Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror (1981) Andrea Bianchi

Country: Italy | Director: Andrea Bianchi

Professor Ayres discovers a secret in an ancient stone and when he opens a crypt, he revives zombies that kill him. He had invited three couples to visit him in his manor to reveal his discovery. However, they never get around to meeting the professor. Out of the blue, the zombies attack them and they seek shelter in the mansion. The creatures put the manor under siege while they protect themselves trying to survive to the horde of zombies.

The graphic violence is excessive in almost every case, a plus for those seeking grue and crimson splashes. The best actor in the film by far is Peter Bark who is a twenty (thirty?) something that plays the role of a ten-year-old boy. This was due to child labor laws in Italy at the time and Peter Bark shines in his role of the Oedipal boy, Michael. It adds so many levels of sleaziness to the film Bianchi is to be applauded for tackling this difficult social issue. The climax of the film is a guaranteed disappointment as the film feels more like it either just ran out of budget and closed shop or Bianchi just ran out of ideas. The ending is not unlike reading a book only to find out someone ripped out the last ten or fifteen pages, it ends that abruptly. The pacing of the film up to the end is decent, being that the characters are one step above an amoeba on the evolutionary scale we aren't bothered by such things as characterization or advancement of personality. From the moment the dead rise it's just a series of encounters where the protagonists make horrible judgment calls and pay the price for it. If anything the breakneck pace of the film keeps a person entertained rather than bogging down. Seriously, if the characters are not fornicating they are battling the living dead. It at least keeps the action, one way or another, flowing. If you enjoy the Italian living dead genre Burial Ground will not disappoint, others are probably better turned away.