More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead (2011)

Wow! Such a good movie.

Blistering performances.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

I read the massive 300-page opus "The Complete History of the Return of the Living Dead" just six months ago, so "More Brains!" didn't really offer anything new on the making of the film. But that didn't really matter in the end, because this documentary was so wildly entertaining and well made. So much that time just rolled by, I planned of watching it in 3-4 nights before going to sleep, but as I thought I was on the 30-minute mark, I realized that I had watched it almost for an hour and a half already. The best laughs were offered by James Karen and Brian Peck, especially the latter. I always thought Karen's performance was the main driving force in the original film and he's almost as funny in this documentary. "I slept with everybody to get this part" especially cracked me up.I've seen hundreds of making of documentaries and retrospectives and I can honestly say this is one of the very best. And I haven't even checked out the DVD extras yet, which I believe include documentaries of part II and III.

"The Return of the Living Dead" is a visionary combination of horror and humour and punk sensibility that has truly stood the test of time, continuing to attract new fans. Great actors and characters and superb visual and makeup designs combine to make it a fun viewing experience. Cast and crew, quite a few of them, in fact, sit down to talk about the making of the film, and they clearly delight in describing what it was like to make this thing. Their accounts indicate that it wasn't always the most pleasant shoot in the world - such as having to do scenes in the graveyard in the rain - but they still recall lots of good memories of working on a classic and beloved genre piece. As any good documentary on a movie should do, the documentary covers several basic topics: genesis of the production (how it originally was conceived as a sequel to George A. Romero's zombie series), the hiring of key personnel, the casting, the effects work, the behind the scenes stories, and the aftermath. Lots of interesting information is shared, such as the fact that co-star Miguel Nunez had been living in a homeless shelter before being cast in the film, or that it was co-star James Karens' idea for his character to have a somewhat dignified departure from the story, or that Don Calfa's role was named after a notorious Nazi individual, or that one of the paramedic performers decided that, since there were guys in the movie named Burt and Ernie, that the paramedics ought to be named Tom and Jerry. Interviewees include many main cast members - Clu Gulager, Karen, Calfa, Thom Mathews, Nunez, Brian Peck (who's also our narrator for this fascinating material), John Philbin, Linnea Quigley, Beverly Randolph, Jewel Shepard, and Allan Trautman. Crew members seen include production designer William Stout, co-producer Graham Henderson, casting director Stanzi Stokes, and makeup effects artists Tony Gardner (just 21 years old at the time), Kenny Myers, and William Munns. (It's told that Munns' only real triumph during the shoot was the designing of Tarman, and that his work was dissatisfying enough to lead to his firing, which he actually found to be something of a relief.) What is an absolute joy is seeing vintage "making of" footage, and to hear some of those behind the scenes details. Some amazing artwork is done for this documentary, incredibly well integrated with the live action footage and serving as excellent scene transition. The people talking often display a disarming sense of humour, which really amps up the entertainment value of "More Brains"; there are some quite funny moments, particularly from Nunez. (This also extends into the end credits, which run alongside some outtakes.) And the selection of artists for the soundtrack understandably gets a mention. (It would have been nice, though, to hear some sort of anecdote regarding the memorable Trioxin Theme.) Even music star Stacey Q is interviewed, and that's a delight to see. There are also heartfelt tributes to director Dan O'Bannon, who sadly left us all in 2009, and Mark Venturini who predeceased him at a way too young age. The working relationships with O'Bannon are somewhat glossed over, but you do get the sense that he could indeed be difficult to work with. In the end, his passing is still deeply felt, especially in terms of the fun genre films that he'd helped to create. Overall this is highly essential viewing if you're a fan of the film, and it serves as a perfect companion piece. 10 out of 10.

This nearly two hour documentary on the much beloved 1985 horror comedy cult classic "The Return of the Living Dead" gathers together an assortment of cast and crew members to discuss the various aspects of the making of this movie that include the genesis of the project, the casting, the make-up f/x, two weeks of rehearsal, the wardrobe, the often miserable filming conditions shooting at night with simulated rain, the picture's inspired and ingenious blend of horror and humor, the Tarman zombie (Tarman actor Allan Trautman has fun stories to relate about portraying this iconic undead figure), the punk rock soundtrack, the positive box office and critical success, and its exceptional longevity and enduring popularity throughout the decades. Among those interviewed are writer John Russo, cinematographer Jules Brenner, production designer William Stout, co-producer Graham Henderson, make-up artists William Munns (who got fired early in the production), Tony Gardner, and Kenny Myers, casting director Stanzi Stokes, singer Stacey Q., and cast members Don Calfa, Clu Gulager, James Karen, Thom Matthews, Linnea Quigley, Beverly Randolph, Jewel Shepard, Brian Peck (who also narrates), Miguel Nunez Jr., and John Philbin. Quigley has some great stuff to say about her famous cemetery striptease and the resurrection of her character as a zombie, Gulager reveals that he frequently clashed with writer/director Dan O'Bannon throughout the production, Karen talks about coming up with the idea for his character to kill cremate himself in order to avoid becoming a zombie, and there's a touching tribute to O'Bannon at the very end. Loaded with choice clips and a wealth of nifty behind-the-scenes stills, this is absolutely essential viewing for fans of the film.

More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead (2011) *** 1/2 (out of 4)If you were disappointed with what MGM extras was on their Special Edition of THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD then have no fear because this documentary will be what you're wanting. Clocking in just under two-hours, this documentary features interviews with the majority of the cast and crew including Clu Galager, James Karen, Thom Matthews, Don Calfa, Brian Peck, John Russo, Jules Brenner, James Dalebandro, Graham Henderson, Tony Gardner, Kenny Myers, Jewel Shepard, William Stout, Beverly Randolph, Paul Sammon, Allan Trautman and of course Linnea Quigley. Director Dan O'Bannon died a couple years before this was released so he's only featured at the end in a touching archival interview, which ended up being his last and this can be seen in its full version as a featurette on the disc. It should go without saying but just about everything you'd want to know about this film is discussed here and some of the best moments are stories about the early stages of production. This includes John Russo's original version of the story and what legal issues he had in regards to the name and George Romero. We also hear about why Tobe Hooper had to back out of the film and then we start to hear about getting the cast together and the six weeks of filming. Fans are really going to eat this thing up since the majority of the major crew are on hand and all of them tell some great stories. There's talk about their favorite scenes, how certain scenes ended up in the film and it seems everyone is mixed on how they ended the movie. If you're a fan of the movie then I can't imagine you not being entertained by this thing and it's certainly great getting to see the cast members as they are today. It's clear that they all have fond memories on the movie and are thankfully that it's still so highly regarded today. There's also a fitting tribute to O'Bannon but once you see his separate featurette/interview you'll notice that a lot of his relationships with the cast and crew were sugar coated here.