Interesting revenge movie, with a dark tone that sucks you in from the start, a creepy soundtrack that fits the movie perfectly, beautifully designed sets, and great acting from the three leads, especially Leigh as a truly despicable person. You really feel for Matheson's character and are rooting for him to take revenge on his evil wife... until he actually takes revenge on her. Then the movie gets weird. All of a sudden Matheson dons gloves and a welder's mask, turning into a Jason-like movie monster, and we have no idea what he's up to. After being on his side throughout the movie, we're suddenly watching from the perspective of his wife and her lover, wondering what the heck is going on. When his revenge is finally revealed, it's mighty far-fetched (it involves completely remodeling the house, which he manages to do in a few hours), and somehow out of place for his character, at least as we've seen him so far. He's even more sadistic than his wife. Still, it's meant to be a shocker, and it shocks. Definitely worth watching, if you're into that sort of thing.
43 Reviews
A Dark Tale of Betrayal and Revenge
claudio_carvalho6 February 2012
The joiner Clint Goodman (Tim Matheson) is a man that has built his comfortable house and his construction company in his hometown with hard work. He loves his wife Joanna (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and they have been unsuccessfully trying to have a baby. Clint's best friend is the Sheriff Sam Eberly (Hoyt Axton) and every now and then they spend the night fishing in the lake.
Clint does not suspect that Joanna is having a love affair with the local doctor Cortland 'Cort' van Owen (William Atherton). The lovers plot to kill Clint and sell his company and his house, and then they would move to New York City. Cort gives a poison to Joanna and she spikes Clint's wine with the drug. Clint has the effect of a heart attack and is immediately buried without autopsy in a cheap coffin.
During the night, Clint awakes buried alive, but he succeeds to escape. He goes to his house and he finds the truth about his wife and the doctor. Further, he learns that Joanna was pregnant and Dr. Cort had made an abortion of his child. Clint plots a dark revenge against Joanna and Cort.
"Buried Alive" is a dark tale of betrayal and revenge for television by Frank Darabont in the beginning of his career. I saw this B-movie for the first time in the 90's on VHS and today I have just seen on DVD. The good thing is this film has not aged and is still great. Jennifer Jason Leigh is excellent as usual and Tim Matheson and William Atherton had good performances.
The plot has many coincidences, but is engaging. The unforgettable conclusion in the cemetery explains the title of this film. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Sepultado Vivo" ("Buried Alive")
Clint does not suspect that Joanna is having a love affair with the local doctor Cortland 'Cort' van Owen (William Atherton). The lovers plot to kill Clint and sell his company and his house, and then they would move to New York City. Cort gives a poison to Joanna and she spikes Clint's wine with the drug. Clint has the effect of a heart attack and is immediately buried without autopsy in a cheap coffin.
During the night, Clint awakes buried alive, but he succeeds to escape. He goes to his house and he finds the truth about his wife and the doctor. Further, he learns that Joanna was pregnant and Dr. Cort had made an abortion of his child. Clint plots a dark revenge against Joanna and Cort.
"Buried Alive" is a dark tale of betrayal and revenge for television by Frank Darabont in the beginning of his career. I saw this B-movie for the first time in the 90's on VHS and today I have just seen on DVD. The good thing is this film has not aged and is still great. Jennifer Jason Leigh is excellent as usual and Tim Matheson and William Atherton had good performances.
The plot has many coincidences, but is engaging. The unforgettable conclusion in the cemetery explains the title of this film. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Sepultado Vivo" ("Buried Alive")
Greed loses out.
lost-in-limbo19 August 2009
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.
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.
"Dispensed of" husband gets imaginative, yet down-to-earth revenge on scheming wife and her sleazy lover.
freebird-102 September 2001
This film is certainly not run-of-the-mill. The director of Shawshank Redemption shows how, once more, he knows how to tell a story. The soundtrack is one of the best in creating mood and ambiance, communicating without telegraphing. The casting is great and Tim Matheson is what he's best at--a TV actor who fits the small screen as well as, well, some guys fit their jeans. He's watchable. The first time I saw it, the end was a total shocker. After numerous viewings, it's still one of those compelling tales, admittedly not deep, but filled with little details and nuances, like a good Stephen King short story. Definitely deserving of at least a loyal cult following.
Not a bad movie, but had that "movie of the week" feel...
ptripp2922 June 2005
I remember seeing this movie years ago, flipping through the channels and landing on it about 10-15 minutes into it. I got interested as it progressed, kind of keeping me on the edge of my seat. It was pretty believable until you see the way Tim Matheson's character exacts his revenge on his cheating wife and her doctor lover, kind of far fetched but fun non the less. Hoyt Axton plays a good role as the sheriff. This movie is not bad late night tube fodder, and I think is worth taking a look at. Tim Matheson (Otter from Animal House fame) plays a hapless hardworking husband who does not expect that his wife is having an affair and her and her lover are plotting his demise. Tim Matheson is a great character actor and was actually the voice of Johnny Quest the Hanna Barbera action adventure cartoon of 1964-65.
Worth a look.
mickjohnston22 December 2003
This is a film, which although having a somewhat implausable story line, is
entertaining enough to keep you watching until the end. Joanne (Jennifer Jason Leigh) plays the villianess of the film, administering the poison in an attempt to kill her husband and make off with the loot. She plays the part well, right up to the last part of the film which ends in an unliely manner with the interior of the house undergoing structural changes which would take weeks to do in real life.
Notwithstanding this it does enough to be worth watching, indeed I have seen it on several occasions when there has been nothing to watch on the TV.
entertaining enough to keep you watching until the end. Joanne (Jennifer Jason Leigh) plays the villianess of the film, administering the poison in an attempt to kill her husband and make off with the loot. She plays the part well, right up to the last part of the film which ends in an unliely manner with the interior of the house undergoing structural changes which would take weeks to do in real life.
Notwithstanding this it does enough to be worth watching, indeed I have seen it on several occasions when there has been nothing to watch on the TV.
If you park logic at the door it's not a bad movie .........
merklekranz7 February 2011
'Buried Alive" is one of those films that has some different ideas, but problems arise in transposing those ideas to the screen. While the performances by Tim Matheson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, William Atherton, and Hoyt Axton are totally acceptable, there is a gnawing distraction called lack of logic, that permeates the film. The shallow burial, and the amazing carpentry work, to name just a couple things that are bothersome. Nevertheless, if you suspend disbelief, the movie maintains interest, and the ending is very satisfying. Sometimes it's worth sacrificing logic in the name of entertainment. ........................ - MERK
Buried Alive
HorrorFan19844 June 2020
A bored housewife kills her husband for her freedom and his money. What she doesn't realize is that he is in fact not dead and was simply Buried Alive.
We meet a very unhappy and bored housewife named Joanna and the man she's married to named Clint. He is a nice and generally content working man who cares for his wife, but she is clearly over him every second his back is turned to her. The root of her displeasure seems to be their move from the big city into a small deserted desert town where she spends her days alone in a big house he built for them.
Joanna is having an affair with a doctor named Cort thanks to these issues she's facing, and he suggests that they kill Clint with poison and take all the money he's worth - almost two million dollars. At dinner one night, Joanna puts the poison in Clint's wine causing him to collapse at the table. He is pronounced dead at the scene by the coroner and doctor (the same doctor Joanna is having an affair with). The death however is greatly exaggerated as we soon find out that Clint has been buried alive, the poison didn't fully kill him! He manages to dig himself out and creates his own revenge trap for Joanna and Cort.
Buried Alive is a very fun and entertaining made-for-TV horror/thriller! The flaws come from the fact that it is a made for TV movie, and with that comes limitations such as budget and what is allowed in terms of gore/action/dialogue/etc. Other than that, it is an edge of your seat movie that has a very satisfying ending. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays this lead role perfectly. She is thoroughly disgusted everytime Clint opens his mouth or enters the room. The eye rolls and shady under the breath comments are perfectly placed. Tim Matheson and William Atherton do a good job as well, with Hoyt Axton in a supporting role as the sheriff.
I highly recommend seeing Buried Alive if you get the chance. It is one of the better early 90's made for TV horror flicks out there.
7/10
We meet a very unhappy and bored housewife named Joanna and the man she's married to named Clint. He is a nice and generally content working man who cares for his wife, but she is clearly over him every second his back is turned to her. The root of her displeasure seems to be their move from the big city into a small deserted desert town where she spends her days alone in a big house he built for them.
Joanna is having an affair with a doctor named Cort thanks to these issues she's facing, and he suggests that they kill Clint with poison and take all the money he's worth - almost two million dollars. At dinner one night, Joanna puts the poison in Clint's wine causing him to collapse at the table. He is pronounced dead at the scene by the coroner and doctor (the same doctor Joanna is having an affair with). The death however is greatly exaggerated as we soon find out that Clint has been buried alive, the poison didn't fully kill him! He manages to dig himself out and creates his own revenge trap for Joanna and Cort.
Buried Alive is a very fun and entertaining made-for-TV horror/thriller! The flaws come from the fact that it is a made for TV movie, and with that comes limitations such as budget and what is allowed in terms of gore/action/dialogue/etc. Other than that, it is an edge of your seat movie that has a very satisfying ending. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays this lead role perfectly. She is thoroughly disgusted everytime Clint opens his mouth or enters the room. The eye rolls and shady under the breath comments are perfectly placed. Tim Matheson and William Atherton do a good job as well, with Hoyt Axton in a supporting role as the sheriff.
I highly recommend seeing Buried Alive if you get the chance. It is one of the better early 90's made for TV horror flicks out there.
7/10
Great and timeless movie!!!
ritaskeeter-121 April 2006
This really is one of my favourite films and is definitely the best Tim Matheson film I have seen so far. If you haven't seen it then I can't recommend it enough! The sequel to this film isn't as good but worth watching if you enjoyed the first. Scenes where Tim Matheson's character is seen to move when inside a zipped up body bag in the morgue, and when he is on the undertaker's embalming table are chilling, and when he eventually wakes up after he's been buried and subsequently digs his way out, the film totally delivers on its promise to thrill. The music when he's stumbling through the cemetery is just perfect and will have you rooting for him as he plots his revenge on his uncaring wife. MUST SEE! :-)
Love is
"Die! Damn you! Die!"
Coventry4 August 2009
The plot of this film actually would make a wondrously extravagant "Love is
" cartoon! You know, the drawing of that cute little naked couple holding hands and looking into each other's eyes with a text underneath stating: "Love is
poisoning him with Japanese fish fluids, refusing to pay extra for his embalming and burying him in a rotten coffin barely two feet under the ground!" This modest and well-directed early 90's made-for-TV thriller guarantees decent suspense and entertainment as long as you don't set your expectations too high. The plot, which is absolutely unrelated to the similarly themed Edgar Allen Poe story, is full of far-fetched and utterly implausible story elements and you better don't contemplate about it too much, but it's definitely compelling enough to keep you on the edge of your seat for an hour and a half. Hard-working family man Clint Goodman *thinks* he has a good marriage going on, but his spoiled wife Joanna is actually sleeping with her doctor and planning to run off to California with him. They need money first, though, and so they conceive a plan to kill Clint and sell his profitable business to a frequent bidder. Their plan kind of backfires, because tropical fish-poison is a worthless murder weapon, and Clint literally crawls back among the living. He wisely decides that killing his wife and her lover with a shotgun is "too easy" – and right he is – and prepares an inescapable death trap of his own. The implausible part of "Buried Alive" is how sloppy the murder scheme is. Here you have a formula for murder that you could actually get away with, but it almost seems as if they want everything to fail. You make sure the last words your husband is supposed to hear aren't "Die! Damn you! Die", you pay for the embalming because it means extra security he's dead and you make sure everybody in town witnesses a proper funeral with an expensive coffin! Other than the occasionally lacking plot, "Buried Alive" does contain a surprisingly large amount of intense fright-moments, superb acting performances and tight direction from Frank Darabont (acclaimed director of "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile") in his long-feature debut. Tim Matheson is good, but the always very sexy Jennifer Jason Leigh is terrific as the battle-ax wife and William Atherton is simply brilliant as the sleazy scumbag lover. Since this is a TV-movie, we unfortunately don't get to see a lot of gore. Certain moments are reasonably icky, like the image of Clint's scratched-open fingertips and a sink full of hydrogen peroxide, but Darabont merely keeps the emphasis on atmosphere
Moral of the story: don't use poisoned fish if you want to kill someone! Homer Simpson didn't die after eating the allegedly poisoned dish of sushi, either.
Moral of the story: don't use poisoned fish if you want to kill someone! Homer Simpson didn't die after eating the allegedly poisoned dish of sushi, either.
Run of the mill revenge flick
Johnnee7 December 1998
Though it's better than most made-for-TV movies, "Buried Alive" is nothing more than a run-of-the-mill revenge tale. There are so many plot holes in this one, it makes you wonder why the screenwriters didn't go through a series of re-writes. The ending has a nice twist to it, but it's hardly believable.
The acting by Jennifer Jason Leigh is terrific, as always, but Tim Matheson hams it up with cheesy one-liners that reminds one of Jack Nicholson in "The Shining". Don't bother with this one.
The acting by Jennifer Jason Leigh is terrific, as always, but Tim Matheson hams it up with cheesy one-liners that reminds one of Jack Nicholson in "The Shining". Don't bother with this one.
Well made B-movie from director of Shawshank Redemption.
bluetwin9 November 1999
Frank Darabont went on to make the brilliant Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. Here is an early effort which is a nice combo of film noir, horror and revenge pictures. Jennifer Jason Leigh, a very underrated actress, plays the wife who along with her lover plan to murder her husband Tim Matheson. After the plan doesn't go according to plan, it's the husbands turn to turn the tables. Jennifer's character is so bad that the viewer wants her to get her just reward. Well worth seeing and rates 8/10.
Jennifer Jason Leigh, enough said!
Go_Skins13 November 2004
I seen this movie on a late night one night. It was kind of predictable at first but then it had some twists. There was some notable actors like Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Matheson, and the Hoyt Axton guy! I didn't know they had a sequel to it until after it was over, the channel I was watching, showed the sequel. Unfortunately, it was already to late when the first movie was over. I really liked Leigh's character having an affair with the Doctor who tries to get her husband but he returns later on in the film! My favorite character in this movie would be the guy doing the autopsy. I forget his name but I thought he was good. He made the movie pick up some!
Don't believe the hype
pomeu-638505 February 2023
Grade A cast with a C- script. I mean, it makes no sense whatsoever. The nicest guy in the world gets buried alive and becomes a Hellraiser's Pinhead-level torturer and Property-Brothers-meets-Leonardo da Vinci-on-Cocaine master builder. Could that have happened? I guess, but it would be nice if the filmmakers took us by the hand and showed us the transformation from upstanding husband to abject vengeful monster. Because yeah, they did him nasty, but he did it right back. Even worse, actually, since he managed to kill them.
Five out of ten because for a TV movie, it's above average. Production is great, story is meh. Lands right in the middle with 5.
You don't just have to suspend disbelief with this one. You have to make like a magician and make it completely disappear.
Meow, meow, frog, rawr.
Five out of ten because for a TV movie, it's above average. Production is great, story is meh. Lands right in the middle with 5.
You don't just have to suspend disbelief with this one. You have to make like a magician and make it completely disappear.
Meow, meow, frog, rawr.
Average revenge movie
bob the moo6 November 2001
Clint (Tim Matheson) is a successful businessman living with his wife Joanna (Jennifer Jason Leigh) in small town USA. However Joanna is not so happy and starts an affair with her Doctor, Cortland Van Owen (William Athertone). They poison Clint and start to sell up and move away rich. However Glen rises from his grave and begins to plot his revenge.
This TV movie is most notable for it's director - Shawshank Redemption's Frank Darabont. Not exactly lofty beginnings but he does manage to bring an air of tension to the proceedings. The film is quite dark in tone and is reasonably tense. However the plot is a bit too ambitious - it relies too much on unlikely events to move the plot along and the final half-hour is a little too farfetched to be accepted easily. However it is quite clever the way Clint takes his revenge on the plotting duo of his wife and her lover.
Matheson is actually quite good here as Clint and brings an air of menace to his resurrected character. Leigh is nearly always good but falls into playing the screaming wife for most of the film. Athertone plays the creepy doctor but makes him too obviously guilty - it's partly the scripts fault but also Athertone can't help but play a creepy character (Die Hard 1 & 2).
This is not as bad as I expected. It is quite clever and tense for the majority. But it is what it is - and it is a cheap TV thriller. The two leads are good but it's a bit too far fetched to totally suck you into believing it. Although if you can get carried away by the story then you'll probably enjoy it.
This TV movie is most notable for it's director - Shawshank Redemption's Frank Darabont. Not exactly lofty beginnings but he does manage to bring an air of tension to the proceedings. The film is quite dark in tone and is reasonably tense. However the plot is a bit too ambitious - it relies too much on unlikely events to move the plot along and the final half-hour is a little too farfetched to be accepted easily. However it is quite clever the way Clint takes his revenge on the plotting duo of his wife and her lover.
