The Dead Are Alive (1972)
"L'etrusco uccide ancora" (original title)

A photographer on an archaeological expedition digging up Etruscan ruins in Italy begins to suspect that not all the Etruscans buried there are actually dead.

Director:

Armando Crispino

Writers:

Lucio Battistrada, Armando Crispino,

Stars:

Alex Cord, Samantha Eggar, John Marley

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alex Cord	...	Jason Porter
Samantha Eggar	...	Myra Shelton
John Marley	...	Nikos Samarakis
Nadja Tiller	...	Leni Samarakis
Enzo Tarascio	...	Inspector Giuranna
Horst Frank	...	Stephen
Enzo Cerusico	...	Alberto
Carlo De Mejo	...	Igor Samarakis
Daniela Surina	...	Irene
Vladan Holec	...	Otello (as Vladan Milasinovic)
Christina von Blanc	...	Velia (as Christiane Von Blank)
Mario Maranzana	...	Sgt. Vitanza
Wendy D'Olive	...	Giselle
Pier Luigi D'Orazio	...	Minelli
Ivan Pavicevac	...	Policeman

Storyline

A photographer on an archaeological expedition digging up Etruscan ruins in Italy begins to suspect that not all the Etruscans buried there are actually dead.

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Plot Keywords:

etruscan | italy | giallo | tomb | supernatural | 

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Taglines:

There's No Place To Hide When ... THE DEAD ARE ALIVE!

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy West Germany Yugoslavia

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

31 December 1972 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

The Dead Are Alive

Filming Locations:

Centralni Filmski Studio Kosutnjak, Belgrade, Serbia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Inex Film, Mondial Televisione Film, Central Cinema Company Film (CCC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

70mm blow-up version released in Spain.

User Reviews

Armando Crispino's clever, classy giallo

In Italy, a series of murders occur at a newly discovered Etruscan burial ground and when a tomb is opened, wall murals of sacrificial killings depict the current deaths ...but how could that possibly be? An American on the site, Professor Jason Porter (Alex Cord) -a violent alcoholic who also suffers blackouts- finds himself not only in the midst of a mystery, but a suspect as well. Was an ancient demon god unleashed when the burial grounds were disturbed -or are the murders the work of a mere (maniacal) mortal?

Armando Crispino's clever and classy entry from the Golden Age of the Giallo (1968-75) has nearly all the conventions one expects from the genre: an innocent (?) American abroad somehow connected to a string of violent crimes, ineffectual police detectives, quirky suspects, nubile victims, red herrings, brutal bludgeonings, suicides, and an insane killer that may come as a surprise. There's also a shoe fetish, a homosexual, a bottle of J&B Whiskey, a wild car chase, and Riz Ortolani's score to hold viewer interest. One of my favorite gialli plot devices is used here to good effect: the protagonist had a clue to the killer's identity all along if only he had interpreted a certain event correctly. All that's missing are the ever-present black gloves -but you won't miss them. This colorful, well-made thriller, based on a short story by Bryan Edgar Wallace, was released in the U.S. as THE DEAD ARE ALIVE. Rounding out the cast are Samantha Eggar, John "Death Dream" Marley, and guest-star Nadja Tiller.