Small House of Everything

Small House of Everything

Monday, August 14, 2023

JUSTLY OVERLOOKED FILM: ORGY OF THE DEAD (1965)

 Schlockmeister Edward D. Wood subjected the film-going audience with many a p[itiful movie over his career, both as a writer and as a director.  Wood wrote but did not direct Orgy of the Dead; that task fell to erotic film director Stephen C. Apostolof, using the pseudonym "A. C. Stephen."  The Bulgarian-born director had produced the anti-Communist film (inspired by his own life) Journey to Freedom in 1957.  In America, Apostolof befriended Ed Wood, resulting in his first editorial credit, Orgy of the Dead.  (Wood would later novelize his film script for William Hamling's Greenleaf Classics; the 1966 paperback is almost impossible to get today.  Centipede Press released the novel in hardcover as the first in their Vintage Horror series with a list price of $45.00; it is currently being offered on eBay for $800.00.)

The plot is terrible.  Bob (William Bates) and girlfriend Shirley (Pat Barrington) head off to a cemetery to inspire Bob for his next horror novel.  there they encounter the dancing dead, overseen by the Ruler of the Dark, a.k.a. the Emperor (Criswell, a popular televised scam artist whose "predictions" gained a lot of press).  The "Dancing Dead" were (if I counted corectly) nine women who were individually billed as "Hawaiian Dance, Skeleton Dance, Indian Dance, Slave Dance, Street Walker Dance, Cat Dance, Fluff Dance, Mexican Dance, and Zombie Dance."  Oh. there was also a mummy and a werewolf.  Anyway, Bob and Shirley are captured, tied to a pole, and forced to watch the dancers.  The film engendered absolutely no Academy Award nominations.

The film is rated "R" so consider yourselves cautioned.  I doubt if the "R" rating matters because the movie will probably put you to sleep before we get to that part.

Consider this a Bucket List experience.  I would say, "Enjoy." but that would be facetious.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arAPtRjghMs

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