‘Go beyond the grave into a world of horror!’
Orgy of the Living Dead is a 1973 horror film about a mad professor who has been reanimating the dead using “nebular electricity”.
Directed by José Luis Merino (Tarzan in King Solomon’s Mines; Scream of the Demon Lover; More Dollars for the MacGregors) from a screenplay co-written with Enrico Colombo.
The Petruka Films (Madrid)-Prodimex Film (Rome) co-production stars Stelvio Rosi (Something Creeping in the Dark), Maria Pia Conte (Day of Violence; Spasmo; Death on the Fourposter), Dyanik Zurakowska (The Vampires Night Orgy; Cauldron of Blood; The Mark of the Wolfman) and Gérard Tichy (Pieces; The Corruption of Chris Miller; The Blancheville Monster). Paul Naschy (aka Jacinto Molina) has a cameo role as a gravedigger. Produced by Ramona Plana.
The soundtrack score was composed by Francesco De Masi (Formula for a Murder; Escape from the Bronx; The New York Ripper; Weapons of Death) augmented by themes from The Ghost (1963).
Blu-ray release:
The film was released on Blu-ray ‘remastered from the original uncut 35mm negative’ by Full Moon in the USA on December 15, 2020.
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Plot:
Serge Chekov (Stelvio Rosi) returns to his ancestral home after his uncle, a wealthy count, has died. Shortly after his arrival, he finds his cousin hanging from a tree in a graveyard. However, an autopsy suggests that rather than committing suicide she was murdered.
Meanwhile, Serge becomes involved with his uncle’s much younger wife, Nadia (Maria Pia Conte), who dabbles in black magic; Professor Leon Droila (Gérard Tichy), a scientist experimenting with electricity to revive the dead; Ivan (José Cárdenas?), an impertinent butler; Doris (Dyanik Zurakowska), the professor’s virginal daughter; and Igor (Paul Naschy), a gravedigger and, and grave-robber.
“The film boasts an exciting cemetery pursuit, a brilliant science sequence in which the dead nobleman returns, even an absurd lovemaking scene in which Rosi and Pia Conti revolve in space. But perhaps its chief charm is, unusually, Is its English dub track. Rome’s veteran ADR director Nick Alexander had a whale of a time here, adapting the dialogue into a series of waggish one-liners…” Jonathan Rigby, Euro Gothic: Classics of Continental Horror Cinema, Signum Books, 2016
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Choice dialogue:
The Inspector: “By gad, lady’s underwear! The scoundrel!”
Serge Chekov: “I find ill-mannered servants most disagreeable.”
Serge Chekov: “Listen to me. Instead of impersonating Sherlock Holmes, why don’t you try and find that butler?”
Trailer:
Free online on YouTube athough best watched on Blu-ray:
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Cast and characters:
Stelvio Rosi … Serge Chekov (as Stan Cooper)
Maria Pia Conte … Nadia Mihaly
Dyanik Zurakowska … Doris Droila
Pasquale Basile … The Inspector (as Pasquale Pasile)
Gérard Tichy … Professor Leon Droila
Aurora de Alba … Mary
Eleonora Vargas … (as Leonora Vargas)
José Cárdenas … 2nd Guard
Giuliana Garavaglia … (as Giusy Garr)
Carla Mancini
Alessandro Perrella
Carlos Quiney … The Butler (as Charles Quiney)
Isarco Ravaioli … Town’s Mayor
Paul Naschy … Igor
Filming locations:
Icet de Paolis Studios, Milan, Italy
Ballesteros, Madrid, Spain
Lleida Pyrenees, in June 1972
Technical specs:
Eastmancolor, processed by Telecolor
English version by Nick Alexander at Cinitalia, Rome
Alternate titles:
Die Bestie aus dem Totenreich (West Germany – video title)
Beyond the Evil Dead (USA: reissue title)
Beyond the Living Dead
Bracula: The Terror of the Living Dead
Dans les orgies macabres
Dracula, the Terror of the Living Dead (UK)
The Hanging Woman (USA)
The Hanging Women (UK (video title)
L’orgia dei morti (Italy)
The Return of the Zombies
Terror of the Living Dead (UK and USA)
Der Totenchor der Knochenmänner (West Germany)
Zombie 3: Return of the Living Dead
Zombis återkomst (Sweden)
Film Facts:
A sign near the remote village reads Skopje. The real Skopje is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia.
Some press materials refer to the film taking place in Scotland, however, there are no references to this location in the English language version.
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Release:
Although lensed in 1972, the movie did not receive an Italian release until 3rd September 1973 due to the huge amount of horror movies filmed in 1972. The Spanish release was delayed until 29th September 1975. Meanwhile, the first US release was apparently in March 1974 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
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A Troma DVD was released on September 29th 2009. Although sourced from a VHS version, the disc included some worthwhile extras:
New interview with star Paul Naschy
New interview with director José Luis Merino
New commentary track by José Luis Merino
New interview with Ben Tatar (responsible for English ADR on Spanish films)
Original theatrical trailer
Photo gallery of vintage lobby cards
