“The zombies have returned! The horror begins again as mysterious barrels bounce off an Army transport as it passes through a new housing development and land near an abandoned cemetery. Mischievous neighborhood boys discover the barrels and open them, unaware of the evil contained within. A deadly green vapor escapes and turns the living into flesh-eating zombies and causes the dead to rise from their graves. As these hideous living dead hunt down the fresh human brains they need, man is pitted against man, and the living against the dead. It is a macabre struggle for survival!”
Return of the Living Dead Part II really needs no introduction. If you haven’t seen the first film, you should change that, because it’s hilariously campy and this is a continuation of that in every form. One thing to make clear is that this is in no way connected to George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead or any of its sequels. These zombies are much different from the ones we’ve grown to know and love in recent years. Thanks to a chemical developed by the military, when exposed the dead will come back to life no matter what state they’re in, and the living begin to slowly die, yet retaining consciousness and turn into the living dead. Oh yeah, and they’re desperately hungry for brains which quell the pain of being dead. Unlike normal zombie fashion, separating the brain from the host does not kill it here. You can cut it all up into tiny pieces and those pieces will work independently to come after you, and as far as I can tell it’s not transmitted in any other way but by direct exposure to the chemical.
Fans of the original may remember two actors from the first that star again in the sequel. James Karen and Thom Mathews who played two people infected by the toxin and slowly wasted away into the living dead now play two completely different people who have the exact same thing happen to them. As untraditional as this is I find it to be absolutely hilarious, as the characters even mention they non-existent has happened to them before. It’s so tongue in cheek that only adds to the camp of the film. They do such a good job of hamming it up, it gives the film a levity to it that overshadows the almost nonexistent story. Another certainly memorable component of the film is Jessie, played by Michael Kenworthy. This kid is all over the place. At some moments I think he’s great, and at other times I’m shaking my head in disbelief. He definitely adds a certain dimension to the film that can’t be changed.
As far as the rest of the film goes, if you’ve seen the first then you know exactly what to expect. There isn’t anything new or unique brought to the table, just a lot of gore and a good time. The film knows exactly what it is, its target audience, and fully embraces each and every aspect of it to give fans a time of their lives. What it lacks in substance of story it more than makes up for in ridiculousness that you can’t help but love.
Video
Return of the Living Dead Part II is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1 with a brand new 2k scan from the interpositive. This was great news for fans of the film, and the transfer looks amazing. There is a bit of softness throughout, with very minor blemishes here and there, but overall this film has been given a great treatment by Scream Factory and makes sure that it looks better than it ever has.
Audio
The audio is perhaps one of the things that fans of this film will be paying closest attention to. On the DVD release of the film, the rights weren’t acquired to the songs used on the soundtrack and were replaced with some kind of horrible keyboard synthesizer sounds. I’m happy to relay that the original soundtrack is included, and I can’t stress enough how vital that was for this release. The soundtrack is perfectly selected in each scene and does so much to elevate each one. Other than that great news for fans, no other issues were noted.
Special Features
We can always count on Scream Factory to go above and beyond in extras when it comes to their Collector’s Editions. The list of new extras is huge! Fans of this film will be very excited to see everything that also includes a ton of older extras to be sure you have everything possible. Checking out these extras is highly recommended.
• NEW 2K Scan From The Interpositive
• NEW Audio Commentary With Actress Suzanne Snyder
• NEW Audio Commentary With Gary Smart (Co-author Of The Complete History Of The Return Of The Living Dead) And Filmmaker Christopher Griffiths
• NEW Back To The Dead: The Effects Of “Return Of The Living Dead Part II” – Including Interviews With Special Make-up Effects Creator Kenny Myers And Special Make-up Effects Artists Andy Schoneberg And Mike Smithson
• NEW The Laughing Dead – An Interview With Writer/Director Ken Wiederhorn
• NEW Undead Melodies – An Interview With Composer J. Peter Robinson
• NEW Interview With Actor Troy Fromin
• Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Ken Wiederhorn And Co-star Thor Van Lingen
• They Won’t Stay Dead: A Look At Return Of The Living Dead Part II Including Interviews With James Karen, Thom Matthews, Brian Peck, Kenny Myers, Susan Snyder, Michael Kenworthy, And More…
• Archival Featurette – Live From The Set
• Archival Interviews With Ken Wiederhorn, James Karen, Thom Matthews, And Kenny Myers
• Behind-the-scenes Footage
• Theatrical Trailer And Teaser Trailer
• TV Spots
• Still Gallery Of Posters And Stills
• Still Gallery Of Behind-the-scenes Stills From Makeup Effects Artists Kenny Myers And Mike Smithson
Return of the Living Dead Part II may not be as memorable as the first, but it gives fans exactly what they want in bringing back this crazy and different type of undead that horror fans will absolutely have a blast watching. Another great addition to Scream Factory’s Collector’s Edition Series!
