Prison of the Dead is a 2000 supernatural horror film with elements of a zombie film and a slasher directed by David DeCoteau under the pseudonym Victoria Sloane and produced by Charles Band. It follows a group of friends who unwittingly resurrect a trio of zombie prison executioners that systematically hunt them down. Plot Twenty-somethings, Kristof, Michele, Allie, and Rory travel to their friend Calvin’s funeral at the remote Hawthorne Funeral Home, built atop the old Blood Prison. The group were high school friends and amateur Paranormal Investigators but have since found other interests. Blood Prison was a secret jail built by Puritan extremists specifically for the torture and execution of “witches and heretics” and remained in operation even after the practice of witch prosecution was outlawed. Part of the prison's dungeon remains below the current funeral home. Bill, Jeff and Kat, who know the group from school, also arrive at Hawthorne, planning on scaring them in retaliation for Kristof sleeping with Bill’s girlfriend. Inside, Calvin reveals himself to actually be alive, having faked his death on Kristof’s account, who needed a surefire way to get the five together again. Kristof‘s father recently bought the Hawthorne and set up a contest—based on his own skepticism for paranormal investigators—to prove the existence of a local legendary supernatural item, the Talon Key. The backstory of the Talon Key is confusing but is explained by Kristof as follows: When the Puritans finally discovered the existence of Blood Prison, they were so appalled by the actions of the three prison executioners that they made a special cell to hold the executioners. He goes on to explain that they buried the executioners with key somewhere on the ground but it’s not specified where. The bodies and the key have never been found and this became known as the Talon Key. It supposedly unlocks an actual door under the funeral home, behind which is the evil the puritans locked away (they don’t explain the backstory any further). His father plans to charge admission to those who want to search the grounds for the key but Kristof intends to win the contest (which has a 1 million dollar prize) before it begins and validate himself in his father’s eyes, offering the $1million to the other four if they help him find the Key. The other four are skeptical but Kristof insists. they use a ouija board and