Raiders of the Living Dead
| Raiders of the Living Dead | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by |
Samuel M. Sherman Brett Piper (uncredited) |
| Produced by |
Samuel M. Sherman Dan Q. Kennis |
| Written by |
Samuel M. Sherman Brett Piper |
| Starring |
Scott Schwartz Robert Deveau Robert Allen Donna Asali Zita Johann |
| Music by |
Tim Ferrante George Edward Ott (Opening Theme)[1] |
| Edited by | John Donaldson |
| Distributed by | Independent International Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Raiders of the Living Dead is a 1986 motion picture, a zombie horror film directed by Samuel M. Sherman from a script he co-wrote with Brett Piper.
Plot
In an abandoned prison, a doctor has revived executed convicts as the living dead. Teenager Scott Schwartz (A Christmas Story, The Toy) creates a weapon from a laserdisc player's laser and pursues the walking dead, aided by his girlfriend and grandfather (western star Robert Allen). A reporter (Robert Deveau) on the trail of the story is helped by the town librarian, played in her final film role by Zita Johann (Boris Karloff's The Mummy, The Sin of Nora Moran). On the prison island, the zombies attack a security guard and tear him apart as the reporter and teenager venture into the prison caverns for a final showdown.
Production
This film was originally started in New Hampshire in 1983 by co-writer Brett Piper under the title Graveyard. It was later completed in three weeks by writer-producer Samuel Sherman. Veteran actress Zita Johann came out of retirement to appear in one scene as an elderly historian.[2]
Cast
- Scott Schwartz as Jonathan
- Robert Deveau as Morgan Randall
- Donna Asali as Shelly Godwin
- Robert Allen as Dr. Corstairs
- Zita Johann as Librarian
- Corri Burt as Michelle
- Bob Sacchetti as Man in Black
Release
The film was given a limited release theatrically in the United States by Independent International Pictures in 1986.[3]
The film was given a 2-disc special edition release in the United States by Image Entertainment in 2003. This version is currently out of print.[4] This set contains three version of the film:
- Version 1: the first cut called Dying Day, directed by Brett Piper
- Version 2: the second cut called Dark Night, directed by Brett Piper
- Version 3: the third cut called Raiders of the Living Dead, featuring new footage shot by Sherman
The film was released on DVD in the United Kingdom in 2003. This version features solely Raiders of the Living Dead and its commentary.[5]
References
- ↑ "B-Sides: Raiders of the Living Dead Are After Me". Dread Central. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
- ↑ Stephen Jones. The Essential Monster Movie Guide. Billboard Books. 2000. Pg. 312
- ↑ "Company Credits for Raiders of the Living Dead". imdb.com. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
- ↑ "Raiders of the Living Dead (DVD)". dvdempire.com. Retrieved 2011-04-16.
- ↑ "Raiders of the Living Dead (DVD)". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-04-16.