Death Warmed Up (1984)

A kid is hypnotized by a scientist to kill his parents and ends in a mental institution. As a grown up he returns to seek revenge over the scientist.

Director:

David Blyth

Writer:

Michael Heath

Stars:

Michael Hurst, Margaret Umbers, William Upjohn

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Hurst	...	Michael Tucker
Margaret Umbers	...	Sandy
William Upjohn	...	Lucas
Norelle Scott	...	Jeannie
David Letch	...	Spider
Geoff Snell	...	Jannings
Gary Day	...	Dr. Archer Howell
Bruno Lawrence	...	Tex
Ian Watkin	...	Bill
David Weatherley	...	Professor Tucker
Tina Grenville	...	Netty Tucker
Nathaniel Lees	...	Jackson
Karam Hau	...	Berry
Jonathan Hardy	...	Ranji Gandhi
Norman Fairley	...	Barman

Storyline

A kid is hypnotized by a scientist to kill his parents and ends in a mental institution. As a grown up he returns to seek revenge over the scientist.

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Plot Keywords:

female nudity | topless female nudity | sex in car | cult | ozploitation | 

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Taglines:

I'll get you, I'll get you all.

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The surgery scene at about 1:15 reuses the exact same footage as the first surgery scene.

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Goofs

At the beginning of the movie, when Michael's mother and father are watching the news in their bedroom.

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Alternate Versions

The BBFC required approximately a minute of cuts to grant a certificate in the UK. Also cut in Australia.

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Connections

Referenced in I'll Get You All - David Letch on Death Warmed Up (2019)

User Reviews

They must have some really mind-blowing mushrooms in New Zealand

Personally I'm convinced "Death Warmed Up" was completed by a clique of people suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder (the infamous A.D.D. syndrome)… Either that or a bunch of mushroom-addicted guys with a permanent overdose of acid in their blood. How else would you clarify the film's total lack of narrative structure, the exaggeratedly high amount of nonsensical plot-twists, the overzealous editing, the demented characters and the copious number of grotesquely over-the-top grossness? "Death Warmed Up" is a wildly incoherent and thoroughly bizarre horror effort from New Zealand – reputedly the country's first full-blooded genre outing – that more or less describes itself as a demented and very loose interpretation of the legendary "Island of Dr. Moreau" tale. But then again, Dr. Moreau at least had a clear mission he wanted to achieve whereas Dr. Archer Howell, the lunatic scientist in this film, seemingly just surrounds himself with a large collection of genetically altered freaks for his own personal amusement. Throughout the entire film, his motivations for performing medical experiments on random island people remain unexplained. He has freaky half-man and half-monster guinea pigs working for him, creepy guys without eyebrows running loose and an entire army of deformed abnormalities locked away in a basement. The predominant storyline, however, revolves on one of Dr. Howell's very first victims seeking vengeance for the agony he cost. As a teenager, Michael got brainwashed and shotgun-massacred his own parents under the malignant influence of Dr. Howell. He spent the following seven years in a mental institution, but now Michael's back (with a new and Blade Runner type of hairdo) and unstoppably furious. Along with his girl and a befriended couple, Michael ferries to Dr. Howell's island resort, but they'll have to face his creations first before they can get to him. "Death Warmed Up" is, well, shall I say … completely bonkers! The script makes very little sense (or even no sense at all) and leaps from one subject to another all the time. Michael & C° supposedly come for revenge, yet they start their trip by going to the beach and during several situations it's actually Michael's friend Lucas who proves to be the most courageous one of the bunch. There are plenty of odd homosexual undertones in the film, as well as some misplaced attempts at humor (the Indian store clerk) and a bizarre type of ambiance I can't possibly categorize. One thing "Death Warmed Up" does deliver plenty of, however, is gore and bloodshed! The aforementioned shotgun killings are supremely nasty, and they're just at the beginning of the film. Furthermore, there are repugnant brain surgeries, impalements and gooey zombie make-up effects aplenty. The zombie creatures are quite menacing, particularly the bloke without eyebrows (displayed on the cover-image) and the typical New Zealand accents and slang are a joy to listen to. The acting performances are below average and insignificant, still devoted horror fans should keep an eye open for a brief appearance by Ian Watkin (awesome, arse-kicking uncle Les from "Braindead") as Bill the ferryman. "Death Warmed Up" is far too unbalanced to be considered as a worthwhile horror outing, but it's still a fun and gore-soaked excuse to spend 85 minutes of your time.

Details

Country:

Australia New Zealand

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 April 1985 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Death Warmed Over

Filming Locations:

Auckland, New Zealand

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tucker Production Company, New Zealand Film Commission

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1