The Lucid Nightmare: James Karen

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Monday, March 21, 2016

Thursday, September 19, 2013

REVIEW: Return of the Living Dead Part 2

Return of the Living Dead Part 2

Director: Ken Wiederhorn

Year 1988

Return of the Living Dead Part 2 is the campy sequel to the 1985 hit horror/comedy hybrid, The Return of the Living Dead, directed by Dan O'Bannon. Featuring a fresh group of victims and a whole new storyline, this late 80's gem takes the same tongue and cheek approach that the original movie established yet cranks it up to absurd levels. As mixtures of horror and comedies go, Return of the Living Dead Part 2 is a satisfying romp that has one hell of a bite.

The film begins as a group of kids find a lost barrel in a sewer drain, containing the remains of zombified corpse. Mistakenly one of them opens up the canister, releasing a toxic gas named 2-4-5 Trioxen that begins reanimating the dead. Quickly the town starts to be overrun by hordes of flesh-eating ghouls and it's up to a rag tag group of survivors to find a way out of the city or become the main course for an all you can eat zombie buffet.

What's always fun about these types of films is that there is never really a main character to speak of within the movie, but more of an ensemble group that the story focuses on. In the case of this film, it's a motley group of people consisting of a pair of gravediggers, a few kids, a cable repairman, and a crotchety old man. This unique assortment of characters needs an equally unique cast of actors and the film establishes this with great aplomb. Running through most of the cast, Michael Kenworthy plays the role of Jesse Wilson one of the kids who first finds the canister, while Marsha Dietlein takes on the role of Jesse's older sister Lucy Wilson. They are both exceptionally good in their roles with Kenworthy playing the wisecracking little brother to 80's perfection and Dietlein looking as cute as a button as the smartass and sassy sister. Jason Hogan takes on the role of Johnny the cable repairman, who also becomes a love interest for Dietlein's Lucy character, while Philip Bruns plays the role of Doc Mandel the elderly and clueless neighborhood weirdo. Hogan is cool as the teenage zombie killer while Bruns performance as the neurotic old Doc Mandel is especially entertaining.

Of course I've left the best for last and that would be James Karen as Ed and Thom Mathews as Joey, not to mention the third wheel of this special group Suzanne Snyder as Brenda. Karen and Mathews are essentially reprising their roles from the first film, with the student mentor relationship in full swing. This time instead of the two working at a medical supply warehouse they are putting in late night hours as gravediggers. I can't say that their performance is as memorable and classic as it was in the original, but they do give it their all and the moments they are together on screen are just comedic gold. All in all, this cast is extraordinarily great and the chemistry between the group is what makes this entry so special.

As with the previous installment of the series, the film tries to maintain an equal balance of horror and comedy, but with this iteration the pendulum tends to swing more towards the comedic side of things. This of course isn't a bad thing, but it is quite different from the balancing act that the first film was able to sustain. I still enjoy the wacky nature of this entry, with its blatantly whimsical style and non-serious approach. It is a true 80's gem that just wants to have fun and has no ulterior motives aside from that, and that is the same approach that made so many films of this era so fun and enjoyable.

Even though the tone is a bit different from the original, the effects and overall look of the film is still intact. The zombie makeup and designs are just as grotesque as before, with decaying bodies and rotten faces looking especially devilish, while the atmosphere is locked in that foggy haze from right out of a nightmare. It's interesting to see that same kind of visual potency that the original was able to conjure up, is intact in the sequel, and it's a nice touch that lends to the credibility of the series. As before, the zombies in this flick talk and do all sorts of silly things, but the balance of horror and comedy is just close enough that it doesn't throw the film into a confusing mess. In the end, the film is just a fun ride that shouldn't be taken seriously, yet appreciated for its entertainment value.

Return of the Living Dead Part 2 is a respectable sequel to an unfaltering cult classic. One that may not get the formula exactly perfect, but gets it close enough to echo the tone and atmosphere of the original. Lensed in a particularly vivid moment in time, the film has a wicked nostalgia to it that lends to the fun factor of the flick. It's silly, it's strange, and it could only be made in the 80's. Trapped in that moment of time, the movie thrives, and you're instantly whisked away to those days when horror movies were fun and outrageous.

The cast basks in this cinematic time frame, with the stereotypical line-up of characters filling in to round out this distinct fictional world. Kenworthy, Dietlein, Hogan, Snyder, Mathews and Karen, all bring their best camp performances to the table and their efforts work wonders in engaging us in all the ridiculous proceedings. Even with its over the top tongue and cheek approach, and its penchant for riding off the rails, I still find this second entry in the series enjoyable and I wouldn't change a thing. You just can't beat these types of 80's flicks and if you're a fan of this era of film-making and you haven't checked this one out, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. Return of the Living Dead Part 2 is.....

Hey! How's it going?

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things.

How about a little head buddy?

Is everyone enjoying the movie?

Shit it's old man Jenkins! Punch him in the face!

Ewwwwwwww!

Pull my finger.... Oh Shit!

Zombies just love sweater vests.

It's a family vacation from hell!

Hey! Screw you too buddy!

Good... Bad.... I'm the hot chick with the gun.

Looks like someone pooped their pants again.

Shocking!

Cat got your....... Jaw?

Zombie Apocalypse Staring Contest..... GO!

Get some you two crazy kids.

Cause this is THRILLER!

Get that damn camera out of my face!

Thursday, July 18, 2013

REVIEW: The Return of the Living Dead

The Return of the Living Dead

Director: Dan O'Bannon

Year 1985

The Return of the Living Dead is a horror comedy cult classic! I could leave it at that, but that wouldn't be much of a review, so allow me to explain. Drenched in 80's goodness and warped to the max, this outstanding zombie entry is absolutely entertaining. With its diverse and memorable cast and its penchant for grotesque zombie mayhem, The Return of the Living Dead brings us all the iconic archetypes of George Romero's dead infested world, yet turns it on its head by cranking up the comedy and playing up the fun. In grand fashion the film is a riot, which will have you rolling with laughter, while at the same time being sick to your stomach at the demented things that director Dan O'Bannon throws your way.

The film takes place after the events of George Romero's Night of the Living Dead and the government has hushed up their involvement in the incident, packing away containers of infected corpses in order to take back for experimentation. As luck would have it, or misfortune, one of the containers ends up being shipped to a medical supply warehouse where two bumbling workers, Frank and Freddy, accidentally release the deadly gas inside the canister, unleashing a potent chemical that re-animates the dead. As the town is quickly overrun by an army of walking corpses, the few remaining survivors must band together in order to survive the night.

The greatest asset that this film has going for itself is the tremendous cast of characters that litter its story. Engaging, interesting and hilarious, they all do their individual parts to bring this film to stark life. James Karen and Thom Mathews take on the roles of Frank and Freddy, the two numbskulls who end up unleashing the deadly gas responsible for turning Louisville, Kentucky into an undead feeding ground. These guys are fabulous together and their chemistry is just ridiculously potent, resulting in some unforgettable scenes and dialogue that will be tumbling around in your head years after viewing. The banter between the two is just astounding and they really introduce the movie off on the right foot.

From then on the cast just gets wilder and wilder as we are introduced to the pair's boss, a group of punk kids, and a mortician that is a little more than loopy. Clu Gulager plays the role of Burt, Frank and Freddy's boss, and he is just great as the older sarcastic character who turns out to be quite the zombie killer. He's kind of an asshole, but a loveable one, and his lines are classic. Don Calfa takes on the role of Ernie the mortician, and his quirky personality and baffled reactions to all that is going on around him are highly entertaining. As for the punks, the real standouts are Miguel A. Nunez Jr. as Spider, Mark Venturini as Suicide, and of course Linnea Quigley as the rarely clothed Trash. All in all, this ensemble cast is one for the record books.

On the comedic front the film opts to go for a really dark and morbid approach, specializing in over the top sequences that highlight how difficult it is to kill these breed of zombies, while allowing the undead themselves to get in on the fun. One particularly entertaining moment comes when a paramedic team is ambushed by a horde of walking corpses, resulting in one of the zombies radioing in to send more paramedics. This same gag is repeated in hilarious fashion after a squad of police cars is overtaken with the same tactic in mind. I'd have to say that one of the appealing aspects of this production is that it knows when to be silly, while still maintaining that horror focused atmosphere and edge.

As for the horror moments, they are abundant and sometimes rather unsettling in brutality. Blood explodes in wild sprays as zombies rip at flesh and tear at jugulars, all in grotesque grandeur, while the overall visual look of the film is drenched in macabre-filled imagery. It's actually hauntingly beautiful in parts, while it maintains that tongue and cheek attitude which permeates the production. The locations are equally creepy as most of the film takes place in a mortuary surrounded by a decrepit graveyard. The look and feel of the film is top notch and that goes a good distance in providing a serviceable backdrop for this literally crazy story to unfold in all its gory glory. Deservedly earning its classic and cult status, Dan O'Bannon's morbid masterpiece is a thing of demented beauty.

The Return of the Living Dead is one hell of an enjoyable zombie romp from beginning to end. Jam packed with memorable quotes and stupendous characters, the film relishes in its era, providing a distinct atmosphere that is just super-charged with 80's goodness. The combination of horror and comedy is balanced to perfection, and the over the top nature of the production is all the more potent when combined with the larger than life characters that inhabit its world.

For me the real glue that holds everything together is the ensemble cast and the roles they bring to the table. Down the line, they all establish their characters as believable, even if a good majority of them are greatly exaggerated. James Karen and Thom Mathews are especially guilty of indulging in the over acting department, but to me that extra added camp value of their performances help to establish the wacky nature of this film world. It's exceptionally thrilling to see both actors riff off of each other and their interactions are absolutely sublime once the shit hits the fan and the zombies are unleashed. Really all you need to know is that The Return of the Living Dead is a whole hell of a lot of fun and isn't that all that matters when watching a horror comedy. If this gem has somehow passed you by, make it a priority to watch this flick as soon as possible. You have no idea how much fun you are missing out on. The Return of the Living Dead is.....