Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Dead Heat

  • 19881988
  • RR
  • 1h 24m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
8.2K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
11,575
305
Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo in Dead Heat (1988)
Trailer for Dead Heat
Play trailer1:07
2 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionComedyHorror
A cop and his undead partner must chase down the diabolical villain who killed him.A cop and his undead partner must chase down the diabolical villain who killed him.A cop and his undead partner must chase down the diabolical villain who killed him.
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
8.2K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
11,575
305
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Mark Goldblatt
    • Writer
      • Terry Black
    • Stars
      • Treat Williams
      • Joe Piscopo
      • Lindsay Frost
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Mark Goldblatt
    • Writer
      • Terry Black
    • Stars
      • Treat Williams
      • Joe Piscopo
      • Lindsay Frost
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 87User reviews
    • 78Critic reviews
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos2

    Dead Heat
    Trailer 1:07
    Dead Heat
    Dead Heat
    Trailer 2:03
    Dead Heat

    Photos205

    Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo in Dead Heat (1988)
    Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo in Dead Heat (1988)
    Dead Heat (1988)
    Dead Heat (1988)
    Dead Heat (1988)
    Dead Heat (1988)
    Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo in Dead Heat (1988)
    Dead Heat (1988)
    Treat Williams in Dead Heat (1988)
    Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo in Dead Heat (1988)
    Robert Picardo, Treat Williams, and Joe Piscopo in Dead Heat (1988)
    Treat Williams in Dead Heat (1988)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Treat Williams
    Treat Williams
    • Roger Mortis
    Joe Piscopo
    Joe Piscopo
    • Doug Bigelow
    Lindsay Frost
    Lindsay Frost
    • Randi James
    Darren McGavin
    Darren McGavin
    • Dr. Ernest McNab
    Vincent Price
    Vincent Price
    • Arthur P. Loudermilk
    Clare Kirkconnell
    Clare Kirkconnell
    • Rebecca Smythers
    Keye Luke
    Keye Luke
    • Mr. Thule
    Robert Picardo
    Robert Picardo
    • Lieutenant Herzog
    Mel Stewart
    Mel Stewart
    • Captain Mayberry
    Professor Toru Tanaka
    Professor Toru Tanaka
    • Butcher
    Martha Quinn
    Martha Quinn
    • Newscaster
    Ben Mittleman
    • Bob
    Peter Kent
    Peter Kent
    • Smitty
    Cate Caplin
    • Saleswoman
    Monica Lewis
    Monica Lewis
    • Mrs. Von Heisenberg
    Peggy O'Brien
    • Jewelry Store Manager
    Chip Heller
    • Wilcox
    Steven R. Bannister
    Steven R. Bannister
    • The Thing
    • Director
      • Mark Goldblatt
    • Writer
      • Terry Black
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Ticks
    5.5
    Ticks
    FleshEater
    4.7
    FleshEater
    Maniac Cop
    6.0
    Maniac Cop
    Hell Comes to Frogtown
    5.5
    Hell Comes to Frogtown
    Dead & Buried
    6.5
    Dead & Buried
    Curfew
    4.1
    Curfew
    Slaughterhouse Rock
    4.3
    Slaughterhouse Rock
    Alligator
    6.0
    Alligator
    Frankenhooker
    6.2
    Frankenhooker
    Class of 1984
    6.5
    Class of 1984
    The Killer is Still Among Us
    5.2
    The Killer is Still Among Us
    Sister, Sister
    5.4
    Sister, Sister

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The building used for Dante Pharmaceuticals is also the set of the movie Bio-Dome 8 years later.
    • Goofs
      When Roger is examined by Rebecca after his resurrection, he cuts himself and does not bleed as he is found to have no pulse. Later he is shot and bleeds from his wounds, which contradicts his earlier examination.
    • Quotes

      Randi James: Hey, you're hurt.

      Det. Roger Mortis: Lady, I'm fucking dead.

    • Alternate versions
      The film suffered numerous cuts to the gore in order to receive an "R" rating instead of an "X".
    • Connections
      Edited into Cent une tueries de zombies (2012)
    • Soundtracks
      Dead Heat
      Written by John Huckert (as John W. Huckert Jr.), Patrick Read Johnson & Phil Settle (as Philip J. Settle)

      Performed by Phil Settle

      Copyright © 1987 by: Sarah Beth Songs BMI

    User reviews87

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Okay
    "Dead Heat" is notable, I guess, for starring two washed up actors who really should have had better careers. Joe Piscopo's name is known from being the punchline to numerous jokes about has-been actors, but consider the way his career started: when he was signed to SNL, the cast he was a part of bombed with audiences, and so all were fired except two: him and Eddie Murphy. So how is it that Murphy is still world famous after all these years, and Piscopo is unheard of?

    Williams has a similar story of early potential apparently fizzling out. He was hand-picked by the masters Sidney Lumet and Sergio Leone for their classic '80s films "Prince of the City" and "Once Upon a Time in America", and turned in solid performances in films throughout the eighties and nineties.

    So what happened to either of these should-have-been-stars? Flicks like "Dead Heat" provide some clues. It's a little-seen horror b-movies that meshes genres that were popular in the '80s with little success. Buddy cop movies were everywhere in that particular decade: "48 Hours", "Beverly Hills Cop", "Lethal Weapon", "Tango 'n Cash". In fact there were so many that producers saw fit to play with the formula, sensing audiences might be getting tired of seeing mismatched men arguing about whether to go on three or after it, hence "Turner & Hooch" and "K-9" at the end of the decade.

    "Dead Heat" is one of these that tried inject new life into this formula - ironically, for a flick about zombies. Trouble is, it doesn't do the formula well enough. For one thing, there's no chemistry between Piscopo and Williams. The movie doesn't bring them together well enough. They feel like they are from two different movies, and this one doesn't acknowledge that or do anything with it. Obviously the buddies being mismatched is a huge staple of the genre - but they're supposed to bounce off each other, and derive humour from the mismatch. Williams, particularly, seems to be waiting for Piscopo to stop talking before he can get on with the serious business of investigating zombies who have risen from the dead and are committing armed robberies. Oh, and the fact that he's a zombie as well.

    I almost forgot to mention that this is a "horror comedy". The movie forgets to mention it as well, for most of the run time. I believe the horror aspect was another attempt to inject new life into the buddy cop formula the movie takes on, but for most of the picture it's just the same tired thing. It's at the end that the movie finally comes to life, when the necessities of the plot make the horror aspect take centre stage, and we get the long awaited appearance of Vincent Price, who, well into his seventies, is clearly having fun, and I was glad to join in.

    I had hoped "Dead Heat" would be more entertaining than it was. I recommend it mostly based on its conclusion, though found it pretty tedious leading up to that.
    helpful•4
    1
    • jadavix
    • Jul 14, 2019

    FAQ1

    • What are the differences between the Original Version and the Extended Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 6, 1988 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Zombi detektiv
    • Filming locations
      • Japanese Garden, Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant - 6100 Woodley Avenue, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • New World Pictures
      • Helpern / Meltzer
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $5,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $3,588,626
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,667,036
      • May 8, 1988
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,588,626
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 24 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo in Dead Heat (1988)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Dead Heat (1988) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    New & Upcoming Superhero Movies and Series
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    Double Take: Celebrity Twins
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Back to top
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.