1985 was a good year for zombies. Not only were we bestowed such bona fide classics as RE-ANIMATOR and DAY OF THE DEAD, but also today's entry, THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD. The film's notable for quite a few firsts: in addition to being the first movie to directly play off Romero's original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (and using it for comedic, non-parodic effect), RETURN also marks the first zombies hungry specifically for brains. It's also the first film directed by screenwriter Dan O' Bannon, who replaced Tobe Hooper (who's originally wanted to film in 3-D--now that would've been cool!), who took over the project from John Russo (in his first attempt to sodomize the movie that made his career). Hey, it's also the first movie Linnea Quigley made that wasn't crap!
I'm sure the specifics are well-familiar to the readers of this blog so I won't go into detail here. I do however think the film's opening scenes are its best, establishing an underlying sense of doom as it introduces its setting and characters; that is maintains this feeling even as it dabbles in comedy is all the more impressive. O'Bannon deserves credit for deftly handling this tone, but it's James Karen's performance that really sells the humor; even as his condition spirals out of control and he gets more and more hysterical he never gets to that dangerous, over-the-top realm that hinders so many actors in horror-comedies. Actually, the cast is uniformly excellent, imbuing their characters with a sense of credibility and personality, if not true depth. (Don Calfa also bears mentioning in a quieter, more subtle performance.)
Another pitfall that RETURN manages to sidestep is when it transitions from grim humor to focus more on horror; sometimes the tonal shift can derail a film's momentum, but O'Bannon's script is better constructed than the average zombie flick. As the situation worsens, he simply lets the events dictate the mood, and that transition is barely noticeable (though when you do notice, the film's already gearing up for its downbeat, inevitable finale).
I also have to give O'Bannon props for not playing the zombies for laughs--or rather, using them as the butt of any jokes; the "send more paramedics" line is not only funny, but nails the underlying dark humor that runs throughout the film. And we can't forget the memorably kick-ass zombies that populate the film, like the female torso that explains the undead's motivation (note to screenwriters: when laying down backstory for your film, having half of a living cadaver deliver your exposition is a good way to keep the viewers' attention) and the Tar Man.
Of course, like all great horror flicks--hell, like all great flicks that aren't directed by guys like Scorsese and Lynch--RETURN begat a number of sequels of varying degrees of shittiness (and which will all get their due attention here), but fortunately none of them were able to tarnish the original's reputation.
Oh, and one more thing: THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD gave us "fast" zombies almost twenty years before 28 DAYS LATER and the DAWN OF THE DEAD remake. So there.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
DAY 85--THE LAUGHING DEAD
THE LAUGHING DEAD is the first feature from writer/director S.P. Somtow, perhaps best known as the author of such novels as VAMPIRE JUNCTION and the Stoker-nominated DARKER ANGELS. Filmed in 1989, the movie never garnered a legitimate release, though it's quite easy to find through "alternative" markets. Far from an unappreciated masterpiece, DEAD at least offers up a worthwhile experience for the adventurous viewer.
The somewhat jumbled story involves Father O'Sullivan (Tim Sullivan, in one of the most anemic performances I've ever seen by a lead actor), a clergyman suffering from a crisis of faith, as well as a series of mysterious dreams involving a former lover (a nun) and the illegitimate son they had. As a way to solve both his problems Sullivan heads up an archaeological trip to Mexico, bringing along what has to be the most obnoxious cast of characters ever assembled, including an annoying New Age couple, a greasy disco rat, and Sullivan's old flame and bastard son (an insufferable little shit with the foulest mouth I've heard on a child actor). Once they arrive south of the border, Sullivan finds himself cursed by a mad doctor, who's performing a series of rites that will eventually transform him into the incarnation of the Mayan god of death.
Though it's riddled with lousy performances, stilted dialogue, and feeble attempts at black humor that fall hopelessly flat, I'm surprised this movie never found a home on cassette, since it's no worse than the dreck that clogged video shelves in the late-eighties. What probably probed to be DEAD's undoing is the fact that child sacrifice plays a large part in the plot; there's even a sequence in which a line of young boys is slaughtered in procession--implied, mostly, though Somtow frequently cuts to a plateful of tiny, still-beating hearts throughout the scene. There's also a fair amount of gore which may have proved problematic, though I wouldn't call it excessive.
