The hero of THE UNDEAD's got it made: on the one hand, he has Pamela Duncan lusting after him; on the other, Allison Hayes has the hots for him- that's a win-win situation, if you ask me... THE UNDEAD milks this sexual tension for all it's worth- and THEN some. "My lance would bend," moans the gravedigger. Uh-huh... Not in THIS world. Allison Hayes would've made a great Wonder Woman, had Hollywood had the foresight to see it; she and Pamela Duncan BOTH do commendable work in THE UNDEAD. A great deal of credit also has to go to the writer (the script is surprisingly literate for a Low Budget quickie), as well as director Corman himself: once again, he demonstrates remarkable competence behind the camera.

***SPOILERS**** The movie "The UN or Undead" has the distinction of having the two hottest 1950's B-movie actresses together in the same film. With the sweet looking and pointy bra Pamela Duncan as both street hooker and fair maiden Diana Love & maiden Helene just after staring in "The Attack of the Crab Monsters" as well as the super sexy, Elizabeth Taylor & Marilyn Monroe step aside, heart stopper played by Allison Hayes just before her monster hit "The Attack of the 50 foot Woman" as the wicked Witch of the North Livia. All this starts in modern times-1957-when hooker Diana Love is picked up and used in an experiment by whacked out professor Quintus Rstcliff, Val Dulour, who with the help of hypnotist Prof. Ulbrecht Olinger, Maurice Manson, brings her back in time to the 13th century. That on the very day, the Witch's Sabbath, that she's to be executed for being convicted of being a witch.As it turns out Helene is innocent but has to die so she can be reincarnated, some half dozen times over the next 700 years, so she can eventually be born in the 20th century as Diana Love! This leads Helene's lover back in the 13th century knight in shining armor Pendragon,Richard Garland, with the difficult choice to either save her now, in the 13th century, and thus by doing it have her ceased to exist in the future as Diana Love! ***SPOILERS***We also get to see Satan or the Devil himself here played by a wide eyed Richard Devon who's not as bad as you would have expected him to be by giving Pendragon a chance to save Helene without selling his immortal soul in order to do it! A very mixed up story that at times doesn't seem to know where its going and even in the end has you totally confused by it outcome. As we see it turns out that not only lovely Helena ends up losing her head back in the 13th century but Quintus Radcliff, who also goes back in time, ends up losing his 700 years later in the 20th!

This film is one of a long line of science fiction films with a great plot, good dialouge, gorgeous actor/actresses and crappy execution. I first saw it on the eighth season of Mystery Science Theater 3000, and as a fan of the show I am very familiar with Roger Corman and his reputation. But even a broken clock can be right twice a day, and one of those moments was with The Undead.I don't know where he got the script, but it is a solid piece of science fiction. Don't let the witches and knights fool you, this is no fantasy film--the primary theme is one of time travel and its ramifications, as well as the hubris of man to toy with such powers. The climax is masterfully written and the cast is competent enough to pull it off so long as you're not distracted by the wonderful Allison Hayes'...ah...considerable acting talent. Two talents, as the case may be. Nevertheless, she performs her role admirably, as does most of the cast, and by the time the climax roles around the tension has been built with a practiced hand finally able to use tools worthy of the job. The joy at being able to do so is plainly evident in the last half hour of the film. I would give it a higher rating were it not for the poor production value and the fact that it was evidently just another movie-of-the-week for Corman, who should have realized it was worth just a little bit more effort. Regardless, he managed to pull together a solid film with a heartbreaking and moving theme with actors capable of handling the busy dialouge. This film gets a short shrift but it deserves much more recognition. Allison Hayes steals the show up to the brilliant climax. There's a reason Leonard Maltin gave The Undead three out of four stars, and you'll see it if you're willing to look past the production value and the MST3K crew's skewering.

For sheer entertainment value, it's hard to beat this little 1957 B movie from cult director Roger Corman and screen writer Charles Griffith. The complicated storyline is taken from the then current fad of belief in previous lives revealed under hypnosis. An obnoxious scientist enlists the reluctant aid of a former professor to send a prostitute named Diana Love back in time.SPOILERS AHEAD: The unexpected result is that she actually goes back physically, as well as mentally, to the middle ages. The arrogant scientist then follows her, to take part in the strange and unpredictable results of his experiment.There are many clever ideas and colorful performances crammed into a movie that runs barely over an hour. A few marvelous bits include Bruno VeSota as the innkeeper Scroop ,bragging to the sexy witch Livia ( Allison Hayes) that he can keep any witches from his door by the use of garlic. The sultry sorceress pretends to be impressed and proceeds to eat the clove of garlic, as her imp, ( Billy Barty) snickers under the table. Richard Devon is clearly having a great time playing a sneering, egotistical Satan laughing at the foolishness of mortals. Dorothy Neumann as the good witch Meg Maud is the ultimate cackling old hag, with a kind heart and a sardonic sense of humor. One marvelous bit has her laughing at her rival Livia, trapped in mouse form beneath a drinking vessel, " Ah Livia, I see thou art in thy cups! " The other great character is the rhyming grave digger Smolkin, played by Mel Welles as a muttering commentator on the strange events, making up morbid limericks as he works. This film will never be mistaken for great cinematic art, but it is an outrageously entertaining movie that should be seen by all Roger Corman cultists and lovers of Fifties horror movies. Not to be missed!