Dead Heat (1988) User Reviews

Fast-paced, Fun Horror-Action Film

[BaronBl00d · 6/10 · 25 December 2005]

Perhaps the only time zombies, cops, and a generous dose of humour have been infused together on film. Dead Heat is a fun, drive-in type feature with Treat William and Joe Piscapo starring as two cops in the style of something seen in Lethal Weapon. These cops have not done everything by the book and are in the middle of a crime wave where a different pair of armed thugs have been robbing jewelry stores and banks in broad daylight with no fear of being shot down(or having the weakness of being killed with any ease at all). Well, through some investigation, our two protagonists discover that a machine exists that can bring back the dead for twelve hours - and one of the cops gets his and is placed on the machine. Now, we have zombie cop against zombie criminals and one silly, fun, action-packed film on hand. Director Mark Goldblatt never tries to make this film anything more than what it is supposed to be. The actors don't try either, which is good when you have a script that only has so much elasticity. Williams is good in his role, and Piscapo definitely has limited range, but I really thought he did a much better job than his lack of acting gigs since would suggest. One major plus is the core of veteran screen actors with Darren Mcgavin, venerable Keye Luke, and the elder statesman of horror Vincent Price in attendance. Price has a small role but is still able to keep your attention. This was one of his last films. The same for Luke who I always felt was very underrated. Lindsay Frost is aboard as major eye candy. The special effects are interesting to say the least. The make-up used on the criminal zombies has a fake feel like big puppets at some points and at others is pretty good. The scene in a Chinese restaurant is a hoot - a very ridiculous hoot. Dead Heat again is nothing grand or thought-provoking or even scary, but it is a very fun film and should illicit a few laughs.

Remember The Good Old Days When Bullets Actually Killed People

[mattressman_pdl · 7/10 · 18 May 2008]

Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo are two, now get his, mismatched cops. Joe Piscopo is Bigelow, a macho, insensitive lug who only cares about himself...maybe. Treat Williams is Mortis, a kind, intuitive detective with a promising career ahead of him...until his latest case lands him on a slab. Fortunately, the case provides them with a means to bring Mortis back. Now, Bigelow and an undead Mortis race to find Mortis' killer before it's too late...(or perhaps it already is) The film tries hard to be funny, and it is, in certain moments. The two lead actors have a kind of chemistry and the cast of character actors are dynamite (including Darren McGavin, Vincent Price, Robert Picardo, and Key Luke) but it is the genre-mixing which steals the show. The butcher shop scene is hilarious and sick, a good indication of where the movie would have went if more freedom had been extended toward the filmmakers. But it remains a neat little flick for the horror lovers and the action buffs everywhere.

Hopefully more and more people will discover this title, but until then, it has a small cult audience. Don't let that stop ya, seek it out. It won't change your life, but it ought to give you a diverting way to spend an hour and a half.

What a goofy action / comedy should be

[caspian1978 · 6/10 · 2 October 2004]

One of Joe Piscopo better movies, Dead Heat is a fun ride that is filled with action and wild comedy. Treat Williams stars in this interesting story about the walking dead. Not a horror movie about zombies, but the living dead committing crimes. Williams and Piscopo do justice to this low budget movie. The story itself holds its own as the limited special effects can only take the audience too far. The comic relief of Piscopo fills in the gaps where the gun fights and walking dead miss. Treat Williams shows his leading man qualities in Dead Heat while he has failed to do so in other movies. In the end, the movie produces an enjoyable ride for action fans. One of Vincent Prices' last movies, he is the icing on the cake of the b-movie that Dead Heat is.

The Ultimate Buddy Movie?

[Gislef · 14 August 1998]

Takes the buddy movie to new heights, at any rate. Other than one of the cops is dead, it pretty much plays out like a standard cop/buddy movie. So much so that it's unintentionally funny. That, and the script taking the logic of resurrection to logic conclusions (like in the Chinatown butcher shop), makes for a hilarious pic. We also have horror veterans like Vincent Price, Darren McGavin (Kolchak/Night Stalker) and Keye Luke along for the ride. Check it out if you get a chance.

You are under arrest. You have the right to remain disgusting.

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 5 June 2010]

I saw the first monster and I thought my TV was out of focus. He had like three noses, and a mouth that stretched all across his face. This ain't your daddy's buddy cop flick.

But nothing prepared me for the butcher shop. That was a riot! And two zombies with machine guns trying to kill each other was a hoot! Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo were great as the buddy cops.

The show even had Vincent Price. Darren McGavin was excellent as the bad guy who was resurrecting zombies to do his bidding.

A funny zombie cop movie that was well worth the time, even though it could have used some gratuitous nudity.

A buddy cop film with a difference: one of them doesn't have a pulse (his name is a 'dead' giveaway).

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 6 October 2019]

A string of violent robberies are being committed by criminals who won't stay dead. Cops Roger Mortis (Treat Williams) and Doug Bigelow (Joe Piscopo) investigate, their enquiries leading them to the headquarters of Dante Pharmaceuticals, where Roger is killed, but resurrected shortly after by a machine that gives him approximately ten hours to find out who is behind the crimes.

Any film that features the contents of a butcher's shop coming to life is okay by me. As well as reanimated duck's heads, a lively pig carcass, aggressive offal, zombie chickens and a belligerent hunk of beef, this film also delivers a disfigured overweight zombie with an attitude problem, a terrific scene in which someone decays to putrid mush in seconds (kudos to FX man Steve Johnson), lots and lots of shootouts with plenty of juicy bullet squibs, and genre legend Vincent Price in one of his last screen roles. Fans of film-noir will note the similarities with classic D.O.A. (1949), a snippet of which appears in this film on a TV screen; fans of bad 80s fashion will enjoy Joe Piscopo's mullet and leather blouson jacket; and fans of aquariums will be delighted by the film's many fish tanks.

7/10. From the opening bloody shootout, to the mid movie shootout, to the final shootout, Dead Heat is a lot of fun.

Okay

[Groverdox · 6/10 · 14 July 2019]

"Dead Heat" is notable, I guess, for starring two washed up actors who really should have had better careers. Joe Piscopo's name is known from being the punchline to numerous jokes about has-been actors, but consider the way his career started: when he was signed to SNL, the cast he was a part of bombed with audiences, and so all were fired except two: him and Eddie Murphy. So how is it that Murphy is still world famous after all these years, and Piscopo is unheard of?

Williams has a similar story of early potential apparently fizzling out. He was hand-picked by the masters Sidney Lumet and Sergio Leone for their classic '80s films "Prince of the City" and "Once Upon a Time in America", and turned in solid performances in films throughout the eighties and nineties.

So what happened to either of these should-have-been-stars? Flicks like "Dead Heat" provide some clues. It's a little-seen horror b-movies that meshes genres that were popular in the '80s with little success. Buddy cop movies were everywhere in that particular decade: "48 Hours", "Beverly Hills Cop", "Lethal Weapon", "Tango 'n Cash". In fact there were so many that producers saw fit to play with the formula, sensing audiences might be getting tired of seeing mismatched men arguing about whether to go on three or after it, hence "Turner & Hooch" and "K-9" at the end of the decade.

"Dead Heat" is one of these that tried inject new life into this formula - ironically, for a flick about zombies. Trouble is, it doesn't do the formula well enough. For one thing, there's no chemistry between Piscopo and Williams. The movie doesn't bring them together well enough. They feel like they are from two different movies, and this one doesn't acknowledge that or do anything with it. Obviously the buddies being mismatched is a huge staple of the genre - but they're supposed to bounce off each other, and derive humour from the mismatch. Williams, particularly, seems to be waiting for Piscopo to stop talking before he can get on with the serious business of investigating zombies who have risen from the dead and are committing armed robberies. Oh, and the fact that he's a zombie as well.

I almost forgot to mention that this is a "horror comedy". The movie forgets to mention it as well, for most of the run time. I believe the horror aspect was another attempt to inject new life into the buddy cop formula the movie takes on, but for most of the picture it's just the same tired thing. It's at the end that the movie finally comes to life, when the necessities of the plot make the horror aspect take centre stage, and we get the long awaited appearance of Vincent Price, who, well into his seventies, is clearly having fun, and I was glad to join in.

I had hoped "Dead Heat" would be more entertaining than it was. I recommend it mostly based on its conclusion, though found it pretty tedious leading up to that.

Dumb, but great fun

[chrissoda100 · 8/10 · 5 November 2001]

OK! Lets get one thing straight right now. If you're looking for a serious movie about cops v robbers a la Robert de Niro, Al Pacino or something similar this is not the place to come.

