Dead Men Don't Die (1990) User Reviews (10)

THAT'S DEAD FOR SURE

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 20 April 2019]

This is a 1990 comedy zombie film for a PG audience. Elliot Gould stars as Barry Baron, a TV anchor man who has discovered some strange things happening in the building where he works. His co-anchor and rival is Dulcie Niles (Melissa Sue Anderson). Barry get killed and is revived by cleaning woman and part time voodoo practitioner Chafuka (Mabel King) who takes control of his life in a "Fido" kind of way.

The cocaine dealing criminals who thought they have killed Barry, get excited when they see him on TV and decide they must kill him again....and again. Meanwhile the police are involved investigating the death of Barry Baron, who is still walking around.

The movie is humorous, but in an 80's kind of way. The humor is not overly sophisticated and reminded a bit of "Crime Wave" which came out the same year. The film might be fun for your pre-teen to watch in spite if the PG-13 rating.

No F-bombs, sex, or nudity. Elliot Gould being washed in a tub by Mabel King.

Worse than a zero rating

[smodking · 1/10 · 15 January 2014]

I worked on this film as an extra. Like the other reviewer, I worked long hours and was used a lot in the filming. While I am in the movie, most of my long hours ended up on the cutting room floor. If you can stand to watch this movie, I'll be in the news room scene - one minute in a suit and the next second in a white shirt. Same scene, but differently dressed. I only appear in the news room.

Like the other reviewer I had hoped this would be a cool movie to watch and I tell my friends I was in a particular scene. I too was horrified by just how bad this movie is. The only good thing that came out of this experience was I met a girl (a extra too - a red head in the news room scene typing) that I dated for quite sometime.

-5 (negative) Stars from me.

do not bother watching this film

[jazfingr-1 · 1/10 · 11 October 2007]

I worked on this film for nine weeks as Elliott's stand-in. It was the first and last job i had in the film industry.

Even though I got to know all the actors and crew - Even though I worked up to 16 hours a day for nine weeks- Even though my name appears in the credits as a PA Even though I expected to have a biased opinion-

-I can't even watch the whole thing, this film truly sucks, and not in the good way - you know, films that are so bad, their good. Not this one - this is a truly awful piece of crap. It never made it to theaters, TV or rental. I found it on Amazon, bought it for $4, watched about 1 hour of it, checked the credits for my name and stuck it up on the shelf (forever)

The idiot that gave this 10 stars really skewed the rating which, without that vote would be a 1.5 at best. They should have a 0 star rating for films like this.

High-concept comedy is zombie-fied...

[moonspinner55 · 1/10 · 27 June 2017]

Elliott Gould scraping rock bottom. TV news-anchor sees something suspicious going down in the parking garage and, having been encouraged to start livening up his news report, follows the men upstairs, where he encounters a drug-smuggling ring. Slapstick comedy with voodoo and TV news satire, both gratingly broad. Very sloppily made, with poor writing and directing (both by Malcolm Marmorstein), a gloppy production and hammy supporting performances. Gould's deadpan charm has been heightened to ill effect (he comes off like a schnook), while Melissa Anderson as his co-host looks attractive but is never given the chance to create a character. Amateur night in Zombie Land. NO STARS from ****

Wretched.

[J_the_Lyrical_Cheese · 1/10 · 25 March 2010]

I never post reviews on the IMDb.

But for reasons best known to my subconscious, the memory of this film slipped into my head on the bus this morning. Wandering online, I was amazed to find this had mustered above 3 stars.

Woeful in every manner, devoid of comedy or redemption and leaving a slightly nihilistic sick taste in the mouth, even as an undemanding teen

I remember my childhood abhorrence for this film. And since it was on Sky Movies weekly for a month back in the 90s I had enough opportunities to hate it.

I think a comment from my father best sums up this mess.

'Dear God, what is wrong with Elliot Gould? Things can't be that bad?'

Ugh.

Boom, boom

[Popey-6 · 2/10 · 16 December 1999]

Of any film I have ever seen this has to have the most problems with appearing boom microphones - they are everywhere. Besides this, Elliot Gould perhaps should have known better, as he is wasted in a feeble, unfunny comedy with little or no plot direction. There is nothing to warrant seeing this film.

Hoodoo trouble

[silesius-1 · 10/10 · 22 November 2006]

During the first minutes you think that this movie is terrible, and Gould must have gotten himself into something really bad- but from the moment on he becomes a zombie it's certainly one of the funniest flicks in history, IMHO. I would give him a 7 to 8 out of 10, but it's impossible to rate such a film with anything else than "awful" or "excellent". You will hate it, if you expect blood and gore. You will hate it, if you expect realism or a reasonable storyline. You will hate it, if you hate Voodoo/hoodoo-clichés or Eliott Gould stumbling around and uttering silly sounds.

But if you don't hate it, you'll love it. Just as I do.

3.8? This movie made 3.8?

[Jaegar · 28 February 1999]

I'm sorry, but this is one case where there needs to be a rating system that takes away stars. I tried to like this movie, honestly I did, but it didn't work. Newscaster dies, is brought back to life as a zombie, and wanders around for a couple of hours, during which the viewers are slowly dying themselves, of Neverendingus Boredomitis. There is not a single part of the ratings scale that this movie works on. There is no plot. There is no characterization. There is no storyline. There is no comedy. Basically, a person could get a better show watching the snow that shows up on the TV channels you don't quite get.

Never fear, though -- there are movies just as lousy as this one. One step up you've got "The Stoned Age", and one step down you have "Broken Arrow". If you want to visit the realms of the truly lousy, check out most of Jim Carrey's films. But even Carrey's infomercial, "Copper Mountain", manages to do better than this bomb.

Eliott Gould is the "Undead"

[rogermurphy193 · 9/10 · 13 December 2013]

This film is so off the wall it has to be a comedy classic. Elliot Gould was fantastic as the Zombie, (remember him in such classics as Capricorn One?). It does remind me of a B-Movie, daft but highly enjoyable.

Can't help wondering if it influenced "Anchorman" (Ted Burgundy. But perhaps not.

The rest of the cast look familiar and perhaps have appeared in other American films/TV productions, but Eliott Gould appears to be the only Famous face, (albeit in heavy white foundation to compliment his "undead" Zombie persona). If you get the opportunity to see this film give it a go, the surreal humour will not disappoint.

Can't help thinking David Cameron would make a good Zombie, hang on I thought he was already!!!)

Incredibly funny trash/black humor film

[maxxsouth · 10/10 · 11 January 2012]

I am amused at other reviewers taking this film seriously and completely ignoring the fact that this is classic trash/black humor film. It is so trashy that it is funny as hell (Especially the Pacadena scene). The famous protagonist artist also makes wonderful job, and it is amazing that he was out-of-the-box enough to be engaged in this extraordinary (I mean, yes, literally) film. If you want/expect to see a horror movie, then do not watch it. If you want to see romantic comedy, then do not watch it. If you want to see philosophical, intellectual comedy, then do not watch it. This film is only trash black humor (though it has some elements of social satire. Not more, but not less.