Undertaker, The (1988)

aka: Halalkereskedo

The Undertaker is a lost and forgotten horror film which stars character actor Joe Spinell. Here he portrays a crazy mortician with a penchant for necrophilia who stalks and kills beautiful girls.

Also available from Rare Movie Collector is an alternate version of this film, featuring different music and footage with girls in workout gear, under the title The Death Merchant.

This was to be Joe Spinell's last screen appearance. During the last years of his life, Spinell's choice of projects became increasingly suspect; for example, imprisoned serial killer John Wayne Gacy wanted Spinell to play him in a movie about his life. But with his only starring role in Maniac (1980) still on his mind, Spinell wanted to do a sequel to the film, and with New York filmmaker Buddy Giovinazzo, so they shot a 10-minute promo reel in 1986 titled Mr. Robbie. After a few years of hard work and searching, Spinell found financing for the sequel. But just as pre-production was to begin, Spinell suddenly passed away in his apartment in Sunnyside Queens, New York on January 13th, 1989, at age 52 due to undetermined causes. Still the subject of much speculation, some say he died of a heart attack because of his failing health in recent months due to his heavy drinking, drug use and the emotional turmoil resulting from his mother's death (who passed away in 1987). Others say he died from an asthma attack, or that he bled to death from an accidental (or deliberate) cut since he was a hemophiliac.