If on the other hand you want an action packed, leave your brain in the lobby, tongue in cheek zombie flick, with a side order of buddy-cops take on dastardly criminals thrown in then you aren't going to get much better than this.

Cops Mortis (Treat Williams) and Bigelow (Joe Piscopo) are on the trail of nutty old Vincent Price (unfortunately not given much screen time) bringing dead criminals back to life so they can carry out jewellery store robberies. Of course being dead already makes it a tad difficult for the police to kill them.

Mortis comes a cropper fairly early on, but worry not as he is soon resurrected with the regeneration machine found at the dodgy research company that they think might be connected with the crimes.

The only problem is Mortis now has only twelve hours to solve the case before he decomposes, so things move on at a fair old pace after this as the lads do battle with various zombies, and a Chinese butchers shop full of meat that comes back to life!

Great fun for fans of 'Braindead' or 'The Evil Dead' style horrors, and anyone else who wants a film that they don't have to take to seriously. Also stands up well to repeated viewing.

8/10 I say, but judging by some of the other IMBD reviews others wouldn't (boring gits!)

Entertaining 80's horror comedy cop action film.

[poolandrews · 6/10 · 17 February 2011]

Dead Heat is set in Los Angeles where detectives Roger Mortis (Treat Williams) & Doug Bigelow (Joe Piscopo) are investigating a spate of violent jewellery store robberies, during the latest one two suspects were eventually shot dead by the cops but they seemed almost invincible. At the LA morgue pathologist Rebecca Smythers (Clare Kirkconnell) says that the two dead thieves had already been autopsied before & she was sure that she had done them herself, Mortis & Bigelow are baffled & the only clue to the case is a large amount of a special drug in the thieves bodies. Mortis & Bigelow trace the drug to a pharmaceutical company & while there are attacked by a mutant zombie after finding a machine that can bring the dead back to life, Mortis is killed but Smythers & Bigelow use the machine to bring him back to life. The effects of the machine wear off as it cannot prevent the decay of human flesh so Mortis sets out to track those down responsible for killing him before his body decomposes...

Directed by Mark Goldblatt this is a horror film that uses the basic then popular buddy buddy action cop flick scenario such as Lethal Weapon (1987) (in fact the script for Dead Heat was written by Terry Black who is the brother of Shane Black who wrote Lethal Weapon!) as it's central concept & injects various horror themes around it, like one of the cops being killed & brought back as a zombie who is then determined to solve his own murder & while Dead Heat isn't a cult classic it is an entertaining oddball mix of a film. Played mainly for laughs it's a shame that two better actor's with more on screen chemistry couldn't have been cast, Treat Williams is alright but comedian Joe Piscopo is awful & almost single handedly ruins the entire film. Every line he has he pulls faces, makes silly gestures & tries to get a laugh which kills any genuine drama between the two cops as he never once even tries to act like a normal human being. At only 80 odd minutes long Dead Heat is short & it moves along like a rocket, the script throw's in a couple of twists at the end but they aren't that great & the idea that a criminal masterminds plan is foiled by a code using telephone buttons feels lazy. The character's are alright but no-one seems that bothered whenever anyone else dies, Mortis when Smythers & his partner Bigelow die for instance seems to show no emotion at all. A few things are never explained like the rushed ending & the bad guy's aren't bad enough.

There are some good effects sequences here with a scene set inside a butcher's particularly good as a bad guy uses the machine to resurrect all the dead animals & cuts of meat including dead Chicken's & an entire Cow's carcass. The film has a quite static & bland look which is a shame, it's well made with good effects work but there's not much visual style. There's a runaway ambulance which crashes & explodes to up the action a bit along with the fights & shoot-outs. Released a few weeks before big budget action film Red Heat (1988) the two titles are very similar & maybe Dead Heat would have done better business had it been released a weeks after Red Heat & cashed in on the similar sounding title & similar buddy buddy cop story.

With a supposed budget of about $5,000,000 the production values are good & the effects are OK but maybe the lack of any recognisable stars in the cast hurt it. The does let Dead Heat down a bit, Williams is alright but Piscopo is awful while genre legend Vincent Price has a small role.

Dead Heat is a strange mix of cop comedy thriller & zombie horror that is quite fun to watch, the choice of leads hurt the film & it's maybe not as funny, gory or scary as maybe it could have been but there's enough here to enjoy & for me to be able to recommend it.

