User Reviews

In my opinion, good film operates on the level of dream, and is not constrained by mundane logic and consistency. By this standard, a good horror/thriller should function as a nightmare, in which each inconceivable fear finds inevitable expression, and the protagonist finds him or herself helplessly drawn to the next shock, without any hope for escape until the climax and resolution (awakening). By taking this kind of narrative technique, adding a bizarre and haunting score, repeating certain eerily iconic images and superimposing a decidedly downbeat and pragmatic dialogue, Albert Band created a uniquely dreamlike horror picture that broke through the cliched 50's take on the genre.

Working with a cast of almost unknown character-actors, and the makeup of Jack Pearce, Band's vision finds expression through action focused almost entirely in one room, a room dominated by a map of a graveyard. The map itself is defined by a kind of Magical Sigil, a map of some unexplored part of the human brain, a symbol more deeply meaningful than any modern writing, and far more inscrutable in meaning. It isn't long before Kraft, the oddly un-heroic (and unattractive) protagonist learns that this map contains the power to kill, and he is drawn back, time and again, to use its power in spite of himself. As if to emphasize the powerlessness implicit in the nightmare, it is usually at the bidding of others, not his own volition, that he uses the dread power.

Band cues us many times to the nature of the dream. Kraft complains of deja-vu, as if the dream is a repetitive nightmare. The room he works in is constantly cold at night: for some reason the heater does not function after dark. A homicide cop advocates the existence of paranormal powers that can cause death. A reporter calls Kraft from inside his own (Kraft's) home without a word of explanation. Each time Kraft suggests a thing, that thing invariably happens – just as is often the case in the best and worst of dreams.

The end of the film simply makes no sense, breaks all the rules established by the narrative, falls apart into a tangled mess. This seems acceptable, however, because our dreamer is waking up, struggling to find resolution so that he may repress the dream to go on with the business of the day. The feeling lingers, however, that as night falls and the heater once again fails, Kraft will find himself, again, in that half-remembered room with the looming image of his own mind bringing fear and powerlessness.

'I Bury The Living' is a good example of a 50s low budget genre movie that despite a few creaks still holds up all these years later. Richard Boone ('Hombre'), best known as a star of Westerns, is solid as a businessman who is obligated to serve on the committee of a local cemetery, and inadvertently discovers that by using the map of the graves available he has the power of life and death. Boone is supported by Theodore Bikel ('The Defiant Ones', Zappa's '200 Motels') is an eccentric turn as an ageing Scots grounds keeper, and several half remembered TV character actors. The movie's director Albert Band ('Zoltan, Hound Of Dracula') is the father of 80s trash king Charles Band ('Trancers', 'Re-Animator', 'TerrorVision'). I surprised myself with just how much I enjoyed this modest thriller. Especially recommended to fans of early Roger Corman or (the original) 'The Twilight Zone' or 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' TV series.

... that protagonist being Richard Boone of "Have Gun Will Travel" fame as the member of a prominent small-town family. Years ago, before WalMart and Best Buy, each town would have a department store, usually owned by local people. Such a department store is the source of the Kraft family wealth, and since the source of their wealth is local, it matters to the Krafts how they are perceived in the community. Thus a town committee of seven local wealthy people, including members of the Kraft family, take turns doing public service. One of these public services is managing the local cemetery. Thus it becomes Bob Kraft's (Richard Boone's) turn to do this task. The job isn't difficult and only requires a few hours a month. It is explained to Bob by the grounds keeper that a map of the cemetery on the wall basically does your work for you. A white pin is inserted on grave sites yet to be occupied. Black pins are inserted on grave sites that are already occupied.

So Bob reluctantly takes up this task when along comes his first two customers - a member of the committee and his new wife. It was a stipulation in the young man's father's will that he buy graves for himself and his wife as soon as he married before he could collect his full inheritance. In his haste or sloth, whatever it may have been, Bob Kraft puts black pins in where white pins should have been, and in twenty four hours the young couple is dead from a horrific traffic accident. Bob is a bit unnerved by this, feeling that he somehow mystically "marked the couple for death", but as the pin misplacements continue and the bodies pile up so does Bob Kraft's panic. He even calls the local police and asks them to investigate these deaths as homicides. The police don't exactly call him a crackpot because of his prominence, but they can't ignore the up-tick in the death rate either.

