Produced
in the wake of George A. Romero’s worldwide smash hit, DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) and Lucio Fulci’s equally popular Italian
cash-in ZOMBIE (1979) – which were
promoted in Italy as ZOMBI and ZOMBI 2, respectively – Andrea
Bianchi’s BURIAL GROUND (a.k.a. The NIGHTS OF TERROR, 1980) was just
one of many zombie flicks trying to capitalize on the sudden surge of all
things zombie. Other films, such as
Bruno Mattei’s HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD
(1980) – which even had the audacity to pilfer Goblin’s memorable DAWN score – Umberto Lenzi’s NIGHTMARE CITY (1980) and Marino
Girolami’s unforgettable cannibal/zombie mishmash ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST (a.k.a. DR.
BUTCHER M.D., 1980) soon followed and, as enjoyable as they all are,
nothing can match the sheer gusto and sleazy vibe of Bianchi’s low-budget
zombie opus.
The
set-up – such that it is – is pure porno trash:
A group of weekend vacationers gather together at a large villa, but
unbeknownst to them, the resident Professor has discovered a secret about the
ancient Etruscans (“It’s true! It must
be! It
must be!!!”), and for reasons unclear, they begin to emerge from their
centuries-old graves to munch on the unsuspecting guests.
German lobbycard courtesy of The Ferguson Foundation. |
Crass
and undeniably silly, Bianchi’s film does not indulge in any sociopolitical
messaging and simply exists for one purpose only: to show people getting
slaughtered and eaten by crusty-faced zombies; and on that level, it succeeds
very admirably. Shot at the Villa Parisi,
just north of Rome in Frascati, this was a popular location for many film
crews, which producer Gabriele Crisanti utilized to full effect while helming a
series of now infamous low-budget sleaze shockers, including Bianchi’s earlier MALABIMBA
(1979), Mario Landi’s PATRICK VIVE ANCORA (1980) and Mario
Bianchi’s SATAN’S BABY DOLL (1982). Imposing and bleak, this once-prominent stately
home looks about as decayed as the zombies are, which definitely adds to the
rather foreboding atmosphere, and Bianchi doesn’t hesitate for a second to take
full advantage of it either; the shuffling, maggot-infested zombies almost seem
to be part of the villa’s crumbling façade.
As in Fulci’s ZOMBIE, the
zombies themselves are also appropriately rotted and strewn with maggots, which
also lends the film a particularly nasty charm as they delve into heaping piles
of steaming viscera or, as during a couple of inventive moments, use a giant
scythe and battering ram to get at their victims; they’re a resourceful bunch,
which only adds to the grim, comic-book type approach to the entire
proceedings. Another aspect well worth
mentioning is Berto Pisano’s pilfered score (it was originally used in Romain
Gary’s KILL! [1971]), which
perfectly encapsulates the delirious nature of this impoverished production as
it alternates between breezy jazz cues and some truly bizarre, discursive, but
energetic synth work; a CD release would be most welcome.
Populated
by an interesting cast of Italian B-movie veterans, which includes Karin Well,
Gianluigi Chrizzi, Antonella Antinori, Roberto Caporali and the wonderful Maria
Angela Giordano as Evelyn (dubbed by Carolyn De Fonseca), most of the cast isn’t
given much to do except battle zombies and sputter an inordinate amount of
preposterous dialogue, which most hardcore fans of the film can readily quote. Scripted by the incredibly prolific Piero
Regnoli, who is responsible for well over one-hundred writing credits
(including Bianchi’s lovably sleazy MALABIMBA [1979]), his work here
doesn’t bother even attempting to develop anything of any real substance, with one
character simply exclaiming that “something terrible is going to happen!” However, during a typically morbid set of circumstances
interspersed among the zombie mayhem, Evelyn’s son Michael (the insanely
creepy-looking Peter Bark) is part of an unexpected subplot, involving his
rather questionable ‘feelings’ towards his mother, which culminates in one of
the film’s more ridiculous, but utterly unforgettable moments.
