Return of the Living Dead Part II released Jan. 15, 1988

Return of the Living Dead Part II is an American zombie horror comedy film that was released in 1988. It was written and directed by Ken Wiederhorn. The film was released by Lorimar Motion Pictures on January 15, 1988, and was a minor box office success, making $9 million at the box office in the United States against its $6 million budget. It is the first of four sequels. Though this film and its predecessor shared the same rating (“R”), this film had a lighter tone; however the misleading trailer suggested it was darker.

Trivia:

• Thom Mathews and ‘James Karen (I)’ nearly duplicate their roles from Return of the Living Dead as a pair who are sickened by zombie gas. In both films they have the exchange, “Listen kid, if you like this job…” “Like this job? Like this job!”
• The music score on the DVD release is almost completely different to the original theater, laserdisc and VHS versions. This is widely said to be because of difficulties obtaining the rights to use the original score. However, the original score can be heard on the French audio track.
• Writer/Director Ken Wiederhorn was trying to get out of the horror genre at the time Lorimar Productions bought his script. Once the film was released he received nothing but horror-comedy directing opportunities.
• The cemetery and storm drain were complete outdoor sets. The mausoleum, hospital, meat packing factory, and interior houses were also purpose-built sets.
• The set for Jesse’s bedroom is the same one used for Billy’s. Posters and furniture were re-arranged to change the look.
• The telephone number 311-555-8674 printed on the zombie canisters was a real life number at the time of production. The line was reserved for “Non-emergency special applications”.
• The street where Jesse and his family live was in fact a tract housing development still under construction.
• The fictional town the film is set in is called Westvale.
• The MPAA would have granted this film a PG-13, if the scene at the hospital where the zombie is shot in half was toned down.
• The blue electrocution lines in the final sequence were all hand-drawn frame by frame and cost over $50,000.
• The dialog from the operator on the Special Army Emergencies telephone line is word for word exactly the same as in The Return of the Living Dead (1985), complete with “Hold the line Mr Wilson, you are being transferred”, thereby tying this films hero, Jesse, with Burt Wilson (Clu Gulager) of the earlier film.
• Near the very end of the electrocution scene, a Michael Jackson impersonator zombie can be seen – a direct reference to his Thriller (1983) (TV) music video.
• Thor Van Lingen (who plays trouble maker Billy) originally auditioned for the main role of Jesse.
• The script was not originally written as a sequel in the “Living Dead” franchise. Producer Tom Fox was interested in Wiederhorn’s story, but would only finance it if he agreed to make it a part of the series.
• At the end of the original VHS tape, there is a commercial for a number that you can call to order clothing from the movie. This was a limited time offer from the company Movie Tees. You could order a white tank top, a black or white t-shirt, and a black and white sweatshirt with 3-4 different designs.
• ‘Brian Peck’ is the only person to have a role in the first 3 movies in the ‘Return of the Living Dead’ franchise. Playing the role of ‘Scuz’ in the first, many of the closeup zombies in the second (‘Pussface’, ”Thriller’, ‘Jaw’, ‘Eye-Pop’, ‘Zombie on Car Roof’) and finally ‘Ballistics Technician’ in the third.
• James Karen’s character, Ed, says “I’m gonna get me cremated.” This is how his character eventually dies in the previous film, The Return of the Living Dead (1985).

Filed under: Horror

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