So the question becomes, since these are obviously natural deaths and it couldn't be some Mr. Hyde version of Bob running around and killing people and not remembering it, is he killing these people, some of them total strangers, with the power of his mind in some unconscious matter? Is this a case of "monsters from the ID"? With only a few cheesy special effects and very little action this movie manages to convey man's fear of that which he cannot control - his own subconscious and death itself.

The dialogue is rather spartan but well presented with one exception. Bob is engaged, and every conversation he has with his fiancée might as well be in another language as none of their dialogue makes any sense - it sounds like something Ed Wood would have written. The minute either talks to someone else the conversation becomes comprehensible again. The reason for this I have no idea. If you like the old 50's low budget horror films, I think you'll like this one.

First, let me state that I'm an unabashed fan of The Twilight Zone, so when I say that I Bury the Living is, indeed, much like a TZ episode, that's a compliment!

Boone's performance is excellent as the cemetery man who seems to have the ability...or the curse...to cause people to die by sticking pins into a map of the cemetery.

The movie has its flaws, including a tendency for anyone in the film who doubts Boone's ability (including Boone himself) to stick a pin in the map to find out if anyone dies, which is a bit like pointing a gun at someone and pulling the trigger to see if the gun's loaded. And the ending seems grafted on and at odds with the rest of the film.

The rest of the film, though, is pretty good and is imaginatively filmed, becoming positively Expressionist as Boone's "madness" sets in. All in all, I gave it a "7" for the things it does well. Definitely worth taking a look at...if you like The Twilight Zone.

Rugged TV star Richard Boone ('Have Gun, Will Travel') headlines this modest little chiller whose horrors are largely of the psychological variety. As written by Louis Garfinkle, and directed by Albert Band, it shows how the events of the story take their toll on the main character, and how he deteriorates physically and mentally. Band and company create some good visual tricks and nice scene transitions as they establish a suitably creepy atmosphere.

Boone plays Bob Kraft, a department store executive who as a tradition in his company assumes the duty of cemetery director for a year. He finds that he seems to have a power over life and death when it comes to the grave owners. On a map of the cemetery, white or black push pins mark graves either occupied (black) or designated for future use (white). When he puts the black push pins in, the owners of those graves mysteriously perish, and he comes to feel great guilt over this horrible ability he seems to have acquired.

Granted, this film could have had even more punch had the filmmakers gone with the ending as scripted, which would have been more eerie and more in tone with the rest of the film. In the finished film, they make the unfortunate move of giving everything a "rational" explanation.

The film is at its best when Boone is left alone to ponder the macabre situation in which he now finds himself; there is a strong point made in the script about the unknown powers of the mind. Boone is excellent in the lead, and receives sturdy support from a cast also including folk singer Theodore Bikel as amiable cemetery grounds keeper Andy McKee, Peggy Maurer as Bobs' girlfriend Ann Craig, Howard Smith as Bobs' concerned uncle George, Herbert Anderson as jovial reporter "Jess" Jessup, and Robert Osterloh as hard nosed police detective Lt. Clayborne.

Clocking in at a trim 78 minutes, "I Bury the Living" just gets better as it goes along, with a superb climactic sequence of the weary Bob starting to succumb to guilt and terror, and discovering some nasty surprises in the cemetery. As has been said, this comes best recommended to people who like "horror films for the thinking person". It's both interesting and entertaining throughout.

Seven out of 10.

Any fan of the classic Twilight Zone will adore this forgotten and underrated horror gem. Richard Boone is the reluctant caretaker of a town's cemetery when he accidentally discovers that folks die when he marks them as deceased on the cemetery's map. Everyone tells him that it's merely coincidence and he continues to prove them wrong, being driven mad from the guilt.

A wonderful musical score along with some amazing camera work do most of the job of creating the eerie and haunting mood of a man losing his mind as he literally marks those around him for death. The script is above par and the acting is all surprisingly good for any movie, much less a 50's horror flick. It is because of the sadly disappointing ending (which in effect turns the whole movie into a mess) that this film is not regarded more highly and instead is relegated to the back shelves of video stores as a lost almost-masterpiece and not simply a masterpiece. But the ending by no means ruins the film.

Fans of 50's and 60's horror will enjoy this more than they expect, although be wary of the implications of the cover art - this movie is 100% zombie-free (which is too bad, because there was a wonderful opportunity to end the movie with zombies instead of the ending that's there). And as an odd final note, the screenwriter went on to write The Deer Hunter. I can't say that tells you much about this film, except to say that you can expect someone to hold a gun to their own head at some point.

