VIDEO REVIEW: Return of the Living Dead 3

IMAGES: What's On?

Demolition Man (1993)

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993)

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982)

Demolition Man (1993)

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993)

Yes Madam (1985)

Cinq millions comptant (1957)

Summons to Death (1967)

REVIEW: Return of the Living Dead 3

Return of the Living Dead 3

Director: Brian Yuzna

Year 1993

Return of the Living Dead 3 is a surprisingly serious sequel to the long standing zombie horror/comedy series of the same name. Intimately approached, yet still chock full of gory goodness, this third installment goes for the jugular in both its horrific content and emotional story arch. In its daring attempts to change the sub-genre and the series, Return of the Living Dead 3 marks an astonishingly different take which greatly benefits the overall quality of this morbid tale. Like a Romeo and Juliet story set in hell, this zombie flick has one seriously infectious bite.

The film follows two young lovers named Curt Reynolds and Julie Walker, who being typical bored teenagers, decide to cause some trouble and break in to a military base where Curt's father is stationed. Once inside, they witness a number of horrible experiments that the government is testing, including reanimating dead bodies by the use of the deadly gas 2-4-5 Trioxen. Disgusted and freaked out, the couple decide to slip out of the complex before being seen. Unfortunately, later that night Curt has a fight with his father which results in Curt and Julie speeding off into the night on Curt's motorcycle and consequently getting into a horrible accident. Curt is banged up in the crash but Julie dies on impact, forcing Curt to do the unthinkable and head back to the military base and use the 2-4-5 Trioxen gas on Julie to bring her back to life. What follows is a love story that is truly dark, disturbing and impossibly entertaining.

Melinda Clarke takes on the role of Julie Walker, the beautiful rebellious teenager who suddenly becomes an undead, yet still very sexy zombie. Clarke is astounding as the troubled character and she puts all she has into the role. She's mesmerizing, disturbing, and highly addictive, and her performance literally steals the show from the rest of the cast members. In emphatic tone, Clarke commands such a great deal of screen presence that you find yourself sympathizing with her character and all of the horrible things she goes through within the run time of the film. It's amazing, the sheer range that Clarke has to convey as her character regresses into a savage state of mind, but she pulls it off with flying colors.

Paired up with Melinda Clarke is J. Trevor Edmond, as he takes on the role of Curt Reynolds the desperate hero of the piece. Against Clarke's performance, Curt doesn't tend to stand out, but be that as it may he does an excellent job with the role and makes for a believable hero. Much like Clarke's demanding character, Edmond has a great deal to do over the course of the film as the reluctant Curt. His sole purpose in the story is to keep his girlfriend somewhat alive and to stop her from regressing into a violent walking corpse, yet as the film moves along you can see that matters only get worse for our hero. Edmond's determined portrayal is quite endearing, and like Clarke, he handles the physical portions of the film with ease. Combined, J. Trevor Edmond and Melinda Clarke are an astounding team, and a great asset to the film.

As for the decision to take the film series into more dark and desperate territory, I'm all for it. The switching of sub-genres is a tricky thing, but in this case the end result is more than worth it. Though the tonal focus of the movie is steered towards a horror/romance/sci-fi hybrid, there is still a vague tongue and cheek attitude to the production. It may not be as over the top and in your face as the original The Return of the Living Dead, or especially the second entry Return of the Living Dead Part 2, but it's there in the expressive characters and out of control situations that come into play within the movie's twisted narrative. It might come to a shock to some viewers hoping to rekindle the magic of the original, but if you approach it with an open mind, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the film's ultimately dark vision.

Speaking of dark visions, Return of the Living Dead 3 is rather ballsy in this particular department. The gore is in ample supply, spouting from cracked skulls and severed limbs, while spilling out for all to see. If there is one thing that this entry carried over from the rest of the series, it is that they kept the blood lust intact. As before the zombies are viscous and they are proned to let the red stuff fly at the drop of a hat. All of the gory details are expertly crafted by the effects team and you can tell that they are having a blast showcasing every special effects trick in the book. This also carries over to Melinda Clarke's grotesque and alluring transformation into a sort of S and M zombie dominatrix, with her extraordinarily abundant piercings, including impaled shards of glass and rusty metallic objects. It's a hardcore flick with an interesting take on the Romeo and Juliet plot line, but it is one that you shouldn't be disappointed with as long as you keep an open mind and take in the truly awesome original zombie story.

Return of the Living Dead 3 is a sequel that genuinely makes a hard left in veering from the series original course, but one that finds its own ground to tread on and wreak havoc in. Surprisingly heartfelt and extremely sadistic, this unique gem opts to rewrite the cliched Shakespearean romance plot by adding its own twisted flair and outrageous cast of characters.

