The Film (5/5)

    Orgy of the Dead is one of those films that can only be described as "Critic-Proof". The film has a tiny bit of setup, and zero plot. It if often described as a "nudie-cutie," as that is the closest genre classification as you can get with Orgy of the Dead, though truth be told the original nudie-cuties were legitimately filmed on nudist colonies to circumvent the laws preventing nudity in cinema at the time of release. Rather, Orgy of the Dead is sort of a horror burlesque show.

    The simple premise involves a young couple Bob and Shirley driving to an obscure cemetery in the hopes of finding inspiration for Bob's horror writing. While on the way they get into an accident, and end up in the cemetery proper, where they watch the "Emperor" (Criswell), and his Black Ghoul decide the eternal fates of a group of various woman, by their striptease/dance presentations. That is it, the entire film in a nutshell.

    I have owned the film on VHS, DVD, and now on Blu-ray, and though the film isn't much I always found it a fun Halloween season charmer. It is directed by "A.C. Stephens" (Stephen C. Apostolof), and based on a screenplay by the infamous Edward D. Wood Jr., however I cannot imagine this film having much of a screenplay. The opening narration by Criswell is a riff on Wood's, then unreleased Night of the Ghouls, and beyond that there is minimal dialogue and plot, and mostly... dancing.  Still it's a bit of fun, and definitely recommended for those willing to go with it's unique charms.

Audio/Video (5/5)

    When I was watching my fuzzed out video tape of Orgy of the Dead in the early 1990's I never imagined I would see the film look this good, but Vinegar Syndrome doing their Vinegar Syndrome thing has made Orgy of the Dead look beyond brilliant.  A.C. Stephen's Orgy of the Dead is presented with a 1:85:1 1080p AVC encoded transfer that looks wonderful, colors pop, blacks are deep, and grain is rendered naturally.

    Audio is presented with a DTS-HD MA 1.0 mix that does the job well. Dialogue is minimal but crisp and clear, and music comes through nicely.

Extras (4/5)

    Vinegar Syndrome puts a solid extras package together for Orgy of the Dead including a commentary with Ed Wood biographer Randolph Grey and Brain Damage director Frank Henenlotter. There is also a 16 minute interview with Nadejda Klein who portrayed the middle eastern dancer in the film. Beyond that we get a short interview with the late Ted V. Mikels who worked on the film, and a promotional gallery.

Overall

    Orgy of the Dead is campy to the max. It is a bizarre, fun experience, and Vinegar Syndrome has made this one shine. The Blu-ray looks and sounds fantastic, and has a nice slate of extras. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!