User reviews

Okay so this isn't the greatest film in the world. It's not even the greatest horror film, but fans of Bill Paxton have got to check out this movie. Paxton puts his all into making every one of his characters entertaining and this film is no different. Bill really goes overboard with this character and it's a good thing because otherwise the movie would be pretty boring. My friends and I had to rewind one scene several times we were laughing so hard at Paxton antics. The film does contain a fair amount of suspense but it is "the great" Bill Paxton that makes the movie worth while.

Mortuary (aka Embalmed) is one of a number of American horror movies made around this time that feature places involved in the funeral business, Phantasm, One Dark Night and Mausoleum being a few other examples. It was made during the Golden Age of the Slasher Movie but sadly the only thing golden on offer here is Bill Paxton's enjoyable performance, he plays the son of a funeral director and he likes listening to Mozart, skipping through graveyards and has an unhealthy obsession with a girl called Christie. She is played by Mary Beth McDonough and I found her performance fairly wooden. The movie also stars Christopher George (in his final film role) and his real life wife, the very attractive Lynda Day George. Although primarily a slasher movie the plot does throw in a cult led by C George which appears to be a mix of black magic and seances, pretty pointless but fun to watch, especially the wobbly, moving table! We get the usual, cliche thunderstorms at night and the identity of the killer is so obvious though he does look very creepy, there was not a great deal of gore on show (could be that the Hokushin VHS release that I watched was possibly cut) but we do get some nudity. I liked the creepy musical score, and having some Mozart for the end credits was cool. As a slasher fan I found it to be reasonably enjoyable but it is only a rather minor entry.

The movie itself was really quirky and slow... but it's definitely worth the watch to see what a young Bill Paxton does with the material. The most nostalgic thing however about this old film (credits say 1981) is that there are a few scenes from a roller rink named Skating Plus. Just for giggles after the film I happened to google it to see if any old photos existed. Turns out the rink is still in business and is in Ventura. They have FB & IG as well. What is bizarre is that there is no mention of the rink in the credits even though a lot of footage was shot there. Really cool to see the dated lingo and outfits of the early 80s too. Definitely worth a watch.

Mortuary (1983)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

A woman and her boyfriend think that there's something strange going on at a local mortuary and she believes it might be linked to the mysterious death of her father. Before long they discover that the mortuary owner (Christopher George) and her mother (Lynda Day George) are holding seances there and might know more than they are saying.

If you walked into a horror film in 1983 then you were more than likely getting into a slasher picture. The slashers were all the craze during this period and it was rare to see a film that didn't try to push the gore factor. MORTUARY is a film that isn't the most popular thing today and it's probably because there's not too much gore and violence. Instead of that stuff this film tries to deliver suspense and drama and it's actually a lot better made than you'd expect.

What I enjoyed about this film is the fact that it really did try to build up an atmosphere and scare the viewer. The film takes it's time telling its story and the mystery aspect of it was pretty good. Even better are the scenes where the killer, dressed in black and wearing a white mask, stalks the young girl. There's a sequence where he chases her around her house and it's very well-directed and it manages to have a great jump scene. The film also benefits from not going the gore route, although there are a few bloody murders scattered throughout.

The film also benefits from some nice performances including Mary Beth McDonough and David Wysocki. They played the lead kids doing the investigating and they at least keep you entertained and hold your attention. Bill Paxton is also very good here in a supporting role as the weird nerd who works at the mortuary. I've always been a fan of Christopher George and he too is good here. This would turn out to be his final film as he suffered a fatal heart attack before this picture was released.

MORTUARY has some flaws including the pacing and I'd argue that the ending doesn't work as well as it should have. Still, on the whole I thought the film was quite entertaining and especially when compared to what most horror films were doing at the time.

I think perhaps you know your film is in trouble when you have to disguise it as something it is not. The cover on the video cassette when we rented this movie read, " Before your funeral, before that last shovel of earth is put over you...make sure you are really dead." That sounds intriguing. This makes me think I am going to watch a film about some sick b**tard who is going to attack (whoever) and then attempt to bury them alive. That sounds interesting to me, more than that, it sounds like a great premise for a horror film. But as I watched the film, I kept waiting for something, anything to happen. But it never does. And that is unfortunate because there are some great elements to the film that could lend it the credibility it needs to reach cult status. Bill Paxton has one of his first starring roles, you have the husband and wife team of Lynda and Christopher George and you have a good premise. What this film does not have is execution.