A zombie movie that deserves to remain dead

[ZOMBlE · 1/10 · 18 April 2006]

Who told Joe Piscopo he could act? He's not much of a comic, and he's a dreadful actor. Treat Williams has talent, but he's utterly wasted here, stumbling from one bad scene to another, with Piscopo following like a loyal dog, barking bad dialogue. As with the dreadful Forest Whitiker/Anthony Edwards cop flop Downtown, this movie suffers from exceptionally poor dialogue, and even worse direction. There are moments where you think the actors weren't even aware the camera was rolling, and other scenes where the actors are just waiting for their lines, as though the director was out to lunch or something. What could have been Lethal Weapon meets Dawn of the Dead becomes a series of predictable incidents that are more or less rehashes of previous buddy cop films. Lethal Weapon and 48hrs and Running Scared worked not because of gimmicks, but because of the characters. Dead Heat fails on every level because there was zero attention paid to script and character.

Better than you would think.

[pwargo · 10/10 · 7 August 2004]

I saw this movie back in 1988 when it came out, and recently we bought the DVD on a whim. Neither Chandra or I remembered much about it, but we both enjoyed it more than we expected. The FX hold up well, even 16 years later, and it's just an enjoyable film.

There are some gross bits (which makes it better!), but there were some good scenes deleted - make sure you check the DVD for the extra scenes, The "death day dream" really ties in some of the disjointed bits in the movie.

True, some of the film is very dated 80's, but it still makes me grin. Take a chance and you might enjoy it too.

Importunate (Coffins From Hell) Case !

[elshikh4 · 6/10 · 10 February 2011]

In a movie named (The Big Picture - 1989), a young director of photography tells a friend of him that he's about to work in his first movie. A little shy he says the title (Coffins From Hell). And when the friend finds it strange, the guy smiles embarrassed to repeat the same title, indicating that he's talking about a cheap horror movie. Since that remark, every single cheap horror for me is Coffins from Hell!

(Dead Heat) has many original ideas that do impress. For instance, it's a buddy-cop movie, the era's fashion, yet not wholly the usual type; it uses the lovely frame creating something unexpected with sci-fi horror. We have 2 different cops, one is a dead, and on a mission to know who killed him, limited by just 12 hours rest in this life (a D. O. A effect, with already dead lead!). Plus it's the only buddy-cop movie I know where the 2 leads are dead by the end! There is so precious side in which we follow a dead lead that didn't succeed at having a wife, son, or love, and now the salvation that he has is dying not before catching whoever killed him, and destroying their evil. I was about deeming it some reading for the contemporary age's human, as he's materialistic, desperate and excessively degenerating (meeting the skeleton in the mirror was inspiring moment). The thing is all of these ideas do impress.. however separately.

There is no production, or decent one at the least. The direction is shameful at times, delivering mostly a C movie. The somewhat diligent special effects were wronged between both the production and the direction. Casting (Treat Williams) was devastating, stripping the movie from its power; giving it such an emotionless mood. He looked, moved and talked like a REAL DEAD MAN. Thank God that he became less dead in his next movies. (Vincent Price) was painful, being a corpse in a suit. (Joe Piscopo) was in the wrong role; the man is a comedian, a very good one, so what is he doing here in the first place?! See how he must constantly show us his *sudden* arms' muscles even by taking his jacket off, for no reason, at the villa! I laughed at the moment of "Kill this guy, would you?" at the end; (Piscopo) there performed the zombie whether unconvinced or mocking at himself!

I didn't catch exactly how this movie kills the already killed people (by electricity?!). The script's third act was a hoax; the lead's friend, (Piscopo), disappeared suddenly, (Lindsay Frost) died hastily, the lead discovered the killer forcedly, and the killer just confessed everything easily??? And guess what, the movie's title is terrible, it fits more a buddy-action parody. Hence, with all of the above, this luxurious, so proud of itself, orchestrated music score represented a weird irony, deepening the movie's campiness!

The already realized seriousness fits comic strips. And compared to the story's potential, it's woeful. Furthermore, while the movie mourns for its hero's dilemma at certain scenes; like in the library, or moments; like seeing a meteor--the characterization exerted no effort to do it effectively. Think what if he was made as Mr. Do Right from the start, who understood too late that he should have been irrational and insensitive to get justice done in this world, or leave it with a bang anyway?! Here's an entertaining movie that wants to be a bit serious, but doesn't know the way how!