THE LAUGHING DEAD works best with a group of friends (preferably those with a MST3K-style film scholarship) and your chemical of choice, though Somtow sprinkles a few weird, surrealistic moments throughout--including a kinda-disturbing dream sequence involving the li'l bastard's birth--so hallucinogens may not be neccesary. There's plenty of ludicrous FX on display (courtesy of John Carl Buechler's MMI Inc.) such as shoddy opticals, a neat but stupid hand-down-the-throat gag (sorry), and a climactic showdown between two "giant" (re: miniature) rubber monsters.
Oh, and the zombies? They're in the mess somewhere, popping up late in the movie as the mad doctor's minions and don't do much outside of playing the dumbest basketball game in cinematic history (Forry Ackerman also appears in a cameo, but I missed him).
If you can get your hands on a copy, THE LAUGHING DEAD is worth a glance, though I wouldn't suggest going out of your way for it. It's still an entertaining flick, just not in the sense that I bet Somtow intended it to be.
The somewhat jumbled story involves Father O'Sullivan (Tim Sullivan, in one of the most anemic performances I've ever seen by a lead actor), a clergyman suffering from a crisis of faith, as well as a series of mysterious dreams involving a former lover (a nun) and the illegitimate son they had. As a way to solve both his problems Sullivan heads up an archaeological trip to Mexico, bringing along what has to be the most obnoxious cast of characters ever assembled, including an annoying New Age couple, a greasy disco rat, and Sullivan's old flame and bastard son (an insufferable little shit with the foulest mouth I've heard on a child actor). Once they arrive south of the border, Sullivan finds himself cursed by a mad doctor, who's performing a series of rites that will eventually transform him into the incarnation of the Mayan god of death.
Though it's riddled with lousy performances, stilted dialogue, and feeble attempts at black humor that fall hopelessly flat, I'm surprised this movie never found a home on cassette, since it's no worse than the dreck that clogged video shelves in the late-eighties. What probably probed to be DEAD's undoing is the fact that child sacrifice plays a large part in the plot; there's even a sequence in which a line of young boys is slaughtered in procession--implied, mostly, though Somtow frequently cuts to a plateful of tiny, still-beating hearts throughout the scene. There's also a fair amount of gore which may have proved problematic, though I wouldn't call it excessive.
THE LAUGHING DEAD works best with a group of friends (preferably those with a MST3K-style film scholarship) and your chemical of choice, though Somtow sprinkles a few weird, surrealistic moments throughout--including a kinda-disturbing dream sequence involving the li'l bastard's birth--so hallucinogens may not be neccesary. There's plenty of ludicrous FX on display (courtesy of John Carl Buechler's MMI Inc.) such as shoddy opticals, a neat but stupid hand-down-the-throat gag (sorry), and a climactic showdown between two "giant" (re: miniature) rubber monsters.
Oh, and the zombies? They're in the mess somewhere, popping up late in the movie as the mad doctor's minions and don't do much outside of playing the dumbest basketball game in cinematic history (Forry Ackerman also appears in a cameo, but I missed him).
If you can get your hands on a copy, THE LAUGHING DEAD is worth a glance, though I wouldn't suggest going out of your way for it. It's still an entertaining flick, just not in the sense that I bet Somtow intended it to be.
DAY 84--OASIS OF THE ZOMBIES
Eurocine, that French production company that could've taught Kraft a thing or two in the cheese-making department, knocked out a double-dose of brain-racking zombie lameness in 1981--ZOMBIE LAKE and OASIS OF THE ZOMBIES. Both films have several common elements: both were directed by filmmakers who frequently worked as hired guns in between more artistically-driven projects (Jean Rollin in the former, Jess Franco in today's entry under the pseudonym A.M. Frank), both are living dead films that feature reanimated Nazis, and both really, really suck.
