First-class thriller with good performances
Made-for-TV thrillers seldom pack the punch of theatrical features due to self-censorship, limited budgets, lack of stars, and a rapid production schedule. Made in 1990 for the USA Network, “Buried Alive” is the exception, A tale of a marriage gone sour and revenge, it takes the viewer on a journey of deception, cruelty and murder.<br /><br />After ten tears living in New York City, Clint (Tim Matheson) has moved back to his small hometown with wife Joanna (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to run a construction business. A friendly fellow, Clint relaxes by going fishing with his buddy, the town sheriff, Sam Eberly (Hoyt Axton). But Joanna hates the blandness of rural living and her restlessness has caused her to carry on an affair with local doctor Cortland van Owen (William Atherton). Cortland has been trying to convince her to kill her husband so she could collect the insurance money, sell the business, and they could be together. He gives her a small bottle of poison, advising her to make sure Clint takes it all. The poison will simulate a heart attack, but Joanna vacillates and throws the bottle in the garbage, where some of the poison drips out.<br /><br />She eventually retrieves the bottle and poisons Clint, who undergoes extended, painful spasms. Cort declares the cause of death a heart attack, and Clint is buried in a cheap coffin, but because he didn’t drink the full dose of the poison, Clint has survived. During a rain storm that night he awakens to the terrifying realization that he’s been buried alive. The loose mud, the shabby coffin and his own desperate strength succeed in freeing him.<br /><br />Director Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption”) sets the groundwork for Clint’s elaborate revenge plan. Not content to kill his wife and her lover outright when he has the chance, he has a more imaginative destiny planned for the two murder accomplices. Clint’s ingenious revenge uses his skill at construction to transform his house into a virtual rats maze of secret rooms, sliding doors, dead ends, and labyrinthine passageways, keeping his identity hidden so that Joanna and Cort don’t even know who’s tormenting them.<br /><br />Performances are above average. Matheson’s Clint is a good old boy when we first meet him — friendly and a respected business owner. Somewhat blind to how unhappy his wife is, and proud of the house he’s built for them — their dream home — he hopes she will come around. Leigh’s Joanna bemoans the loss of her beloved New York and feels trapped. She’s sought solace with Cortland because she’s come to resent and even hate Clint. Atherton instills his character with a slimy unctuousness, making him a villain to be reckoned with. Axton’s Sheriff Sam Eberly, a bear of a man, is a gentle soul who’d rather be out fishing than giving speeding tickets. He trusts Cort’s diagnosis of Clint’s death, failing to look further. An autopsy is not performed and Clint is buried quickly.<br /><br />Director Darabont incorporates some neat suspenseful touches. The poison bottle lies on the floor as Sheriff Eberly paces back and forth, just missing stepping on it by inches. This is a scene Alfred Hitchcock would be proud of. The second half of the film is filled with chilling moments as Clint engineers his well-thought-out sinister vengeance as Cortland and Joanna make their way through creepy nooks and crannies.<br /><br />There are flaws in the script’s logic, but the forward motion of the plot is enough to keep the viewer engaged. Darabont knows how to propel a story without padding, and it pays off in a taut second act.<br /><br />“Buried Alive” starts like a domestic drama about a couple in conflict. Clint loves his new home and thriving business. Joanna is bored and restless. But director Darabont gradually turns the film into an excursion into madness and horror. The plot is simple, but underscores the darker side of humanity in which greed, deception, infidelity and murder drive a man to methodical revenge that conjures memories of Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado.”<br /><br />Bonus materials on the Region A Blu-ray include an audio commentary, interview with actor William Atherton, and theatrical trailers.<br /><br />  
The movie title "Buried Alive [Blu-ray]," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.7 from 1047 reviewers. 
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 {"Genre": "Horror", "Format": "Anamorphic, NTSC", "Contributor": "Tim Matheson, William Atherton, Jennifer Jason Leigh", "Language": "English", "Runtime": "1 hour and 33 minutes", "MPAA rating": "PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)", "Product Dimensions": "0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.12 Ounces", "Item model number": "BRK25074", "Media Format": "Anamorphic, NTSC", "Run time": "1 hour and 33 minutes", "Release date": "January 12, 2021", "Actors": "Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Matheson, William Atherton", "Studio": "KL Studio Classics", "Country of Origin": "USA", "Number of discs": "1"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : From Frank Darabont, the acclaimed director of The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Majestic and The Mist, comes this gripping thriller starring Tim Matheson (Impulse, Up the Creek), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Rush, Flesh+Blood), William Atherton (Die Hard, Oscar) and Hoyt Axton (Gremlins, Disorganized Crime). Clint Goodman (Matheson) enjoys the simple life he’s created in the small town where he grew up. However, his wife (Leigh) yearns for a more glamorous existence and begins an affair with the local doctor, who offers her a sinister but seemingly perfect way out. But the illicit couple’s insatiable greed produces some grave consequences that lead to a heart-pounding conclusion. With a teleplay by Mark Patrick Carducci (Pumpkinhead), based on a story by David A. Davies (Gas Pump Girls), Buried Alive is an engrossing suspense tale with stylish direction and fine performances that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the final frame.Special Features:-Brand New 2K Master -NEW Interview with Actor William Atherton -NEW Audio Commentary by Entertainment Journalist and Author Bryan Reesman -Trailers -Dual-Layered BD50 Disc -Optional English Subtitles.