by Marc Patterson

Okay… Let me get this out of the way first. I’ve heard quite a few folks tell me that they didn’t like I Sell The Dead, (reviewed here) or that somehow it failed to be better than average. I respectfully have to disagree. As many of you did, I got my first look at this film through IFC’s VOD service.  Sure, it wasn’t particularly horrifying, but I instantly was in love with the atmosphere that gave a respectful nod back in time towards the old Hammer films. The dialogue was witty, the acting spot on, and the visually the film was just a hell of a lot of fun to watch. So I suppose I was surprised when I heard from some fans that this wasn’t their cup o’ tea.  C’mon – it can’t be all ridiculous torture and maiming all the time. Sometimes a little levity is exactly what the genre calls for. Personally I liked it so much watched it twice in my twenty-four hour viewing window.

For those of you who missed it on demand and haven’t gotten a chance to see the film yet the wait is almost over.  I Sell the Dead will be coming to Blu-ray and DVD  from IFC Films via MPI Media Group on March 30, 2010, with SRP of $29.98 and $19.98, respectively

From the press release: It was a time of ghouls, ghosts and most ghastly of all, the fine art of grave-robbing. In this homage to the rich gothic style of Britain’s Hammer Films, Dominic Monaghan of “The Lord of the Rings” and “Flash Forward” stars as 19th century corpse snatcher Arthur Blake, who pilfered the cemeteries and coffins of England until his capture by police. But just before Blake is to meet the hangman’s noose, he will confess to a peculiar priest (Ron Perlman of “Hellboy” and “Sons of Anarchy”) his gruesome tale of vampires, zombies and cadaver-dealing that takes him from the savagery of the criminal underworld to the terrors of the undead.

Larry Fessenden, producer-star of “The Last Winter” and director of “Wendigo” – two modern masterpieces – turns in another memorable performance in I SELL THE DEAD as the grave-robber who trains the young Monaghan. Angus Scrimm (“Phantasm”) co-stars in this deliriously grisly and hilarious homage to foggy graveyards, bloody mayhem and the golden age of gothic horror.

Extras on the discs are slated to include:

-Commentary with stars Dominic Monaghan & Larry Fessenden
-Commentary with director Glenn McQuaid
-The Making Of I SELL THE DEAD
-The Visual Effects of I SELL THE DEAD
-Trailer

And speaking of the trailer – check it out right now!