#6 - Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974)


(dir. Jorge Grau)


A couple of young people traveling in the British countryside get entangled in a murder investigation, and become the prime suspects.  However, everyone soon discovers that the killer was a reanimated corpse, and that the dead are coming back to feed on the living. An experimental insect-control system being tested nearby is to blame - its "ultrasonic radiation" kills bugs, but has the unfortunate side effect of also bringing the dead back to life, and even better, making newborn babies aggressively violent.  Turns out that insects, babies, and the dead all have very similar brain structures - who knew?

Despite the highly dubious science, this is actually a pretty great zombie flick.  There isn't as much on screen gore as a lot of other Italian zombie movies, but the scenes that are here are really effective.  Towards the end of the film, there is a particularly gory scene set in a hospital that is right up there with some of the best effects I've ever seen from this era.  The movie has a really great sense of style in general - the make-up on the creatures is fantastic, and the peaceful English countryside makes for a really interesting setting.  The acting is also pretty good, and there are some beautifully shot scenes.


Overall, this is a really well done and stylish film that exceeded my expectations.  Highly recommended to fans of zombie movies and/or 70's Italian horror.

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