It tries to evoke some lovely points in its references; (Darren McGavin) from the TV milestone show, concerning supernaturalism, (Kolchak: The Night Stalker - 1974), and (Vincent Price) from endless B movies as an icon of horror. I loved couple of funny lines. Though, remember a scene like the Chinese restaurant's one. It has grandiose idea and atmosphere; "Zombie duck heads? What a concept!". It's supposed to gather the whole movie's formula of action / comedy / horror smartly. But the final result was gross. It was the moment where I asked, pretty protesting: "What am I watching??!!".

This is original great movie thrown in absolute cheese. Every good thing was being attacked by unstoppable Coffins from Hell I presume. So, if you wait for that great movie, you'll be disappointed. But if you love odd cheese; then (Dead Heat) entertains in its own way.

A corny action comedy with a unique spin on the buddy cop formula

[mwilson1976 · 4/10 · 2 June 2020]

This action comedy directed by Mark Goldblatt (The Punisher) puts a unique spin on the buddy cop formula popularised by 48 Hours and Lethal Weapon, as Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo play a couple of LA detectives called Roger Mortis and Doug Bigelow who discover that a spate of armed robberies in the city are being carried out by zombies. When Mortis is killed in the line of duty he is brought back to life in a resurrection machine and has twelve hours before his body starts to decompose in which to solve his own murder. The jokes are corny and the performances lame in this movie written by Terry Black (brother of Lethal Weapon films' scripter Shane Black), but Steve Johnson's makeup and special effects are pretty impressive and there is a standout scene in an Oriental grocery store where a bunch of re-animated animals go on the attack. The film is really moist with blood & guts too, it was originally rated X and had to be resubmitted 8 times to the MPAA before it got it's R rating as bodies literally melt and explode all over the screen. It also features Vincent Price in one of his last ever screen appearances as Arthur P. Loudermilk, inventor of the resurrection machine. The ending parodies Casablanca (1942) with the two leads walking off together, saying "This could be the end of a beautiful relationship."

Much needed 2nd opinion

[mgaines-1 · 15 April 2003]

Just want to offer another opinion on this movie for fans of zombies, buddy cop movies, schlock & the like. And don't miss Vincent Price.

OK, Dead Heat will never be listed alongside OscarT winners, big deal. There're plenty of award-winning movies that I don't like, but fans of cult movies are missing something here: Funny kitch.

The pitch meeting must've been hilarious: Picture Lethal Weapon meets Return of the Living Dead meets ReAnimator. C'mon, the genre mix alone is worth the look.

It may not be saying much, but this is Piscopo's best movie. I've been waiting for the DVD release to add it to my cult favorites.

Ridiculously brilliant! It shouldn't work, but it does!

[The_Void · 7/10 · 1 March 2006]

Two of the best genres when it comes to making a silly movie are the cop film and the zombie flick. Dead Heat isn't content to stick with either one of those - and has opted to do both at once! Suffice to say, it's not the most intelligent film ever made...in fact, it's completely and utterly stupid throughout - but I loved every cheesy minute of it! The plot follows a pair of cops - Doug Bigelow and Roger Mortis (great name), who are baffled when a pair of bank robbers are still walking around after they pump bullet after bullet into them. It soon transpires that, for some reason, a resurrection machine has been created - and someone is using dead people to rob banks for them! Unfortunately, Roger ends up dead; but that doesn't stop him from doing his job. He takes the news of his resurrection well, and before we know it; he and Doug are back on the case! This silly plot is complimented by some ludicrous acting, a ridiculous script and a number of outlandish and illogical plot twists, all of which serve to make this the first class piece of kitsch that it is.

The acting is some of the hammiest I've ever seen. Treat Williams delivers his usual brand of cheesiness in the lead role, and the only guy hammier than him is his co-star; Joe Piscopo, who puts in a continually ridiculous performance. With an endless stream of one-liners and some of the most over the top macho body language ever seen in a movie; Piscopo steals every scene he's in, and is clearly the inspiration behind Ross Kemp's 'Grant' character in British soap opera, Eastenders. The lead duo are good enough - but just when you think it cant get any better, the greatest horror actor of all time pops up! Vincent Price only appears for a few minutes in what would be his last horror film appearance, but he makes good of what he's got - and his cameo excellently tops off this camp cult movie. Dead Heat is bound to be painful for many movie-fans; but if you like your films fun and silly, you really can't get much better than this. The dialogue is so stupid it's hilarious, and the plot is fleshed out excellently by some great set pieces, including a driver-less ambulance pile-up and a great scene inside a slaughterhouse. Things such as the fact that Treat Williams doesn't seem to care one iota that he's the living dead are easily forgivable when a film is this much fun. Highly recommended!