The plot of OASIS deals with a German treasure hunter in the African desert searching for a cache of Nazi gold, only to find that the prize is guarded by undead members of the Third Reich. There's not much more to the story than that, the running time padded with scene after scene of conversation set against a suitably bleak desert landscape--if you absolutely must see this, try to pick up the remastered print released by Image, rather than the eye-strainingly grainy version floating around on public domain labels--that's almost as dry as the script. Franco keeps the zombies offscreen for much of the film, which is almost a favor considering the laughably inept makeup slapped upon the zombied extras, though when he lets them loose in the final reel for the climactic undead assault the movie at least becomes watchable. Not quite interesting and far from good, but by this point watchable is a-okay.
With the fast-forward button close at hand, OASIS OF THE ZOMBIES should provide some minor entertainment for crap-film enthusiasts and zombie completists, and at least gives you the chance to use the bathroom (or make a sandwich, or do the Times's Sunday crossword) without having to stop the, ahem, action.
The plot of OASIS deals with a German treasure hunter in the African desert searching for a cache of Nazi gold, only to find that the prize is guarded by undead members of the Third Reich. There's not much more to the story than that, the running time padded with scene after scene of conversation set against a suitably bleak desert landscape--if you absolutely must see this, try to pick up the remastered print released by Image, rather than the eye-strainingly grainy version floating around on public domain labels--that's almost as dry as the script. Franco keeps the zombies offscreen for much of the film, which is almost a favor considering the laughably inept makeup slapped upon the zombied extras, though when he lets them loose in the final reel for the climactic undead assault the movie at least becomes watchable. Not quite interesting and far from good, but by this point watchable is a-okay.
With the fast-forward button close at hand, OASIS OF THE ZOMBIES should provide some minor entertainment for crap-film enthusiasts and zombie completists, and at least gives you the chance to use the bathroom (or make a sandwich, or do the Times's Sunday crossword) without having to stop the, ahem, action.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
DAY 83--CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN
Emphasizing science fiction (or fictional science, to be more accurate) over horror, 1955's CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN is one of the many films during the Cold War era that played on the country's fear of the atom and featured foreign villains at work in the US. This time around, it's a former Nazi scientist--mad, of course--and his bid to return an American gangster to power, using an army of dead criminals reanimated by atomic energy.
Written by THE WOLF MAN's Curt Siodmak and directed by Edward L. Cahn, CREATURE plays like most sci-fi thrillers of the 1950's, though there's little action on hand and what we do get is rather stiff and unexciting. Like most of Cahn's output, there are a few brief moments of interest but the overall effect in pretty unmemorable. How unmemorable, you ask? Well, see how short this review is?
Written by THE WOLF MAN's Curt Siodmak and directed by Edward L. Cahn, CREATURE plays like most sci-fi thrillers of the 1950's, though there's little action on hand and what we do get is rather stiff and unexciting. Like most of Cahn's output, there are a few brief moments of interest but the overall effect in pretty unmemorable. How unmemorable, you ask? Well, see how short this review is?
Monday, January 28, 2008
DAY 82--SHAUN OF THE DEAD
One of the nice things about doing a genre-specific project like this is that it gives me an opportunity to catch films I missed the first time around. Such is the case with Edgar Wright's SHAUN OF THE DEAD from 2004, which somehow eluded me despite the rave reviews it garnered upon release. I was almost guilty about letting this one slip past, until I finally got a chance to watch it a found myself surprisingly underaffected. Too-lofty expectations, maybe, but as I thought about it I really don't think that was the case.
What lies at the heart of my disappointment is the fact that in spite of the classic zombie-movie trappings, SHAUN is really about a young man getting his shit together. And that's fine, it is an homage/spoof rather than an out-and-out horror film, but so much of the film's throughline feels tired and too-familiar--the unfulfilled girlfriend and her disapproving friends, or the loutish buddy who holds Shaun back from fully developing into an adult--that it takes more than zombified window dressing to make them fresh. (It also doesn't help that the movie's allusions are limited mostly to Romero's original trilogy, THE EVIL DEAD, and Fulci--references themselves that have gotten a bit long in the tooth.) Making matters worse is that these FRIENDS-friendly elements are are resolved in too sentimental a manner for my taste; nothing ruins a good zombie-fest than a dose of the "awwww"s.