Melinda Clarke simply owns this film, from beginning to end, as she portrays one of the most sympathetic heroines in all of the horror genre. You can tell that she put all of herself in this role and that kind of commitment does not go unnoticed. Through pain and determination, she created a role for the ages and for that I can't praise her enough. J. Trevor Edmond also gives a great effort as Clarke's partner in crime and he carries the rest of the film with an outstanding sense of vigor. Toppled with the gore, the totally bleak tone and the tremendous atmosphere, Return of the Living Dead 3 is a surprisingly brutal horror hybrid that isn't afraid to shy away from the norm in order to tell its most compelling story. Simply put, this film is.....

Zombies with braces! What will they come up with next?

God Damn You're Sexy!

Son.... I didn't order a knuckle sandwich.

Can you guys at home believe this crazy shit? A zombie girlfriend!

What the hell did you just say about my friend's beautiful mustache?

Finger-licking good!

Where the hell did the backseat-Asian-driver come from?

You sir disgust me! Use a fork you savage!

You besmirched my mustache for the last time!

Riverman hates it when you stare at him with puppy dog eyes.

How about I shoot you right where your mustache should be?

That's right... Take a good look at that mustache honey.

So high-fives are out then?

Peek a boo you fucks you!

Zombie Battle Staring Contest..... GO!

How about a nice zombie back rub?

Hey Riverman! Screw You!

Hey Pop.... Don't let your knuckle sandwich get cold.

X-MAS LOOT: 2010

Christmas has come and gone, and thanks to my beautiful wife and daughter, my movie collection is a little bit bigger. I received some pretty top grade flicks in the haul this year and some interesting films that I've still yet to check out. I'll give a quick run down on some of my favorites and then later on in the next couple of weeks I'll be reviewing the ones that really quench my insatiable and warped cinephile mind. I also included a choice image from each of the DVD's so enjoy the randomness of it all and I hope your Christmas was a blast.

Charade

Director: Stanley Donen

Year 1963

This is one of those films that, I hate to say, I've still yet to see. I've heard nothing but great things about the film though and I'm really looking forward to finally checking it out. The movie stars Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, two amazing actors, in what is described as a romantic comedy, thriller hybrid. I just finished up with a similar film, Arabesque, where Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren play a faint resemblance to Grant and Hepburn's characters and that movie was highly entertaining so I've got high hopes for this one.

 Now I told you, no more Christmas sweaters.

Fathom

Director: Leslie H. Martinson

Year 1967

I have been blazing my way through the spy genre as of late and have tackled films from Modesty Blaise, to the two Flint films, all the way to some obscure Eurospy films like Fury in Marrakesh and a handful of Agent 077 films, so I'm highly looking forward to checking out the lovely and talented Raquel Welch as she dives into the genre. The film looks like an absolute blast and I can't wait to give it a watch. Welch plays a skydiver named Fathom Harvill who is approached to take on a secret mission of utmost importance. FUN.

 The pilot thinks the view from here is just fine.

Humanoids from the Deep

Director: Barbara Peeters

Year 1980

Ever since I watched the crazy ass finale for this film on TV way back when I was a young lad, I've been dying to catch the whole bloody affair and finally my time has come. The film follows a group of wild and out of control aquatic hooligans as they rape, pillage, and basically massacre an entire population of a small fishing village. Sounds like a good time to me. Doug McClure of The Land That Time Forgot, The People That Time Forgot, At the Earth's Core, and Warlords of the Deep fame, takes top billing as Jim Hill who I only assume takes the fight to those damn dirty humanoid scum. I've enjoyed all of his previous roles, so I'm really looking forward to this one.

 The reactions from seeing grandma get run over by a reindeer.

Icons of Horror Collection

Sam Katzman

The Icons of Horror Collection consist of four movies, The Giant Claw, Creature with the Atom Brain, The Werewolf, and Zombies of Mora Tau. I've only seen The Werewolf and Zombies of Mora Tau from this set and both were pretty great flicks, so I'm looking forward to cracking open the other half of this set.

Creature with the Atom Brain

Director: Edward L. Cahn

Year 1955

Creature with the Atom Brain features the diabolic stylings of an ex-Nazi scientist who lends a friendly hand to an American mobster by providing him with a small army of radio-controlled atomic-powered zombies. Sounds pretty crazy and I have really no idea what to think. I'll just have to watch it to find out, but I really enjoyed Edward L. Cahn's Zombies of Mora Tau, so maybe it will end up being entertaining.

 The touch... the feel... of cotton. The fabric of our lives.

The Giant Claw

Director: Fred F. Sears

Year 1957

The Giant Claw.. Wow.. just from that picture below means an instant watch in my book. I mean where the hell are you going to see something like that in a film nowadays. They just don't make them like this anymore and wether that's a good thing or a bad thing, it doesn't really matter. The Giant Claw stars, you guessed it, a giant claw which happens to be attached to a big, angry ass bird. Again, see pic below. I have a strong feeling I'm going to be smiling a lot throughout this film.

 Holy Shit!

The Werewolf

Director: Fred F. Sears

Year 1956

The Werewolf is actually a really solid addition to the rather large collection of wolf man movies. It follows a similar plot as most in the genre, where a lone man is haunted by an inexplicable and highly dangerous ability that enables him to transform himself into a blood thirsty animal without remorse. Steve Ritch plays the inflicted man who spends most of his time stumbling and bumbling through the woods, as he struggles to come to grips with each murder that he commits. It's a damn good movie with a classy feel that really reminded me of the old Universal Monster flicks. The film's definitely a great addition to the set and it's one of the main reasons I've been itching to add it to my collection.

