- Director : Jorge Grau
- Actors : Ray Lovelock, Christine Galbo, Arthur Kennedy
- Media Format : Anamorphic, NTSC, Surround Sound, Widescreen
- Run time : 1 hour and 33 minutes
- Studio : Synapse Films
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- Release date : June 7, 2022
When George A. Romero brought the zombies into
the modern era with a revision of the monster’s characteristics, the horror sub-genre
was popularized in countless other countries. Long before Shaun of the Dead,
The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue was set in England, a Spanish/Italian
horror movie with clear influence from popular American zombie narratives. While
it doesn’t stand up in comparison to some of the great zombie films, The
Living Dead at Manchester Morgue has a place in the sub-genre’s history.
When an antique
shop owner named George Meaning (Ray Lovelock) travels to the country to meet
friends, his motorcycle is wrecked after a small accident with Edna Simmonds (Cristina
Galbó). George misogynistically takes control of Edna’s car, insisting she
provide him transportation for her mistake. As the pair travel into the English
countryside, they come across a group of scientists using a machine dispersing ultra-sonic
radiation to kill all of the insects in the farming community. What they don’t
realize is that this experiment is also capable of bringing the dead back to
life.
As George and
Edna come across the zombie threat, they do their best to warn the locals of
the threat. Unfortunately, despite the real threat of the undead spreading the
surrounding area, a stubborn detective (Arthur Kennedy) believes George and
Edna are responsible for the carnage caused by the zombies. This plot trope can
be more than a little frustrating, and also keeps the zombie violence
relatively contained, but there are still a few memorable sequences in The Living
Dead at Manchester Morgue.
The Synapse
Films Blu-ray release contains a presentation of the film from a 4K restoration
of the original camera negative. The original theatrical mono mix and credit
sequences are also intact. Additional special features on the disc include the
following:
- Two
audio commentaries featuring authors and film scholars Troy Howarth,
Nathaniel Thompson and Bruce Holecheck
- Jorge
Grau - Catalonia’s Cult Film King (89 mins.) A feature-length documentary
explores the life and films of director Jorge Grau
- The
Scene of the Crime - Giannetto De Rossi in Discussion from Manchester (16
Mins.)
- Giannetto
De Rossi - Q&A at the Festival of Fantastic Films, UK (43 Mins)
- Theatrical
trailer, TV spots and radio spots
- Newly
translated removable English SDH subtitles
Entertainment Value:
6.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
Special Features: 7/10
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