Friday, July 25, 2008

DAY 259--NIGHT OF THE DAY OF THE DAWN OF THE SON OF THE BRIDE OF THE OF THE RETURN OF THE TERROR

Whew, just typing that title has worn me out. This 1993 oddity--which has become a late-night favorite among certain audiences, namely those who consider bongs a bigger movie-going necessity than popcorn--is credited to Lowell Mason, who'll we'll learn during the movie is a pseudonym used to protect the shameful. The movie's concept is simple: take the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, strip the soundtrack clean, and replace it WHAT'S UP, TIGER LILY?-style with new, humorous dialogue and sound effects. The results are . . . mixed.

It helps to have a juvenile sense of humor, as the film's mindset would fit right in a grammar-school boys' room, and several of the jokes are of the racially insensitive and homophobic variety (those that take umbrage at the use of the N-word are advised to steer clear), but in the right frame of mind--i.e. really, really high--it's still worth a guilty chuckle or two. (And the re-dub of Duane Jones, as offensive as it may be to some, still isn't as bad as the jive-talkin' voice-over from ZOMBIE 90: EXTREME PESTILENCE.) Yes, it often goes on tangents for far longer than is funny, but there are a couple of inspired moments. Mason lampoons almost the entire film, skipping over the slower parts with original clips in the same unsophisticated level of humor, as well as profusely apologizing to Romero for sullying his masterpiece. But the novelty wears off somewhere around the mid-point and runs out of steam long before it's over.

Worth a look for curiosity's sake, but not exactly essential viewing.

No comments: