SunnyHello Nice effects though.

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

blanche-2 Crystal Bernard is "As Good as Dead" in this 1995 film written and directed by Larry Cohen. Before the day of home computers, Larry Cohen's grammar school-aged daughter had to write a short report. Mr. Cohen used the typing agency where I worked to type his scripts. So on a Sunday, I took a cab to his beautiful home in New York City, got the hand-printed paper, went home, typed it, got in a cab and brought the typed paper back. We also typed a couple of scripts for him in the office. He would dictate them and take on the accent or emotion of the characters. I've followed his prolific career with great interest.In "As Good as Dead," Bernard plays Susan Warfield, who works in an office. She takes a hep, sick young woman, Nicole (Traci Lords) to the hospital and gives the desk her own insurance card so that Nicole can be treated. Otherwise, they would have to go to the county hospital.Susan tells her office she has to have surgery (as Nicole does) and then takes off on vacation so as not to run into anyone she knows. When she returns, Nicole, assumed to be Susan, is unexpectedly dead; Susan's apartment has been cleared out, and her job is gone. The strangest part of it is that a half-brother that Susan isn't aware she has made all the arrangements. Susan has no choice but to move into Nicole's apartment and wear Nicole's trendy, too short clothes until she can find out why Nicole died and who this mysterious half-brother is.This is actually quite an interesting film, very Lifetime, very TV movie, but entertaining with good performances. Bernard is likable, Lords is Lords, and Judge Reinhold does very well as an attractive man who becomes part of Nicole's (Susan's) life.Mr. Cohen's daughter is undoubtedly married now with children of her own. Though this film was made in 1995, he is still very active as a writer. Thanks to the computer, I'm still typing.

The_Void Larry Cohen has made some good films over the course his career. The films are mostly within the realms of the low budget horror sub-genre, but his films tend to be a cut above the norm. The likes of It's Alive and Maniac Cop stand up as the best films he's made to date. As his career moved on, however, it's evident that he didn't find it as easy to get work, hence this film; a made for TV thriller calling itself 'As Good as Dead'. No, it's not a description of the director's career at the time that this was made, but a thriller about a woman who, after loaning her insurance-less friend her medical insurance card, finds herself in trouble when said friend dies on the operating table. This puts our protagonist in a lot of trouble as she is, by all intents and purposes, dead to the world. However, it would seem that there's more to this story than meets the eye, and so she decides to take the identity of her dead friend while she gets to the bottom of the life-ruining riddle put in front of her.After about twenty minutes of boring character building (boring because the characters are boring), the film really starts and despite it's poor quality - and obvious TV fodder - production values, the film actually isn't that bad. It's rather routine, and although it's categorised as a 'thriller', the film low on shocks and thrills; but the plot moves nicely and engages you enough so that you care what's going to happen (which is more than what can be said for some highly acclaimed films). It's obvious throughout that the film was made for TV, and that's not a good thing as it gives it a very low quality feel. The acting isn't very good, but it's not terrible either. Crystal Bernard is fine at first, but as her character encounters change; she looks out of place. This is good on one hand, as that realistically expresses what her character would be like that situation; but on the other hand, it doesn't make for very good viewing as far as the audience is concerned. It's obvious that Judge Reinhold rates himself higher than he should be rated, and there's an underlying arrogance to his performance that shows that. Traci Lords doesn't get to do much, but as you'd expect for a porn star; she looks good doing it. On the whole, this isn't really worth seeing - but if you do catch it, at least it isn't awful.

Theo Robertson You know not to expect too much if you know if a film playing late on BBC 1 is a TVM but AS GOOD AS DEAD did at least have actors who have appeared in relatively successful mainstream movies , and even if you don't class Traci Lords as a mainstream actress at least you've got an opportunity to see what she looks like with her clothes on ! Saying that this telefilm has a very exciting premise of what happens if an act of kindness goes astray leading to all sorts of terrible fall-out . As a couple of people have already mentioned this would have possibly worked much better as a cinematic release or failing that a thriller made by HBO . Unfortunately seeing as it's marketed more for woman who have no interest in what's on the mid week sports channel the TVM pulls its punches But it's the lack of credibility that ruins the potential . Okay Nicole just happens to bump into Susan outside a nightclub and they become instant best friends so much so Susan lets Nicole have an operation via her medical insurance . This is one of those plot setting sequences where the audience aren't supposed to think about so that can be forgiven since most movies have this type of pre-destination , for example think how the alien from ET just happens to be found by Elliot the only friendly human he's likely to meet on Earth . But what is far less easier to forgive is the way Susan reacts to the situation or the way other people react to Susan who despite having no money or access to money can afford bus and taxi fares around town . Susan shows photos of people in a hospital and sits down at a computer but no one ever gets suspicious about her behaviour or motives , and if Nicole was able to walk into any club or attend any party doesn't that mean she has a large network of associates ? If so how come no one seems to have noticed she's disappeared . Perhaps the most unlikely aspect ( IMHO ) is that while Susan is shown at the start of the movie as being a conservative dresser she then has no qualms about dressing like a slut later on . Would a woman who wears trouser suits be the sort of person who wears thigh lengths boots and a belt masquerading as a skirt ? Yeah I know you've got to turn off critical facilities when you're watching this type of telefilm but these plot twists are irritating if not unconvincing , and what makes it worse is as I previously stated is that the premise itself showed a lot of promise

zarekin I chased this movie in on-line auctions and finally got it. It is a must for fans of the beautiful Miss Bernard. As for entertainment value, I would give it a 7 out of 10; as for quality of content, well, the movie is kind of predictable and were it not for the beautiful miss Bernard and the interesting role of Mr. Reinhold it would be barely watchable. If you are a fan of Crystal Bernard, you really have to see it. If not, then approach with an open mind.