Zombie cinema is an interesting thing. In the last few decades it seems the living dead have been everywhere on TV, in the movies, but for years after cinema began you would be lucky to see a long zombie on screens. Sure, throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s you would get an occasional White Zombie, King of the Zombie, or I Walked With a Zombie. This sort of began shifting with the 1968 release of George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, which not only made waves with the zombie film, but the overall horror community (if you’re reading this, you already know this… well probably).
In the years between when Romero made Night of the Living Dead and his sequel Dawn of the Dead, which in an odd way could be considered ground zero for where the zombie film REALLY became a trend, there was only a few films that really picked up what Night of the Living Dead put down. In America we had Bob Clark with Deathdream and Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things, while in Spain we had Amando D’Ossorio with a quartet of Blind Dead films. However, the one film that picked up and ran with the Romero gauntlet more than any other is Spanish filmmaker Jorge Grau’s British lensed shocker “The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue” aka “Let Sleeping Corpses Lie” aka “Breakfast at Manchester Morgue”.
The film stars Ray Lovelock as George an antique seller from London, who escapes the city for the weekend to take acquisition of his new country home. Unfortunately, Edna played by Christina Galbo, hits George’s motorcycle, and leaves him without transport for the weekend. He forces Edna to take him to the cottage, but before they can get there she states that she actually needs to go first to her sister and brother in law’s home, so that she can assist getting her into a rehab facility. They agree, but first take a short break in a rural field where a machine that eliminates insects is being tested. Edna gets attacked, escapes, the pair finally make it to the home of Edna’s sister, but unfortunately for them this weekend in the country has the living dead to contend with.
Living Dead at Manchester Morgue is a straight up classic of zombie cinema. I’d say it’s a tiny bit underrated, but at the same time it’s seen multiple releases per generation since the Anchor Bay DVD/VHS release under the title “Let Sleeping Corpses Lie”, and within cult horror circles seems to be well known and loved. The film is a slower, yet atmospheric affair. It is grounded, however, with some great shocking moments and fantastic lead performances by Lovelock and Arthur Kennedy as the lead investigator who could only be described as an asshole.
Synapse brings Manchester Morgue to Blu-ray with a startling 1080p transfer from a new 4k restoration that is absolutely lovely. The colors pop, flesh tones are accurate, detail is excellent, and blacks are nice inky and deep. Audio is handled by a new 5.1 mix, that really brings the sounds to life in new ways. Extras include 2 audio commentaries, a feature length documentary. We then get an interview piece with Gianetto De Rossi trailers, TV spots, and radio spots. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!