Buddy Cop Comedy with Zombies

[noah-65732 · 7/10 · 15 November 2023]

Dead Heat tells a story of two cops who discover that a criminal they're after is resurrecting dead bodies, eventually they become zombies themselves and take down the entire criminal organization. The acting and humor are atrocious; which ironically makes this an enjoyable movie. The zombie makeup effects are well done; particularly the fat biker zombie that looks like he has three faces and the main character Roger; who dies and comes back as a zombie and is slowly rotting away throughout the entire film. Overall Dead Heat is an average 80s zombie flick with a buddy cop theme. If you like cop comedies and/or zombie movies, you'll probably enjoy this one.

The 80s, hard R, low budget RIPD, that could've been just as good as RIPD (2013)

[breakdownthatfilm-blogspot-com · 7/10 · 9 June 2014]

Being dead is one of those physical limitations where it stops individuals right in their tracks. It also becomes frustrating to give explanations to how it can be reversed. This movie isn't the first one to focus on dead characters but it's intriguing to watch it. As stated in my summary, this film plays out like an early version of what R.I.P.D. (2013) could've been - its plot runs parallel to it. And if you account for the other elements such as the deformed dead villains reeking havoc and it's up to two cops to take them down. It's hard not to see the similarities. The sad thing is, this movie could've been just as good as R.I.P.D. (2013) if they had developed the writing more. It was mighty close though because it has an abundance of good points.

Again the story focuses on two smart-aleck cops, Roger (Treat Williams) & Doug (Joe Piscopo) who end up fighting the weird side of crime. The problems are ushered in by thugs that just don't seem to die. Even worse is that every time they come back, they look more grotesque than before. Here, Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo demonstrate comical chemistry and how to have fun with such a ridiculous concept. Although Piscopo essentially is the definition of the 1980s with his sense of style and the way he spouts out cheesy comments, he's still a strong highlight. Meanwhile, Treat Williams plays opposite of that; cool, calm and collected. That is until later on in the film where he goes rather bonkers, which is also comical. The background to their characters' history isn't gone into with depth but it's a change to see two wisecracking cops getting along even with their odd differences from the beginning. Instead of going the usual route of having them bash heads before they come to a resolution.

To most, the rest of the cast isn't much worth to remember but there are some attractive and recognizable faces. Actresses Lindsay Frost and Clare Kirkconnell play cute women, both of which demonstrate decent acting. Then there's a brief scene with Robert Picardo being the Lieutenant of the Police (with a mustache). The veteran actors that older viewers should recognize are Keye Luke as a Chinese restaurant owner, Darren McGavin as a head doctor and the famous late Vincent Price who plays an important plot point in the movie. All of which these actors have scenes that are enjoyable to watch. Surprisingly, all these scenes were constructed by first time writer Terry Black, who didn't do too badly of a job. Though there are some parts though that don't work.

Unfortunately, even though Black's scripts for the main characters were comical, the logic behind various pieces to the film's structure are left unexplained. For example, how is that once someone dies, they were able to figure out they had 12 hours to live after reanimation? Also, some other characters' backgrounds after they were reanimated seemed longer than 12 hours. If so, how is it that they lived longer? Speaking of which, there was a subplot involving the possibility of extending the reanimation process, but is quickly shot down. Strangely enough, a character ends up extending his reanimation time and it's never explained how it would help resolve the main characters' problem. Which leads to the scripts final issue - neglect for its characters.

I've never seen a script so wonderfully build up its main characters' personalities through the first two thirds of its running time and then completely neglect them by the final third. By neglect, I mean total disregard to giving a sense of resolution to the issues at hand or what has already happened. That's not to say the ending isn't comical, action packed or even ends on a good note. It just seems to forget what the whole purpose of the story was and therefore finish without a complete sense of closure. Then again, maybe it wasn't intended on having one but it felt like there could've been. The only other complaint viewers may have is with Ernest Troost's style of film music. I say this for two reasons. The first is that, it does appropriately represent the scenes that are portrayed on screen, but they sound like that of William Loose's music from Night of the Living Dead (1968). It sounds old with a tad of 80s synth but not a lot.

