Raiders of the Living Dead
Raiders of the Living Dead is a 1986 American horror film directed by Samuel M. Sherman from a script he co-wrote with Brett Piper.
Raiders of the Living Dead | |
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DVD cover | |
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 date |
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Running time | 86 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Plot
In an abandoned prison, a doctor revived executed convicts as the living dead. Jonathan (Scott Schwartz), a teenager, creates a weapon from a LaserDisc player's laser and pursues the walking dead, aided by his girlfriend and grandfather. A reporter on the trail of the story is helped by the town librarian. 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.
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
Production
This film 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]
Release
The film was not shown theatrically in the United States until May 28th, 2017 at a special screening at Mahoning Drive-In Theater in Lehighton, PA with Producer/Director Samuel M. Sherman in attendance.
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.[3] 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.[4]
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
- "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.