Mortuary Academy (1988)

Director:

Michael Schroeder

Writers:

Paul Bartel (screenwriter)
Bill Kelman

Release Date:

May 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

You're Dead. They're Delighted.

Plot:

"Police Academy" clone, about some nerds who inherit an academy for morticians, which is run by a corrupt closet necropheliac...

Plot Keywords:

Mortician | Dog | Black Comedy | Inheritance | Necrophilia

Cast

Richard Kennedy	...	George Miller Esq. (as R.D. Kennedy)
Christopher Atkins	...	Max Grimm
Perry Lang	...	Sam Grimm
Gary Veney	...	Mailman
Bruce Wagner	...	Schuyler
James Daughton	...	Yuppie at Car Lot
Megan Blake	...	Tammy
Dona Speir	...	Nurse
Kymberly Paige	...	Nurse
Rebekka Armstrong	...	Nurse
Laurie Ann Carr	...	Nurse
Nedra Volz	...	Helen
Zane W. Levitt	...	Baby Casket Creditor (as Zane Levitt)
Paul Bartel	...	Paul Truscott
Mary Woronov	...	Mary Purcell
Anthony James	...	Abbott Smith
Bill Kerr	...	Brody
Tracey Walter	...	Don Dickson
Mark Hammond	...	Larry Hirsch
Lynn Danielson-Rosenthal	...	Valerie Levitt (as Lynn Danielson)
Stoney Jackson	...	James Dandridge
Cheryl Starbuck	...	Linda Hollyhead
Brian Cole	...	Randy
Vance Colvig Jr.	...	Uncle Willard (as Vance Colvig)
Barbara Sands	...	Mrs. Feuer
Gregory R. Wolf	...	Tony (as Gregory Wolf)
Jeff Thiel	...	Sean O'Rourke (as Jeffrey Thiel)
James Thiel	...	Mick O'Rourke
June C. Ellis	...	Widow
Kimberly Ann Evans	...	Skating Waitress (as Kimberly Evans)
Paul Capp	...	Beach Yuppie
J. Greg De Felice	...	Beach Yuppie (as Greg De Felice)
Adam Englund	...	Beach Yuppie
Brent Haleen	...	Beach Yuppie (as Brett Haleen)
Vickie Benson	...	Salesgirl
Tamayo Otsuki	...	Nancy Nissan (as Tamayo)
Karen Witter	...	Christie Doll (as Karen Whitter)
Dafna Law	...	Bereaved Fan
Wolfman Jack	...	Bernie Berkowitz
Fred Pierce	...	Vacuum Salesman
Charles Gherardi	...	Mr. Harding (as Charles Gherard)
Chris Hebert	...	Ben Biallystock
Michael Jason Rosen	...	Ben's Brother (as Michael Rosen)
Bob Tzudiker	...	Mr. Biallystock
Bobbi Pavis	...	Sexy Dancer
Leisa Washington	...	Lady Caterer
Paul F. Antonelli	...	Radio Werewolf
Evil Wilhelm	...	Radio Werewolf
Nikolas Schreck	...	Radio Werewolf
James 'Filth' Collord	...	Radio Werewolf
Cesar Romero	...	Ship's Captain
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Darrell Carroll	...	Dead Guy in Coffin (uncredited)
Edgar L. Davis	...	Bros.'s Mortuary Attendant (uncredited)
Michael Matson	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Shawn Wilson	...	Police Officer (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Schroeder

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Paul Bartel		screenwriter
Bill Kelman		(as William Kelman)

Produced by
Kim Jorgensen	....	executive producer
Zane W. Levitt	....	co-producer (as Zane Levitt)
Chip Miller	....	producer
Patrick Regan	....	supervising producer
Shelley E. Reid	....	associate producer (as Shelley Reid)
Alain Silver	....	supervising producer
Dennis Winfrey	....	producer

Original Music by
David Spear

Cinematography by
Roy H. Wagner		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ellen Keneshea

Production Design by
Jon Rothschild

Art Direction by
Gary T. New

Set Decoration by
Suzanne Shield-Polk

Costume Design by
Elisabeth Scott

Makeup Department
Marie-Gabrielle Clark	....	makeup artist
Carole Micozzi	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Chip Miller	....	executive in charge of post-production
Alain Silver	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bill Cherones	....	assistant director trainee (as Bill Cherones)
Sharon Gerhard	....	second assistant director
Verónica González Rubio	....	second assistant director (as Veronica Gonzalez-Rubio)
Patrick Regan	....	first assistant director
Dennis M. White	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Steve Allsberg	....	head carpenter
Michael Borkin	....	leadman
Ken Feemster	....	carpenter
Bob Firestone	....	construction coordinator
Mervyn Hope	....	assistant art director
James Monroe	....	property master
Jason Rothschild	....	carpenter
Barry Schroeder	....	carpenter
Mike Taske	....	paint foreman
Vicke Van Hook	....	art department production assistant
Mollie H. Yasuda	....	assistant property master (as Mollie Yasuda-Abramitis)

Sound Department
Trevor Black	....	production sound
Jim Bryan	....	dialogue editor
Michelle Garuik	....	assistant sound engineer
Eugene Gearty	....	sound effects editor (as Gene Gearty)
Uwe Hegenberg	....	boom operator
Mark Linden	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ken Lomas	....	assistant sound engineer
Sharon Michaels	....	foley artist
Roger Monk	....	sound engineer
Michael Salvetta	....	foley artist (as Michael A. Salvetta)
Paul Schremp	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Ulrich	....	supervising adr editor

