees to help Rene out with two sorority pledges by bringing them to the old house and giving them a good scare. Along with them is a nerdy guy and Rene’s boyfriend. The group heads out to the house while drinking beers and dropping ecstasy in the car ride there. When they get there they meet up with Zane and Rene’s crazy Uncle Lester (Tobin Bell of the Saw series) Lester gives them the key to the place but warns them to stay clear of the cellar. However once they get to the house and settle in, strange things begin to happen. Soon the group will be thrust into the past to deal with the corpse of one their great grandfathers many wives. Who is back from the dead to not only get revenge, but to retrieve something that’s of value to her.
I was really not a big fan of the overall script, while it had it moments; the idea is something that we’ve all seen before. A bunch of college age kids go somewhere scary and the majority of them get killed. Sex, drugs and rock and roll are involved. So yes; how many times have we seen this outline for a horror film? A lot. However that’s besides the point. What really got to me about this script was the fact that it took almost half the film to get the story set up and for the action to begin. The first half was just lame character development, a lot of drinking, drug use and partying. I wasn’t a big fan of much of the corny dialogue either. While I understand this film was for the most part written to be a simple horror film, to me it was just another generic horror script that will be marketed for young teenagers to rent in the video stores.
One of the strong points in this film; even though there is not the best of dialogue in the script is the acting. Kurtzman was actually able to mold each actor into their characters and at least able to develop some kind of an identity for each one of them. Tobin Bell’s performance is by far the strongest as Uncle Lester. I was actually expecting him to be more like Jigsaw from the Saw films, but he really took this crazy character and created the perfect, creepy man in the desert feel with him. He made you feel uncomfortable, as if he was up to no good. Leah Rachel whom played Rene also gave off a very good performance as well as Terence Jay whom played her cousin Zane. Surprisingly even though her role was more of a supporting one, Actress Erin Lokitz gave a very good performance as well. The rest of the cast was also decent in the film a well.
The production value in the film was not half bad, even though it seemed liked the majority if not all of it was shot on location in the desert. The house they used for the film was supposed to be a renovated old cabin, but the place seemed more like a modern day home in the desert. A nice home that is. The strongest point this film had were the special make-up and CGI effects. There are two great kill scenes in this film, that are well worth watching the entire film for. Sure we get your basic stabs and such but their are some very good kill scenes in this film. The make-up effects for the monster where also pretty good as well.
Overall, Buried Alive is a crapshoot on certain accounts the film has some great potential, but there were certain things about the script that I felt were out of touch with the true horror fans and seemed to be catered more towards a younger audience. Sure the film is full or drug use, nudity and poor decision making. But that does not make it great. The second half of the film I found to be the most enjoyable, but the first half just dragged on. It will probably go over well with a young teenage/ college audience. But for true horror fans it’s just another kill film.
– Horror Bob
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- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
