Dead People
Synopsis
Filmed in 1974 and edited and released in 1983 (and then rereleased by its director in 2005), DEAD PEOPLE purports to document the final years of Frank Butler, a local fixture in the depressed burg of Ellicot City with a particular fondness for drink and tales of the dead. Over hazy 16mm footage two decades later, Deutsch adopted a painfully unsentimental view of his early approach, colored as it was by notions of ethnographic film and an undercurrent of fetishism for a man he considered somehow more "alive" than himself. While it chafes against notions of authenticity in documentary and incisively hints at the complicity of the subject in inventing his own history, DEAD PEOPLE simultaneously oozes nostalgia, transcending its own judgment as a gauzy memorial for the man Deutsch once called a friend.
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →Release History & Theatrical Window
Rencontres Internationales de Cinéma à Paris
Festival / Special Debut
January 1, 1983
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Roger Deutsch
- Screenplay & Story
- Roger Deutsch
- Original Title
- Dead People
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 18m
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Roger Deutsch
Roger Deutsch
Roger Deutsch
Roger Deutsch
Department Leadership Roster
Roger Deutsch
Producer
Roger Deutsch
Director
Roger Deutsch
Editor
Roger Deutsch
Writer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Dead People.
Similar Titles to Dead People
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.0
8.0
4.0
10.0
6.5
10.0
2.0
6.0
6.0
10.0
More Like Dead People
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dead People
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Dead People about?
Filmed in 1974 and edited and released in 1983 (and then rereleased by its director in 2005), DEAD PEOPLE purports to document the final years of Frank Butler, a local fixture in the depressed burg of Ellicot City with a particular fondness for drink and tales of the dead. Over hazy 16mm footage two decades later, Deutsch adopted a painfully unsentimental view of his early approach, colored as it was by notions of ethnographic film and an undercurrent of fetishism for a man he considered somehow more "alive" than himself. While it chafes against notions of authenticity in documentary and incisively hints at the complicity of the subject in inventing his own history, DEAD PEOPLE simultaneously oozes nostalgia, transcending its own judgment as a gauzy memorial for the man Deutsch once called a friend.
Who directed Dead People?
Dead People was directed by Roger Deutsch.
Who stars in Dead People?
The principal cast of Dead People includes Frank J. Butler.
When was Dead People released and how long is it?
Dead People was released in 1983 with a total runtime of 18m.