Return of the Living Dead Part II (1988)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Ken Wiederhorn

Writer:

Ken Wiederhorn (writer)

Release Date:

15 January 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

Just when you thought it was safe to be dead.

Plot:

Curious kids unearth the barrels that helped revive the dead of the first film, which proves the second time's an undead charm.

Plot Keywords:

Army | Sequel | Living Dead | Electrocution | Suburb

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Michael Kenworthy	...	Jesse Wilson
Thor Van Lingen	...	Billy Crowley
Jason Hogan	...	Johnny
James Karen	...	Ed
Thom Mathews	...	Joey
Suzanne Snyder	...	Brenda
Marsha Dietlein	...	Lucy Wilson
Suzan Stadner	...	Aerobics Instructor
Jonathan Terry	...	Col. Glover
Dana Ashbrook	...	Tom Essex
Sally Smythe	...	Mildred Crowley (Billy's Mom)
Allan Trautman	...	Tarman
Don Maxwell	...	George Crowley (Billy's Dad)
Reynold Cindrich	...	Soldier
Philip Bruns	...	Doc Mandel
Mitch Pileggi	...	Sarge
Art Bonilla	...	Les (as Arturo Bonilla)
Terrence Riggins	...	Frank
James McIntire	...	Officer
Larry Nicholas	...	Jesse's Double
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Forrest J Ackerman	...	Harvey Kramer (Special Zombie)
Douglas Benson	...	Special Zombie
David Eby	...	Special Zombie
Nicholas Hernandez	...	Special Zombie
Derek Loughran	...	Special Zombie
Annie Marshall	...	Special Zombie
Richard Moore	...	Special Zombie
Steve Neuvenheim	...	Special Zombie
Brian Peck	...	Pussface' Zombie; 'Thriller' Zombie; 'Jaw' Zombie; 'Eye-Pop' Zombie; Zombie on Car Roof
Dana Vitatoe	...	Zombie (uncredited)

Directed by
Ken Wiederhorn

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ken Wiederhorn		writer

Produced by
Eugene C. Cashman	....	executive producer
Tom Fox	....	producer
William S. Gilmore	....	co-producer

Original Music by
J. Peter Robinson

Cinematography by
Robert Elswit

Film Editing by
Charles Bornstein

Art Direction by
Dale Allen Pelton

Set Decoration by
Suzette Sheets

Makeup Department
Brent Armstrong	....	special makeup crew
Del Armstrong	....	makeup artist
Karen Asano-Myers	....	special makeup crew
Camille Calvet	....	special makeup crew
Craig Caton	....	special makeup crew
Lisa Doering	....	special makeup crew
Eric Fiedler	....	special makeup crew
Steve Frakes	....	special makeup crew
Chris Goehe	....	special makeup crew
Lynn Del Kail	....	hair stylist
Frank Charles Lutkus III	....	special makeup crew (as Charles Lutkus)
Mark Maitre	....	special makeup crew
Shawn McEnroe	....	special makeup crew
Kenny Myers	....	special makeup designer
Tony Rupprecht	....	special makeup crew
Dennis Schultz	....	special makeup crew
Mike Smithson	....	zombie makeup effects
Loren Soman	....	special makeup crew
Michael Spatola	....	special makeup crew
Douglas J. White	....	special makeup crew

Production Management
Robin S. Clark	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William M. Elvin	....	first assistant director
Rodney-Allen Hooks	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Robert W. Henderson	....	assistant art director (as Robert Henderson)
Nikita Knatz	....	production illustrator
Len Morganti	....	storyboard artist
Michael Muhlfriedel	....	lead man (as Mick Mulfriedel)
Claude F. Powell	....	construction coordinator
Laura Settlemier	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Glenn E. Anderson	....	sound mixer
Bill W. Benton	....	sound re-recording mixer
Craig A. Dellinger	....	adr editor
Leigh French	....	looping coordinator
Dale Johnston	....	supervising sound editor
James Koford	....	sound effects editor (as Jim Koford)
William L. McCaughey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Cathie Speakman	....	sound editor
Marty Stein	....	sound effects editor
John J. Stephens	....	sound re-recording mixer
Clancy T. Troutman	....	sound designer
Clancy T. Troutman	....	sound effects editor
James Utterback	....	boom operator (as Jim Utterback)

