No profanar el sueno de los muertos (1974)

Country of Origin: Spain / Italy
Year of Production: 1974
Running Times: 85 mins (USA - R rated version) 93 mins (Spain; USA - unrated) 95 mins (Italy)
Format: Eastmancolor 35mm
Ratio:
Sound: Dolby Stereo Dolby Surround 5.1 (DVD)

PRODUCTION COMPANY
Production Company: Flaminia Produzioni Cinematografiche / Star Films S.A.
Executive Producer: Manuel Pérez
Producer: Edmondo Amati
Production Manager: Felice D'Alisera

SCRIPT
Script / Story: Sandro Continenza, Marcello Coscia, Miguel Rubio, Juan Cobos

DIRECTION
Director: Jorge Grau
Assistant Director: Giovanni Arduini

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Francisco Sempere
Lighting Cameramen: Francisco Sempere, Enzo Frattari

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Vincenzo Tomassi, Domingo Garcia

MUSIC
Music: Giuliano Sorgini

SOUND
Sound Editor: Nick Alexander
Sound Recording: Antonio Cardenas

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Photographic Effects: Giannetto de Rossi
Special Effects: Luciano Bird

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Carlo Leva
Art Director: Rafael Ferri

LOCATIONS
Locations: Manchester, England, UK; The Lake District, England, UK; Robledo de Chavela, Madrid, Spain; Cinecitta, Rome, Lazio, Italy; Cinearte, Madrid, Spain

CAST
Ray Lovelock (George)
Cristina Galbo (Edna)
Arthur Kennedy (McCormick)
Aldo Massasso (Kinsey)
Giorgio Trestini (Craig)
Roberto Posse (Benson)
José Ruiz Lifante (Martin)
Jeannine Mestre (Katie)
Gengher Gatti (Keith)
Fernando Hilbeck (Guthrie)
Vera Drudi (Mary)
Vincente Vega (Dr Duffield)
Paco Sanz (Perkins)
Paul Benson (Wood)
Anita Colby (nurse)
Joaquin Hinjosa (autopsy doctor)
Vito Salier (naked man)
Isabel Mestre (telephonist)

An experimental pest control device that uses ultrasound to drive insects to linng each other is being tested in the Lake District in the North of England. But the device also acts on the nervous systems of the recently dead and reanimates the inhabitants of a local cemetery. A mismatched group of characters find themselves up against an ever growing army of the undead. (Full Synopsis)

A classic zombie horror from a director who, sadly, didn't work in the genre as much as we might have hoped. Unusual locations (the Lake District never looked this scary), above-average dubbing and fabulous gore set-pieces have justifiably made this gem's reputation. It predated the global zombie craze by a good four years and remains better than most of those that followed. A classic. (Full Review)

Italy
Theatrical Distributor: Fida Cinematografica

Spain
Theatrical Distributor: Mercurio Films S.A.

UK
Video Distributor: European Creative Video
DVD Distributor: Anchor Bay UK (ABD4161)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Hallmark; Miracle Films
DVD Distributor: Anchor Bay (DV11154)

UK
Rating: X / 18 (cut by 1 min 27 sec by distributors European Creative Video; subsequently cut by 26 sec by the BBFC)

USA
Rating: R

AWARDS

1974
Sitges VII Festival Internacional de Cine Fantástico y de Terror
Best Actress (Christina Galbo) - winner
Best Visual Effects (Luciano Bird, Antonio Baladin) - winner
Critique Award (Jorge Grau) - winner

1974
November
28: Italy - theatrical release

1975
October
20: Spain - theatrical release

1985
November
15: UK - certified 18 by the BBFC (with cuts)

2002
May
27: UK - DVD release (Anchor Bay (DV11154))

To avoid fainting keep repeating, it's only a movie... only a movie... only a movie... only a movie...

They tampered with nature - now they must pay the price...

What ever's out there will wait!

Your screaming flesh will scream for death!

Fin de semana para los muertos - alternative title
Non si deve profanare il sonno dei morti - Italian title
The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue - UK title
The Living Dead - UK video title
Breakfast at the Manchester Morgue - US title
Breakfast With the Dead
Weekend per i morti
Invasion der Zombies - German title
Le massacre des morts-vivants
Das Leichenhaus der lebenden Toten
Levende doden in het lijkenhuis
Sdejen que los muertos duermen
Don't Open the Window - alternative US title
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie
Zombi 3 (Da Dove Vieni?) - Italian 1980 re-release title

SEE ALSO
The Earth Dies Screaming (1964)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)

MAGAZINES

Arteries no.3 p.60 (UK)
review

The Dark Side no.58 p.59 (UK)
review

The Dark Side no.71 p.26 (UK)
review

The Dark Side no.89 p.37 (UK)
review

Delirium no.1 p.34 (UK)
review

Delirium 3 p.50 (UK)
review, credits

Is It Uncut? 3 p.31 (UK)
review

Necronomicon 1 pp.23-25 (UK)
illustrated review

Psychotronic Video no.21 p.71 (USA)
review

Samhain no.1 p.20 (UK)
illustrated article

SFX no.92 p.101 (UK)
review

Shivers no.102 p.62 (UK)
illustrated article

The Very Best of Video Horror p.15
review

Video Watchdog no.66 pp.34, 57 (USA)
article, review

BOOKS

Aurum Encyclopedia of Film: Horror (2nd edition) pp.294-295
review, credits

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.134
credits, review

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

axe murder, zombies, hospitals, technology, ecology, lake district, ultrasound, farmers, churches, police

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009