Curse of the Living Corpse (1963) Reviews

Future Jaws star Roy Scheider makes his big screen debut in this forgotten frightener about a deceased New England millionaire who returns from beyond the grave to torment his greedy heirs. Rufus Sinclair suffers from seizures that make it appear as if he has died, and as a result he is terrified that he will one day be buried alive. When Rufus does eventually pass away, his family gathers at the Sinclair estate for the reading of the will. Within that document dwells an ominous clause stating that should his relatives fail to follow his strict demands precisely as stated, Rufus will return from the dead to murder them in the manner which they fear most. Later, when his relatives casually brush off the macabre warning, Rufus returns to prove that he is indeed a man of his word. In addition to serving as Scheider's first feature film venture, Curse of the Living Corpse also marks the only documented film appearance of actress Candice Hilligoss with exception to her starring role in the atmospheric cult classic Carnival of Souls. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi