I Sell the Dead (review)
If it were a 30-minute comic episode of The Twilight Zone, this ambitious low-budget flick might not have overstayed its welcome, but dragged out to three times that running time, it cannot help but be more miss than hit. On the eve of his execution for graverobbing and murder, Arthur Blake (Dominic Monaghan: X-Men Origins: Wolverine) confesses his sorry tale of desperation and skullduggery to Father Francis Duffy (Ron Perlman: Hellboy II: The Golden Army), though he insists he’s guilty only of snatching them what’s already dead, and not himself making anybody dead at all. Episodes of Arthur’s life with partner-in-crime Willie Grimes (Larry Fessenden [Wendy and Lucy], also a producer of the film) unfold in a series of flashbacks that, when they do hit, play like a Sam Raimi fever dream -- the undead would prefer not to be snatched, thank you very much -- and two of the incidents prompt quite the scream of laughter and horror. But those moments are few and far between. Far more interesting is the fact that this 19th-century European tale, from writer-director Glenn McQuaid, was shot entirely in New York City, with a style and visual wit that defies its low-budget origins. (available on IFC on Demand)
viewed at home on a small screen
not rated
official site | IMDB | trailer | more reviews at MRQE













comments
posted by virtonazrael (Sat Aug 08 09, 2:34PM)
Is it that disapoiting MaryAnn, I got such a good feeling after watching the trailer in your site... it's a pity if its ambitions are to high for its own good...
posted by Victor Plenty (Mon Aug 10 09, 9:29PM)
An ambitious project more often gives me what I'm looking for, even if it fails to achieve the consistent level of genius it seeks. Far better to see that, than any intentionally mediocre work which successfully accomplishes every single one of its intended insults to the viewer's intelligence.
In other words, a flawed masterpiece beats a perfectly arranged heap of dung.