McQuaid recalls Terry Gilliam with his flights into the absurd and his penchant for choking dry humor.
Comment
11/03/09
I Sell the Dead (2009)
72
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:32
Fresh:23
Rotten:9
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: A horror comedy that's almost as chilling as it is funny, I Sell the Dead relies on its dark humor and offbeat charm to overcome its low budget shortcomings.
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: Adventure and horror merge in this morbid tale of two 18th-century graverobbers who make it their mission to hunt down the undead abominations that refuse to accept their rightful place in the... [More]
Starring: Dominic Monaghan, Larry Fessenden, Angus Scrimm, Ron Perlman
Director: Glenn McQuaid
Reviews for I Sell the Dead
The budget was clearly minuscule, but writer/director Glenn McQuaid's deft dialogue, strong characters and clever plotting attracted some impressive acting talent.
09/17/09
This one put a smile on my face in a way that few zombies movie have since they reanimated Mae West for Sextette.
09/14/09
If it's not actually a good movie, on some level you have to admire the chutzpah of a film set in 1850s Ireland but shot on Staten Island.
08/27/09
The cast and crew behind I Sell the Dead are clearly having a blast - and audiences will nave nearly as much fun with this smart horror comedy.
08/23/09
Rather than a serious attempt to resurrect the Gothic horror of the 1960s it is more just a reverential nod or even a send-up.
08/16/09
This delightful bit of gallows humor has its high points.
08/14/09
The performances are wry and believable with a fun turn by the Phantasm himself, Angus Scrimm.
08/14/09
The worst fault visually, probably intended as a charm against the spell of low-budget-itis, is relentless darkness. Pervasive shadows in most shots do not evoke atmosphere, but eye strain.
08/14/09
Top CriticAn equally suitable title might have been The Medieval Dead.
08/14/09
There's very little effort to create something honestly creepy or all that funny. I Sell the Dead too often falls short in both categories with jokes that fall flat and scares that don't register.
08/14/09
Its wit and style, however, are thoroughly modern, as is a hilarious ending that leaves the sequel door wide open. And why not?
08/10/09
The year’s most deliriously heavy title comes attached to a cheeky Victorian-era horror-comedy about grave-robbing -- and it’s not just human corpses being raided here.
08/10/09
Bits strike out in every which way but are not long, deep or effective, so 'I Sell the Dead' develops neither momentum nor personality.
08/09/09
[C]annot help but be more miss than hit...
08/08/09
For fans of the gory, and those who like vampires in any context (absolutely any context), I Sell the Dead may be a bloody delight...For everyone else, it’s just funny.
08/07/09
Droll perfs, diverting f/x and handsome B-pic atmospherics ensure a good time for horror fans with a memory past last weekend's slasher remake.
08/07/09
Top CriticGenre fans will definitely get off on I Sell the Dead, but outsiders might be less enthusiastic.
08/07/09
Low-budget, grubby and gleeful, but with a nice sense of style and apparently an endless supply of dry ice. Points deducted, though, for a too-easy alien-corpse joke.
08/07/09
Movie fans of all kinds will appreciate a film that knows the differences among 'terror,' 'terrible' and 'terribly good fun.'
08/07/09
Latest News for I Sell the Dead
August 11, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review 
More...
August 06, 2009:
Critics Consensus: It's Quiet For G.I. Joe. Too Quiet.
This week at the movies, we got real American heroes (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, starring Dennis Quaid and Sienna Miller); kitchen chronicles (Julie & Julia, starring Meryl... More...
January 27, 2009:
click for trailer and trailer review
More...
December 09, 2008:
Slamdance Announces 2009 Lineup
The schedule for the 2009 Slamdance Festival, set to run in Park City, Utah, from January 15-23, has been announced. More...
More Movies
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds