MovieChat Forums > I Bury the Living (1958) Discussion > gaping plot holes???

gaping plot holes???

posted 17 years ago by christiancolborn
11 replies | jump to latest

okay, so groundskeeper willie went around and killed everybody because he was SOOOO mad at getting a full pension equal to his salary, and retirement benefits, huh? wow. cuddy need to chill. so... what about the people that died in the car wreck? and what about the autopsy reports with results like "coronary thrombosis", etc... and what about all the people that died that weren't even on the board of trustees for the cemetary and therefore had nothing to do with the groundskeepers planned retirement?
and more importantly, WHAT THE HELL about the gravesite where the ground is seen being PUSHED UP from below, like a zombie is trying to dig his way out?
oh yeah, and then, after GK Willie goes out and DIGS UP SEVEN CORPSES, BY HAND, IN ONE NIGHT, JUST TO SCREW WITH george (or whatever his name was), right after killing three people in one night, then he just waltzes into the groundskeepers shack, looks at george, and is like... "aye, it was me, laddie!"

seriously... WTF?!?!?!?

hmmm... reminded me of a 90-minute long Twilight Zone episode, except for that WEEAAK ASS, tacked-on ruinous aferthought of an ending. too bad.
perfect example of how the hollywood system can ruin any movie, i guess.

(oh yeah, and why the hell did george hold the gun on his uncle when he came to see him? didn't get that one either.)

[–] CrabTongs 16 years ago

Actually there were *two* endings filmed for this movie- one with a supernatural conclusion and the "universal let-down" ending that everyone complains about that was used in the final film.

Even with the silly ending, this is still a great film though. Despite the low budget, the great music by Gerald Fried (original Star Trek) and the many innovative uses of lighting on the map (and pins) as well as the creative visual montages and effects used to link scenes are top-notch, way beyond anything Roger Corman or William Castle ever came up with.

It's worth noting that there are *tons* of public-domain boot dvds available (in widely varying quality, of course) but there was one "official" dvd released in 2001; this is the "MGM Midnite Movies" edition. It is out-of-print now but can be found used on ebay and Amazon. This is the edition to get if you're a fan of this film.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Judimex 12 years ago

It was definatly like a long Twilight Zone series.
Weak, very weak ending.

If it harms none, do what thou wilt.

[–] Kammurabi 16 years ago

Like all great films, this one raises as many questions as it answers.

You never see Andy actually dig up any of the graves. He comes in dirty but had already begun to go mad so he may only think he killed those people and then dug them up. Much is purposefully included to lead an assumption astray.

Robert Craft has a power and at the end of the film, he is going nuts. This energy is also *beep* with Andy. The fact Andy interrupted Robert's breakdown and had his own breakdown in front of him...this transference is the only reason Robert survives the film.

This is one of the very best "*beep*" with you movies you'll ever see. Outside of Jodorowsky style films of course.

.

[–] LightningLad 13 years ago

No offense to the last poster, but it's mentioned that the cops watched GKW dig up the corpses. Not coming down on you, I miss stuff in movies all the time, just that I happened to catch that.

It's weird because, if GKW was able to do all that in one night, the board was definitely premature in retiring him - just try and find a 25 year-old with that kind of energy!

[–] treeline1 12 years ago

What about the two zombie men who were shown lurching through the graveyard after GKW dug them up? Was that supposed to be Willie dressed as a zombie? Or was it just some stock footage thrown in the confuse us? (Job wel done!)

[–] artistathome 12 years ago

Just saw this and it was pretty ok I guess. I didn't fast forward thru much because it was so darn odd I kept thinking any minute now a solution to this will be shown.

i never thought Robert Kraft had any extra powers. And the couple who died...that was an true accident!! But it set up the rest of the movie!

The GRoundskeeper did not know Kraft had used the black pins instead of white for Bethie and Stu.

it was after their death that Gkeeper heard Bobby say he thought he caused it.

Then later when Gkeeper saw that Bob put the black pins randomly on W Isham he decided to mess with him and drive him crazy.

At least that is how it seemed.
But I agree how in holy heck did that old guy manage to kill all those people and make it look "natural"?

I guess we are asking too many questions. After all this is not the movie Inception.

And the only one who was lurching around the cemetary was Bobby Kraft.

[–] SSteveL 12 years ago

What about the two zombie men who were shown lurching through the graveyard after GKW dug them up?

The Oct. 28, 2012 TCM broadcast of this film (full 76-min. running time) didn't show what you describe. Only Robert Craft is seen in the cemetery (as he runs to each of the recently reopened white-pinned graves).

[–] phil-k-664-368870 10 years ago

I didn't see them either.

[–] liscarkat-2 12 years ago

"(oh yeah, and why the hell did george hold the gun on his uncle when he came to see him? didn't get that one either.)"

I agree with your whole post, Christian. As far as the confrontation with his uncle is concerned, I don't understand why his uncle was pissed off, because Robert had only done what he and the other board members had voted and insisted on him doing (putting black pins in their plots on the map). I don't get why there was so much hostility between them during their final conversation, or why Robert thought he needed the gun. Did he think his uncle was going to attack him for doing what he told him to do?

An interesting movie, but more plot holes than just about anything I've ever seen.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

i will comment on this after watching the movie.