Matheson is actually quite good here as Clint and brings an air of menace to his resurrected character. Leigh is nearly always good but falls into playing the screaming wife for most of the film. Athertone plays the creepy doctor but makes him too obviously guilty - it's partly the scripts fault but also Athertone can't help but play a creepy character (Die Hard 1 & 2).
This is not as bad as I expected. It is quite clever and tense for the majority. But it is what it is - and it is a cheap TV thriller. The two leads are good but it's a bit too far fetched to totally suck you into believing it. Although if you can get carried away by the story then you'll probably enjoy it.
Certainly above average for a TV movie
Leofwine_draca19 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This variation on Poe's theme downplays the horror aspect - except for one key moment - instead opting for a more traditional psychological thriller. The main problem with it is that it's a TV movie - meaning that there's no violence to speak of. However, for a TV movie, it's pretty good, with nice production values and a good cast who really get their teeth into their roles. This was one of a slew of films which came out at the same time dealing with premature burial - check out the film which came out at the same time as this, with the same title, starring Robert Vaughn, plus Fred Olen Ray's HAUNTING FEAR.
While the plot is nothing new the execution is pretty good, with a fast pace and lots of interesting zooming camera shots. The strength of this film lies in the central performances of the three leads - all good. Tim Matheson gets to ham and chew the scenery with relish as he exacts his revenge while Jennifer Jason Leigh enjoys her role as an evil woman - and is surprisingly good as one, too. However, it's always the underrated William Atherton who excels as the guilt-free, stop-at-nothing manipulator who wants the rewards all for himself.
The film really picks up in the final half hour, as up until then not a lot really happens. The killing happens early on but from then on, Matheson is content to lurk around in the shadows for a while. One scene - of Matheson rising from his grave - is obviously inspired by countless zombie films, especially the hand rising from the earth framed in lightning. There's even some spooky music to go with it. When Leigh and Atherton find themselves trapped in a basement, the fun really begins as the atmosphere and tension begin to build up to breaking point - and thanks to the acting, the atmosphere does get thick. Matheson then goes on to devise a maze in his house which his enemies must face - a plot device seemingly lifted from the final segment of 1972's TALES FROM THE CRYPT, or possibly the original source comics. These final moments are very good and flawlessly done. It's just a shame that the rest of the film never breaks from its television movie origins.
While the plot is nothing new the execution is pretty good, with a fast pace and lots of interesting zooming camera shots. The strength of this film lies in the central performances of the three leads - all good. Tim Matheson gets to ham and chew the scenery with relish as he exacts his revenge while Jennifer Jason Leigh enjoys her role as an evil woman - and is surprisingly good as one, too. However, it's always the underrated William Atherton who excels as the guilt-free, stop-at-nothing manipulator who wants the rewards all for himself.
The film really picks up in the final half hour, as up until then not a lot really happens. The killing happens early on but from then on, Matheson is content to lurk around in the shadows for a while. One scene - of Matheson rising from his grave - is obviously inspired by countless zombie films, especially the hand rising from the earth framed in lightning. There's even some spooky music to go with it. When Leigh and Atherton find themselves trapped in a basement, the fun really begins as the atmosphere and tension begin to build up to breaking point - and thanks to the acting, the atmosphere does get thick. Matheson then goes on to devise a maze in his house which his enemies must face - a plot device seemingly lifted from the final segment of 1972's TALES FROM THE CRYPT, or possibly the original source comics. These final moments are very good and flawlessly done. It's just a shame that the rest of the film never breaks from its television movie origins.
Low budget but good movie
olcayozfirat19 April 2022
1990 revenge movie. There is a man who loves his wife very much. This man is a builder. His wife, on the other hand, does not like this and does not want to have children from it, and cheats with a doctor. The doctor enters the woman's mind and makes the man poison his wife. The goal is to get rid of the man and get all his money. They poison and bury. But when the man is thought to be dead, he is resurrected.
I liked the movie. In addition, the portable decor made by the man at home is wonderfully thought out. The movie can be watched with the family. No awkward scenes.
I liked the movie. In addition, the portable decor made by the man at home is wonderfully thought out. The movie can be watched with the family. No awkward scenes.