The second reason why viewers may be disappointed with Troost's music is if you watch the trailer to this movie. The music there sounds way more fun, memorable and somewhat more appropriate to the tone of the film. I only wished he used that theme. However, there are a couple more good things that haven't been mentioned yet. The film is directed by Mark Goldblatt, also known for directing his forgotten only other film a year later, The Punisher (1989). Although his skill is more in editing, the direction is competently done. The other component that is done with expertise is by make-up effects designer/creator Steve Johnson's work. The gore and practical effects that are mixed in with these premature R.I.P.D. (2013) "deado" creatures looks fantastic. The look of them are not something you see everyday. In total, its still filled with cheese and plot holes but its mighty tasty.

Its weak points are in its writing and music, but they aren't strong enough to overpower the whole film. Thankfully, this buddy cop horror movie has enough charm, gore and unique practical effects to be a delight anyway.

A very bad movie with two brilliant scenes.

[myeck · 3/10 · 13 March 2006]

This is a pretty terrible movie, but it's a must-see for two wonderful scenes.

Joe Piscopo almost single-handedly ruins the film with his annoying non-acting and his unfunny comedy. It's like he never got the memo that he was in a movie, not another SNL sketch. And it's sad to see Treat Wiliiams, a talented actor, in what must be the low point of his career.

However, there are two scenes in the film that make it worth your time. One, when the meat in a butcher's shop comes to life, and another when two nearly indestructible zombies square off for a shootout, only they're standing about ten feet apart and using automatic weapons. Hilarious.

The greatest zombie cop, buddy movie ever!

[Ford_Maverick · 8/10 · 11 October 2003]

I'll warn you, this is a very cheesy film. It's full of bad jokes and bad acting, but it's a guilty pleasure of mine. It's hailed, primarily by me, as the single greatest zombie-cop, buddy movie ever made. It is hailed by a fair number of those I have subjected to it as the worst movie they've ever seen. I can admit it, it's not Shakespeare, but if you like cheesy 80's horror and watered down pseudo-Lovecraft or even, *shudder* Joe Piscopo, then I encourage you to give it a try.

I had a pretty good time watching the cheezy Dead Heat

[tavm · 6/10 · 28 September 2013]

After 25 years of hearing of this, I finally got to see Dead Heat on Netflix disc just now. Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo are cops investigating a jewel robbery. I'll stop there and just say that the plot gets weirder when it involves zombies. But Piscopo has some good funny lines, there are a couple of fine-looking women in Lindsay Frost and Clare Kirkconnell, and some nice villains portrayed by Keye Luke, Darren McGavin, and the legendary Vincent Price. Much of the makeups and special effects are a bit on the cheezy side but since none of it is meant to be taken too seriously, it's actually quite a hoot to watch. So on that note, I recommend Dead Heat. P.S. I also recommend listening to the commentary track involving the director, writer, and the two producers as well as watch the deleted scenes on the disc especially one that has Roger Corman/Joe Dante player Dick Miller as a guard who mentions a famous comedian once associated with one of the players!

This movie is awful, but a must see

[samuelbronkowitz · 1/10 · 14 November 2005]

This movie is really, really bad. Bad acting, bad writing, bad writing, bad exposition. But regardless, it's a lot of fun to watch. It's one of those things that come on television around 4 in the morning and you watch it cuz there is nothing else on.

The dialogue and jokes are atrocious. For example, there is the line where Joe Piscapo tells a joke: "If you take the square miles in Rhode Island and multiply it by my ex girlfriend's weight." That's it. That's the entire joke. No punchline, no closure, no nothing. It's so bad it's hilarious.

There are some pretty decent special effects though, do not miss the scene in the butcher's shop where all the meat comes to life. The scene where the chick from the chemical company decomposes in the bathroom in about 30 seconds is pretty cool.

Best Zombie/Cop movie EVER!

[eastvanman · 10/10 · 12 March 2005]

Dead Heat is one of my favourite movies. I remember seeing it opening weekend way back in 1988! I was only 12, but me & my younger brother dragged my dad to the Granville multiplex after seeing an ad on t.v. We were just expecting a good action movie with some yucks(both kinds).

