Burke and Hare (2010)

A black comedy about two 19th century grave robbers who find a lucrative business providing cadavers for an Edinburgh medical school.

Director:

John Landis

Writers:

Piers Ashworth (screenplay), Nick Moorcroft (screenplay)

Stars:

Bill Bailey, Tom Wilkinson, Michael Smiley

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Bailey	...	Hangman
Tom Wilkinson	...	Doctor Robert Knox
Michael Smiley	...	Patterson
Tim Curry	...	Doctor Monro
Paul Davis	...	Patient
Christian Brassington	...	Charles
Gabrielle Downey	...	Mad Maggie
Stuart McQuarrie	...	Magistrate
Simon Pegg	...	William Burke
Andy Serkis	...	William Hare
Mike Goodenough	...	Aggrieved Customer
Jessica Hynes	...	Lucky
Robert Fyfe	...	Old Donald
Robert Willox	...	Gravediggers' Bouncer
David Schofield	...	Fergus

Storyline

Based on the true story about the famous murderers, 'Burke And Hare' follows the hapless exploits of these two men as they fall into the highly profitable business of providing cadavers for the medical fraternity in Nineteenth Century Edinburgh, then the centre of medical learning. The one thing they were short of was bodies.

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Plot Keywords:

19th century | black comedy | murderer | cameo | talking during sex | 

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Taglines:

No Job Too Small. No Body Too Big. No Questions Asked.

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Genres:

Comedy | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexual content, disturbing images and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Facebook [fr]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 September 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Burke & Hare

Filming Locations:

Dashwood Mausoleum, West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$947 (USA) (9 September 2011)

Gross:

$947 (USA) (9 September 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ealing Studios, Fragile Films, Aegis Film Fund

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The legendary Burke and Hare murders are also known as the West Port murders. The total number of deaths amounted to seventeen.

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Goofs

Two hangings are shown in the film, in the style of a "long drop" designed to break the neck and cause instant death. This style was first introduced in the 1870's by William Marwood as a more humane approach. Before then, and certainly in 1828-1829 when the film was set, the victim was simply suspended by a rope around the neck, and choked to death by suffocation.

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Quotes

Doctor Monro: How are your students enjoying your lectures?
Doctor Robert Knox: Not as much as they are enjoying your wife.

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Connections

Remake of Burke & Hare (1972)

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Soundtracks

"I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"
Charlie Reid/Craig Reid
Performed by The Proclaimers

User Reviews

John Landis' Burke and Hare is more like a Victorian Laurel and Hardy

Burke and Hare is a fast-paced, fun filled riot and the title roles are inhabited brilliantly by Simon Pegg (as William Burke) and Andy Serkis (as William Hare). Harking back to the good old American Werewolf days, Burke and Hare joyfully plays with your expectations, creating characters you like and sympathise with and then making you squirm as they nonchalantly murder their way through Edinburgh. Andy Serkis proves that he is the most easily likable man in the world with his earnest, all or nothing approach to acting, and as he reasons that mankind's fate is sealed the moment they're born, you almost find yourself nodding along happily when he suggests "helping them along the way". Simon Pegg has the straighter role, though not by far, as he gleefully goes from love-struck puppy-eyed romantic to monstrously suffocating old ladies in the blink of an eye, his facial expressions, mostly of dim witted "innocence" perfectly contrast with Serkis (Burke's reaction to Hare's coinage of the term "burking" is hilarious). All in all the duo are a perfect pare, thick as thieves and as funny as, well, horrible murderers.