Check it out! It's cheaper to buy a used copy off Amazon than it is to rent.

Awesome intriguing picture in which filmmaker Albert Band takes a cemetery and a few fine actors conjuring up some thrilling , terrifying and nail-biting scenes . At the beginning a text is shown : Science has learned that man possesses powers which go beyond the boundaries of the natural . This is the story of one confronted by such bizarre forces within himself , as Robert Kraft (Richard Boone) and the caretaker , Andy McKee (Theodore Bikel) walk to the Immortal Hills Cemetery office building and then happens a lot of disturbing occurrences . As cemetery manager Robert Kraft starts unraveling cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about the cemetery when he sticks pins in his map of a graveyard and then people mysteriously start to die . As director of a cemetery starts beleving that he can cause the deaths of living owners of burial plots by merely changing the push-pin color from white to black on a large wall map of the graveyard that notes those plots . Shocks that challenge the imagination !!!. Thee most spine-chilling cry that ever froze the blood !... Out of a time-rotted tomb crawls an unspeakable horror! A creature to freeze your blood! A story to chill your soul!

A tense , intriguing , mysterious and well performed terror thriller . As a newly-elected cemetery director's haunted by some unfortunate tragedies through a series of macabre coincidences , including intrigue , turns , a lot of twisted incidents , at the same time charged with tension , unflinching depictions with plenty of suspense in which the viewer could really enjoy . A great successful film with abundant shocks and deliciously twisted happenings , being compellingly directed with well staged set pieces and plenty of startling visual content and imagination enough . Above average horror movie in which the frightening , strange happenings developing themselves little by little , at the beginning alarming hints of an eerie and well-planned events begin to emerge , enfolding our starring in a shroud of suspicion and mental agony until a surprising conclusion . The film has engaging and interesting scenes as title and credits run over a section of granite headstone and as the map on the wall becomes slightly larger in each progressive scene , symbolizing it slowly controlling him . The story is well paced , suffering from some disturbing incidents of varying quality. There are some really creepy scenes with extreme terror , ghastly surprises and outstanding the pleasantly visual look as well . Interpretations are uniformly good . Richard Boone is terrific as the manager who discovers that by arbitrarily changing the status of plots from empty to occupied on the weird planogram causes the death of the plots' owners . Bury the Living (1958) is even referenced by Stephen King in the foreword to a short and early story written by himself .

The motion picture was well directed by a veteran filmmaker , Albert Band , who was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors who started his career in the early 50s and continuing the legacy , his son , the equally prolific producer/director Charles Band. Albert Band began financing a number of motion pictures through the seventies and eighties and helped his son , Charles , and both of whom bring together his own production company, 'Empire Pictures', in the early eighties . Upon the collapse of Empire Pictures in the early nineties, Band continued to work with his son and help bring a number of low-budget and medium budget films to the Hollywood screen and direct to video releases . Band directed some Westerns such as : ¨She came to the Valley¨, ¨Massacre at Grand Canyon¨, ¨The Young Guns¨ and ¨The Tramplers ¨ at his best . Furthermore , he made terror and Sci-fi , such as : Aliens Gone Wild , Prehisteria , Prehisteria 2 , Robot War , Doctor Mordrid , Ghoulies II , Satán's Dog and all kind of genres . Rating : 7/10 , good . The flick will appeal to Richard Boone fans . Worthwhile watching.

Richard Boone plays Robert Kraft, the newly elected director of a cemetery who finds himself involved in a morbid mystery when people who have plots in the cemetery begin mysteriously dying, especially when Robert realizes that he mistakenly put a black pin(for dead) in place of a white pin(for living) on a big map representing all the burial plots in the cemetery, for people who subsequently died. This doesn't seem to be a coincidence, since every time he does it, someone else dies... Can Robert stop this jinx, or is something else going on here? Theodore Bikel costars as the retiring caretaker Andy McKee. Despite a good score and direction, this film is ruined by the revelation at the end, which is simply not credible, as if it was thought of at the last minute. Too bad, because this could have been good.

A man (Richard Boone) has to take over as chairman of the Immortal Hills cemetery. Shortly after the man discovers he has the power to kill sticking black pins in an old cemetery grounds map. Later on, after the man has convinced himself, as well as those around him that he's not crazy, he decides to undo what he's done and pull the white pins out and replace them with white pins.

Brrrrrrr.