Revenge Served Cold and Delicious
Uriah4314 January 2021
"Clint Goodman" (Tim Matheson) is a nice guy who has worked hard and after 10 years in New York City has decided to return to his rural hometown where he has built a lucrative construction company. With him is his wife "Joanna Goodman" (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who is accustomed to the big city and despises everything about her husband's decision to leave it behind. For that reason she is considering a divorce which will provide her with more than enough money to return to it. It's then revealed that she has been having an affair with a doctor in this small town named "Cortland van Owen" (William Atherton) who convinces her that she could have all of his money if she murders him and subsequently proceeds to give her a rare poison which should do the trick. She agrees and slips it into Clint's drink at dinner. What she doesn't realize is that not long after killing him her own nightmare is about to begin. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that since this was a made-for-television movie I wasn't really expecting too much. Fortunately, this movie turned out better than expected as the revenge element was served quite cold and delicious with both Tim Matheson and Jennifer Jason Leigh putting in very good performances along the way. Admittedly, there were a couple of scenes which strained credibility here and there but I liked this film for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
Exciting, Well Acted TV Movie
jeanlevy31 March 2019
For a TV movie, Buried Alive might as well be a masterpiece. I'm not saying TV movies, in general, are bad, but there's usually a fairly workman-like approach to them that can be a bit uninspired. Not here.
Tim Matheson only wants the best for his wife, Jennifer Jason Leigh, but she only wants what's best for herself which includes an affair with sleazy doctor William Atherton and getting her husband out of the picture for good. Everything goes according to plan until they both start to realize that, perhaps, ol' hubby might not be so dead after all.
Now, there are some logic leaps here and there, especially in the final act, but the acting is so great that they can sell just about anything the script throws at them.
Blessed with a tight script, solid direction, and a fantastic cast, Buried Alive stands out from most TV movies and is well worth your time.
Tim Matheson only wants the best for his wife, Jennifer Jason Leigh, but she only wants what's best for herself which includes an affair with sleazy doctor William Atherton and getting her husband out of the picture for good. Everything goes according to plan until they both start to realize that, perhaps, ol' hubby might not be so dead after all.
Now, there are some logic leaps here and there, especially in the final act, but the acting is so great that they can sell just about anything the script throws at them.
Blessed with a tight script, solid direction, and a fantastic cast, Buried Alive stands out from most TV movies and is well worth your time.
Grave Matters
sol-kay13 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
**SPOILERS** Breaking his back by working long and hard hours at the construction site to make things fine and wonderful for his ungrateful wife Joanna, Jennifer Jason Leigh, the good natured hard working but somewhat naive, in what Joanna is planning for him, Clint Goodman (Tim Matheson) is unaware that his wife has been cheating on him. Joanna's having an affair with the family doctor Courtland "Court" Van Owen, William Atherton.
Wanting to have a child to add to his family Clint has been very disappointed in not having Joanna conceive feeling that maybe it was his not her fault, thats about he only bad thing that has happened to him since he married her. What Clint doesn't know is that in fact he did get Joanna pregnant but she had the fetus aborted by, you guessed It, her secret lover Dr."Court". Dr. Court, a Japanese fish and food gourmet, gives Joanna a vile of this poison from a tropical fish that he had, together with her, for dinner. Telling Joanna that it, by putting poison in his wine, will not only kill Clint but make it look like he had a sudden and fatal heart-attack. The next day Joanna, after having second thoughts about doing it, slips the poison into Clint's wine as the two have a toast to their great and happy marriage. Within seconds Clint suddenly goes into excruciating convulsions and falls to the floor as dead as the tropical fish that Joanna, and Court, ate the previous evening. Joanna is to inherit almost two million dollars from her late husbands estate but is so cheap that she doesn't even want him to be embalmed and buys the cheapest and flimsiest coffin, that you can easily put your fist through, that she could find at the funeral home which in the end will do her not Clint, who it later turns out is not really dead,in.
The story reminds me of something that I read in an old "Tales from the Crypt" comic book where Clint raise from the dead, and his grave, and comes back home for a surprise visit to both haunt and finish off his two "killers" Joanna & Court. With the help of the family dog Duke Clint has the two, after he put them both to sleep, locked in the house with Duke keeping them at bay as he sealed all the doors and windows to make sure that they don't escape. The ending is just too much even for a couple of swines like Joanna and Court when Joanna finds out that her "Lover" Court is really trying to do her in, and take off with all the money. The claustrophobia of Court & Joanna being locked in the house, like rats in a maze, had the two play right in to Clint's, wearing a black visor covering his face, hands.
