Ed and His Dead Mother (1993)

Director:

Jonathan Wacks

Writer (WGA):

Chuck Hughes (written by)

Genre:

Horror | Comedy

Tagline:

A family reunion with some minor complications.

Plot:

A mourning son makes a deal to reanimate his one year dead mother, however things turn into an unexpected direction.

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Chainsaw | Mother Son Relationship | Uncle Nephew Relationship | Macabre

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Eric Christmas	...	Mr. Abner
Steve Buscemi	...	Ed Chilton
Harper Roisman	...	Judge Fearson
Sam Jenkins	...	Storm Reynolds
Ned Beatty	...	Uncle Benny
Gary Farmer	...	Big Lar
Robert Harvey	...	Mr. Anderson
John Glover	...	A.J. Pattle
Miriam Margolyes	...	Mabel Chilton
Jon Gries	...	Rob Sundheimer
Dawn Hudson	...	Telemarketer
Eric Poppick	...	Sam Halibut
Rance Howard	...	Rev. Praxton
Warren Munson	...	Uncle Bill
Carol Schlanger	...	Aunt Sophie

Also Known As:

Bon Appetit, Mama (UK)
Motherhood (UK) (video title)

Runtime:

93 min | Germany:86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | UK:15 | Argentina:13 | Germany:16 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

South Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Goofs:

Continuity: Ed's mother's glasses as she jumps the fence.

Quotes:

Rev. Praxton: Ed, I like to grease the highboard better than anyone and if it was just four or five guys, I'd have no problem with that, but when I come home and find her doing the two-back beast with the entire church council, well by God, that's going too far - especially since half the council is women! That's when I take a stand. That's when I'm counted as a man! That's when I throw my balls up over my shoulder and charge into the fire!

Movie Connections:

References Braindead (1992)

Soundtrack:

Everything Right is Wrong Again

You'll either HATE it or LOVE it (like I did)

Rarely on IMDb do you see such divergent reviews--lots of HATED ITs and LOVED ITs but not so many scores in between. I think this is because to love it, you MUST be the sort of person that can appreciate sick, over-the-top comedy--like I do! This is similar to the movie EATING RAOUL, but it seems to be better written and acted.

The film begins with Ed limping through life well after the death of his beloved mother. He's obviously in a funk and can't seem to get her early death out of his mind. Then, completely out of the blue, a guy dressed in a white suit walks into Ed's hardware store and offers to bring Ed's mom back from the dead! All this only in the first few minutes of the movie! Yes, it does have some mildly gross moments (though most is described, not shown) and some VERY kooky moments (such as the newly revived Mom chasing dogs and cats up and down the street with a riding mower after she gets a taste for BLOOD). Not everyone's cup of tea, to be sure, but if you like 'em wild and irreverent and off-color, you MUST give this movie a try--if you can find it! This was not released to the theaters (wimps!) and is hard to find on tape--you'll probably need to order it, like I did.

One reviewer compared this movie, unfavorably, to DEAD ALIVE. I saw both films and thought ED AND HIS DEAD MOTHER was a much funnier and less disgusting film. I also didn't think the plot was stolen, though there are a few similarities, I grant you. DEAD ALIVE is more like an EVIL DEAD/NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD film (complete with ALL the gore) while ED AND HIS DEAD MOTHER has almost no gore and is more funny to me (though I am sure opinions will vary).