BURIAL GROUND: THE NIGHTS OF TERROR (1980)
Director: Andrea Bianchi
Shriek Show/Media Blasters

Andrea Bianchi has yet to become a household name among even the most ardent Eurocult film fans. Contributing several noteworthy entries in the sleaze category (STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER, CRY OF THE PROSTITUTE, CONFESSIONS OF A FRUSTRATED HOUSEWIFE, MALABIMBA), Bianchi became one of many directors who jumped on the zombie bandwagon following the worldwide success of Lucio Fulci's ZOMBI 2 (1979). He created a film for the ages, a film that teeters between sheer stupidity and mind-numbing terror and easily his most popular film, NIGHTS OF TERROR, released in the United States as BURIAL GROUND.

Three couples, one with a young son (the bizarre cult figure Peter Bark, 25 at the time), descend on an ancient mansion for a weekend of fun. But their sexual kicks are interrupted by the resurrection of a horde of Etruscan zombies, accidentally brought to life by a professor, the owner of the mansion. As the night continues, the living dead gather weapons and converge on the mansion to feast on the inhabitants.

BURIAL GROUND starts off with a clip and never slows down. In the 85 minute running time, we've got sex, blood, incest, suspense, and an amazing ending to cap it all off. Of the cast, only the lovely Mariangela Giordano makes an impression, but for some reason the characters become likable despite any personality whatsoever. The zombie makeup consists of scare masks bought at a costume shop with some fake blood and eyeballs applied, yet in the long run can be found quite effective in some sequences. BURIAL GROUND has developed a cult following based on several factors: the terrible dialogue and Peter Bark. One can only imagine if the Italian dialogue track makes any sense, because the English dub job sure doesn't! Gems of conversation, such as "You're giving me a raise, but money has nothing to do with it!" and "What's wrong? I'm your son!" provide great quotes for everyday life. While some fans find the electronic musical score annoying, it is effective enough during some of the more tense scenes of zombie invasion.

European zombie films must have at least one big gory setpiece that will stamp itself on the mind of the viewer forever. BURIAL GROUND has at least two of these. The first is the beheading of the maid, which surprisingly lends some intelligence to the undead. The second has gone down in horror film history and for those who have no knowledge of it (all three of you), it's best kept secret until the finale of the film. In-between these two sequences are plenty of grisly sights to behold, including an eye-opening zombie head-bashing against a bathtub!!

Released in an ugly fullscreen transfer on Vestron Video in the 1980s that intentionally darkened the film so the blood wouldn't be as "flashy," this was the only way to see BURIAL GROUND in the US. Shriek Show's disc presents the film in 1.85:1 Anamorphic widescreen with a bright, clean transfer. There is grain aplenty during dark scenes, but the fact that the scenes are visible at all deserves kudos. Viewing the film again in this light unveils some fine camerawork and believe it or not, what was once a cheesefest becomes a cheesefest with some genuine chills and shocks thrown in for good measure. Only the hilarious English language track is included, unfortunately. It would have been nice to have an Italian track with English subtitles for comparison and to add a little more class to BURIAL GROUND, but portions of this version can be heard in the international theatrical trailer included here. This trailer also includes alternate and deleted scenes from the finished film!

Extras on this disc are--as usual for Shriek Show--quite extensive. A lengthy stills and poster gallery gives a good look at the various titles the film has used throughout the world. Most interesting is an interview with the elusive Mariangela Giordano, who still looks lovely. Giordano joins a group of actresses, including Sylva Koscina and Elke Sommer, who still looked good enough post-30 to disrobe, even as recent as 1996's KILLER BARBYS! She discusses the location shooting, Andrea Bianchi, the infamous final scene, and goes off on a tangent discussing the direction of Italian films. Also interviewed is Gabriele Crisanti, the producer of the film, who seems a tad irritated. Talking about the cast of the film, Andrea Bianchi, and its success worldwide, he never cracks a smile. He still gives some interesting factoids. Both interviewees reveal an on-set fire that Bianchi continued to film!! Throw in the usual "Coming Attractions" trailers, including the already released ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST and the upcoming SPASMO, HOUSE BY THE EDGE OF THE PARK (incorrectly titled as LAST HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK on the menu), and EATEN ALIVE.

Shriek Show's release of BURIAL GROUND may suffer from grain by the shovelful, but it's still a bright transfer with clean colors and nowhere near as dark as earlier U.S. versions. Viewers revisiting Bianchi's zombie opus will be surprised by its effectiveness in the proper presentation, and newcomers will discover a quite entertaining venture into the Italian zombie subgenre. (Casey Scott)

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