The need for a cure becomes even greater when the latest member of government operative Raimi’s team is bitten. It’s a flesh-tearin’, face-shreddin’, belly-rippin’ race against time. But zombies aren’t the only thing that stands in their way…
First of all I have to confess, I have never seen this movie before in my life. Now before you shake those “For shame!” fists at me, you can just put away those sharpened pitchforks. For I can assure you that such is the eclecticism of my horror collection that to sneeze at the wrong decibel would cause a domino-like chain reaction lethal enough to kill 2 Kardashians. And partially maim a third.
Not even 2 months have passed since 88’s release of the wacky yet satirical duo of schlock-o-romps that are The Suckling (1990) & Flesh Eating Mothers (1988), and already we are being treated to J. R. Bookwalter’s The Dead Next Door. And what a treat it is, as it fuses the humour of Return of the Living Dead (1985) with the gory chaos of Day of the Dead (1985) and presents it with such irresistible independent charm as can only be found in earlier gore-fests, such as The Evil Dead (1981). And if that’s not enough, Bruce Campbell himself steps in on dubbing duties.
Bruce does a great job on Raimi, as his commanding voice fits Pete Ferry’s look perfectly. The special effects team have done a phenomenal job on this movie. Something about a good zombie mauling just makes my day. It’s like watching fireworks as a kid, only with less blood. It’s a cool and colourful show, which makes me so grateful for the improvements that have been made to the film’s picture.
Make no mistake. This isn’t a slick, clean-cut operation. It has its blips, its bloops and its faults. But that only adds to the fun, making it even harder to hate. The cult that puts a major hitch in Raimi’s mission is dafter than the one in Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (1988). But they’ll make you laugh when they go BOOM!
LAST WORDS:
Whether you realise it, or not, it’s important to have a degree of respect for the journey that this movie has taken over the years. Dip into disc’s features and you will know just how commendable the sheer level of care that is put into bringing out the best level of quality for the long-time fans and appreciative first-timers, such as myself, to enjoy. And enjoy it I did. It now has its own place in my deadly collection.