Enthusiasts of eccentric cult favourites are set for a delight as a 1974 zombie horror film which secured multiple accolades is available to stream without charge. The Spanish/Italian production, amongst numerous cult classic horrors, centres on George Meaning (played by Ray Lovelock) and Edna Simmons (Cristina Galbó) who face harassment from a local police investigator in the English countryside.

The duo also become embroiled in a zombie killing spree, with the undead reanimated by agricultural equipment designed to eliminate insects through ultra-sonic radiation. Upon its original release, the film claimed awards for Best Actress (for Galbó) and Best Special Effects, whilst Jorge Grau secured the CEC Award for Best Director.

Although the film unfolds in the fictional town of Southgate, the majority was filmed throughout Manchester and neighbouring regions.

Let Sleeping Corpses Lie, alternatively titled The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue, can be viewed free of charge on Tubi. Production occurred on-location across North West England, alongside Lazio, Italy, and at Cinecittà Studios.

Sequences featuring the hospital exterior were captured at Barnes Hospital in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, constructed in 1875. The distinctive architectural style selected creates a Gothic atmosphere and the building has subsequently earned a reputation for being haunted.

Meanwhile, the opening montage was filmed in Manchester city centre. Offscreen Tourist described it as “one of the oddest films” to showcase the city, whilst enthusiasts flocked to IMDb reviews to express their opinions.

Victor_Santamaria praised it as “the best living dead movie ever made”, stating: “There are many living dead movies and some of them really good. A few are simply iconic. For me this is simply the best one.

“The mood in which you get involved is terrorific and disturbing. If you like this kind of horror films you will watch it from time to time for the rest of your life. The director, actors and rest of the cast make a perfect work. This is a very serious film you must to keep in your collection forever.”

Acheron6666 branded it “a masterpiece of world cinema”, continuing: “Years before Dawn of the Dead transformed the (to some tacky) genre of zombie films into scathing social critiques, The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (the title by which I came to know and love this film) demonstrated overwhelmingly that it is possible to combine graphic disembowelment (watch out for the fate of the hospital receptionist! ) with genuine emotional realism (rather than being the standard 2-dimensional zombie fodder, characters such as George and Edna are fully drawn antiheroes).

“The greatest thing about this film is the unforgettable performance of Hollywood great Arthur Kennedy as the hippie-hating detective McCormack.”

The film made its debut in Spain in September 1974, followed by Italy in November 1974, before crossing the Atlantic for its US release in 1975 under the title Don’t Open the Window. British audiences knew it as The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue, despite the story actually unfolding in Southgate rather than Manchester.

Across the globe, the film was distributed under more than 15 different titles. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes currently awards it an impressive 86 per cent approval rating.

Arnold T. Blumberg, author of Zombiemania: 80 Movies to Die For, declared the film “earns a place in zombie movie history by being one of the first to feature an onscreen gut-ripping feasting scene with zombies actually tearing into a living victim.”

Glenn Kay, author of Zombie Movies: The Ultimate Guide, described it as “the most effective and disturbing Spanish film of the period”.

Let Sleeping Corpses Lie is available to watch for free on Tubi

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