Mortuary (2005 film)

Last updated
Mortuary
Mortuaryposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Tobe Hooper
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJaron Presant
Edited byAndrew Cohen
Music by Joseph Conlan
Production
company
Distributed by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
Release date
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$894,722 [1]

Mortuary is a 2005 American zombie horror film directed by Tobe Hooper. It stars Dan Byrd, Alexandra Adi and Denise Crosby. Mortuary was Tobe Hooper's last US-produced film before his death in 2017 (his final directorial credit being the 2013 Emirati horror film Djinn , produced by Image Nation).

Contents

Plot

After the loss of their father, the Doyle family – Leslie, Jonathan, and Jamie – move to the Fowler Mortuary in hope of starting a new life but find it in poor condition. Jonathan goes to the local diner where he meets Cal and his two girlfriends, Tina and Sara. Jonathan also meets Liz, a local girl; Grady, Liz's best friend; and Rita, Liz's aunt, who employed her to work at the diner. Jonathan learns from them about the legend of Bobby Fowler, an abused and deformed boy who lived in the mortuary. Jonathan, Liz, and Grady become friends quickly. That night, Cal, Sara and Tina go to the graveyard outside the mortuary and vandalize it; they then go into one of the crypts, where they are attacked by Bobby Fowler.

The next day, Jonathan, Liz and Grady go back to Jonathan's house, where Grady gives them drugs. Shortly afterwards, Sheriff Howell shows up to welcome Leslie to the town. He informs her about his attempt to stop "graveyard babies". He also is looking for Cal, Sara, and Tina. Sheriff Howell investigates the crypts, where Bobby Fowler infects him. The next day at the diner, Jonathan and Liz are working, when Cal and Sara arrive messy. Cal has a rage attack and Sara begins vomiting black ooze. Rita comes in to calm her down but is infected in the process. At the mortuary, Leslie performs her first embalming. While doing so, she makes a mess of the embalming fluids. While going to clean it up, one of the bodies gets up and infects Leslie. Jonathan, Jamie, Liz, and Grady return to Jonathan's house for dinner, where Leslie, now infected with the mysterious ooze, has prepared a sort of ooze soup. The four notice a black fungus growing on the wall. Liz pours salt in her soup which makes it bubble and sends Leslie into a rage in which she attacks Jonathan and Jamie. Liz and Grady quickly escape.

Shortly afterwards, Jonathan fights off his mother and saves Jamie. The four escape outside but are forced to retreat into a crypt, because they are chased there by an infected man. The four make the shocking discovery that Bobby lives in the crypt and dug tunnels under the cemetery. They find Tina, who is still alive, but are attacked by the mother. They find a ladder which leads back into the house, where they barricade themselves. They question Tina and eventually cut her hand to see if her blood has turned into the black ooze, a sign of the infection. Sheriff Howell assaults the house with a shotgun. Tina goes into the kitchen to clean the wound but is infected by contaminated water. Grady accidentally pours salt on her, burning her. The group now knows the weakness of the infected, but their victory is short-lived after they find that Jamie, who Jonathan had left in her room to keep her safe, has been captured.

Shortly after entering the tunnels, they see and hear things; a hand suddenly punches through Grady's chest, giving him enough time to say quietly, "run", before dying. They soon find the source, a well filled with black ooze. Shortly thereafter, Jamie is found, but captured by Bobby Fowler and taken back to the lair, where they confront him by throwing salt in the well. Cal is killed by getting his head blown off by the Sheriff, and the other infected are burned with salt; Bobby is sucked in and the three escape the house. The three are relieved to escape but still grieve the deaths of Leslie and Grady. As they are about to leave the house, Jonathan is pulled underground, the reanimated Leslie rushes and grabs Jamie, and Liz's fate is left unknown.