This doesn't mean that I hated the movie, far from it. There's quite a bit to like, from the all-around solid performances (especially Simon Pegg as the endlessly likeable Shaun) and clever gags (including probably my favorite riff on "They're coming to get you, Barbara") to the respectful tone of the movie's in-jokes. I particularly liked the story's slow build, with Pegg being so absorbed by his mundane troubles that the zombie epidemic is in full swing before he even realizes it. Fans of British humor will probably get more out of this, since many of its elements--namely, the significance of the pub-as-sanctuary--have more resonance on the other side of the pond (though I must say that when Dylan Moran buys the farm in a nod to Joe Pilato in DAY OF THE DEAD the tone, and the gore, aren't quite outrageous enough to translate into humor, and this scenes comes off as uncharacteristically grim). Wright and Pegg also give their supporting players a little more depth than usual, though I wish they'd delved a little further into Shaun's relationship with his stepfather, one of the film's more non-traditional aspects.
A reverent tribute to the classics in the zombie-film cannon, SHAUN OF THE DEAD may have more of an impact if it hadn't come out during the recent undead boom. Not a bad film by any means, it still wasn't good enough to leave the mark of a truly enjoyable film.
What lies at the heart of my disappointment is the fact that in spite of the classic zombie-movie trappings, SHAUN is really about a young man getting his shit together. And that's fine, it is an homage/spoof rather than an out-and-out horror film, but so much of the film's throughline feels tired and too-familiar--the unfulfilled girlfriend and her disapproving friends, or the loutish buddy who holds Shaun back from fully developing into an adult--that it takes more than zombified window dressing to make them fresh. (It also doesn't help that the movie's allusions are limited mostly to Romero's original trilogy, THE EVIL DEAD, and Fulci--references themselves that have gotten a bit long in the tooth.) Making matters worse is that these FRIENDS-friendly elements are are resolved in too sentimental a manner for my taste; nothing ruins a good zombie-fest than a dose of the "awwww"s.
This doesn't mean that I hated the movie, far from it. There's quite a bit to like, from the all-around solid performances (especially Simon Pegg as the endlessly likeable Shaun) and clever gags (including probably my favorite riff on "They're coming to get you, Barbara") to the respectful tone of the movie's in-jokes. I particularly liked the story's slow build, with Pegg being so absorbed by his mundane troubles that the zombie epidemic is in full swing before he even realizes it. Fans of British humor will probably get more out of this, since many of its elements--namely, the significance of the pub-as-sanctuary--have more resonance on the other side of the pond (though I must say that when Dylan Moran buys the farm in a nod to Joe Pilato in DAY OF THE DEAD the tone, and the gore, aren't quite outrageous enough to translate into humor, and this scenes comes off as uncharacteristically grim). Wright and Pegg also give their supporting players a little more depth than usual, though I wish they'd delved a little further into Shaun's relationship with his stepfather, one of the film's more non-traditional aspects.
A reverent tribute to the classics in the zombie-film cannon, SHAUN OF THE DEAD may have more of an impact if it hadn't come out during the recent undead boom. Not a bad film by any means, it still wasn't good enough to leave the mark of a truly enjoyable film.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
DAY 81--MESSIAH OF EVIL
Have you ever sat through a movie, paying close attention to the events at hand, only to find yourself without a clue as to what's going on? Whether it's a needlessly complicated plot, vague dialogue, or just plain ol' shoddy sound or picture quality that renders the goings-on incomprehensible, there are certain movies that reward your investment of time and money with a resounding "WTF?" I have a certain contempt for movies like this--usually it's a vain attempt to mask the fact that the film itself is an utter turd--and although I didn't out-and-out hate 1973's MESSIAH OF EVIL, I sure as hell didn't enjoy my time spent watching it, either.
