Buried Alive (1990)

Clint is an every day working man whose wife Joanna is having an affair with a doctor. They plot to kill him and get the insurance money. Only trouble the drug overdose they give him ... See full summary »

Director:

Frank Darabont

Writers:

David A. Davies (story), Mark Patrick Carducci (teleplay)

Stars:

Tim Matheson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, William Atherton

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Tim Matheson	...	Clint Goodman
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Joanna Goodman
William Atherton	...	Cortland 'Cort' van Owen
Hoyt Axton	...	Sheriff Sam Eberly
Jay Gerber	...	Quintan
Wayne Grace	...	Bill Scorby
Donald Hotton	...	Reynolds
Brian Libby	...	Earl
Peg Shirley	...	Helen Eberley
David Youse	...	Billy
Milt Hamerman	...	Coroner
Michael Keep	...	Foreman
Jan Merlin	...	Attorney
James Scally	...	Priest
Dale Swann	...	Fire Captain

Storyline

Clint is an every day working man whose wife Joanna is having an affair with a doctor. They plot to kill him and get the insurance money. Only trouble the drug overdose they give him doesn't kill him. Lucky for Clint he's buried in a cheap wooden box and he unburies himself. Just remember, Hell hath no fury like a man buried alive!

---

Plot Keywords:

buried alive | sheriff | poison | love affair | heart attack | 

---

Taglines:

One of them put an end to the marriage, until the other came back for revenge.

---

Genres:

Horror | Thriller

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 May 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Buried Alive - Lebendig begraben

Company Credits

Production Co:

Niki Marvin Productions, Universal Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to John Carpenter on the audio commentary for Vampires (1998) that director Frank Darabont (who are very closed friends and Frank had a cameo in that film) asked Carpenter to play as a truck driver. Carpenter turned the offer down because he stated that he would only play a character that is about to or is killing someone or he's in bed with a beautiful woman.

---

Goofs

At the morgue, when Clint is about to be embalmed, his head moves. Earl, the embalmer, says it is just a reflex and that he has seen it before. However, reflexes only occur with brain dead people, not with dead people, which means Earl should have reacted.

---

Quotes

[last lines]
Sheriff Sam Eberly: Chilly today. I should have worn my top coat. I came to pay my respects to a friend. He's buried here. Did you know him?
Clint Goodman: No.
Sheriff Sam Eberly: Died last week. Died sudden. I never... never had the chance to tell him how much our friendship really meant to me.
Clint Goodman: Maybe he knows.
Sheriff Sam Eberly: Hey, mister!
[Clint turns around]
Clint Goodman: I don't know who you are, but don't come back here... ever.

---

Connections

Referenced in Becker: Take These Pills and Shove 'Em (1998)

User Reviews

Greed loses out.

Imagine the nightmare of being buried… alive! Suddenly opening your eyes to find yourself in such a condense space… to only realize where you are. In a panic, heavy-breathing kicks in and you begin scratching the inside top of the coffin in frantic desperation. Then you punch continuously as your fists go numb not feeling the pain as the adrenaline rushes to your head. Screaming out your lungs with no prevail, until you break through the coffin to have dirt pouring in. But the remaining strength you preserved, you go for bust as your hand breaks through the top layer of dirt followed by the rest of the arm to eventually pull yourself up, as your head arrives to take a big grasp of air and to finally end it yelling in growing pain. Resurrection… ready for vengeance!

The TV movie 'Buried Alive' is an exceptionally solid and always compelling atmospheric little revenge thriller with a considerable dark streak and a fitting sense of humour. The performances are very strong with Tim Matheson's hearty performance leading the way. The gorgeous Jennifer Jason Leigh's sassy, but extremely cold-hearted turn is picture-perfect and William Atherton hammers down his seamy role. Hoyt Axton is good with his short level headed part as the town sheriff.

Clint Goodman is very likable, do-it-yourself man with a very productive timber business in a small town. However his unhappy wife Joanna is having an affair with her Doctor, the weasel Cortland Van Owen. He gives her a deadly serum, taken from the ovaries of an exotic fish which will induce a heart attack. She tries it during dinner (dropping it in a glass of wine), and it comes off. Well not for long, as he didn't die and rises from his grave in anger for revenge on his wife and lover.

The brooding story sometimes moves in and out of the profound concept with it leaking some contrived aspects, but it's scheming and double crossings are pulled off in a very entertaining (if not convincing) manner. Director Frank Darabont (best known for Stephen King adaptations of 'Shawshank Redemption', 'The Green Mile' and 'The Mist') makes his directorial debut with great assurance. The direction is well-grounded and tightly handled with quite a few well-derived set-pieces of striking imagery and atmospheric tension. Michel Colombier's score is just as calculative as the story melding in a dangerously soothing current with some eerie piercing. Screaming riffs with beaming basses.

A commendably amusing TV thriller entry.