Return of the Living Dead Part II (1988)

Director:

Ken Wiederhorn

Writer:

Ken Wiederhorn (written by)

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:

Living Dead | Undead | Sequel | Army | Gore

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
Hanala Sagal	...	Aerobics Instructor (as Suzan Stadner)
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) (as Forrest Ackerman)
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
Eric Clarke	...	Zombie (uncredited)
Bobby Porter	...	Zombie Kid (uncredited)
Dana Vitatoe	...	Zombie (uncredited)

Directed by
Ken Wiederhorn

Writing credits
Ken Wiederhorn		(written by)

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		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Charles Bornstein

Casting by
Shari Rhodes

Art Direction by
Dale Allen Pelton		(as Dale Allan 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
Lynn Del Kail	....	hair stylist
Lisa Doering	....	special makeup crew
Eric Fiedler	....	special makeup crew
Steve Frakes	....	special makeup crew
Chris Goehe	....	special makeup crew
Frank Charles Lutkus III	....	special makeup crew (as Charles Lutkus)
Mark Maitre	....	special makeup crew
Shawn McEnroe	....	special makeup crew
Kenny Myers	....	special makeup creator
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
Matt Marich	....	foam technician (uncredited)

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
Ray Storey	....	visual consultant (as Raymond G. Storey)

Sound Department
Glenn E. Anderson	....	sound mixer
Bill W. Benton	....	sound re-recording mixer
Craig A. Dellinger	....	adr editor
Leigh French	....	looping coordinator
Al Gomez	....	foley mixer
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
David Chackler	....	music supervisor: Sounds of Film Ltd.
John Elizalde	....	music editor
Vladimir Horunzhy	....	composer: additional music
John Andrew Schreiner	....	musician

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 (as Stella Pacifici)
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
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Island Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Revenge of the Living Dead" - USA (promotional title)
"Battalion 2" - Japan (English 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) | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/16 | 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:

Kersting Court at Sierra Madre Boulevard, Sierra Madre, California, USA

Company:

Greenfox

Trivia:

The MPAA would have granted this film a PG-13, if the scene at the hospital where the zombie is shot in half was toned down.

Goofs:

Continuity: Ed hits Doc Mandel with the bedpan on the right side of the head, but Doc puts his hand to the left side, and later has a band-aid on the left side of his head.

Quotes:

Doc Mandel:Hardly anything to get excited about, it's only a severed hand.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Love Beyond the Grave: A Look at Return of the Living Dead III (2011) (V)

Soundtrack:

I'm The Man (Def/Uncensored Version)

probably least favorite among the 'Return of' movies; not without some laughs and zombie thrills

Return of the Living Dead Part 2 is too cheesy, self-referential, inane, and almost tries for so much (with more money and more locations/zombies) it falls flat on its face. There are some very good moments though underneath the very broad strokes from the script. The make-up and effects almost try to one-up the first film, even if that too sometimes lacks a certain demented sense of humor not tapped well. The simple story this time follows the same set of cannisters that let out the cork of the story, and once an 'egg hatches', as in the film film, it lets out a wrath via acid-rain and smoke that rises the dead and infects our heroes from the last film (played in performances not as hysterically spot-on as in the first entry by James Karen and Thom Matthews). This time there's also the heroic kid, a couple of screamingly hectic girls, and an odd-ball doctor (among the living that is). There's even a paper-thin sub-plot involving the boy and his soon zombified brother. And, in the end, it all leads to the power station where electricity now comes into play.

The soundtrack to the movie actually is one of the better parts of the movie (the original 80's soundtrack that is, not the new one on DVD)- some songs of course very dated, though still quite appropriate in their frozen 80s metal state of mind. There's also quite a good laugh hearing an unexpected Robert Palmer 'Doctor Doctor' song involving the soon-to-be-undead. And sometimes the little gags and puns thrown in, either through dialog of an obvious satirical jab (i.e. zombies stop everything that they do to watch a TV), do work enough to watch it from start to finish without having some good times. But there are downsides that do come with, almost, being too much like a goofy story than delivering genuine scares. The writer/director, Ken Wiederhorn, lacks the real skill of balancing more delirious and crazy moments that build on some laughs based on practically lampooning zombie movies, and doesn't have the same measured control as Dan O'Bannon did with Part 1. Little gags like driving zombies don't work as well as just simple insane looks from the actors- which for the most part is just average and banal (aside from the odd doctor who is just, well, odd).

I wouldn't rush to see Return of the Living Dead part 2, unless you're really a zombie-movie fan, or have seen the other 2 (discounting the direct to video sequels), OR want a couple of dumb tongue-in-cheek references to Michael Jackson's Thriller video. Good enough as a very standard zombie movie, but with potential that goes to waste. C+