This has always been one of my favorite spook flicks. Creepy and with a great twist ending. If you like older black and white spook movies, You will not be disappointed. I have seen this flick no less than 10 times and will no doubt watch it again... Unless someone sticks a black pin in my plot.

Gerald Fried (b. 1928), composer, and Frederick Gately (1909 - 1988), cinematographer, are the instigators of a wonderful film of sound and vision, and with this Louis Garfinkle (1928 - 2005) penned story, who, some twenty years on, was to pen The Deer Hunter (1978), have created a tense 1950's Noir style thriller. This is a great piece of 1950's horror, and starring Richard Boone (1917 - 1981), while not altogether horrific up-front, it is the fact that both science and the supernatural are at play here.

Having the power over life can be a daunting reality, and it is with the, literally, broad shoulders of Robert Kraft (Boone) who must take on this responsibility. The story is not very far away from the olden Haitian days of the Voodoo and zombie myths that were to penetrate the world's stages, books and cinemas. With pins and maps replacing voodoo dolls, this, mixed with its gripping score, wonderful black and white photography and the stellar casting of Richard Boone, I Bury the Living is a psychological attack on the mind and the slow demise into despair and guilt. Aware of this gift, Kraft endeavours to inform all those he trusts and believes can help him. His woes are simply put as coincidence and that nature has taking its choice and given some, her gift. Science too, has its place, with its rational reasoning that fate, through life, has simply chosen these people to die.

Richard Boone's performance as the troubled Robert Kraft is the man driven to near suicide, who, having the equivalent charisma and drama as Rick Blaine in Casablanca (1942) and Jerry Connolly in Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), a cool demure set against a stern eagerness, casting Mr. Boone here has done both film and himself a world of good.

See this film for what it is, an interesting B-movie of its generation that has a superb visual tone of the great days of Hitchcock and a musical drama that highlights the tension and intrigue that draws you into both the concerns and anguish of this cursed man.

So many people call this movie a modern classic and one of the scariest genre movies ever made. Why? I have seen it more than once and done some research on it and I question all those assertions. Okay, follow me on this, Richard Boone takes the job as caretaker of a cemetery because it is a family tradition. By accident he discovers that if he places a black pin into the map showing the empty plots, the owner of that plot dies. Several friends and business associates actually do turn up dead when Richard sticks black pins into the spots marking graves reserved for them. It then dawns on him that if he can kills people by sticking black pins into the map maybe he can bring them back by substituting white pins. Now this is where we get to the really scary scenes. Boone goes running through the cemetery and sees that all the recent graves have been opened and the bodies are gone. His plan worked! But is it too late?

WARNING WARNING! I am not about to reveal the real ending of the movie, just the way it was originally written in the script. I am not, repeat NOT, telling you how the real movie ends.

As written Boone was to have locked himself in the caretakers shed which was suddenly surrounded by the walking corpses of all the people he had killed by sticking black pins into their grave markers. They do not attack but stand patiently outside calling for him to join them. Richard's grief is so great at having caused their deaths that he dies of a heart attack. Yeah but that ISN'T the way it ended. A "logical" explanation is tacked on that totally ruins the supernatural theme that we have spent the whole movie getting used to. I for one felt let down by this and THAT is why I say this movie is no classic. Yes it has some well staged moments but the copout ending spoils everything. If they had just stuck to the original ending it could have pre-dated NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD by 10 years.

"I Bury the Living" presents an engrossing portrait of one man's mental breakdown -- until it's rather disappointing resolution. Richard Boone is superb as a put-upon businessman who is coerced into overseeing the local graveyard. He descends into near madness when he convinces himself his actions have resulted in the deaths of several acquaintances. Unfortunately for Boone, the more those close to him try to help, the higher the body count. The earnestness Boone and most of the other players bring to their roles helps tremendously, although Theodore Bikell, as the cemetery's aging caretaker, ventures dangerously close to caricature. Aside from occasional day-for-night shots in the cemetery, Frederick Gately's photography is very well composed, but some shots do not seem to mesh well when edited. Most regrettably, the filmmakers chose, after weaving a tight, compelling buildup, to end the film with a most unsatisfactory denouement. Had they displayed a little more confidence in what had come before (and their target audience), "I Bury the Living" might be remembered as a minor classic, rather than as an intriguing but ultimately unfulfilling exercise.