Special Effects by
Allen Hall	....	assistant special effects
Frank Lobo	....	assistant special effects
Bob Williams	....	special effects

Stunts
Billy Bates	....	stunt player
Doug Coleman	....	stunt player
Keith Harvey	....	stunt player
Mike Kirton	....	stunt coordinator
Nick Plantico	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
William Boatman	....	camera assistant (as Bill Boatman)
Alicia Brauns	....	camera assistant
Greg Bridges	....	grip
Steve Gero	....	best boy
Rainer Giermasinski	....	grip
Peter Jensen	....	Steadicam operator
John Lambert	....	photographer: second unit
Julio Macat	....	photographer: second unit
Andre Martinez	....	electrician
Stephen Sharp	....	electrician
Mark Lawson Shepard	....	still photographer (as Mark Shepard)
Scott E. Steele	....	camera assistant (as Scott Steele)
Ronald Vidor	....	additional photographer (as Ron Vidor)
H. Mark Vuille	....	electrician (as Mark Vuille)
Chuck Wells	....	key grip
Kenneth H. Wiatrak	....	gaffer (as Ken Wiatrak)
William Small	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gini Kramer	....	set costumer
Melinda Leeson	....	set costumer
Sue Miller	....	set costumer (as Sue Travis Miller)

Editorial Department
Tammis Chandler	....	assistant editor
Michael McCann	....	negative cutter: Alter-Image
Sue Travis Miller	....	post-production coordinator (as Sue Travis Miller)
Walter Rose	....	color timer (as Walt Rose)

Music Department
Peter Afterman	....	music supervisor
Bill Black	....	associate music editor
Brian Mann	....	composer: additional music
Chip Miller	....	music producer: additional music
Roger Monk	....	score mixer
Barbara Pokras	....	supervising music editor

Transportation Department
Leo Andrade	....	driver
Gregory Meese	....	driver
Hector Mendoza	....	driver
Louis T. Wolfe	....	driver

Other crew
Ronald Abrams	....	assistant location manager (as Ron Abrams)
Mickey Cottrell	....	publicist
Rick Feder	....	craft service
Roberto Gonzales-Rubio	....	stand-in (as Roberto Gonzalez-Rubio)
Yelena Guzman	....	assistant production coordinator
Nan Herst	....	unit publicist
Sarah Holle	....	production coordinator
Bob Hoover	....	production accountant (as Robert Hoover)
David Kakita	....	payroll: Cast & Crew Payroll
Shawna Kelley	....	production office intern
Tony La Torre	....	production office intern (as W. Tony LaTorre)
Nancy Lazarus	....	assistant location manager
Justin Christopher Miller	....	production intern
Pollyanna Moser	....	script supervisor
Michael Jason Rosen	....	assistant to supervising producers (as Michael Rosen)
Leslie Rowan	....	pre-production coordinator
Tom Sanders	....	production assistant
Gyongyver Sovago	....	technical production assistant
Joseph H. Strauss	....	insurance: General Insurance Consultants
Richard Trugman	....	production legal: Bushkin, Gaims, Gaines and Jonas
Kathryn Wilde	....	stand-in
Dennis Winfrey Jr.	....	stand-in

Thanks
Herman Hadler	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Landmark Productions

Distributors

• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Starlight
• Taurus Entertainment Company

Other Companies

• Alter Image  negative cutter (as Alter-Image)
• Bushkin, Gaims, Gaines and Jonas  production legal
• Cast & Crew Payroll Services  payroll (as Cast & Crew Payroll)
• Cherokee Studios  music recorded at
• General Insurance Consultants  insurance
• Gourmet Chabar Inc.  production catering (as Gourmet Chabar)
• Inter Video  24-frame video (as Intervideo)
• Josh Baran & Associates  publicity
• Klasky-Csupo  title sequence animation (as Klasky Csupo Inc.)
• Norm Marshall and Associates  special thanks
• PM Promotions  special thanks
• Panavision  Louma crane provided by (as Panavision®)
• Panavision  Panaflex camera and lenses provided by (as Panavision®)
• Ray Mercer & Company  titles and opticals (as Ray Mercer & Co.)
• Sounder Studios  score remixed at
• Superior Casting  extra casting
• TAV Sound Inc.  sound (as TAV/Sound)
• The Keylite P.S.I. Group  location equipment provided by (as Keylite/PSI)
• The Little Mountain Sound Studios Ltd.  score recorded at
• Unique Product Placement  special thanks

Also Known As:

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Norway:18 | Iceland:16 | UK:18 | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Landmark Productions

It's a stiff

Brothers Sam and Max inherit a mortuary from their late uncle with the added stipulation that they must pass the Mortuary Academy which is run by Paul and Mary (Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov from "Eating Raoul"). who don't want the brothers owning the mortuary and do everything in their power to stop them. This movie has numerous actors that fans will remember (Pual Bartel, Mary Woronov, Tracey Walter, Wolfman Jack, and Vance Colvig Jr) All those name faces from B-movie greats can't mask that this film stinks more then a year old corpse. Bad taste CAN be funny. IF done right, pretty much every subject can bring about a laugh or three, but that requires talent, something this movie seems to be lacking. Furthermore, to mention this film in the same sentence as the classic "Porky's" or "Revenge of the Nerds" is damn near blasphemy.

My Grade: D-

Eye Candy: Cheryl Starbuck is topless