Special Effects by
Eugene Crum	....	special effects
Terry D. Frazee	....	special effects
Gene Grigg	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Charles Mcdonald	....	visual effects animator

Stunts
Gary Lee Davis	....	stunt coordinator (as Gary Davis)
Larry Nicholas	....	stunt double
William R. Perry	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
David Boyd	....	first assistant camera
Kenny S. Christiansen	....	electrician
Stephen Crawford	....	best boy
Lynn McAfee	....	still photographer (as Lynn Davis McAfee)
Joe-Joe Presson	....	second grip (as Joseph Presson)
John Savka	....	key grip
Andy Sydney	....	second assistant camera
John Zumpano	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Paula Gilmore	....	extras casting
Stacey Rhodes	....	casting assistant (as Stacy Resch)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Iannaccone	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Rose Anne Weinstein	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Elizalde	....	music editor
Vladimir Horunzhy	....	composer: additional music

Transportation Department
D.J. Gardiner	....	driver captain
Brian Joseph Moore	....	driver
Danny Naten	....	driver co-captain

Other crew
Jean Barash	....	assistant to producers
Craig Caton	....	creature crew
Grant Gilmore	....	production assistant
Ronald E. Hairston	....	craft service (as Ron Hairston)
Linda Hassani	....	assistant: Ken Wiederhorn
K.C. Hodenfield	....	production assistant
Richard Lorenzana	....	accountant
Susan M. Lorenzana	....	assistant accountant (as Susan Lorenzana)
Stella Pacific	....	school teacher
Dale Allen Pelton	....	production assistant
Douglas W. Randall	....	production assistant
Fran Roy	....	production administrator
Caroline Sax	....	script supervisor
Steven Shkolnik	....	location manager (as Steve Shkolnik)

Production Companies

• Greenfox

Distributors

• Cineplex-Odeon Films (Canada)
• Lorimar Film Entertainment
• Lorimar Home Video
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Island Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Revenge of the Living Dead (USA) (promotional title)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Denmark:16 | Italy:T (VHS rating) | Italy:VM14 (DVD rating) | Australia:M | France:U | Norway:18 (video premiere) | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 (heavily cut) | Mexico:C | UK:15 (video rating) | Iceland:16 | Germany:18 | Finland:K-15 (2005)

Filming Locations:

Newhall, California, USA

Company:

Greenfox

Trivia:

The script was not originally written as a sequel in the "Living Dead" franchise. Producer Tom Fox was interested in Wiederhorn's story, but would only finance it if he agreed to make it a part of the series.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The Zombie shot in half had lost his hand in the car window in the previous scene. When he lifts his torso by his hands to attack the gang in the hospital cellar, his hand reappears for one shot. In the commentary, however, the director mentions that this actor was one of several used for multiple scenes. His description suggests that this wasn't supposed to be the same zombie from earlier.

Quotes:

Lucy Wilson: Look, they're ugly and they're dirty and they're dumb, and I don't even care if they are dead. I hate 'em, there's no way they're touching me!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Husk lige tandbørsten: Thailand eller Tylstrup (#1.5)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

High Priest of Love

Disappointing

This lame sequel has nothing to do with the first film except for the presence of the chemical 245 Trioxin which, at films beginning, rolls off of an army truck and lands in a ditch outside of a planned suburban community. Soon, obnoxious children are munching on their mommy's brains and the military is evacuating the neighborhood. Except they forgot about an annoying, aerobics obsessed teenage girl, her little brother and her potential boyfriend. Or maybe they didn't forget, and just wanted to see them all die as much as I did. James Karen and Thom Mathews are back, but they're given little to do and end up trying to reprise their witty roles from the first film, an attempt which falls sadly flat.

I was terribly disappointed in this sequel to the hilarious and innovative first film. Not even the presence of Brian Peck ("Scuz" from the first film) dressed up as a Michael Jackson zombie, could save this film for me. It's slow, it's dull, the acting is awful, the characters are unlikable and the premise is weak. It could have been so much better. Stick with the first film and skip this flop.