The Frozen Dead

source: The Frozen Dead

Trailer—The Frozen Dead

The Frozen Dead

British sci-fier that's utterly mad and quite awful at times, yet for fans of "B" movie schlockers from days of yore there's enough boldness and charm to warrant a look. In short order the plot entails a nutty scientist planning to revive frozen Nazis to kick start a new world order. Dana Andrews is the name actor in the lead role, complete with bad German accent, and Kathleen Breck is the star performer playing a head in a box; a victim of the mad scientists moving throughout the madness. It's all very silly and the fact that Andrews and company are taking it serious further induces the mirth factor. The effects work is a very mixed bag, but always fun, while there are some genuinely great scenes involving the frozen corpses, a wall of moving arms and every scene that Breck's head is involved in. None more so with the latter for the truly haunting ending. 2/10

Handsome, square-jawed Dana Andrews--star of such classics as "Laura", "Elephant Walk", and "The Best Years of Our Lives"--finds himself in tragic circumstances here. It's a jaw-droppingly tasteless, would-be horror-thriller about frozen members of the Third Reich being revived by a Hitler-loving scientist. Oh yes, there's also a sub-plot about a woman's severed head that is either gruesome or hilarious depending on your point of view. Written and directed by Herbert J. Leder, who shows a tiny bit of competency behind the camera but absolutely no class. Why else would Andrews and the other cast members appear in this dreadful Nazi garbage other than for money? Tacky and exceedingly crass; view at your own risk. * from ****

Yes, I was a mere 11 years old when I saw 'Frozen Dead' on a double bill with 'It' starring Roddy McDowell (not the Stephen King 'It') in 1966. My little friends and I had just enjoyed 'It', a film about a terrifying golem brought to life, and were watching the previews for coming attractions. Suddenly, before our inexperienced eyes was a naked woman onscreen as the trailer for a foreign film called 'I, a Woman' was shown (This was before previews were approved for general audiences). Wow. Anyway, The Frozen Dead was very creepy and morbid with a disturbing soundtrack. Still holds up that way. "Dana Andrews?" my mom said. "What's happened to his career?" You were right, mom. Watch at your own peril!!!

20 years after WW2 has ended, a German scientist living in London, attempts to revive the frozen bodies of several Nazi leaders. Of course, there are some problems along the way (especially "woman problems")... The main problem however with this film is that it has absolutely nothing to say. Besides a ludicrous story, this film also contains some very "unintended-funny" scenes. Especially the dead girl's head is great! "It seems as though the head forced this glass of water out of my hand!" Needless to say that the dialogue, especially near the end of the film, is superb. This alone makes the film worthwhile. There are films that are far worse than this one (and with worse actors), but this comes pretty close too. Oh, and watch out for Edward Fox as one of the crazed Germans in the basement(!). 3/10

this movie was so bizarre. i can barely remember it, in only half-envisioned scenes that flit through my memory.... but i long for it, to possess it, to own it..... and where is it, in this day of videos and DVDs and TCM? i loved the frozen dead! i love it still! let me revisit this twisted, simple and torturous, evil story! who needs especially good special effects when one can be completely creeped out by a classic presentation like this??? come back to me, O scary movie seen once upon a time on television.....ah, the 70s. might i add that other creepy favorites of mine which also i'd long sought are now available on DVD: most specifically "Asylum", that don amicus flick... delightful!

The Nazis' finest (who, in my opinion, couldn't possibly be all that fine) are corpsicled in preparation for the future, apparently a couple of decades downstream. Dana Andrews, a top German scientist, is now trying to thaw them out, but he just gets one basket case after another; brain damage seems to be a major problem. His henchman, knowing that Andrews wants a fresh head with which to work, kills the visiting friend of his daughter, who becomes the head-in-the-box. Naturally, she's a bit angry about this state of affairs. Naturally, all the Nazis end up dead. At the end of the movie, there's the problem of what do do with the head-in-a-box. No one suggests grad school. Instead, sans lungs, she says "Bury me!" Well, that probably is better than grad school. Actually, though it's easy to make fun of this movie, it's not a bad flick.

I just read the other user comment saying this film was not easily forgotten and I felt compelled to comment. I too saw this movie when I was young.. about ten years old... and here I am thirty years later and I suddenly felt compelled to Google it out of the blue. It really did haunt me and obviously still crosses my mind from time to time. I would not watch it again, either - there was something very sickening about it. I guess if I watched it now, used to the modern age of special effects and film techniques I would not be terribly impressed... but at the time it left it's mark. For that I give it positive rating even though I wish I'd never seen it in the first place.