The gates of Hell have opened . . . again!!!
And THIS is why mothers should never breastfeed their freaky-looking children recently turned zombie.
Directed by Strip Nude for your Killer’s Andrea Bianchi, Burial Ground is an Italian grindhouse romp through and through. Complete with a paper-thin plot about a professor cursing himself and his property with the contents of hell itself, the highs of this spectacular (and poorly-dubbed) flick are spelled out in the amount of blood and goop left in the aftermath of an impressive amount of flesh-eating zombies.
There’s plenty of blood draining and flesh chomping – both in and out of bed – as the fates of a few friends are decided and secrets revealed within the halls and the grounds of the infamous Villa Parisi in Frascati. This is their burial ground and they are all doomed to die and live again as the everlasting undead, but this blu-ray release is the end all be all for Burial Ground. Want the official example for definitive? Skip Webster’s. Look here at Severin Film’s epic handling of a cult classic. We are indeed lucky to live in an era where a cheaply-made film, shot in 1981, can look as good as it does with this release.
Shot in under four weeks near Rome, Burial Ground – also known as Nights of Terror – is a relentless feast of flesh as some sex-starved Italians get it on and plan other sexual rendezvous only to be thwarted the next day by an endless wave of the undead as they attack with their open mouths and hands clasping knives and other sharp instruments of deadly terror.
In a series of gruesome sequences, the green grass below the feet of the villa’s guests starts bubbling with decayed fingers and rotten flesh as the dead – some hooded – rise, grab sharp weapons, and go about the messy business of murdering and then eating the living souls unfortunate enough to be exposed on the romantic Italian property.
Starring Mariangela Giordano, Burial Ground is probably best remembered by the brilliant makeup effects from Gino De Rossi and Rosario Prestopino. The undead in this giallo flick are without end and so too is the imaginative work of these two effect artists. Full of blood, maggots, rotting teeth, muck, and fabulously detailed dead flesh, Burial Ground to this day still comes across as a celebration of walking dead creativity than of anything else. It might be creaky in other areas of its development, but Bianchi’s flick is rather a special treat for anyone inspired by creature effects.
Bianchi was no stranger to sexed-up romps. Burial Ground is no different than some of his other offerings. The women are quick to reveal themselves to their partners and, due to their breathy performances, most of them climax while being eaten instead of shrieking with terror.
And who can ever forget that this is the film that went THERE with mother and son relationships?! The bizarre casting of 25-year-old Peter Bark as Giordano’s young son, who becomes sexually attracted to his mother after her ample bosom is revealed to him (all over again) after they barely escape their first zombie encounter is unforgettable.
Some things, once seen, can never be unseen. This is true for Burial Ground; a certifiable cult classic if ever there was one.
Thank you, Severin Films, for handling this film with the respect it deserves. This release presents the film in UHD in North America for the very first time, thanks to the 4K scan conducted for this release. Fans will also enjoy the 4 hours of supplemental material!
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
Home Video Distributor: Severin Films
Available on Blu-ray - March 26, 2024
Screen Formats: 1.66:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono; Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Discs: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A
For his only foray into the zombie genre, psychosexual sleaze maestro Andrea Bianchi (MALABIMBA: THE MALICIOUS WHORE, STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER) unleashed the barrage of flesh-ripping, gut-chomping and depraved oedipal mayhem that set insane new standards in Italian horror, now in UHD for the first time in North America: Mariangela Giordano (of SATAN’S BABY DOLL, THE SECT and PATRICK STILL LIVES fame) stars in the ‘80s splatter classic about a cursed country estate besieged by horny houseguests, undead Etruscans and the unusual relationship between a mother (Giordano) and her mega-creepy young son (disturbingly portrayed by adult actor Peter Bark) that will trigger some of the most jaw-dropping scenes in grindhouse history. Severin Films is improbably proud to present the definitive version of this gorehound/sex-fiend favorite, now featuring an all-new 4K scan and 4 hours of Special Features.
VIDEO
Featuring a 4k scan and restoration from a previous film element discovered beneath the floorboards of a Trastevere church rectory, Burial Ground gets a brand new coat of paint complete with shot-by-shot color correction. It’s framed in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. The results are wildly specific and pure. Colors have as much bite as the zombies in the flick. Black levels are deep and defined. Flesh tones are warm and inclusive. With nary a scratch on the transfer, Burial Ground has never looked better and probably never will.
AUDIO
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix, presented in both English and Italian, is front-loaded and purposeful.
Supplements:
Commentary:
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There are 4 commentaries! See the special features for the complete breakdown.
Special Features:
Disc 1: UHD
- Audio Commentary With Critics Nathaniel Thompson, Troy Howarth And Eugenio Ercolani
- Audio Commentary With Italian Cinema Experts Calum Waddell And John Martin
- Theatrical Trailer
Disc 2: Blu-ray
- Audio Commentary With Critics Nathaniel Thompson, Troy Howarth And Eugenio Ercolani
- Audio Commentary With Italian Cinema Experts Calum Waddell And John Martin
- Villa Parisi: Legacy Of Terror – Location Featurette
- Return To The Burial Ground – Interview With Actor Peter Bark At Villa Parisi
- Peter Still Lives – Festival Q&A With Peter Bark
- Just For The Money – Interview With Actor Simone Mattioli
- The Smell Of Death – Interviews With Producer Gabriele Crisanti And Actress Mariangela Giordano
- Deleted/Extended Material
- Theatrical Trailer
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Composite 4K UHD Grade
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Original title: Le notti del terrore
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 85 mins
Director: Andrea Bianchi
Writer: Piero Regnoli
Cast: Karin Well; Gianluigi Chirizzi; Simone Mattioli
Genre: Horror
Tagline: They craved flesh with a hunger!
Memorable Movie Quote: "You're getting a raise out of me alright, but it has nothing to do with money."
Theatrical Distributor: Film Concept Group (FCG)
Official Site: https://severinfilms.com/collections/shop/products/burial-ground-2-disc-4k-uhd-w-slipcover
Release Date: September 6, 1985
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: March 26, 2024.
Synopsis: An archaeology professor discovers an ancient crypt which contains living dead corpses. The zombies go on a rampage and attack a group of people which the professor had invited to celebrate his discovery.