Gut wrenching and horrifying ending that even made you feel sorry for the two slime-balls, Joanna & Court, who ended up where they wanted to put their intended victim Clint Goodman together with the money that was the motivating factor for them wanting to murder him.
Wanting to have a child to add to his family Clint has been very disappointed in not having Joanna conceive feeling that maybe it was his not her fault, thats about he only bad thing that has happened to him since he married her. What Clint doesn't know is that in fact he did get Joanna pregnant but she had the fetus aborted by, you guessed It, her secret lover Dr."Court". Dr. Court, a Japanese fish and food gourmet, gives Joanna a vile of this poison from a tropical fish that he had, together with her, for dinner. Telling Joanna that it, by putting poison in his wine, will not only kill Clint but make it look like he had a sudden and fatal heart-attack. The next day Joanna, after having second thoughts about doing it, slips the poison into Clint's wine as the two have a toast to their great and happy marriage. Within seconds Clint suddenly goes into excruciating convulsions and falls to the floor as dead as the tropical fish that Joanna, and Court, ate the previous evening. Joanna is to inherit almost two million dollars from her late husbands estate but is so cheap that she doesn't even want him to be embalmed and buys the cheapest and flimsiest coffin, that you can easily put your fist through, that she could find at the funeral home which in the end will do her not Clint, who it later turns out is not really dead,in.
The story reminds me of something that I read in an old "Tales from the Crypt" comic book where Clint raise from the dead, and his grave, and comes back home for a surprise visit to both haunt and finish off his two "killers" Joanna & Court. With the help of the family dog Duke Clint has the two, after he put them both to sleep, locked in the house with Duke keeping them at bay as he sealed all the doors and windows to make sure that they don't escape. The ending is just too much even for a couple of swines like Joanna and Court when Joanna finds out that her "Lover" Court is really trying to do her in, and take off with all the money. The claustrophobia of Court & Joanna being locked in the house, like rats in a maze, had the two play right in to Clint's, wearing a black visor covering his face, hands.
Gut wrenching and horrifying ending that even made you feel sorry for the two slime-balls, Joanna & Court, who ended up where they wanted to put their intended victim Clint Goodman together with the money that was the motivating factor for them wanting to murder him.
An okay revenge movie.
Skutter-29 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Buried Alive is a simple little film, which is a passable way to spend an hour and half. It's basic plot- man buried alive by wife and lover and seeks revenge is fairly bare bones and running at a slight 90 minutes the story feels like it was stretched as far as it could go. The story as it is seems like it might well have worked better as a segment of a horror anthology or an episode of a Tales From the Crypt type show. There is some fun to be had but there simply isn't enough meat on these bones, resulting in a somewhat enjoyable but anaemic movie.
The actors are all fun to watch; all are cast in what are typical roles for each of them. William Atherton as a duplicitous slimeball, Jennifer Jason Leigh as a self centred, scheming wife, Tim Matheson as a slightly clueless everyman who is pushed too far. They do these roles well and have some fun with them. The plot is somewhat thin to say the least, with numerous contrivances and absurdities. The ease with which Clint Goodman is able to escape the grave is a bit hard to take, even if the wood in his coffin was rotten and the escape only seems possible as it was buried in a very, very shallow grave. Perhaps nobody making the movie had heard the phrase 'Six Feet Under' or they at least mistook it for inches. The nature of Goodman's ultimate revenge is also incredibly silly. Even with the skill we are repeatedly informed that he has with wood the contraptions he rigs up are quite elaborate, especially given the limited amount of time he would have had. At the end of the day, despite its failings, Buried Alive is fun, macabre little movie.
The actors are all fun to watch; all are cast in what are typical roles for each of them. William Atherton as a duplicitous slimeball, Jennifer Jason Leigh as a self centred, scheming wife, Tim Matheson as a slightly clueless everyman who is pushed too far. They do these roles well and have some fun with them. The plot is somewhat thin to say the least, with numerous contrivances and absurdities. The ease with which Clint Goodman is able to escape the grave is a bit hard to take, even if the wood in his coffin was rotten and the escape only seems possible as it was buried in a very, very shallow grave. Perhaps nobody making the movie had heard the phrase 'Six Feet Under' or they at least mistook it for inches. The nature of Goodman's ultimate revenge is also incredibly silly. Even with the skill we are repeatedly informed that he has with wood the contraptions he rigs up are quite elaborate, especially given the limited amount of time he would have had. At the end of the day, despite its failings, Buried Alive is fun, macabre little movie.
Buried Alie.. Brilliant
info-69-1963561 June 2011
I remember seeing this on VHS video, scared the pants off me. Great acting and totally believable. Not suggested for people who don't enjoy that suffocating feeling. Highly recommended for those who love horror films.
It shows what people will do for money and I believe a real event around this film took place in the US. Scary stuff that makes you think how low people will go.
Top marks for Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tim Matheson, believable characters.Gripping story line full of suspense.Highly recommended and I believe you can now get this film on DVD. One to treasure.
It shows what people will do for money and I believe a real event around this film took place in the US. Scary stuff that makes you think how low people will go.
Top marks for Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tim Matheson, believable characters.Gripping story line full of suspense.Highly recommended and I believe you can now get this film on DVD. One to treasure.
Revenge tale
smellthecult-com-115 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Pretty decent horror cum thriller from Frank Darabont, director of the critically acclaimed The Shawshank Redemption.
Way above average in terms of both direction and acting for a made for TV movie, with some genuinely disturbing ideas, and some pretty creepy scenes, this is a chiller of surprising quality.
The waking in the coffin scene is superb, as is the 'zombie' awakening sequence, and the last 20 minutes or so are excellent once the trap is set.
Decent performances from the lead guy, Tim Matheson and Jennifer Jason Leigh is as reliable as ever.
Check it out - it won't blow your mind but it certainly will entertain.
Way above average in terms of both direction and acting for a made for TV movie, with some genuinely disturbing ideas, and some pretty creepy scenes, this is a chiller of surprising quality.
The waking in the coffin scene is superb, as is the 'zombie' awakening sequence, and the last 20 minutes or so are excellent once the trap is set.
Decent performances from the lead guy, Tim Matheson and Jennifer Jason Leigh is as reliable as ever.
Check it out - it won't blow your mind but it certainly will entertain.
Buried alive? So was the credibility of this film.
davidcorne2454 August 2006
It beats me how anyone can rate this film very highly. It is no understatement to call it far fetched. How the guy managed in such a short space of time to construct a wooden maze of underground rooms is quite ridiculous or maybe he was the greatest carpenter since Jesus. The obese sheriff played by Hoyt Axton looked like a refugee from the Jerry Springer show and I found the blonde female lead Jennifer Jason Leigh rather plain. We have an expression here in the U.K. 'mutton done up as lamb' which suits her perfectly. It wasn't all bad however, I enjoyed it immensely when the end credits rolled and 'The End' came up was quite brilliant for this hotch potch of a T.V. movie which if it had been a cinematic release would have been put on video and in discount stores in no time at all.
"Honey. . .I'm HOME!"
Missy C27 June 2001
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** The USA Network re-runs this one along with the sequel every few months or so on Friday or Saturday night. Tim Matheson is one of the handsomest men in Hollywood--and he just gets better looking with age. But here he is, stuck with a wife he's crazy about who doesn't love or appreciate him. She's having an affair with the county coroner, and they plot to kill him. Well. . .I don't know where this guy went to med school, but it's obvious he flunked his toxicology class. When they go to poison Tim, he's only in a deep sleep. The real fun of this flick is watching what happens after he gets out of the grave and goes back to his house. (The house is a beautiful one, by the way--some of the prettiest architecture and decor this side of Steve Martin's "Housesitter")
Yes, the lines they are given are corny and silly sometimes, but Tim Matheson comes across as a guy you've just gotta root for. And Jennifer Jason Leigh makes a great villain here--I boo and hiss every time she's on screen. Even though I've seen it several times now--usually when I can't get to sleep--the last scenes still creep me out a bit.
If you like the genre, catch this one next time it's on USA.
Yes, the lines they are given are corny and silly sometimes, but Tim Matheson comes across as a guy you've just gotta root for. And Jennifer Jason Leigh makes a great villain here--I boo and hiss every time she's on screen. Even though I've seen it several times now--usually when I can't get to sleep--the last scenes still creep me out a bit.
If you like the genre, catch this one next time it's on USA.
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