Given its title, I wasn't expecting much out of this short movie. But I was really surprised at how good it was and how much I enjoyed it. Most of the acting was actually pretty good for a limited budget film. The script was very well-written and the film kept me on the edge of my seat almost the entire time. Another poster put it well that this film was a lot like one of the 1960s version of the Twilight Zone. Maybe the storyline would have been better if it had been shorter, but I actually liked it at its current length. I think the last 10 minutes or so drop the overall quality of the film at least a couple of stars, and if the original ending from the story had been kept (see another poster's comments for the original ending), I would have easily voted this an 8 or 9.

Bottom line: this horror flick is very well-done and extremely effective. All horror, thriller, and classic movie fans should see this one.

I Bury the Living is directed by Albert Band and written by Louis Garfinkle. It stars Richard Boone, Theodore Bikel, Howard Smith, Herbert Anderson, Robert Osterloh and Peggy Maurer. Music is scored by Gerald Fried and cinematography by Frederick Gately.

Robert Kraft (Boone) is appointed as the custodian of Immortal Hills Cemetery. On the wall in the cemetery office is a large map that details the plots that are taken by the dead, and the plots that are reserved by other town members. These are signified by black (taken) and white (reserved) pins. When Kraft accidentally places a black pin on the names of living people, he is stunned to find they end up dead shortly after. Coincidence?

The title and the fabulous poster art that accompanies it has lured in many a horror fan, only for them to be disappointed with the end product since it's more a mystery thriller with potentially supernatural overtones. A slimline and modest budgeted pic, it's a film that sadly doesn't make the most of the premise at its core. However, there's still a very enjoyable movie here, one that thrives on an uneasy atmosphere and showcases some neat visual film noirish, touches.

Shot in stark black and white to perfectly emphasise the shadowy tension in the plotting, director Band deftly lets the office cemetery map become the dominant force of the piece, marrying it up with the ever fretful Kraft's mental being. These scenes with just Kraft in the cold isolated office are the films best. Though the outer shots in the cemetery, with tombstones and wrought iron fencing, are suitably eerie too.

Boone leads off with a very good performance as a man trying to comprehend the situation whilst doing the right thing, and music and photography is well worthy of our eyes and ears. It could have gone a darker route with Boone's protagonist, while the resolution has understandably infuriated more than it has pleased, but for its unique feel and worthy tech credits it's a better than average time filler. 7/10

DVD viewed was French Region 2 release from Bach Movies. Good print transfer but subtitles are not removable and lip sync a problem at times. No extras.

The rugged looks of Richard Boone (Have Gun, Will Travel) make him a very expressive actor. I always felt like he wanted to do something besides Westerns. He considered himself a legitimate actor. In this, we have the intriguing idea, like Ray Bradbury's "The Scythe" that by pushing black pins in a map of a graveyard, you could cause the death of that person. Boone's character becomes beset with guilt when this starts to happen. He verges on a complete breakdown as he realizes what he has done. At one point, he begins to remove the black pins and putting white ones in hopes of resurrecting his friends and acquaintances. Most of the movie is set in the cemetery office where Boone puzzles things out. Personally, I think the movie falls apart at the end, although there is nice atmosphere and good acting. If you want to see a B horror movie from an era when they were pretty good, you will enjoy this one.

These sorts of films were mass produced in the late fifties and early sixties, and while many of them are in good standing today; I Bury the Living has strangely managed to fly straight under the radar. It's a shame, too, as this film is at least as good as many of it's quickie contemporaries. The film utilises a graveyard as it's central location, and this represents one of it's major assets; as graveyards often make for intriguing horror locations, and when combined with the atmospheric cinematography and the brilliantly compelling story; I Bury the Living becomes more than it's B-movie status suggests it should be. Of course, I'm not claiming this film to be a great masterpiece; but for what it is, it's very good. The plot follows a man who becomes the chairman of a cemetery. This cemetery has a map of it's plots on the wall, with filled ones represented by a black pin, and ones owned by people who are still alive being represented by a white one. After accidentally inserting a black pin into the plot owned by a newly married, and very much alive, couple; the man is astonished when they turn up dead...was it merely coincidence, or can he control who lives and who dies?