Cast

Production

Filming began in January 2005 in Pomona, California. [2]

Release

Mortuary premiered at the New York City Horror Film Festival on October 21, 2005. [3] It received a limited theatrical release in January 2006. [4] It was released on Blu-ray July 29, 2008. [5]

Critical reception

Bloody Disgusting rated it 2/5 stars and said that "it's for die-hard Hooper fans only." [6] Steve Barton of Dread Central rated it 3/5 stars and called the film "dumb fun" that has an uneven tone. Barton concludes, "In the end, despite its identity crisis and other short comings, there's a lot to like about Mortuary." [7] JoBlo.com gave the film 1/10 claiming "This had to be the worst genre film that I've seen in the last 5 years." [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chop Top</span> Fictional character

Robert Sawyer, better known as "Chop-Top" is a fictional character from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise; created by Tobe Hooper and L. M. Kit Carson, Chop-Top makes his first appearance in the film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) as one of the film's villains and the main source of its black humor.

<i>From a Buick 8</i> 2002 novel by Stephen King

From a Buick 8 is a horror novel by American writer Stephen King. Published on September 24, 2002, this is the second novel by King to feature a supernatural car. According to the book's cover sleeve's inside front flap: "From a Buick 8 is a novel about our fascination with deadly things, about our insistence on answers when there are none, about terror and courage in the face of the unknowable." The title comes from Bob Dylan's song "From a Buick 6".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marilyn Burns</span> American actress (1949–2014)

Marilyn Burns was an American actress. Burns was known for playing Sally Hardesty in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), which established her as a scream queen and a catalyst of the final girl trope. She reprised the role with a cameo in The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1995), and played Verna Sawyer in Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013), the latter being her last appearance in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. In 2009, she was inducted into the Horror Hall of Fame at the Phoenix Film Festival.

<i>Lifeforce</i> (film) 1985 British science fiction horror film by Tobe Hooper

Lifeforce is a 1985 British science fiction horror film directed by Tobe Hooper, adapted by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby, and starring Steve Railsback, Peter Firth, Frank Finlay, Mathilda May, and Patrick Stewart. Based on Colin Wilson's 1976 novel The Space Vampires, the film portrays the events that unfold after a trio of humanoids in a state of suspended animation are brought to Earth after being discovered in the hold of an alien space ship by the crew of a European Space Shuttle.

<i>The Hills Have Eyes</i> (1977 film) 1977 American horror film directed by Wes Craven

The Hills Have Eyes is a 1977 American horror film written, directed, and edited by Wes Craven and starring Susan Lanier, Michael Berryman and Dee Wallace. The film follows the Carters, a suburban family targeted by a family of cannibal savages after becoming stranded in the Nevada desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Moseley</span> American actor (born 1951)

William Moseley is an American actor, primarily known for his performances in horror films. His best-known roles include Chop Top in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986), Otis B. Driftwood in Rob Zombie's Firefly trilogy, Luigi Largo in Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008), and The Magician in Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival (2015). He had a recurring role as camp cook Possum on the HBO TV series Carnivàle (2003–05). He has also released records with guitarist Buckethead in the band Cornbugs, as well as featuring on the guitarist's solo work.

<i>Burial Ground</i> (film) 1981 film

Burial Ground is an Italian grindhouse zombie movie directed by Andrea Bianchi. It is one of several films released under the alternative title of Zombie 3.

<i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i> (franchise) American horror franchise

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an American horror franchise created by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper. It consists of nine films, comics, a novel, and two video game adaptations. The franchise focuses on the cannibalistic spree killer Leatherface and his family, who terrorize unsuspecting visitors to their territories in the desolate Texas countryside, typically killing and subsequently cooking them.

<i>Bloody Murder</i> 2000 American film

Bloody Murder is a 2000 American slasher film directed by Ralph E. Portillo and written by John R. Stevenson. It stars Jessica Morris, Crystalle Ford, Peter Guillemette, and Patrick Cavanaugh. The plot follows a group of counselors working at a summer camp, where a masked assailant begins a murder spree. The film was released direct-to-video.

<i>Rec</i> (film) 2007 film by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza

Rec is a 2007 Spanish found footage horror film co-written and directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza. The film stars Manuela Velasco as a reporter who, with her cameraman, accompany a group of firefighters on an emergency call to an apartment building to discover an infection spreading inside, with the building being sealed up and all occupants ordered to follow a strict quarantine.

<i>My Bloody Valentine 3D</i> 2009 American film by Patrick Lussier

My Bloody Valentine 3D is a 2009 American slasher film directed and co-edited by Patrick Lussier, and written by Todd Farmer and Zane Smith. Serving as a remake of the 1981 Canadian film of the same name, it stars Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith, and Kevin Tighe. The film focuses on the residents of a small town that is plagued by a serial killer in mining gear on Valentine's Day, who is believed to be the same murderer who was thought to have died a decade prior.

