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I Sell the Dead

Play trailer Poster for I Sell the Dead 2009 1h 25m Horror Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
71% Tomatometer 45 Reviews 47% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Arthur Blake (Dominic Monaghan) is about to be executed by guillotine for the crime of grave robbing. But before he faces the blade, he agrees to confess to Father Duffy (Ron Perlman) in the hope that the priest might be merciful enough to spare his life. Arthur tells his life story to the priest, which begins with him stealing valuables from the deceased as a youth. But as he relates his battles with zombies, ghosts and other fiendish ghouls, his tale takes a turn for the supernatural.
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I Sell the Dead

I Sell the Dead

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Critics 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.

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Critics Reviews

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Ty Burr Boston Globe 08/27/2009
2/4
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. Go to Full Review Michael Ordoña Los Angeles Times 08/14/2009
2/5
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. Go to Full Review Brian Tallerico Movie Retriever 08/14/2009
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. Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 09/04/2023
1.5/4
Meant as a horror-comedy of sorts, the extremely low-budget production should have chummy camp value written all over it, except none of it works the way it should. It’s not particularly funny or scary and doesn’t provide much of a good time. Go to Full Review David Harris Spectrum Culture 10/09/2019
1.5/5
Director Glenn McQuaid performs about as well as a blind kid trying to navigate a balance beam in his gothic tale I Sell the Dead, fumbling elements both horrific and comedic and finally landing in a disheveled mess by the time this tale plays out. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 11/17/2010
B-
Uneven Victorian-era supernatural horror-comedy about grave-robbing. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jason W @Thejasonwatts 10/30/2024 This is a real gem. Great horror comedy with a fantastic cast. See more 04/08/2021 ...I enjoyed that film, it's good fun: ...Burke and Hare with a twist! See more 09/17/2017 If you need a big budget to enjoy good writing, acting, wit, and storytelling...then that sucks, because this film is a really fun hidden genre gem See more 10/26/2016 Me aburrió, no la terminé de ver. See more 12/16/2015 A horror comedy that isn't either very scary or funny. Couldn't get into the characters, I guess it just wasn't my thing. See more 07/08/2015 very enjoyable, with some good laughs and a fantastic cast you can warm to. See more Read all reviews
I Sell the Dead

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Cast & Crew

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Glenn McQuaid

Director

Dominic Monaghan

Arthur

Larry Fessenden

Willie Grimes

Angus Scrimm

Dr. Vernon Quint

Ron Perlman

Father Duffy

Brenda Cooney

Fanny

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I Sell the Dead

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Movie Info

Synopsis Arthur Blake (Dominic Monaghan) is about to be executed by guillotine for the crime of grave robbing. But before he faces the blade, he agrees to confess to Father Duffy (Ron Perlman) in the hope that the priest might be merciful enough to spare his life. Arthur tells his life story to the priest, which begins with him stealing valuables from the deceased as a youth. But as he relates his battles with zombies, ghosts and other fiendish ghouls, his tale takes a turn for the supernatural.
Director
Glenn McQuaid
Producer
Larry Fessenden, Peter Phok
Screenwriter
Glenn McQuaid
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
Glass Eye Pix
Genre
Horror, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 7, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$7.1K
Runtime
1h 25m