UH-OH: 'RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 4 & 5' NEWS

[Scott W. Davis]

Do some filmmakers not realize how much HOUSE OF THE DEAD sucked? Maybe not, because there was good news and bad news to come out of Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors. The good news is that there will be a fourth and fifth installment in the RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD franchise. The bad news is what they will be about.



RETURN OF THE LIIVNG DEAD PART IV will be titled NECROPOLIS (a title I will now have to ditch for a zombie script I was kicking around). It's about a group of young "skateboard punks with shotguns" that break into a genetic research lab. "It's great," William Butler said, "It's got the same vibe as the first one." Well great, but he also describes it as "a living Playstation game." And besides, skateboard punks with shotguns? Hell, most of these guys can't even land a move without bruising themsevles, and now they're environmental terrorists?



In a serious case of deja vu, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD PART V will be called RAVE FROM THE GRAVE. Yeah, you can almost hear Uwe Boll's heart pounding, can't you? Butler says the film involves a bunch of ravers taking the re-animation serum Trioxin as a club drug, since small doses give the illusion of a live-after-death experience. My guess is things go wrong from there. Hey that one sounds a little better at least.



Before we start talking about purity, we should remember what the original RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD was. It was a dark comedic take on the zombie film, with a bunch of punks and metalheads who just wanted to party. Unfortunately, they pick the wrong graveyard and the wrong night to do it. It wasn't exactly WILD STRAWBERRIES, so maybe this will be just a good update of the original. But then again, the second one was a throwback to the original and people weren't too thrilled with that one.



Oh, just because I want to mention it, the one RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD to take the completely original take on the story was Brian Yuzna's RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD PART III starring Mindy (a.k.a. Melinda) Clarke (pictured). A fun zombie flick I always recommend people pick up.



William Butler wrote the two newest ROTLD sequels with Aaron Strongoni. The two collaborated on the upcoming films MADHOUSE and THE GINGERDEAD MAN. They are currently fielding an A-list of genre talent, including Tobe Hooper, who's TOOLBOX MURDERS film is supposed to be great. They are also talking to Stuart Gordon, although hasn't he done the zombie comedy thing better than anyone else already with RE-ANIMATOR? Well, whatever the case, it's a matter of time, money and location. "They're talking about either shooting it outside the country or shooting it in LA, and that has a big effect on who's gonna be the director. So Im really stoked about that," Butler said.



The duo is also prepping a film called CIRCLE OF SIX, about six witches who return from the grave to avenge themselves of the town that condemned them. It's described as a "homage to THE FOG." Their film INK, in which Lance Henriksen was to play a tatoo artist who curses people with his body art, is currently on hold while Lance finishes ALIEN VS. PREDATOR. It is during this time that they are prepping the two newest RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD films. Let's hope for the best.



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Comment on the RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD films and the danger of skateboard punks with shotguns in our FORUMS!

[Keederdag]

I'll takes my Dead anyway's I can get's them!
Wait.....that certainly does NOT include House Of The Dead II......just to be clear

[Scott W. Davis]

Yeah, hard lesson to learn, isn't it? 'Atta boy. :D

[Keederdag]

Ya know, on that note, The only reason I expected more and acctually paid theater prices to see that piece of crap was Jurgen Procnow (sp?). Frankly I was just sad for the man, after seeing it. He's done great thing's like Das Boot and The Keep; so WTF? Why did he lower himself to doing something so Fugin BAAAAADDDD????? I mean...Capain Kirk?????.....Jesus!!!!! I about ready to start some kind of SAVE JURGEN international fund; I get the idea that he's living in a van, eating goverment cheeze, by a river some where; and just has to whore himself out to keep him in can's of sterno! Just sickening.......SICKENING!!!

[Dave1033a]

Everywhere i go on the web, people slate house of the dead, not one person has a good word to say about!!
And with good reasopn, this movie sucked ass big time and the only reason i watched it all is because i had paid the charge at the video store.

CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!

thank you

[spiral]

Hmmm...

I wouldn't completely agree with all of this.

First of all, Return Of The Living Dead:

Bizarrely, the ROTLD flicks I've most enjoyed have been 3 and 4. They weren't classics, but they were great fun-cheesy horrors.

I enjoyed them in a different way that I would enjoy the likes of the Romero Dead films, or the dawn remake... but I still (despite myself )enjoyed them...

I must echo such with regards to House Of The Dead 1 and 2. Trashy and ridiculous though they may be, I still enjoyed them... regardless of how little they stimulated my intellect.

Again, I just enjoyed them in a different way than I enjoyed other horrors.

As for Uwe Boll in general.... Well he does trashy, shallow, overdramatic, plastic, sheeny pseudo-horror....

... but sometimes, I like a bit of that.

Sue me.

[Raven]

The only two ROTLD films i enjoyed were numbers 1 (despite braking my 'no running' rule, i found it highly entertaining due to the comedy) and number 3 (back to basics cheesey zombie action).

ROTLD 2 i hated with a passion and i disliked 4 & 5 even less. As far as HOTD and it's sequel go, i've only seen the trailers for them and thats enough punishment for me

[Juan Rayo]

Totally agree with Raven, loved ROTLD ONE, liked THREE, hated TWO.