Now, keep in mind, this was 1988. The whole concept of a horror movie also being funny wasn't as commonplace(or as stale) as it is now. I remember everyone in the nearly filled theater having a surprisingly fun time with this movie. We knew it was not on the same playing field as most of the major Hollywood action movies(Lethal Weapon, Die Hard)but Dead Heat managed to win over its audience with its combo of cheesy one-liners, insane(for 1988) action sequences, & truly remarkable f/x work by Steve Johnson.

A lot of people would watch Dead Heat & just shrug it off as a low-budget time waster(hey, that's part of it's charm for me) but I don't think I'm going too far to say that it deserves a 10/10 rating.

So why does it deserve a 10 out of 10 rating? Quite simply it's the only Zombie/Cop movie that I've ever seen & that means it's the best of it's kind...I think. Plus it has a kind of weird cinematic irony going for it because screenwriter Terry Black is the brother of Lethal Weapon scribe Shane Black(who also makes a cameo as a cop). This film is very much a tongue-in-cheek counterpart that huge hit of a film.

I think this was one of Vincent Price's last films too, so that right there gives it a little more allure as well(even if he's only in it for about 15 minutes). I'm really surprised no one's tried to remake this material, because with today's f/x & a committed cast/crew, this is the kind of oddity that could really make a lot of money(ie,Shaun of the Dead or Freddy vs. Jason). But who wants to remake a movie that bombed at the box office first time out? IF that EVER happens I'll be first in line with my popcorn.

If you've never seen it and decide to check it out there's a chance you'll just shake your head in disbelief at how "bad" it is, but that's the whole point. It's the very definition of the term "so bad, it's good", which is a fine line to walk for any film. So don't say you weren't warned...but I mean, come on, when was the last time you saw a GOOD Zombie/Cop movie?

Forever Vincent Price? I'd wish ...

[Coventry · 6/10 · 17 September 2007]

Okay, this one certainly won't ever go down in history as one of the greatest film classics in any of its genres (pick one! We have horror, comedy and action), but "Dead Heat" is a light-headed and fairly engaging spitfire of gags and grotesque action sequences, and I have yet to meet someone who regrets watching it. The idea of blending a buddy-cop movie with a gooey zombie flick is more obvious than you'd think, as both concepts easily lend themselves to fast & witty dialogs and ridiculously over the top spectacle. Writer Terry Black and director Mark Goldblatt grab the opportunity with both hands and they cheerfully combine all the clichéd situations and stereotypes both genres have to offer. Roger Mortis (incredibly clever choice of name) and Doug Bigelow (I really wonder if the character inspired the later Rob Schneider gigolo films) are two crime-fighting partners who're about to dig into a life-altering case … literally. After a couple of encounters with criminals that just won't die no matter how many bullets are fired at them, Roger and Doug discover a link with a pharmaceutical company. Somehow they invented a machine capable to bring the dead back to life for a limited period of twelve hours, and they use them to commit crimes. There's also a much bigger scheme going on behind the walls of the conference rooms, featuring the one and only Vincent Price as the company's top guy aiming for immortality. Vincent Price living forever? It would have been awesome, but alas. Anyway, Roger is accidentally killed in action, but promptly brought back by his partner and the lovely Lindsay Frost. They have twelve hours to set things right and to make sure the dead remain dead, Roger included. "Dead Heat" is pretty stupid, completely lacking suspense and occasionally tedious … but it sustains an irresistibly charming atmosphere from start to finish. The make-up effects (courtesy of Steve Johnson) are top notch and often outrageous, but the script should have cut back a little on Joe Piscopo's forced one-liners because they do become quite irritating after a while. "Dead Heat" is also a prototype product of the eighties, with crazy haircuts, colorful outfits, macho conversations held in a convertible car and awful synthesizer music. Recommended stuff to watch during a movie night among friends, when there are beers and pizzas within reach.

It doesn't work

[pmtelefon · 3/10 · 11 September 2020]

It's a shame but "Dead Heat" doesn't work. It has a likable cast but the material is weak. The action is okay but jokes aren't that funny. The special effects are hit and miss. The rest of the production has a cheapness to it that hurts the movie. I've seen "Dead Heat" a couple of times. It scratches an '80s itch but I wish it was better.