Available: September 30, 2008 (DTV)*

Director: Paul Etheredge

Screenplay: Padraig Reynolds

Cast: Britt Morgan, Jeff Blum, Bram Hoover, Nikki McKenzie, Greyson Chadwick, Natalie Wachen, JR May, Augusto Aguilar and John Charles Meyer.

Synopsis: This addicting twisted tale of torture begins in complete darkness with the discovery that Rick (Bram Hoover), a handsome 20 year-old has been buried alive. Illuminated by only the flame of a cigarette lighter, the details of the scene come into focus from the point of view of a night vision camera, embedded in the corner of the coffin, capturing Rich’s every movement. On his left, an ominous warning: “Save Your Breath.” It turns out he is just one of many victims trapped in coffins.

Above ground, siblings Melanie (Brit Morgan) and Travis (Jeff Blum) work frantically to piece together information gleaned from found footage and online diaries hidden on the web. They each have a secret stake tied to the victims’ fates, and in the ultimate race against time, they frantically work to unravel the mystery and discover the locations of the buried coffins before it is too late. (Provided by studio)

 

Rating: Un-Rated

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Running Time: 65 minutes

Aspect Ratio: Widescreen - 2.35:1

DVD Extras: Commentary with Director, Producer and Cast; Featurette: Making Buried Alive; Bonus Previews

 

Review:  So let me fire this question out across the internet. Does anyone ever remember a studio that produced classic cliffhanger serials taking one of those series and reediting it into a theatrical release? When Brooke Burgess created “Broken Saints” online in 2001 when he took it to a new level by releasing it on DVD he knew he had to evolve the material. He simply did not recut or reedit what was already produced and available via the internet for DVD. Released in 2005, the DVD featured improved and wholly redrawn art for the first twelve chapters, numerous featurettes, commentary on select chapters, and a voice track for practically all dialogue. The latest DVD version, was released in 2006, and distributed internationally by 20th Century Fox. While the majority of the content was the same as the previous release, and included a few slight differences, a reworking of Chapter 13's artwork and commentary for every chapter. The point here is that the material “evolved.”

 

Then we have this DVD release of BURIED ALIVE. The plot feels like someone might have described it in a pitch meeting (that’s when filmmakers try to give the money guys a concise and exciting presentation of their project in hopes of getting the money to make it) as “SAW meets SCOOBY DO,” and if your reaction to that is “Zoinks!” welcome to the club! That was my reaction to this stinker. The problem is you have this story that is designed for the serialized internet viewing experience and they’ve tried to repackage into an eighty-something minute feature. Correct, they’re working with all the footage they created for the internet. A bunch of scenes and ancillary content was removed and basically, working without a screenplay, they’ve attempted to focus all this into a linear narrative. I don’t think so!

 

There are a few other issues with the casting choices, cinematography, special effects, editing, and score that will just creep the viewer out, and that’s not in the entertaining, “I want to be scared,” kind of way. Instead of an experiment in terror BURIED ALIVE is a terrible experiment that proves the theory that just because you know the technology and science behind filming it does not mean you are a filmmaker or know jack about what goes into telling stories. In the end, should you feel compelled to listen to the commentary or watch the featurette, you will inevitably come to realize that were these admitted into evidence in a fraud trial you would have no other option but to find these defendants guilty as charged.

 

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*DTV = Direct to video release

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