Dead Men Don’t Die

Dead Men Don’t Die

Year: 1990

Runtime: 94 mins

Language: English

Director: Malcolm Marmorstein

CrimeComedyHorror

After a hard‑boiled anchorman is killed while probing a local drug‑dealing operation, a mysterious cleaning woman uses a voodoo ritual to resurrect him. Back among the living, he uses his journalistic instincts and a supernatural edge to track down the criminals responsible and settle the score.

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Timeline & Setting – Dead Men Don’t Die (1990)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Dead Men Don’t Die (1990). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

News station building, Barry's luxury apartment

The story centers on a metropolitan TV station—the nerve center of the plot—where reporters, anchors, and technicians work under bright studio lights. The building becomes a battleground as crime and voodoo twist the normal newsroom into an eerie stage. Barry's luxury apartment serves as a secondary locale tied to his personal life and the power of the station.

🎬 TV Studio 🏢 Corporate Building 🗞️ Newsroom

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:51

Main Characters – Dead Men Don’t Die (1990)

Meet the key characters of Dead Men Don’t Die (1990), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Barry Baron (Elliott Gould)

A veteran news anchor who is murdered and reanimated as a zombie by Chafuka. He is controlled by a voodoo doll to continue delivering broadcasts, effectively becoming a puppet of the cleaner. His personality resurfaces when the spell weakens, allowing him to resume lead anchoring near the end.

📰 News Anchor 🧟 Zombie 🎤 Broadcaster

Dulcie Niles (Melissa Sue Anderson)

Barry's co-anchor who discovers his body and leads the investigation alongside a bumbling police detective. She stays resourceful and determined, driving the pursuit of the drug ring and uncovering the enemies behind the chaos.

🔎 Investigator 🎬 Broadcaster 💡 Protagonist

Jordan Penrose (Mark Moses)

An initially inept detective who becomes the station's head of security. He teams with Dulcie to resolve the case, and his career takes a turn away from the police toward a more hands-on role at the station.

🛡️ Security 👮 Police 🧭 Ally

Chafuka (Mabel King)

The building cleaner who uses voodoo to reanimate Barry and turn the station into her power base. She commands the zombies to execute her plans while maintaining the illusion of Barry's on-air presence.

🪄 Voodoo 👁️ Power 🧟 Zombie Master

Nolan (Philip Bruns)

Head of the drug-smuggling operation who misreads Barry's broadcasts and tries to control the situation. After a chaotic pursuit, he is killed when his car crashes, and is later turned into another zombie by Chafuka.

💰 Criminal 🧠 Schemer

Alex Cavanaugh (Jack Betts)

Owner of the TV station and mastermind behind the drug ring. He abducts Dulcie and Jordan to escape, but is ultimately killed in the ensuing crash and transformed into a zombie by the voodoo magic.

🏢 Boss 🎭 Manipulator

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:51

Major Themes – Dead Men Don’t Die (1990)

Explore the central themes of Dead Men Don’t Die (1990), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧟 Zombie Control

Chafuka revives Barry as a zombie using voodoo, then controls him via a voodoo doll to keep him broadcasting. The undead labor force adds a macabre, humorous layer to the newsroom's routine. The zombies also become tools for chasing criminals and cementing Chafuka's grip on the station.

🗞️ Newsroom Power

The TV station sits at the center of this caper, with every broadcast shaping the crime investigation and public perception. Barry's on-air persona is hijacked by supernatural forces to manipulate the story. As Chafuka seizes control, the newsroom becomes a mirror for media-driven power and manipulation.

🕵️ Crime & Conspiracy

A drug-smuggling ring uses the station as cover and arena for its schemes, leaking confusion through broadcasts and accidents. The plot escalates as criminals clash with the improvised police response and the supernatural twist complicates every plan. In the end, the ring is exposed, but its leaders pay a literal and figurative price.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:51

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Dead Men Don’t Die Summary

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Dead Men Don’t Die Summary

Dead Men Don’t Die Timeline

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Dead Men Don’t Die Timeline

More About Dead Men Don’t Die

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Dead Men Don’t Die (1990) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

Dead Men Don’t Die (1990) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

Dead Men Don’t Die (1990) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow