The Hanging Woman

La orgía de los muertos (translated as Orgy of the Dead) a.k.a. The Hanging Woman (title from the US theatrical release), Beyond the Living Dead, Return of the Zombies and Terror of the Living Dead, is a 1973 horror film directed by José Luis Merino, starring Paul Naschy and Dyanik Zurakowska, and distributed by Troma Entertainment.[1]

Orgy of the Dead
DVD cover
Directed byJosé Luis Merino
Produced byRamona Plana
Written by
  • Enrico Colombo
  • José Luis Merino
Starring
Music byFrancesco De Masi
CinematographyModesto Rizzolo
Edited bySandro Lena
Production
company
Petruka Films
Distributed byTroma Entertainment
Release date
  • 3 September 1973 (1973-09-03)
Running time
91 minutes
Country
  • Spain
  • Italy
LanguageSpanish

Plot

Serge Chekov inherits his uncle's estate, only to discover that Professor Droila, a mad scientist, has taken residence in the basement. As Chekov investigates further, he learns that Droila is reanimating the dead with the help of a necrophiliac grave robber by the name of Igor. In the end, Droila's zombies rise against him.

Cast

Release

The DVD release was on September 29, 2009 in the USA, with audio commentary by director Jose Luis Merino, an interview with actor Paul Naschy, and the seldom seen Sid Pink film "The Sweet Sound of Death" (starring Dyanik Zurakowska) as a bonus.[2]

Reception

Writing in The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia, academic Peter Dendle said, "Scenic nineteenth-century Skopje forms the eerie and beautiful background for this grab bag of twisted motifs, suspect ideology, and gruesome zombies."[3] Bill Gibron of PopMatters rated it 7/10 and wrote, "While not a classic, The Hanging Woman definitely has its high points. It’s got some great locations, a splash of sinister finesse, more than a few ripe red herrings, and a performance by Naschy that’s not to be missed."[4] Stuart Galbraith IV of DVD Talk rated it 2/5 stars and wrote, "It's tough being negative on what was obviously a labor of love for those involved with its release, but The Hanging Woman (1973), a Spanish horror-mystery featuring beefy genre heavyweight Paul Naschy in a supporting role, is a big disappointment."[5] David Johnson of DVD Verdict wrote, "There are some premium bizzaro moments to be found in The Hanging Woman" and recommended it to fans of Naschy and slow-paced Hammer Films.[6]

References
  1. THE HANGING WOMAN (DVD Review)
  2. The Hanging Woman - HorrorMovies.ca
  3. Dendle, Peter (2001). The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia. McFarland & Company. pp. 128–129. ISBN 978-0-7864-9288-6.
  4. Gibron, Bill (2009-10-03). "Tha Hanging Woman - aka La Orgía de los muertos: (1973)". PopMatters. Retrieved 2015-02-10.
  5. Galbraith, Stuart (2009-10-27). "The Hanging Woman". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2015-02-10.
  6. Johnson, David (2009-10-16). "The Hanging Woman". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on 2012-01-01. Retrieved 2015-02-10.
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