Before penning big-budget studio fare like INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and the true horror that is HOWARD THE DUCK, Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz collaborated on this muddled thriller, also known as DEAD PEOPLE (she produced, he directed). The film is the kind of scuzzy obscurity that proliferated in drive-ins during the '70s, and its low-rent veneer actually holds the film together despite its fractured storyline.
Waxen-faced Mariana Hill visits the sleepy coastal town of Point Dune, searching for information about her absentee artist father (Royal Dano, who pops up near the end in one of the movie's many eyebrow-crinkling moments). As the story unfolds in fragmented, unfocused segments it soon becomes extremely unclear as to what's going on and why, but it has to do with something that happened a hundred years ago and the moon turning red. Why this causes people to become bloody-eyed zombies, or what purpose it serves, is beyond me; there's an awful lot of exposition delivered in hollow, booming voice-overs, but it didn't help much.
Although they don't make much sense, there are quite a few eerily effective scenes to be found, especially a late-night trip to a deserted supermarket where one of the supporting characters makes a grisly discovery. This sequence, complimented by the film's stark, no-frills style, is unnerving in a manner similar to CARNIVAL OF SOULS. Moments like this help sustain interest, but they'd be better served by a more coherent plot.
Ultimately, MESSIAH OF EVIL reeks of wasted opportunity, which is a shame because it shows hints of a being a hidden jewel. In addition to its SOULS-like atmosphere many of its elements predate other films like Carpenter's THE FOG and DEAD AND BURIED, but aren't allowed to bloom into anything special. I don't know if Huyck and Katz were trying to be artistic, or were simply churning out a movie to make a buck in the horror market, but they let some really interesting concepts wither on the vine.
(Here's a brief clip including the supermarket scene. It might not be as creepy out of context, but watch this and you'll save yourself the trouble of seeing the entire film.)
Before penning big-budget studio fare like INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and the true horror that is HOWARD THE DUCK, Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz collaborated on this muddled thriller, also known as DEAD PEOPLE (she produced, he directed). The film is the kind of scuzzy obscurity that proliferated in drive-ins during the '70s, and its low-rent veneer actually holds the film together despite its fractured storyline.
Waxen-faced Mariana Hill visits the sleepy coastal town of Point Dune, searching for information about her absentee artist father (Royal Dano, who pops up near the end in one of the movie's many eyebrow-crinkling moments). As the story unfolds in fragmented, unfocused segments it soon becomes extremely unclear as to what's going on and why, but it has to do with something that happened a hundred years ago and the moon turning red. Why this causes people to become bloody-eyed zombies, or what purpose it serves, is beyond me; there's an awful lot of exposition delivered in hollow, booming voice-overs, but it didn't help much.
Although they don't make much sense, there are quite a few eerily effective scenes to be found, especially a late-night trip to a deserted supermarket where one of the supporting characters makes a grisly discovery. This sequence, complimented by the film's stark, no-frills style, is unnerving in a manner similar to CARNIVAL OF SOULS. Moments like this help sustain interest, but they'd be better served by a more coherent plot.
Ultimately, MESSIAH OF EVIL reeks of wasted opportunity, which is a shame because it shows hints of a being a hidden jewel. In addition to its SOULS-like atmosphere many of its elements predate other films like Carpenter's THE FOG and DEAD AND BURIED, but aren't allowed to bloom into anything special. I don't know if Huyck and Katz were trying to be artistic, or were simply churning out a movie to make a buck in the horror market, but they let some really interesting concepts wither on the vine.
(Here's a brief clip including the supermarket scene. It might not be as creepy out of context, but watch this and you'll save yourself the trouble of seeing the entire film.)
Sunday, January 20, 2008
DAY 80--DEMONS 2
Dario Argento and Lamberto Bava followed up the success of DEMONS with, duh, DEMONS 2 in 1986, a direct sequel (a rarity in the realm of Italian horror) that follows the first film so closely it's practically a duplication (which is not such a rarity in the realm of Italian horror). And though it captures the first DEMONS' aura of stylized excess, with emphasis on the latter, it fails to include its sense of crowd-pleasing excitement.
