Diagonaldi Very well executed

Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

Kayden This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

thejcowboy22 Before I dissect this 1950's Horror classic. I want to take a moment in tribute to one of Hollywood's most underrated producer/Director Roger Corman. Corman who is labeled as the most frugal movie producer in Hollywood history with hundreds of films to his credit spanning six decades of work was also the mentor to heavy weights in the film industry as well. Corman influenced many successful actors at the start of their careers , Jack Nicholson, Robert DiNero,Sylvester Stallone,Dianne Ladd and Talia Shire. Many current successful film directors were mentored by Roger as well, Ron Howard, Jonathan Demme, Francis Ford Coppola to name a few. Out of the many films Roger produced including Little Shop Of Horrors which set a record for the quickest profitable movie ever made shot only in two days time. Only six films were monetary failures. For Roger's work in the Movie industry, he was finally presented with an Academy Award in 2009 for his lifetime achievement in films. You might say Roger planted many seeds in Hollywood that sprouted many successful directors, actors, writers and countless behind the scenes people. On to the film THE UNDEAD shot in dreary and foggy black and white. A scientist/psychic Quintus Ratcliff (Val Dufour)merely by happenstance comes a cross a prostitute Diana Love (Pamela Duncan) on a street corner. Takes her back to his laboratory where they are met by his colleague Prof. Olinger (Maurice Mason). I know what your thinking but there's no need to keep your thoughts in the gutter. This is strictly scientific in nature. In this small sized room with an centered examination table plus what looks like an E.E.G. machine (electroencephalogram) with wires attached as they take their shapely brunette on a journey like no other, back in time, Her past lives. Diana stops during the dark ages somewhere in England. Witches and the Devil himself are part of this dark foggy landscape. The colorful characters in this movie made this a curious tale to witness. Diana Love is now Helene who's personality is totally different than the defensive confident lady of the night. Helene is sweet and endearing totally the opposite personality. Troubled Helene is accused of being a witch and must proclaim her innocence and her love and leading man Pendragon (Richard Garland) will try to stop her beheading. Pendragon has a sexy rival Livia a real Witch (Allison Hayes) with her impish puny dwarf sidekick also with powers (Billy Barty) causing havoc for poor Diana. Other notable performances by the Undertaker Smolkin (Mel Wells) who sings catchy songs throughout and to prevent further trouble there's the unappealing Meg Maud (Dorothy Neumann). Every character is engaging in this twisted tale of past and present events. Through Diana Love's mouth on the table, the two scientist hear her story from humble and accused Helene. Ratcliff wants to travel back in time and prevent Helene to be spared as Professor Olinger sets up the machine for another traveler. All I can tell you is there's a price to be paid at the end of this story to make things as they are. Well written and one of Corman's best for that period.

Michael_Elliott Undead, The (1957) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Interesting Roger Corman film could have been a lot more with a bigger budget. A psychic researching pays a hooker to be hypnotized but he accidentally sends her back to the Dark Ages. While talking with the woman he learns that she was a witch who's to be executed. The film has a lot of interesting ideas but this is one film where the low budget actually works against Corman. There's some nice atmosphere throughout and Allison Hayes is always worth watching. Also stars Pamela Duncan, Richard Garland, Dick Miller and Mel Welles.

lemon_magic "The Undead" has all the trademarks of a Corman film. It's got "sensational" themes, cheap sets, highly stylized and overripe Elizabethan dialog, a plot with severe Attention Deficit Disorder, and "B" to "Z" level actors trying hard to maintain their dignity in a thankless situation. If you were to tune into this by accident 30 minutes in, without a glance at a program guide or knowing anything about the plot or the actors, you'd be able to say "Corman" within 30 seconds. Speaking of the actors, the performances here are what the movie seems to call for. The major exception is the weird angry burst of energy from the time traveler near the end of the movie when he tells the heroine to "STAY!!!!!". It's like watching an outbreak of dramatic Tourette's syndrome.I don't have a problem with complicated plots and esoteric concepts like time travel, past life regression, romantic triangles and witchcraft. But Corman can't even come close to pulling this ambitious story off in a setting of a kingdom with maybe 12 people in it and a scope of action smaller than most British bedroom farces. Especially when the plot substitutes sheer movement and scenery change for intrigue and story arc, which makes the movie an exercise in padding. Once the hero (Sir Gullible) found his wronged romantic love for the first time, all he had to do was to put her on his horse with him and ride out of the 10-acre kingdom for 24 hours...and the middle 2/3rds of the movie would have been completely unnecessary. I'm pretty sure that Corman and the screenwriter were hoping the viewer didn't think of that. Of course, then the movie would have been 30 minutes long and had a simple happy ending. This kind of plotting is emblematic of the reason that Corman would never be more than a "Z" level director - good basic plot ideas, but no commitment to getting the details right or making them urgent and convincing. The movie also apparently thinks we are all morons. The big dramatic choice at the climax is obvious once it is stated - and it's a nice, chewy one where the heroine has to choose between living out her life and having her future selves never come into being, or else meeting her destined fate of an early death and sending her "soul" onto to its future incarnations. The implications of her dilemma and her eventual decision should have been in the actress' eyes and bearing. (Meryl Streep could have pulled it off, no problem); and this actress does seem to have a few chops herself (for a Corman cast member). BUT instead the screenplay bludgeons us over the head with the dilemma for at least five minutes with all the cast members telling her what she should do. And then the time traveler bursts in with his weird and inappropriate "STAY!!!!!" comment and completely distracts the viewer from the drama of the choice that the heroine must make. In the movie's defense, the "twist" at the end is a bit eerie and unsettling, and the "Devil's" final words to the time traveler have a nice Faustian/Marlowe ring to them. That adds at least one star to the rating.Also in its favor, the two "babes" do look smashing in their costumes, even if most of the men look completely ridiculous and uncomfortable in their leotards and armor and whatnot.Billy Barty is in this. He plays an "imp". Barty gives the most generic "imp" performance I've ever seen in my life. It's as if he was reading from the Big Golden Book of Acting under the chapter titled "Smirking,Gesturing And Being Short: Your Best Tools for Impdom." MSTs coverage of this was some of their best work, but a viewer can find plenty to poke fun at in this movie without their help, if that's what suits them. Ambitous enough, but definitely one of Corman's lesser efforts.

Thorlaksson Brilliant.Nothing less suffice. I guess I have seen about 70 MST3K films over the years, and this has to be the best. Stuff like "Future War" and "Outlaw of Gor" came close, but the quality of the jokes - and the sheer volume of them - makes this an almost non-stop laugh. Also worth mentioning is that Mike and the bots laugh and snicker a lot more of their own gags along the way so you really get the impression that they enjoyed doing this more than others. This cannot help but make you laugh a bit more as well. Also the gags are quick to comment on the stuff that you, as a b-movie fan, spot yourself. Those are the best gags in my opinion.The movie itself is suffering from mediocre acting, lack of extras and limited sets/locations - but knowing how the movie was filmed and that the budget was so limited (see trivia about the movie) then nonetheless a good effort - but not the director's best. So on my scale with about 1400 films in the bag that would be a 4, since it at least progresses somewhat coherent and you get the overall idea. Also, only a handful of bad cuts. For the MST3K version it would be far up the other end of the scale. Go see it!