Peter Katz is an American film producer. His work includes Pop Skull, Home Sick and Mortuary.

<i>Itsy Bitsy</i> 2019 film by Micah Gallo

Itsy Bitsy is a 2019 American horror film directed by Micah Gallo, starring Bruce Davison, Elizabeth Roberts, Arman Darbo, and Chloe Perrin, and featuring Denise Crosby, Eileen Dietz, and Matty Cardarople. It centers on a family, who moves into an old, secluded mansion where they are stalked by an ancient entity that takes the form of a giant spider. The film itself was inspired by the poem The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and was released in the United States on August 30, 2019, by Shout! Studios, and it has received mixed reviews from critics.

<i>Texas Chainsaw 3D</i> 2012 American film by John Luessenhop

Texas Chainsaw 3D is a 2013 American slasher film directed by John Luessenhop, with a screenplay by Adam Marcus, Debra Sullivan and Kirsten Elms.

<i>WolfCop</i> 2014 Canadian film

WolfCop is a 2014 Canadian superhero film written and directed by Lowell Dean, and starring Jesse Moss, Amy Matysio, Jonathan Cherry, Sarah Lind, Aidan Devine, Corrine Conley and Leo Fafard. The film's plot concerns an alcoholic small town cop who transforms into a werewolf after being cursed; he still possesses his human intelligence in wolf form and continues his work as a police officer even in wolf form.

<i>Axeman</i> (film) 2013 American film

Axeman is a 2013 American slasher film written and directed by Joston Theney. It had a limited theatrical release on February 14, 2013, and was released to DVD on May 6, 2014. The film follows an axe-wielding killer who terrorizes a group of friends at a secluded cabin.

Brooklyn Horror Film Festival is an annual film festival in Brooklyn, New York. It was founded in 2016.

<i>Another WolfCop</i> 2017 Canadian film

Another WolfCop is a 2017 Canadian superhero horror comedy film written and directed by Lowell Dean and is the sequel to the 2014 film WolfCop. It was released in theatres December 1, 2017. The poster was modeled on the 1986 Sylvester Stallone film Cobra.

<i>Butcher Boys</i> 2012 American film

Butcher Boys is a 2012 American horror cannibal film written and produced by Kim Henkel, who co-created 1974's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre with Tobe Hooper. The film was directed by Duane Graves and Justin Meeks. It was originally titled Boneboys.

<i>The Mean One</i> 2022 film by Steven LaMorte

The Mean One is a 2022 American Christmas horror film directed by Steven LaMorte from a screenplay written by Flip and Finn Kobler. It is a horror retelling of Dr. Seuss' 1957 children's book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and stars Krystle Martin, Chase Mullins, John Bigham, Erik Baker, Flip Kobler, and Amy Schumacher, with David Howard Thornton as the eponymous character. It follows a young woman as she attempts to defend her childhood town from a green-skinned creature who goes on a murderous rampage during the holiday season.

References

  1. ↑ "Mortuary".
  2. ↑ "Tobe Hooper's 'Mortuary' Begins Filming". Bloody Disgusting . 2005-01-04. Archived from the original on 2014-01-02. Retrieved 2014-01-02.
  3. ↑ "NYC Horror Film Fest Premieres 'Mortuary' and more!". Bloody Disgusting . 2005-09-28. Retrieved 2014-01-02.
  4. ↑ "First Look at the Teaser Poster for 'Mortuary'". Bloody Disgusting . 2006-01-03. Retrieved 2014-01-02.
  5. ↑ "Tobe Hooper's 'Mortuary' Gets Blu-ray Release". Bloody Disgusting . 2008-05-10. Retrieved 2014-01-02.
  6. ↑ "Mortuary (V)". Bloody Disgusting . 2 November 2006. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  7. ↑ Barton, Steve (2006-03-13). "Mortuary (DVD) Review". Dread Central . Retrieved 2014-01-02.
  8. ↑ Mortuary (2006), JoBlo.com, 8 March 2021
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.