MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MONSTERS PART 49; RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD PART 3

I have loved George Romero's living dead world since catching NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD on TV one Halloween, it had quite a profound effect on me. DAWN OF THE DEAD, the first sequel, even more so. In 1985 Romero released his third dead film, but it flopped, but there was another dead film that was connected to NOTLD through a direct reference in the film and by one of the writers. John Russo had co-wrote NOTLD and co-wrote the story of 1985's DOTD competitor, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, with Rudy Ricci and Russell Streiner (who also produced NOTLD)(Dan O'Bannon, who wrote Alien, wrote the screenplay and directed after Tobe Hooper backed out to make LIFEFORCE.) Though it came out a little prior to my full immersion into horror, I remember the trailer and thought it looked awesome. I begged to see it and the answer was a flat 'no, shut up.'

By the time 1993's RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3; ZOMBIE PUNK appeared on the cover of Fangoria, the first two ROTLD were well loved favorites of mine. Pre-internet, most of my horror movie news came from either Fangoria or Siskel and Ebert. So finding the new issue of Fango with Julie Walker (Mindy Clarke) on the cover with the glass and spikes sticking through her skin and looking like some kind of goth punk queen made my heart go all a'flutter.

Directed by Brian Yuzna (BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR, SOCIETY, FAUST), RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3 continued from the first two films with the military continuing to experiment with the compound that reanimates the dead. A military kid and his girlfriend accidentally witness one of the zombies being revived. Later, after having an argument with his dad, the boy and girl take off on his motorcycle and then get into an accident. The girl gets killed and the boy sneaks her back into the military compound and bring her back to life. Wackiness ensues.

If you know Yuzna, you know he makes amazing, over the top, gory films. Unfortunately, the rated version of the film is a mess (as it often is). It appears to have been edited for content by a butcher, so it's important to get the unrated version. ROTLD3 ups the comic book zaniness over the two previous films and makes Julie an amazing living dead anti-heroine. Aesthetically, Julie is one of the most interesting zombie characters ever to grace the screen and I wish she could have been spun off into her own series of films, or comics at least.

The newly re-animated Vestron Video is re-releasing ROTLD3 and giving the Blu Ray the red carpet treatment with audio commentary from Clarke and plenty of interviews. It's one of those must owns for me.

ALIEN; ISOLATION DOES THE FRANCHISE PROUD

Alien; Isolation is the sequel to Ridley Scott's original Alien fans deserve. That's not hyperbole, fiends. It's so tense and beautifully rendered. I'm not much of a gamer-in fact, I don't really care much about many games outside of the Arkham and God of War games. I'm a huge fan of the Alien franchise, though, whether it's the films, comics, or toys. I've been fairly disappointed with Alien's representation in video games, but Isolation is just so damn good.

Taking place a few years after the events onboard the Nostromo, Isolation picks up with Ellen Ripley's grown daughter, Amanda, going off to investigate a ship that might have found a clue to what happened to her mother. Amanda is a really fun and very different type of video game character. She's not a Colonial Marine, just a worker like her mother, so she's out of her element when the shit hits the fan, but like her mother, she rises to the occasion and in a wholly believable way. Amanda is smart and quick on her feet, the kind of heroine I'm very comfortable with my daughter playing as. 

Overall, I really don't have anything negative to say about Isolation. We're about half way through the game I think, and there have been plenty of moments where I'm standing up to play, because I'm too keyed up to sit still. The jump scares are legit and unlike Aliens; Colonial Marines, the xenomorph feels like a real world ending threat. ACM was a fine game for what it was, I guess, and had a comic book action feel, but something about it left me kind of disappointed once we beat it. 

Isolation has all the horror and atmosphere of the original film without feeling like a retread of that story. It deepens the Alien lore and respects the source. When people talk about video games becoming interactive movies, Isolation is the perfect example. And check out all the awesome tech easter eggs-like it was made shortly after the original film, there are cassette tapes, boom boxes, arcade games-god, it's awesome!

If I have a gripe, I guess it's the lack of save spots. Seriously. There have been some long runs between save spots that are really annoying the fifth or sixth time.

I've heard talk about a possible Friday the 13th video game, if that's happening, I hope creators take some cues from Isolation!

My Heroes Have Always Been Monsters Part 33

Return of the Living Dead is one of those films I'll never get tired of watching. Directed by the great Dan O'Bannon (writer of Alien) who replaced Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Life Force). It takes off on an alternative timeline from Night of the Living Dead (and came out the same year as Romero's Day of the Dead). Produced by NotLD's co-creator, John Russo, Return was a hipper, fast paced zombie flick. Less gory than Romero's, but funny and with better scares.

The soundtrack was amazing as well, featuring such important punk acts as The Cramps, The Flesh Eaters, TSOL and 45 Grave.

Here's The Flesh Eaters

and a fan mixed vid for 45 Grave (NSFW)

Return's living dead are fast, can speak, and are somewhat cunning when it comes to catching the living. It's not just flesh the dead have a taste for-it's "BRAAAIIINSSS..." Also, where Romero's films have a social conscience, Return is played for laughs as much for scares. 

Return was popular enough to spawn 4 sequels. The first two are worth watching for sure.  Part 3 was directed by Brian Yuzna of the ReAnimator series and Fuast. The final two came out within the last decade and are currently collecting dust on my shelf. I am looking forward to watching them soon, though.

I've loved the zombie genre since I was probably 11 and saw Night of the Living Dead for the first time. I've seen tons of zombie flicks, less than half of them being worth mentioning, but the good ones are worth going back to over and over. As a fan I find it pretty exciting that a show like the Walking Dead can be a smash hit with compelling story telling and graphic content, but at the same time I don't like seeing zombie flicks churned out like a short cut to thinking. Return of the Living Dead is modern classic and a must see for fans who like it fast, scary, and funny as hell.

Keep watching the sky, nerds!