 Bruce Campbell, you leave that nice wolf man alone!

Zombies of Mora Tau

Director: Edward L. Cahn

Year 1957

I immensely enjoyed Zombies of Mora Tau when I first viewed it a couple of months ago. For some reason it doesn't get much love amongst the cinema circle, but I thoroughly enjoyed its camp flavor and atmospheric nature. The film holds close to its voodoo origins, yet presents the walking dead as cursed sailors who are doomed to guard the wreckage of their ship that has been rumored to harbor a legendary container of diamonds. The film moves along at a brisk pace as a group of intrepid treasure hunters attempt to recover the diamonds, while fending off the slow but menacing advances of the undead crewmen. If you're into zombies, I'd recommend checking it out. It's a fun little film.

 Come here and give me a Christmas hug you old softy.

Return of the Living Dead 3

Director: Brian Yuzna

Year 1993

Zombies! More Zombies! I've been holding off on buying this film for a long while now and it's finally time to take its rightful place next to its brethren, Return of the Living Dead 1 and 2. Not having anything to do with the first two installments, other then containing the same toxic canister that reanimated the dead in the first two movies, the third installment breaks from the more comedic style of the original two and takes a more serious stab at the sub genre. Frankly I love it and I'm glad that they chose to do something different. Glad this baby is finally home where it belongs. Viva La Zombies!

Kind of beating a dead horse when your doing dental work on zombies.

Nirvana

Director: Gabriele Salvatores

Year 1997

Now here's a curious little movie that I'd not heard of until doing some research on different kinds of cyber-punk flicks. Nirvana kept creeping up on my radar, again and again, so I've been dying to get my hands on this film and see it for myself. It stars Christopher Lambert whose career has been all over the damn place, so I really have no idea what to expect from this movie. Lambert has done some pretty great science fiction and genre films like Fortress, Subway, and Highlander, so this could be another one of those cult hits that makes it on one of my favorite lists. Only time will tell, but you might be getting a full blown review if I end up really liking it. If nothing else, the screen shot below is enough to warrant a thumbs up from me.

 Look at all the pretty colors.

OSS 117: Lost in Rio

Director: Michel Hazanavicius

Year 2009

Dear god, is there nothing more perfect then the overall tone of OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies, the first film in hopefully a long run of OSS 117 films. I've been counting the days to Christmas, until I was able to open up my copy of OSS 117: Lost in Rio, the sequel to one of my favorite films of recent memory, because this was the one DVD that I told my wife was a must have for Christmas. Luckily she heard my pleas and granted my wish, because it stands at the ready, next to my DVD player, waiting for the time when I call it to action. I'll definitely be reviewing both OSS 117 films, so stay tuned for that update in the near future.

 What a spectacular view... to a kill. Cue Duran Duran.

Suck

Director: Rob Stefaniuk

Year 2009

Another interesting flick that came out recently, is the cleverly titled Suck. I've been hearing some good things about this film and I kind of went out on a limb when suggesting it as something I wanted for Christmas. I'm sure that I'm going to like it, but I thought the same thing with Repo! The Genetic Opera and that one just didn't float my boat. I probably should give that flick another chance though, because it did have such a vibrant style to it.

Anyways, Suck is about a band that hasn't really made it big yet, that is until one of their members gets mixed up with a vampire and becomes all sexified! Yeah, I said it. Sexified! There's a large mash up of celebrity rocker cameos like Alice Cooper and Henry Rollins, so at least the music influences within the film should be rather interesting to have a listen too. This is another one of those flicks, that if I really dig, will be getting a review in the coming months.

 Malcolm McDowell is checking his list.. and checking it twice.

The Tingler

Director: William Castle

Year 1959

Ah, Tingler. The name just rolls off the tongue. You really can't go wrong with Vincent Price. Everything the man touches is gold and when you add to that already perfect equation, the directorial efforts of the legendary William Castle, well your in for a rather pleasant evening of fright and macabre filled acting. The story is actually pretty interesting, if not insanely out there.

Vincent Price plays a pathologist who comes to the conclusion that the fear that one feels during a scare is caused by a creature that lives inside us. Say whaaaaaaat? From that premise we're catapulted into a series of situations where Vincent Price is determined to provide the proof of this creature and obtain it any way necessary, even if it means MURDER. Like all Vincent Price movies, I can do nothing else but to highly recommend this for any horror movie cinephile.

Vincent Price didn't get what he wanted for Christmas. What a baby.

Well, there you have it. This was just a select handful of my Xmas Loot and hopefully you found something in there that might have peaked your interests and given you a inclination to hop on amazon.com and order it for yourself. Now I'm off to put one of these bad boys into the player and get lost in Christmas bliss. Later for now and Merry Xmas.