Bava gets underway with a cheap fake scare (what appears to be a blood-spattered butcher is really a pastry chef with a mess of strawberry glaze) before rehashing the same set-up as before, this time switching the locale to an apartment building but keeping his characters the same personality-barren spear-carriers. TV is the vessel of evil in this one, as various tenants (including a debuting Asia Argento) watch a movie about demons; strangely, the sequel ignores the first film's ending, which implied a widespread demon infestation, yet the events of that movie are referenced in 2's film-within-a-film. Like DEMONS, this build-up is the best part, the highlight being teenage Sally (Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni) watching in horror as the on-screen demon emerges into reality through the television screen, a la VIDEODROME.
Despite the almost identical approach, DEMONS 2 disintegrates into unbearable tedium after its somewhat impressive set-up, with a handful of grody transformation scenes thrown in to relieve the boredom (oddly enough, the one special effect that gets the most screen time is the worst--a hilariously stupid-looking puppet that at least livens up the action with its sheer ridiculousness). In his attempt to recreate the success of his previous hit Bava not only replicates what worked before (again we're treated to a scene in which the demons scurry through the dark, their eyes aglow) but also what didn't--again leaving the central location to focus on a group of teenage degenerates, though instead of incorporating them into the action like the first time, Bava seems content to let them grind the movie to a halt. Nor does Bava seem interested in recreating the atmospheric use of lighting, opting to concentrate on gore and forced mayhem (but at least he kept a euro-cheese synth soundtrack).
Perhaps Bava and Argento were aware their sequel would have the tarnished reputation it would soon earn, since they don't aim for a third installment by ending 2 on a more upbeat note. Our heroes (a young married couple expecting their first child) are trapped in a television studio surrounded by monitors, each one featuring a demonized Tassoni rushing toward the screen. The husband smashes each one in turn as his wife gives birth, reversing the demons' intent by delivering something good and innocent into the world.
If you must see DEMONS 2, I highly recommend renting a DVD so you can bypass the tedium and enjoy the transformation sequences. There is a few interesting tidbits here, but for a more productive viewing experience you'll be better off sticking with the original.
Bava gets underway with a cheap fake scare (what appears to be a blood-spattered butcher is really a pastry chef with a mess of strawberry glaze) before rehashing the same set-up as before, this time switching the locale to an apartment building but keeping his characters the same personality-barren spear-carriers. TV is the vessel of evil in this one, as various tenants (including a debuting Asia Argento) watch a movie about demons; strangely, the sequel ignores the first film's ending, which implied a widespread demon infestation, yet the events of that movie are referenced in 2's film-within-a-film. Like DEMONS, this build-up is the best part, the highlight being teenage Sally (Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni) watching in horror as the on-screen demon emerges into reality through the television screen, a la VIDEODROME.
Despite the almost identical approach, DEMONS 2 disintegrates into unbearable tedium after its somewhat impressive set-up, with a handful of grody transformation scenes thrown in to relieve the boredom (oddly enough, the one special effect that gets the most screen time is the worst--a hilariously stupid-looking puppet that at least livens up the action with its sheer ridiculousness). In his attempt to recreate the success of his previous hit Bava not only replicates what worked before (again we're treated to a scene in which the demons scurry through the dark, their eyes aglow) but also what didn't--again leaving the central location to focus on a group of teenage degenerates, though instead of incorporating them into the action like the first time, Bava seems content to let them grind the movie to a halt. Nor does Bava seem interested in recreating the atmospheric use of lighting, opting to concentrate on gore and forced mayhem (but at least he kept a euro-cheese synth soundtrack).
Perhaps Bava and Argento were aware their sequel would have the tarnished reputation it would soon earn, since they don't aim for a third installment by ending 2 on a more upbeat note. Our heroes (a young married couple expecting their first child) are trapped in a television studio surrounded by monitors, each one featuring a demonized Tassoni rushing toward the screen. The husband smashes each one in turn as his wife gives birth, reversing the demons' intent by delivering something good and innocent into the world.
If you must see DEMONS 2, I highly recommend renting a DVD so you can bypass the tedium and enjoy the transformation sequences. There is a few interesting tidbits here, but for a more productive viewing experience you'll be better off sticking with the original.
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