I Sell the Dead (2008)

A grave robber reflects on his life of crime.

Director:

Glenn McQuaid

Writer:

Glenn McQuaid

Stars:

Dominic Monaghan, Larry Fessenden, Angus Scrimm

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dominic Monaghan	...	Arthur Blake
Larry Fessenden	...	Willy Grimes
Angus Scrimm	...	Dr. Quint
Ron Perlman	...	Father Duffy
Brenda Cooney	...	Fanny Briers
John Speredakos	...	Cornelius Murphy
Daniel Manche	...	Young Arthur
Eileen Colgan	...	Maisey O'Connell
James Godwin	...	Old Man
Joel Garland	...	Ronnie
Aidan Redmond	...	Jack Flood
Alisdair Stewart	...	Bulger
Heather Bullock	...	Valentine Kelly
Chris Shaw	...	Executioner
Martin Pfefferkorn	...	Howling Man

Storyline

18th century justice catches up with a pair of grave robbers. With only a few hours to go before his date with the guillotine, Arthur Blake tells his life story to Father Francis Duffy. Before long, Arthur spills the beans on how he got started in the grim corpse peddling business with seasoned ghoul Willie Grimes.

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Plot Keywords:

grave | grave robber | corpse | guillotine | told in flashback | 

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Taglines:

Never Trust A Corpse

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 January 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

I Sell the Dead - Kuoleman kauppamiehet

Filming Locations:

Caumsett State Park, Lloyd Harbor, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$3,529 (USA) (7 August 2009)

Gross:

$7,066 (USA) (14 August 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Glass Eye Pix

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min 85 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

A graphic novel of the film has been released, with Glenn McQuaid writing and illustrations by Brahm Revel (October, 2009).

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Goofs

During the drinking contest, the flagon that Fanny uses to signal the start of the contest changes between the time that she picks it up and the time she begins to drink from it.

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Crazy Credits

"A good cast is worth repeating!"

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Connections

References Frankenstein (1931)

User Reviews

I Sell The Dead Stole The Show

I went to see Glenn McQuaid's "I Sell The Dead" in it's North American premiere at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Seeing as this is the second showing worldwide I didn't quite know what to expect of this film, especially having not seen the short film that inspired this big screen adaptation.

I'll start off with a slightly more elaborate plot synopsis, without giving away any spoilers.

This movie is about Arthur Blake, how he became a grave robber and the interesting and supernatural discoveries that both he and his mentor discovered.

The costume and set design in this film were excellent. I was amazed to hear that the entire film was shot in and around New York. The costumes were very accurate to the time, really bringing you as a viewer into the mindset of the time. This movie works just as well as a period-piece as it does a horror-comedy.

The interaction between the two leads was very fluid. They played off each others acting with ease. The dialogue between the two was very well written, with Glenn adding his comedic touch even in tense situations.

The story is very encompassing and the ball gets rolling from the very start. I'd compare it to a visual page turner, always wondering just what will happen next. The characters themselves are all very vivid and unique adding different emotional layers to the film itself.

All in all, I recommend this film for anyone in the mood for some dark humour, with a bit of horror mixed in.

9/10