Plot: What’s it about?
A drive in the calm night turns dangerous, as a young couple find themselves stranded with no help in sight. Bob (William Bates) and his girlfriend Shirley (Pat Barrington) were on a cruise when a crash spoiled their adventure, leaving the two lost in the darkness. The landscape was barren for miles in every direction, except for a graveyard. With no other options, the couple ventures into the graveyard and hope to find some assistance. After all, no ghosts or monsters or cult members could be within the walls of the boneyard, right? In addition, a trip to the graveyard was planned, in order to inspire Bob’s latest horror writings. The place is eerie, which has the couple on edge, but the scares are just about to start. The two stumble into a strange ritual, a sexual ritual of some kind, ruled over by the Emperor of the Night (Criswell). This man cloaked in darkness oversees a parade of beautiful, but damned souls on showcase. The women dance to please the Emperor, even if it means taking off their clothes. When Bob and Shirley are discovered, a werewolf and a mummy arrive to hold the couple captive. The Empress (Fawn Silver) wants to see Shirley executed at once, but the Emperor puts her fate on hold, to enjoy the show. Will Bob and Shirley survive this ordeal, or will they become part of this supernatural orgy of the dead?
A movie with surreal dance sequences, hilarious monsters, naked women, and lower than low production values, plus a screenplay written by Ed Wood himself. Yes folks, Orgy of the Dead has all the elements we could want and more, all in a product that is certain to confuse, frustrate, and above all else, entertain. Then again, I happen to like bad movies more than most folks, so if you’re not of the same thread, steer clear of this one. The camp angle was amped up Rhino, which kind of made me brace for the worst. You know, a bad movie that’s just plain bad, as opposed to a bad movie that is so bad, its a blast to watch. I wouldn’t rank Orgy of the Dead as a cult classic, but I had more fun than I expected. The movie has a lot of unusual dance scenes, such as a topless woman in a rabbit suit who bounces about, while being whipped. If this sounds like fun to you, then you’ll have some laughs with this release. The acting is hilarious too, with the best of the worst coming from Criswell, the world famous psychic. His predictions weren’t always right, but even he had to know that his performance would be this awful. But he adds even more humor to the movie, which is always a welcome gesture. In the end, I can’t recommend Orgy of the Dead to everyone, but for fans of bad movies, it is worth a rental.
Video: How does it look?
Orgy of the Dead is presented in full frame, via a new digital transfer that supervised by the director himself. I had concerns here, as I’ve seen a lot of terrible masters for movies of this kind, but Rhino has delivered. The print used is in excellent condition, though some nicks, marks, and grain can still be seen. But in this case, I was dazzled by how clean the print looks and how sharp and detailed the visuals can be. The image is quite sharp, much more than expected, which means the dark visuals can shine through. The dark visuals aren’t hindered by contrast either, as black levels look good here. This is a low, low budget movie though, so don’t expect pristine, though Rhino has worked some magic with this release.
Audio: How does it sound?
I would have loved a full surround remix for this release, but the included mono option is more than up to the task. The groovy soundtrack is well presented, but seems limited when you think about how rich a surround option would allow. But the music is clean and well mixed here, as are the sound effects, which wouldn’t shake the speakers under any circumstances. The dialogue is crisper than I expected and sound good, with no distortion in the least. In terms of basic mono mixes, this one is more than up to snuff, no real complaints in the end.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes an interview with director A.C. Stephens, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
