Marie (Deborah Coulls) is a celebrity. One day, while participating in a photoshoot outside her luxury home, a maintenance man named Gordon (Chard Hayward) is among the many people milling about. It’s evident that Gordon desires Marie for her appearance, and he’s continually frustrated by her requests and demands regarding his workload. One example is when Marie demands he mow and attend to the grounds even though he did a thorough job the day before. When the photoshoot is done, and people have gone home, Gordon confronts Marie angrily, raping and brutally murdering her. Hiding the body afterwards, he removes all evidence of the sickening crime he committed. While he’s successful in covering his tracks, there is just one thing Gordon didn’t expect.
When Marie’s sister, Jenny (Louise Howitt), doesn’t get picked up at the airport as planned, she instead catches a taxi to Marie’s. When she arrives, she is surprised that her sister is nowhere to be seen, and no notes have been left to inform her of Marie’s current whereabouts. Jenny starts asking questions in the community and encounters Gordon, who pretends to be back conducting general maintenance and yard work. Jenny questions Marie’s disappearance and even starts discussing the situation with Gordon. Can Jenny outsmart and survive Gordon’s mayhem before it’s too late?
Lady Stay Dead is best described as a thriller and horror film with some minor moments of drama. The movie was directed and written by Terry Bourke, who also directed and wrote the films Night of Fear (1973) and Inn of the Damned (1975). It’s worth noting that Lady Stay Dead is an Ozploitation film.
There are several brutal and uncomfortable scenes in Lady Stay Dead. While the pacing was slow, especially in the first and second acts, the third act and finale were surprisingly satisfying. Despite being outrageous and maybe even ridiculous at times, I can’t deny that I enjoyed the ending and all the fun hype that came with it.
Chard Hayward’s performance, particularly in the third act, stood out to me. Despite his creepy and unpredictable character, Hayward’s energy and loudness made me laugh and feel sick. Considering his character’s cruel and disgusting actions, Haywards’s performance was also highly likable. The film’s composer, Bob Young, also deserves a mention, as the sound complemented the entire movie.
Overall, while there are plenty of outrageous and ridiculous moments here, I enjoyed this film immensely. It’s also a film that doesn’t hold back. It’s brutal, sickening, and even uncomfortable to watch at various times, and I admired that the film aimed high in this department. I also loved Chard Hayward’s performance as Gordon, an unpredictable serial killer filled with wild energy and outbursts of rage. There’s also a great score here from composer Bob Young. The pace is a bit slow for the majority, but I can’t deny that the third act is fantastic and silly. Lady Stay Dead is an excellent Ozploitation feature that ends on a memorable note as the credits roll.
7.0/10
7th September 2024
Written by Peter Walkden
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