The film begins on a promising note. A man is murdered in his backyard in broad daylight. Next, two friends enter a warehouse to collect some tires that one says his former boss owes him. They begin to hear voices and decide to check them out. They end up seeing what looks to be a black magic ritual and leading this ritual is one of the kid's former boss. His name is Hank Andrews and played by Christopher George, he is ripe with suspicion from the outset. Is he the killer? He could be since he is performing the mumbo-jumbo with a bunch of ladies dressed in black cloaks.

Soon the boys separate and then one of them dies, without the other knowing. This sets up the rest of the film where everyone is trying to figure out what the hell is going on. We are introduced to Bill Paxton as the mortician's son and then there are the usual players in the hero and the heroine.

The problem with this film is that it is not scary enough for horror purists, not nearly enough gore for a film about embalmment and another major problem with the film is it tells you who the killer is about an hour into the film and then for the last half hour all you have is the hero trying to stop him. I don't mean to be cynical but even an episode of Scooby Doo doesn't reveal the villain until the final two minutes of the show. I think this ruins the film because up until that point I wasn't thrilled with the film but I wasn't bored either. But the last half hour of the film is just the killer playing Mozart and talking to his victims he is about to kill while they are in a catatonic state. I don't see how the director could possibly see this as interesting, freaky, scary or entertaining. There are just too many plots cavities to make this a real cheesy classic like some of the other horror quickies that were offered to us in the early 80's.

There are some good elements to the film, one of them being the music and the other being Bill Paxton's performance as a mortician's son who just happens to be a couple cans short of a six pack. First, the music reminded me of Friday the 13th overtures and it worked quite effectively here. The few times that there was a little tension in the film the music contributes nicely to it. I cannot say it is on par with some of the greats like Halloween, but it certainly isn't a nuisance. Secondly, Bill Paxton is just about the finest thing in this mess of a film. I know there are many people out there that happen to think that Bill Paxton is one of the most under-appreciated actors working today (I am one of them). Here he gets to ham it up for the camera. He has a few memorable scenes which some of the other reviewers have commented on. There is a scene that has him running through a cemetery with flowers in his hand that had me cracking up. Also his final few scenes where is talking to himself, you can see he is doing is absolute best to pull off what the screenwriters have doomed him to say, and he almost does it without looking like a complete idiot. Bill Paxton is a credit to the film and without him it may not even be as good as it is.

All in all Mortuary is a waste of time. Many films tried to cash in on the horror craze of the 80's and this was one of them. There is really nothing to remember about this film as it created more levity surrounding it than sheer terror. And although that is not it's only problem, it is a major one. There are some very good cheeseball horror films that have entered my V.C.R. Some of those include The Prey, The Burning, The Forest and The Beast Within just to name a few. These are the types of films that aren't going to win any Oscar's but they will grace the pages of Fangoria. And although you may find Mortuary in one of the back issues, even they would have to admit that this is an unfortunate misfire.

5.5 out of 10--It receives a passing grade because of the eerie music and Bill Paxton.

ARC, Artists Releasing Corporation, stands behind yet another film from the early '80's as a distribution company. These were the same guys responsible for releasing 1981's Incubus followed up by another Slasher in 1982 entitled Pieces (aka Mil gritos tiene la noche). This title falls in line with the familiar Slasher recipe, one of which you've seen quite often.

The story opens with two friends, Greg and Josh, that travel to the local mortuary; a point of employment before Josh was unexpectedly fired. While breaking and entering, the two men notice a strange ritual taking place in the lower levels of the establishment. The two are eventually separated long enough for Josh to be brutally murdered by the hands of a black-hooded fiend who dons white facial powder and black makeup. Greg quickly escapes and notices his van, which is parked outside, drive off; causing him to believe that Josh left without him. He manages to escape with the help of his girlfriend, Christie Parson, who is still mourning the supposed accidental death of her father. The young couple attempt to fit the pieces of the puzzle together by inspecting overlooked details. Periodically they are met by the mortuary owner's son, Paul Andrews (a 28-year-old Bill Paxton). Paul has an obvious crush on Christie but due to his awkward disposition and banal persona he is denied outright. With various clues to throw you off the beaten path you are left to decide the identity of the killer along with his modus operandi.

