Graveyard Alive Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		1.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		1.0

Graveyard Alive Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 26, 2023

2003’s “Graveyard Alive” is meant to be a light take on the zombie subgenre, with the consumption of flesh blended with a little sexual energy in this black and white understanding of jealousy and seduction. Co-writer/director Elsa Kephart has the right idea with the material, but execution doesn’t support intended brightness, with the helmer noticeably struggling to do something fun and free with the potentially campy ways of the picture. “Graveyard Alive” is leaden and propped up by strange creative choices (including sloppy dubbing), and it lacks a sense of fun, especially when dealing with extreme behaviors and horror movie formula.

In a big city hospital, Patsy (Anne Day-Jones) is a lonely nurse watching as her former high school boyfriend, Dr. Dox (Karl Gerhardt), is consumed with her colleague, Goodie (Samantha Slan). Patsy watches the pair carry on from afar, dreaming of her time with Dr. Dox, unable to express her true feelings. During a shift, Patsy is put in charge of a woodcutter who’s managed to put an ax into his own head, recovering from surgery. The woodcutter is smitten with Patsy, showing his love by biting the nurse. Days later, Patsy begins to change, recognizing that she’s exhibiting signs of zombiedom, but also enjoying a newfound appreciation of personal sex appeal, changing her image as she sets out to wow the staff, including Dr. Dox. Goodie won’t stand for it, setting out to discover what’s really going on, learning more about Patsy’s true appetite, also gathering info from E.R. (Roland Laroche), a former surgeon who knows how to deal with monsters.

Graveyard Alive Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Graveyard Alive" was originally shot in 35mm Techniscope, with IMDB, back cover information, and the Blu-ray's booklet offering confirmation of this. Bizarrely, the AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio, though 2.35:1 is promised on the packaging) presentation doesn't work with a film source, instead offering an ancient video source for the viewing experience. I'm sure there's a reason for this, but it's not right of ETR to promote a cinematic event, only to deliver what looks like an old DVD. There's no detail here, with the image mostly blocky and soft, providing only a simple sense of frame information, and even that's up for debate at times. Black and white cinematography isn't where it should be, lacking intended crispness. Blacks are slightly milky at times. Some mild, brief points of damage are encountered.

Graveyard Alive Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix secures clarity with dubbed performance, with the cartoon broadness of it all appreciable. Music elements support with acceptable instrumentation. Sound effects are blunt but effective.

Graveyard Alive Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (ten pages) contains an essay by Michael Gingold, and notes and photographs from co-writer/director Elsa Kephart and co-writer Patricia Gomez Zlatar.

• Commentary features co-writer/director Elsa Kephart, co-writer Patricia Gomez Zlatar, and producer Andrea Stark.

• Short Films from Elsa Kephart include "Pasteques: Vampires du Draa" (2:28) and "Beyond the Pearly Gates of Ill-Repute" (9:03).

• Short Films from Patricia Gomez Zlatar include "Never Tear Us Apart" (6:21) and "The Chosen Ones" (13:50).

• And a Trailer (2:40, SD) is included.

Graveyard Alive Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Graveyard Alive" has the presence of a soap opera, with campiness intermittently pumped into the effort. There's genre activity in the saga of E.R., who has knowledge of zombie disposal, with a silver knife slammed into the head of a monster capable of ending undead life. Patsy's odyssey is a little more complicated, and themes of identity are gradually explored in the screenplay, but nothing's handed too much attention. "Graveyard Alive" is more of a comedy with relationship issues at the core of it all. Patsy's looking for love, and after she's bitten, she's looking for lust. It seems like a tee-up point for a rascally endeavor, but that's not Kephart's vision for the film. She's after something broad, but goofiness is elusive, and performances are largely sunk by the dubbing issue, which doesn't seem like an intentional choice. Viewers will likely come away from the feature with more questions than answers, but it's comforting to know there's improvement in Kephart's future, with her 2021 killer pants chiller, "Slaxx," a far more effective and technically sharp marriage of horror and humor.