The Hanging Woman

Orgy of the Dead
DVD cover
Directed by	José Luis Merino
Written by	José Luis Merino Enrico Colombo (as Enrico Calento) Paul Naschy (the later added "Igor" scenes)
Produced by	Ramona Plana
Starring	Stelvio Rosi Dyanik Zurakowska Paul Naschy Gerard Tichy Aurora de Alba
Cinematography	Modesto Rizzolo
Edited by	Sandro Lena
Music by	Francesco De Masi
Production companies	Petruka Films Prodimex
Distributed by	Variety Distribution Alemania-Filmverleih GmbH Border Films
Release dates	September 3, 1973 (1973-09-03) (Spain) 1974 (1974) (U.S.)
Running time	91 minutes
Countries	Spain Italy
Language	Spanish

La orgía de los muertos (translated as Orgy of the Dead) a.k.a. The Hanging Woman (US theatrical release), Beyond the Living Dead, Return of the Zombies and Bracula: Terror of the Living Dead, is a 1972 Spanish/ Italian horror film directed by José Luis Merino, starring Paul Naschy and Dyanik Zurakowska. The film was shot in March 1972, but wasn't shown in Spanish theaters (as La orgía de los muertos) until September 3, 1973. It was shown theatrically in the U.S. in 1974 as The Hanging Woman, and then was later re-released there as Beyond the Living Dead. It was released in Germany on April 6, 1976 as Der Totenchor der Knochenmanner/ Death Chorus of the Skeletons, and re-released in Germany on March 1, 1977 as Die Bestie aus dem Totenreich/ The Beast from the Death Realm. It was shown in the U.K. as Zombies - Terror of the Living Dead, in France as Les Orgies Macabres, and in Australia as Bracula, Terror of the Living Dead.^[1]

Merino, the director, pleaded with Naschy to appear in the film as a personal favor to him, upon learning that Naschy had just finished shooting his Horror Rises From the Tomb in February and was available for a very short time. Naschy originally turned him down, as he thought the brief role of Igor the gravedigger was too unimportant and lackluster. Merino allowed Naschy to rework the script and beef up the character, adding a necrophilia angle to Igor. Ironically, Naschy's gravedigger wound up becoming the most memorable character in the whole film.^[2][3]

In April of 1980, the German distributor Nobis-Film negotiated a deal to re-release this film yet again in Germany, this time under the title Die Nackte Gottin der Zombies/ The Naked Goddess of the Zombies, but the deal fell through at the last minute.^[4]