Dead Men Don't Die (1990)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Admirable film.

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Elliott Gould scraping rock bottom. TV news-anchor sees something suspicious going down in the parking garage and, having been encouraged to start livening up his news report, follows the men upstairs, where he encounters a drug-smuggling ring. Slapstick comedy with voodoo and TV news satire, both gratingly broad. Very sloppily made, with poor writing and directing (both by Malcolm Marmorstein), a gloppy production and hammy supporting performances. Gould's deadpan charm has been heightened to ill effect (he comes off like a schnook), while Melissa Anderson as his co-host looks attractive but is never given the chance to create a character. Amateur night in Zombie Land. NO STARS from ****

I am amused at other reviewers taking this film seriously and completely ignoring the fact that this is classic trash/black humor film. It is so trashy that it is funny as hell (Especially the Pacadena scene). The famous protagonist artist also makes wonderful job, and it is amazing that he was out-of-the-box enough to be engaged in this extraordinary (I mean, yes, literally) film. If you want/expect to see a horror movie, then do not watch it. If you want to see romantic comedy, then do not watch it. If you want to see philosophical, intellectual comedy, then do not watch it. This film is only trash black humor (though it has some elements of social satire. Not more, but not less.

I never post reviews on the IMDb.But for reasons best known to my subconscious, the memory of this film slipped into my head on the bus this morning. Wandering online, I was amazed to find this had mustered above 3 stars.Woeful in every manner, devoid of comedy or redemption and leaving a slightly nihilistic sick taste in the mouth, even as an undemanding teen I remember my childhood abhorrence for this film. And since it was on Sky Movies weekly for a month back in the 90s I had enough opportunities to hate it.I think a comment from my father best sums up this mess.'Dear God, what is wrong with Elliot Gould? Things can't be that bad?'Ugh.

During the first minutes you think that this movie is terrible, and Gould must have gotten himself into something really bad- but from the moment on he becomes a zombie it's certainly one of the funniest flicks in history, IMHO. I would give him a 7 to 8 out of 10, but it's impossible to rate such a film with anything else than "awful" or "excellent". You will hate it, if you expect blood and gore. You will hate it, if you expect realism or a reasonable storyline. You will hate it, if you hate Voodoo/hoodoo-clichés or Eliott Gould stumbling around and uttering silly sounds. But if you don't hate it, you'll love it. Just as I do.