Otto; or, Up with Dead People
“Is it possible to come back from the dead?”
Synopsis
A young zombie named Otto appears on a remote highway. He has no idea where he came from or where he is going. After hitching a ride to Berlin and nesting in an abandoned amusement park, he begins to explore the city. Soon he is discovered by underground filmmaker Medea Yarn, who begins to make a documentary about him with the support of her girlfriend, Hella Bent, and her brother Adolf, who operates the camera. Meanwhile, Medea is still trying to finish Up with Dead People, the epic political-porno-zombie movie that she has been working on for years. She convinces its star, Fritz Fritze, to allow the vulnerable Otto to stay in his guest bedroom. When Otto discovers that he has a wallet that contains information about his past, before he was dead, he begins to remember details about his ex-boyfriend, Rudolf. He arranges to meet him at the schoolyard where they met, with devastating results.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Otto; or, Up with Dead People - Extended Trailer, G-Rated
Type: Trailer • Published 2008-10-05
Top Cast
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Jey Crisfar
Otto
Katharina Klewinghaus
Medea Yarn / Lascivious Ballet Dancer #1
Susanne Sachße
Hella Bent / Lascivious Ballet Dancer #2
Marcel Schlutt
Fritz Fritze
Gio Black Peter
Rudolf
Guido Sommer
Adolf
Christophe Chemin
Maximilian
Max Di Costanzo
Amusement Park Zombie #1
Nicholas Fox Ricciardi
Young Man in Hooded Sweatshirt
Keith Böhm
Man in a Suit and Hat
Olivia Barth
Woman in a Black Burqa / Woman on Subway #1
Stephanie Heinrich
Old Woman
John Edward Heys
Old Man
Orion Zombie
Amusement Park Zombie #2
John Wloch
Headstone Shop Owner
Elliat Graney-Saucke
Woman on Subway #2
Ramin Farhadi
Young Boy on Subway
Nicolas Koenigsknecht
Man on Subway #1
Release History & Theatrical Window
January 19, 2008
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
Undisclosed
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$11K
Total global ticket sales
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Bruce LaBruce
- Screenplay & Story
- Bruce LaBruce
- Original Score
- Bianca Casady, Sierra Casady
- Original Title
- Otto; or, Up with Dead People
- Country of Origin
- Canada, Germany
- Spoken Languages
- English, German
- Runtime
- 1h 34m
- Worldwide Gross
- $11K
- Production Studios
- Jürgen Brüning Filmproduktion, Existential Crisis Production Inc.
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Bruce LaBruce
Bruce LaBruce
Bianca Casady, Sierra Casady
Bruce LaBruce
Bruce LaBruce, Jürgen Brüning
Department Leadership Roster
Bruce LaBruce
Director
Bruce LaBruce
Producer
Jürgen Brüning
Producer
Bruce LaBruce
Writer
Bruce LaBruce
Editor
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Otto; or, Up with Dead People.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Otto; or, Up with Dead People.
Infection & Undead
LGBTQ+
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
Movies - Horror
Filmes Adultos
Filmes eróticos.
Zombie
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
Oct. 2026 Collection: Directed by Bruce LaBruce
Godfather of the queercore movement that challenged respectability politics with punk defiance, Bruce LaBruce leaves no taboo unshattered in his outrageously subversive, unabashedly kinky cinematic provocations. Bringing underground camp humor to a queer reimagining of SUNSET BOULEVARD with HUSTLER WHITE, necrolust to the goth zombie satire OTTO; OR, UP WITH DEAD PEOPLE, and surprising tenderness to the sexually frank age-gap love story GERONTOPHILIA, LaBruce asserts a radically queer vision that finds liberation in transgression.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Otto; or, Up with Dead People
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Otto; or, Up with Dead People about?
A young zombie named Otto appears on a remote highway. He has no idea where he came from or where he is going. After hitching a ride to Berlin and nesting in an abandoned amusement park, he begins to explore the city. Soon he is discovered by underground filmmaker Medea Yarn, who begins to make a documentary about him with the support of her girlfriend, Hella Bent, and her brother Adolf, who operates the camera. Meanwhile, Medea is still trying to finish Up with Dead People, the epic political-porno-zombie movie that she has been working on for years. She convinces its star, Fritz Fritze, to allow the vulnerable Otto to stay in his guest bedroom. When Otto discovers that he has a wallet that contains information about his past, before he was dead, he begins to remember details about his ex-boyfriend, Rudolf. He arranges to meet him at the schoolyard where they met, with devastating results.
Who directed Otto; or, Up with Dead People?
Otto; or, Up with Dead People was directed by Bruce LaBruce.
Who stars in Otto; or, Up with Dead People?
The principal cast of Otto; or, Up with Dead People includes Jey Crisfar, Katharina Klewinghaus, Susanne Sachße, Marcel Schlutt, Gio Black Peter.
When was Otto; or, Up with Dead People released and how long is it?
Otto; or, Up with Dead People was released in 2008 with a total runtime of 1h 34m.
How much did Otto; or, Up with Dead People make at the box office?
Otto; or, Up with Dead People grossed $11K in worldwide ticket sales.
Who composed the musical score for Otto; or, Up with Dead People?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Otto; or, Up with Dead People was composed by Bianca Casady, Sierra Casady.