This was a documentary that I learned about a few years ago but hadn't gotten around to seeing. I believe that I have this on the Blu-ray disc that I own. I ended up streaming this on Screambox while at work. To give more background as to what drew me to this, I love The Return of the Living Dead, the basis.
Where I want to start then is that this is a blast. It is amazing to see all the cast members and crew behind the camera that they could. There are the likes of Clu Gulager, James Karen, Thom Mathews, Don Calfa, Miguel A. Núñez Jr., Linnea Quigley, Beverly Randolph, John Philbin and Jewel Shepard for the actors. We then have Jules Brenner, James Dalesandro, Graham Henderson and others who managed the production. What I'll say here, I'm glad that they interviewed the older members for sure. This record is something that is great to have for a cult classic like this.
Now I've said that it was interesting to hear the different stories of the production and hearing their sides of it. It gives an intriguing perspective to these young actors and their interactions with Dan O'Bannon who co-wrote/directed this film. Hearing how to be butted heads with someone who was proven like Gulager was interesting. Despite the rigorous shooting schedule and the budget, they worked with, they created magic. That unique perspective helps me to appreciate the movie even more.
I'll say that this documentary is well-made. I like that it progresses pre-production, what went into getting this set up and the casting. They then progress through the movie, going into stories and what made the shoot difficult. It then goes into, briefly, how well this did and its legacy. I do like that they set up effects with almost a comic book feel as it fades out of their topic to the next. It feels a bit cheesy, but it fits the vibe of the film for sure. Incorporating in the soundtrack at times made me smile as well.
I'd highly recommend this if you're a fan of this movie. There is fun perspective and insights that you can get. I'd also say, if you like documentaries about how movies are made, this one doesn't go too deep into it. They do discuss challenges and work arounds that they did. This is more about hearing the stories of those that made this movie possible.
My Rating: 8 out of 10.