The film was obviously shot on a low budget, and as such; most of the murder scenes take place off-screen, and the film lacks a certain bite. However, it really doesn't matter because what we do see more than adequately carries the film, and director Albert Band always ensures that the plot moves well and the film stays on track. Richard Boone takes the lead role, and his morbid presence does the movie no end of favours. It is important that you get the right leading man in films like this, and Richard Boone is definitely that man. The rest of the performances range from good to not that good, but nobody particularly stands out as being terrible. The plot lines really manages to get the audience thinking, which is always a positive element in a film; and while this has nothing on similar films about similar topics, such as Dellamorte Dellamore, it holds it's own as a thought-provoking drama. My only real criticism of the film is that it takes itself a bit too seriously. This tone is better than a jokey one; but it could have lightened up just a little. Overall, I Bury the Living is well worth seeing and comes with high recommendations from me.

There isn't a whole lot to "I Bury the Living" but Albert Band, father of Charles, gets every last drop out of it. Robert Kraft has become the new chairman of a cemetery that the Kraft family owns when he is introduced to outgoing Scottish grounds-keeper Andy McKee. A quick tour of his new cold office brings Robert's attention to the detailed map of the funeral plots that Andy has kept pegged with black pins for those filled and white for empty ones. When The Drexel's, a newlywed couple, arrive at the cemetery to reserve their plots (very suave of you!) Robert accidentally marks the graves with the black pins. Later that day the Drexels die in a car crash. This small detail is not ignored by Robert as he ponders the odds of them dying the same day he used the wrong colored pins. When it hits another resident of Milford under the same circumstances Robert immediately becomes horrified that he has killed these people. What separates this movie from so many others is how Robert goes about trying to remedy the situation. Instead of developing into some dastardly murderer with his new found power he tries to alert as many people as possible as to what is killing everyone. He even tries to turn himself into the police which of course is laughed at when Robert tells them what the cause is. As the body count rises Robert quickly begins to lose his mind as the map becomes an obsession that he can't walk away from. If you are expecting a polished film with plenty of different scenery, deaths, and effects of any kind you will not like this film. However, if you can get past the fact that about 95% of the scenes are in the cemetery you will be treated to a smartly written thriller that doesn't take long to build up steam. My only complaint is the ending which made it seem like it was building up to a climax along the lines of "Return of the Living Dead" which would of made this movie that much more cooler in my book. Jump onto the Band-wagon and enjoy the creepy ride.

With a title like "I Bury The Living", this certainly is not what I was expecting - this was basically like a longer, more drawn-out version of one of the less thrilling episodes of "Twilight Zone" or "Alfred Hitchcock". The characters were pretty uninteresting, which is really what made this movie unenjoyable for me - very drab, boring, wooden acting. And even the supernatural element in the story was ruined by a terrible "twist" ending. I like lots of older horror movies, many way older than this 80-minute sleeping pill but I would only recommend this to people who saw it when it first came out and are interested in it for nostalgia reasons.

I Bury the Living is an enjoyable and creeper chiller from 1958. I've seen this a couple of times.

A chairman is newly appointed the head of a cemetery and there is a map with pins on it in the shed. Black pins are for empty plots and white pins for taken ones. Something strange then starts happening: when the chairman puts pins in the empty plots, the owner of that plot dies. Several deaths occur and the police come to investigate. Has the chairman got supernatural powers?

I Bury the Living is very creepy, helped by the music score. That map gives you the creeps too.

The cast is led by western actor Richard Boone and is joined by Theodre Bikel, Peggie Maurer and sci-fi/horror B-movie regular Russ Bender (It Conquered the World, War of the Colossol Beast).

I bury the Living is worth tracking down. Very good.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

Western Headliner Richard Boone Stars in this Weird Late Fifties Horror/Thriller that is More Cerebral than Most.

Strangely, A Huge Pin-Map on the Wall of a Cemetery Office Becomes the Main Character and Takes On a Life of its Own.

Boone, the New Cemetery Manager is Drawn to the Map's Mystique when He Discovers that Placing a Black-Pin, as opposed to a White-Pin Designating Individual Plot Status Causes the Previously Alive Owner to Die.

Hence the Film's Title.

It All Sounds Convoluted, and it is, but there are Interesting Surreal Scenes, a Good Deal of Suspense and Terror and it is All Played Perfectly Straight.

The Map actually is Shown in Abstract Angles and seems to take on almost an Alive Psychedelic Form at times.

Yes, this is an Entity on to Itself in the Genre.

It has been Compared to "The Twilight Zone", "Thriller", "One Step Beyond" and Stephen King says its one of His Favorites.

The Ending takes most of the Criticism and it is Confusing and Weak.

Trying Hard to Make Sense of it all, the Film-Makers Cop-Out and it is Disappointing.