Spanish pressbook courtesy of The Ferguson Foundation. |
Long
available on video since the days of VHS, BURIAL
GROUND first appeared in the U.S. and Canada (beware of heavily-cut versions!)
courtesy of Vestron Video in an overly dark transfer, which left much to the
imagination in many of the film’s darker scenes. Although available on European DVD during the
format’s early days, BURIAL GROUND
made its official debut on U.S. DVD in 2002 courtesy of Shriek Show, in what
was for the time, an adequate 16x9 transfer (albeit interlaced) of the uncut
version, which sported the film’s original export title The NIGHTS OF TERROR. Extras included interviews with Maria Angela
Giordano and the not-very enthusiastic Gabriele Crisanti, as well as the film’s
trailer and a small 4-page booklet with liner notes from AV Maniacs’ Charles
Avinger and European Trash Cinema
editor Craig Ledbetter. Then, in 2011,
Shriek Show revisited the film on Blu-ray, which was definitely a step-up in
quality, if certainly not what everyone was hoping for, but – in an even more
frustrating turn of events – it appeared that this Blu-ray contained a slightly
shorter version, trimming the ends of reels or certain shots altogether (excisions
totaling some 1m45s), and even though the gore was all intact, it’s a fairly
significant amount of footage, to be sure.
For a more detailed look at the genesis of this ‘new version’ and precisely
what is missing, visit here. Retaining
all the extras from the DVD, the Blu-ray also contained a number of previously
unseen deleted scenes (albeit presented with no sound), which were definitely a
nice bonus, and sweetened the package just a little. In 2013, German
label Illusions Unlimited had their go at the film – complete with beautiful
packaging housed in one of those slick mediabooks – but it turned out to be a
port of the Shriek Show Blu-ray, containing the same extras, minus the deleted
scenes.
As
with some of their earlier Blu-ray releases in their ‘Italian Collection’, 88
Films have once again stepped up to the plate and delivered yet another solid
Blu-ray package. Remastered from the
original 16mm camera negative, the film has never looked better, with natural
grain and excellent detail, which will undoubtedly please every fan of the
film; plus, it’s the longest version to be presented on video thus far, running
85m11s. Extras include an audio
commentary with Giallo Pages editor
John Martin; a retrospective look at the career of director Andrea Bianchi from
Mikel Coven, author of La Dolce Morte;
the aforementioned deleted scenes, a trailer and a choice between watching the
film in Italian with English subtitles or the customary English dub. As an added bonus, 88 Films have also
provided an alternate version sourced from a 35mm ‘Grindhouse’ U.S. print under
the title BURIAL GROUND, which runs
84m21s; the shorter running time is due to the abbreviated credit sequence. Reversible packaging, an insert card and a
nicely-illustrated booklet with notes from Calum Waddell round-out the extras. 88 Films’ disc is Region B-locked,
and can be ordered from Amazon UK here.
Order yours today before there shall be the nights of terror!
Addendum – As expected, in October of 2016, Severin Films released their own separate Blu-ray (the first 3000 copies include a slipcover) and DVD releases for the North American market, and as good as the 88 Films disc is, Severin’s all region edition gets the uptick in quality, which looks a tad darker with richer colours and a more pronounced—but healthy—amount of film grain; considering the film’s scrappy, low-budget nature, Severin’s transfer looks just about perfect. As with 88’s disc, both English and Italian audio options are also included as are properly translated English subtitles for the Italian dub track. Of course, Severin includes a number of fascinating new extras, which makes this another must-own edition of the film. Beginning with Villa Parisi – Legacy of Terror (15m47s), film critic Fabio Melelli takes the viewer on a detailed tour of the famous location used in a number of classic (and some not-so classic) Italian films. In Peter Still Lives (7m35s), actor Peter Bark is part of a short, but delightful Q&A at a film festival whereas in the aptly titled Just for the Money (8m57s), actor Simone Mattioli doesn’t seem to recall a whole lot about the film, but he does remember having quite a bit of fun on set. In The Smell of Death (9m20s), interviews with Giordano and Crisanti from Shriek Show’s earlier DVD have been properly re-edited together for a much smoother and tighter viewing experience. Even though not listed on the packaging, the deleted scenes have also been included while the film’s now familiar export theatrical trailer finishes thing off.
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