In my opinion, there are two different types of Slasher films. The first and most common would be the "whodunit" film where the murderer plays a role in the group that's methodically killed during the course of the story. Usually the audience is led down false channels to divert their attention of who the killer really is. The motive is usually jealousy or rejection but almost always caused by psychotic tendencies. The second type of Slasher film involves more of a rudimentary approach; a crazed, anonymous individual is on the loose, savagely butchering the "fish in the barrel" as it were, until finally a plot detail is uncovered and some connection can be drawn. Of all the Slasher films I've seen (I've seen over 25 from the 1980's alone), these formulas, sometimes even a combination of the two, are almost always represented in some way or another. Mortuary adheres to the first equation I mentioned: a group of actors are introduced, certain characters show up at convenient times, and the true villain is revealed.

One of the biggest problems with Mortuary is that it starts off well enough by building a dash of suspense and intrigue; a well done approach and clever contrivance that'll serve as a platform for merriment rather than sensory detainment. Okay...so why is this a problem? Well, it's not long before the film starts loosing momentum and the competent devices aforementioned start abandoning ship faster than the crew of a sinking vessel. This occurs instantly when Mortuary decides to take it upon itself to reveal the killer halfway through the story, ruining the shocking outcome you were hoping for.

As the sub-title of my review indicates, Mortuary attempts to seduce you with its impressive-looking box art but unfortunately the story doesn't play up to what you'd expect. In fact, you'd be doing yourself a great service if you choose not to even acknowledge the artwork and that's a sad state of affairs coming from me. Unfortunately, you're here on IMDb and undoubtedly examined it anyway, thus rendering my warning useless and all for naught. The presentation and graphical layout of a film's box art is essential to all movie-goers; the experience is not exclusive to fans of the horror genre. I believe that since this genre can be credited with visual expressiveness more than 50% of the time the accurate depiction of the film via artwork is a crucial step in forming our first impression. Shame on you Mortuary! Your adept use of artistry on the front cover holds dominion over our judgement! How dare you!

In closing, I thought it'd be decent of me to rate Mortuary fairly. Although I chose not to discuss in explicit detail the musical score, it's wonderful and a joy to listen to. It's a prime example of what a suspenseful chiller should employ to elevate or enhance the apprehensive sequences that follow. The acting just simply "gets the job done" along with an above-average lighting approach that heavily compliments a rich set construction. If the portions discussed precendently chose to pan out differently I may have loved this film - sadly, it's quite content on subsisting in the mid-ranged array of films that comprise my vault of horror.

After her father's mysterious death Christy suffers from sleepwalking and night terrors.Making things worse,no one beliefs her claims of a ghoul faced killer lurking in the shadows.When she learns her mother is in a coven of witches,Christy begins to distrust everyone in her life.It's up to Christy's boyfriend to save her from the hands of crazed embalmer played by Bill Paxton,who looks like black metal musician.Fairly decent slasher flick with several jolts of suspense and gruesome deaths.Not a lot of blood and gore,but plenty of breasts both living and cadaver to enjoy.The ending is kind of quick after all the build up,but it is also pretty surprising.Fans of early 80's slasher flicks should give this one a try.

I finally came around to see this horror, I remember seeing vividly on the video shelves, over thirty years ago. I remember one of the stills on the back of the cover, vividly, where our two hotties are making out, in all their nakedness. This film really starts off well, with you guessing what the hell is going on, on all cylinders basically, where soon you begin to add up all their dots, especially with Bill Paxton's lovestruck, psychopathic character, and again this take notice actor, makes a meal of his role. For the last thirty minutes, it's all so apparent here (where it's no surprise, Paxton is the psycho) we totally know where the rest of the films going, with just a waiting process, not good for a thriller/suspense/horror. Mortuary is a major disappointment to me, especially in the gore department. I really expected this film to much more gorier, like a few other 80's shockers. The story has beautiful Mcdonough losing her father to a nutter (guess who?) with a baseball bat. Other strange happenings occur, her boyfriend's friend, strangely disappears, as she's having bad visions, as well as a stalker/nutter (guess who?) putting the scares on her at night, in some creepy cultish garb. We see at first hand, a little, how embalming works, and the sex scenes w're ere thankful for, as well as Mcdonough's beautiful presence. At some point, when trying to add up the dots, I really found this movie stupid, like the living hand sticking out of the casket, an strange occult scene, following, involving Mcdonough's mum (the hot Lydia day George who's supposedly having an affair with Paxton's father and owner of the mortuary (the late Christoper George, where him and Lydia previously starred in the ultra sicko chainsaw flick, Pieces. I did like the movie's score, but of course the best thing about this film, can be summed up in two words: Bill Paxton, who does relievedly make the last ten minutes, worth it, in what is just a grave-ly disappointing flick. Sorry about the pun.

Maybe a performance by a young Bill Paxton is the only plus for this rubbish. One of my 'rule of thumb' is if a film has a painted box cover, you're in for trouble. Usually means the film is so bad, they can't find a decent shot to put on the cover.

Poor Chris George just sleepwalks his way through the film, obviously either ill (he died after the film was completed) or just bored and thinking of the paycheck he was getting and what to spend it on.

The young leads are two of the most nauseating teens I've ever seen on screen, "Boo, I'm Dracula!" "Oh, you're sooo crazy!" Cak!! Hand me the killer's knife, I'll stab them myself!

When you don't like the supposed heroes, it's hard to care what happens and when the plot, acting, writing, directing are all dull too...well, it's finger on the fast-forward button time. But I resisted and saw the film out to it's silly ending, senseless 'lets have a shock ending!' It's not..it's just stupid.

At least I bought the tape secondhand in a charity shop, so, at least the money went to a good cause.

A movie with a mortuary, a cult group and Bill Paxon is always worth watching. In this early work Paxon plays a geek that works as an embalmer at the local morgue, he enjoys Mozart and enjoys Christie (his childhood crush) even more. If his morbid job wasn't enough, his father owns the mortuary and in his free time does cult meetings with dances and chantings. His mother committed suicide when Paul (Bill Paxon) was still a young boy and consequently he started seeing a shrink (Christie's father). That's when he first met Christie and as time goes by he becomes more and more detached of reality, wanting to marry her at any cost. Greg Stevens, Christie's boyfriend will have something to say about that.

I found the movie good, nothing extraordinary nor original, it's not extremely graphic but it has enough blood spilling. The acting is good, so is the score. It has some genuine scary moments and a reasonable plot. The horror fans are likely to enjoy it, as i said initially, this has all the condiments for a good horror movie.

I don't think that I ever got around to watching this movie back in my younger years, even as an avid horror fan back then. I had a chance to sit down and watch it now late in 2016. I must admit that I didn't initially have any particularly high hopes for it, granted the fact that it was a 1983 slasher movie - as to what I understood from the synopsis. But having grown up with slasher movies, then I at least wanted to see what this movie was all about.

Let's just say that I didn't even make it to the ending of the movie before I had given up out of sheer boredom. "Mortuary" was painfully slow-paced and lacked anything even remotely thrilling. And it's storyline was essentially as fulfilling as trying to giftwrap emptiness.

For a slasher movie then "Mortuary" was anything but interesting or entertaining. It was, at best, a half-hearted attempt at a horror / slasher movie. Compared to movies such as "Friday the 13th" and "Nightmare on Elm Street" it was just an embarrassing movie to sit and bear witness to.

The movie was lacking a proper storyline to lure in the audience and keep you nailed to the seat, and it was this that lead me to give up and move on to watch another movie.

As for the acting, well I will say that people were doing adequate enough jobs with the limitations imposed on them in terms of a flawed storyline and lack of proper script. And it was fun, I will say that much, to see a very young Bill Paxton in a movie such as this.

"Mortuary" is not entertaining, and I can honestly say that I will not ever be returning to this movie in order to finish the last half of the movie. It just failed to entertain me on any level, and there is nothing worthwhile to be experienced here.

If you enjoy a proper slasher movie, then there are more than plenty to pick from, especially if you have a thing for 1980's movies.

Last year, I was looking for some obscure horror films, when I caught a glimpse of 'Mortuary'. The cast was good, but I decided to download it only because it had Christopher and Lynda Day George in it. I never grew up beyond the early 80s and have watched tons of those famous and forgotten gems that were released between 1980 and 1990. I usually watch them because they give me a kick and throw me back to my childhood days, when the censor boards used to be so raw and wild. As far as 'Mortuary' is concerned, it has very little gore and few intense murders, but it's nothing compared to Lucio Fulci's classics like 'The Beyond', 'Zombie 2,' 'The New York Ripper' and 'A Lizard in Woman's Skin'.

'Mortuary' begins with a huge mansion with a swimming pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Yes guys! It's the Gulls Way Estate located in Malibu, California. The scene is picturesque, but what actually makes this scene outlandish is the marvelous synthesizer tune by John Cacavas. I really want to credit him for bringing a special flavor to 'Mortuary' as without his music, 'Mortuary' couldn't have become a mini-cult classic. Back to the story, so it begins with a young lass Christie Parsons (Mary Beth McDonough), who has just been back from somewhere around and probably witnesses her father Dr. Parsons (Danny Rogers) being smashed by a baseball bat by an unknown assailant. Dr. Parsons falls into the pool and drowns. A month later, everybody believes that Dr. Parsons, a renowned psychiatrist, fell prey to an accident but Christie still believes that it was a cold- blooded murder. Tensed and depressed, she develops a strange habit of sleepwalking. Christie's mother Eve (Lynda Day) also thinks that her husband died a natural death and often tells Christie not to over imagine. She thinks that Christie is a victim of trauma and whatever she says is just her imagination.

A few days later, Christie feels that someone is stalking her. She is not very sure about who he is, but believes that he must be the person who killed her father. Christie often opens her heart before her handsome boyfriend Greg Stevens (David Wallace) and thoroughly believes on him. One day Greg and his friend Josh (Dennis Mandel) happen to sneak inside Hank Andrew's (Christopher George) warehouse. Mr. Andrews is a respectable citizen and a popular man in the community. Trolling around, the friends discover that Mr. Andrews is conducting a séance with few women. Greg finds that one of the women is Eve, Christie's step mother. Josh tells Greg that he has come to Mr. Andrews's warehouse to snuck a pair of tires because he was previously an employee at Mr. Andrews's mortuary but got kicked out for his 'peeping' habits. Josh believes that Mr. Andrews owes him some money and stealing tires would even their accounts out. Leaving Greg behind, Josh goes to the adjacent room to collect tires. Suddenly, the door behind him closes separating him from Greg. A hooded figure with a huge embalming trocar springs out of nowhere and stabs Josh to death. The door opens and Greg finds that Josh is nowhere around. He also gets a glimpse of his van rushing out of the Mortuary premises and thinks that Josh left without him. With the help of Christie, Greg manages to get out and then discusses the incident with her.

Paul (Bill Paxton) is Mr. Andrews' son. He holds a silent but overwhelming obsession about Christie. He is not so bold to say this on her very face and is always uncomfortable to see Greg around her. Christie sympathizes with him because as a child Paul's family was a dysfunctional one and he was often punished by his parents. On silly mistakes his parents would lock him up with the dead bodies the horror of which gradually made Paul a psycho. Since nobody likes Paul due to his daft attitude, he usually finds solace in Christie who likes him the way he is. After Paul's mother (whom he loved dearly) committed suicide, Paul lost his mind and Dr. Parsons had suggested Mr. Andrews to put him in a mental asylum. Mr. Andrews, however, rejected his offer by telling him and the other community members that he alone can take care of Paul. Now a hooded figure with a white mask and a huge trocar is stalking Christie everywhere. Greg and Christie team up together to unfold the mystery behind those dramatic and illusionary episodes of stalking, which Eve strongly believes are the part and parcel of Christie's sleepwalking sessions. Their investigation leads them to Mr. Andrews' Mortuary where they may get all the answers they ever wanted.

I fell in love with 'Mortuary' at once and it has now become a guilty pleasure of mine. I can't put my finger specifically on what I like most about this flick, but I guess it has been filmed in brilliant locations and the Gulls Way Estate is surely something I wouldn't like to visit in the dark! Moreover, the roller disco scene and the absolutely soothing track 'Be My Lover' that plays alongside gives it a nice nostalgic touch. Actors have acted well but David Wallace needed more space here to show his talents. The storyline doesn't have much scope for David's character and leaves many questions unanswered. Howard Avedis begins it nicely and also introduces some sub plots (séance and the witchcraft scenes) that ultimately wash out somewhere and are never harnessed. Bill Paxton is great as usual and the way he maintains his plain face is worth a look. Overall, 'Mortuary' is a good return on investment and one of the decent ways to get drowned in nostalgia of those years we call early 80s. Wonderful!!

Mortuary came out right at the end of the first big wave of slasher films, but it seems as if its influences are a bit more old fashioned than, say, Halloween or Friday the 13th. For starters, Mortuary actually has a pretty solid and interesting plot. The kids involved aren't the usual oversexed buffoons (although, there is one sex scene with a hilariously obvious body double) and the adults (featuring Christopher and Lynda Day George of Pieces infamy) even get something to do for once. There's slicing and dicing (the killer's weapon of choice is an embalming needle), but it's not too extreme on the gore and it all feels like a better than average TV movie from that time period.

Mortuary is well made, well acted, and even a little creepy in parts (when the killer's face first appears, it's genuinely jarring). Definitely worth seeking out.

Don't be fooled by the film's misleading poster, which makes this look like a zombie B-movie. 'Mortuary' is a surprisingly good murder mystery horror thriller with a good script and good performances.

The characters are well set-up, all linked by means of their profession, which I found rather interesting. Christie's dad - a wealthy psychiatrist - is murdered at their luxury home, yet her mother insists it was an accident. Christie still has nightmares about her dad's death and even started sleepwalking, and is determined to find out the truth.

This is how the characters are cleverly linked: Christie's boyfriend is Greg. Greg's parents own a flower shop. Their best client is Hank Andrews, owner of the mortuary. Hank's son is Paul, who "got weird" after his mother's suicide, and as a result consulted with Christie's dad, who wanted to send him for psychiatric help. Paul secretly has a crush on Christie. Greg's best friend is Josh, who used to work for Hank. When Josh got fired - with Hank still owing him money - he decided to break into the mortuary's warehouse and steal tires as compensation for the money he is owed, and takes Greg along. Josh and Greg stumble upon Hank and six women having a séance. Then things start going very wrong from there.

Clearly, a lot of thought went into creating the characters and setting up their individual scenarios. I really enjoyed Greg and Christie as a couple. Their relationship came across as very natural, with good chemistry between the actors as well. 'Mortuary' has an interesting script and plummets the viewer in a chilling and creepy cat and mouse game. The film kept me glued to the screen. There are some gory moments, but for most part this is a murder mystery thriller - and a very exciting one at that. I was pleasantly surprised!

For the first two thirds Mortuary is a rather dull run of the mill slasher. Once the characters and the setting are established very little happens. There are very few kills, the bread and butter of low-brow slasher movies, and little is done in terms of generating suspense or atmosphere. Most of what happens seems like random filler material and obvious red herrings. The stuff with the wacky cult headed by Christopher George goes absolutely nowhere and the whole sleepwalking angle seems random and pointless. It is pretty obvious who the killer is going to be. It seems so obvious that it should be a misdirection, like the stuff with the séances, but there are really other suspects. The scene with the disco music and the lights going on and off was probably intended as being creepy but will probably only induce laughter, especially when that first burst of disco music comes out of nowhere. The characters are the usual paper thin ciphers played by forgettable actors with a couple of exceptions. Linda George is woefully bad in her role as the main girl's mother, although if you want to the crème de la crème of bad acting see her performances in Pieces, another trashy slasher from around the same era. She does deliver some of the movies worst and clunkiest dialogue. The line about mixing dreams with reality is pretty terrible in terms of scripting and delivery. The other memorable screen presence is Bill Paxton as the unhinged son of the mortuary manager. His performance is hammy and fun to watch, particularly given the zombies he is surrounded by. Things do pick up in the last third or so of the movie when the killer is revealed and things actually start happening. The killer, his motivation, actions and methodology seem genuinely twisted and kooky and the climactic scenes are actually kind of cool. The use of embalming equipment as the killer's tools works quite well. I can't really recommend Mortuary but if you do watch it you might as well stay till the end.