You won't be disappointed!

Too much of everything

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Archaeologist Jason Porter (Alex Cord) becomes the prime suspect after a series of brutal murders at the site of an ancient Etruscan tomb.The first double murder in director Armando Crispino's giallo The Etruscan Kills Again is sufficiently bloody, a couple beaten to death with a big metal probe (a piece of Porter's archaeological equipment); however, the scene is shot with little of the pizazz one expects from the genre.Subsequent deaths only disappoint further, the actual acts mostly occurring off-screen, the victims' bodies discovered once the killer has left the scene. The Etruscan Kills Again also suffers from an overly complex and dialogue heavy script that is difficult to unravel and features a rather unlikeable protagonist (a sexually aggressive alcoholic).A well executed car chase adds a much needed jolt of life to proceedings, the lovely Christina von Blanc delivers the requisite gratuitous nudity, and the final fight scene between hero and killer is well handled, but there's way too much drudgery involved to qualify this as an essential giallo.

This film begins with a professor of archaeology by the name of "Jason Porter" (Alex Cord) discovering an underground chamber which turns out to be an ancient Etruscan tomb of sorts. Naturally, this delights him and his team but one local person named "Nikos Samarakis" (John Marley) is not at all pleased with the fact that Jason plans to stay in the area for an extended time to continue his research as his current wife "Myra Shelton" (Samantha Egger) used to be married to Jason and still seems to harbor feelings for him. Things become even more complicated when two lovers are killed in the tomb and their bodies are aligned to make it appear to be sacrifices to the evil Etruscan demon upon which the tomb was initially built. In any case, in my opinion this picture turned out to be more of a mystery film than a horror movie and in that regard it definitely kept my attention for the most part. I must say, however, that the plot was sometimes difficult to follow with several unappealing characters not really helping matters. Even so this wasn't a bad movie overall and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

Jason Porter (Alex Cord) is an alcoholic photographer working on an archaeological dig in an Etruscan tomb from the 5th century bc, he has a history of mental illness and violence which seen him locked up in a New York mental hospital, but now he's trying to get some normality back in his life, so when after a rainstorm at the dig he discovers the mutilated bodies of an amorous couple, the police naturally regard him as the main suspect. Some articles recently stolen from the site are found beside the bodies of the victims the only clue to who might be the killer. Porter has his suspicions as to who that might be, but the police interference is hampering his own investigation, added to that, Porter is also distracted by the fact that his former lover Myra Shelton (Samantha Eggar)is now married to a sadistic older man, Nikos, a sadistic old man and music conductor for a local theatre, where there are a number of suspicious characters.Right from the start this plays like a horror film, we the viewer are led to believe that the killings are being done as an act of vengeance from a recently disturbed demon god with breathing difficulties, There is some great location work within the Etruscan tombs that adds to the atmosphere, the murals on the walls of the tombs showing the depictions of the actual murders before they happened, but Giallo experts will soon see that there are no supernatural forces behind these atrocities. The film also plays like a classic slasher in that sexual liaisons seem to herald the death of those involved, this is an unusual plot point for a giallo but then this is an unusual film. Riz ortolani provides a decent operatic score, the dubbing on the film is a real low point though, not the actual voices but the editing of them is beyond abysmal, this is still a film I believe would benefit immensely from an official release, considering the settings within the film a glossy new print would certainly bring this to a new audience

I'm a big fan of Giallo, and The Dead Are Alive has been one of my main targets for some time now. With that in mind, I've got to say that the film is something of a disappointment; but there's more than enough good elements to ensure that Armando Crispino's film is a more than passable Giallo attempt, and it's certainly one of the more unique entries in the genre. The film forsakes many of the common Giallo trademarks such as a black gloved killer and numerous sex scenes in favour of a supernatural angle and a plot that focuses on mystery rather than murder; although the convoluted plot that makes some Giallo and ruins others is very much in place. The central character is Jason; an alcoholic archaeologist forced to turn detective when he discovers an ancient Etruscan tomb and two people are murdered in the same way that is depicted on some ancient drawings inside the tomb, which haven't been seen by human eyes in over two thousand years. The line-up of red herrings is vast, and includes a composer, his fire-scarred wife, a sadistic torturer of insects and a homosexual choreographer. But of course, Jason is the prime suspect...I've seen a lot of Giallo's that are happy to merely wallow in the common genre elements, so it is very much to director Armando Crispino's credit that this Giallo breaks rules and develops it's own personality resulting from that. The burial ground central locale provides a good setting for this film, as it's dirty and gritty and suits the mysterious atmosphere. The plot does get a little too convoluted at times, and the film suffers from a few instances where there isn't a lot going on. The first murder takes place only minutes into the film; and it's a brutal affair as a couple are clubbed to death. However, there's not a lot in the way of bloodshed after that first murder; and the mystery plot isn't always enough of a distraction. The acting is a little flat, with Alex Cord not really convincing as an archaeologist, and the fact that the film lacks an established Giallo heroine is a negative point. The supernatural elements are well implemented at first, and it soon becomes obvious the killer is flesh and blood. The fact that the most obvious red herring is the murderer means that the ending isn't a surprise; but as far as atmosphere and absurdity are concerned, The Dead Are Alive is definitely a Giallo highlight.