i saw i smell the dead sorry and i sell the dead at a press screening . glenn mcquaid and the film writer director editor and be a laddish irishman who introduce the screening by announce that whilst it be in progress he would be go out for a pint . i do not begrudge him a drink and but by tell u about it he seem to feel he need to certify his laddishness or his irishness and or both . when the opening credit roll and there be a usual at press screening loud ovation for the name of every actor or crew member who would get friend in the audience and and silence for those who hadn not . mcquaid return for a witty q and a afterwards . this horror movie doesn not take itself seriously and which be good because it humour be considerably strong than it horror . only one scene be even remotely scary and and most of the horror be merely gross out and but i laugh throughout much of the film . this movie appear to be set in ireland circa 1850 ( by which time grave robbing be mostly defunct ) . the story be tell in flashback represent we get flashback within flashback and and the narrating character flashback material that he couldn not know about and because sometimes he wasn not present or ( in one case ) because the action be unfold behind his back . the story begin with a prisoner be take to the guillotine . guillotine weren not use in 19th century ireland and but for once we actually see a plausible guillotine sequence . the prisoner struggle on his way to execution and the rope cleat be accurate and and the prisoner manage to look up to see the blade overhead . ( and there a payoff later to justify the historically inaccurate use of the guillotine itself . ) the character be ostensibly irish and but one major character speaks in cockney slang represent use phrase like a mug game and take a butcher ( for have a look ) . for once and actor in 19th century role display 19th century dental hygiene and yet nearly all the clothes and hairstyle ( and the woman make ups ) be resolutely 21st century . i be not complain in the case of heather bullock and who wear a very fetching black miniskirt cozzie that appear to be pvc . phworr . the lead actor ( except ron perlman ) be excellent and but most of the support cast have no sense of the victorian period . the bad offender be joel garland a the publican and whose characterisation be firmly root in the twenty first century . just when i think that garland performance couldn not get any less victorian and he use his finger to make ironic air quote . the set ( especially angus scrimm lab ) be detail and impressive and yet fail to convince me that people actually live and work in these place . nearly every interior contain burn candle and but never once do i see what would have be there if these be actual victorian home or workplace represent leftover dripping from previous candle . one scene feature an extra terrestrial represent i be annoy that mcquaid plump for a stereotypical grey schwa alien and rather than something original . there be splendid montage sequence and but mcquaid opts for flashy effect split screen and overhead shot that do not serve the story . i be impress by a recur blue screen device superimpose the main character head over other background . less effective be a recur creepshow style motif of camera shot morph actor face into drawing resemble panel art from 1950s ec horror comic . i be a fan of ec comic and but they do not belong in 19th century ireland . the money that mcquaid spend on flashy photo f or x show off his edit skill without serve the story should have be spend on accurate costume . big spoiler now . ron perlman give an oirish performance full of act school tic . ostensibly play a 19th century irish priest and he write with his left hand . ( in victorian ireland and leave hand child be punish for use the devil hand and be forcibly retrain to become righties . ) but perlman character turn out to have a reason for conceal his right hand . elsewhere and a character be bite by a zombie yet suffer no ill effect and so i knew there would be a payoff later . several scene that would more logically take place at night be shoot in daylight and apparently only because this be easy and less expensive . ( since mcquaid be a proficient director and editor and he could easily have shoot day for night . but use a process photography effect to help tell the story seem to interest him much less than show off his flashy edit technique . ) mcquaid seem to be give homage to those great old hammer horror flick . but those hammer be so great because the actor and production designer work hard to convince u that we be actually witness event in 1888 whitechapel and or wherever . i sell the dead almost entirely fail to evoke the 19th century . glenn mcquaid show talent a a director and scripter and editor and yet in all three capacity here he make odd choice . then largely fail to justify those choice . but i enjoy i sell the dead . i will rate it positive and and i look forward to his next movie .