I Sell the Dead

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I Sell the Dead

2009

1h 25m

Horror

Comedy

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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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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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Ty Burr

Boston Globe

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.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 27, 2009

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Michael Ordoña

Los Angeles Times

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.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 14, 2009

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Brian Tallerico

Movie Retriever

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.

Aug 14, 2009

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

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.

Rated: 1.5/4

Sep 4, 2023

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David Harris

Spectrum Culture

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.

Rated: 1.5/5

Oct 9, 2019

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Uneven Victorian-era supernatural horror-comedy about grave-robbing.

Rated: B-

Nov 17, 2010

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Jason W

This is a real gem. Great horror comedy with a fantastic cast.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/31/24

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Audience Member

...I enjoyed that film, it's good fun: ...Burke and Hare with a twist!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

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Audience Member

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

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Audience Member

Me aburrió, no la terminé de ver.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

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Audience Member

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.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

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Audience Member

very enjoyable, with some good laughs and a fantastic cast you can warm to.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

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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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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