returning

I watched two movies this past week that I hadn’t seen since childhood. Both lived completely up to my young memories of excellent entertainment.

The movies?

Return of the Living Dead and Return to Oz.

I didn’t realize until I went to link them that they were both made in 1985. I was 4, for the record. It was probably a few years until I actually saw the films but they are very ingrained in my memory. I love this movie. It is by far the superior of the two movies. The dark aftermath of Dorothy’s frolic through Oz. Electroshock therapy and the like. Delicious. I can remember a picture I made after watching Return to Oz; I drew a picture of the gnome king holding Jack upside down about to eat him, and the egg from Belinda falling into his mouth. Underneath I had written ‘Don’t you know eggs are poisonous to gnomes?” although probably spelled incorrectly mind you. I wish I still had that. I drew so very many pictures though, and I suppose I should count myself lucky that I have any at all.

Anyway Return of the Living Dead is clearly in the campy horror genre but is it ever good. So much came back to me moments before they appeared on screen. The half dog wagging it’s half tail, the reanimated torso explaining the need to eat brains and, this is probably the iconic image for me…the pinky red haired punk girl stripping off all her clothes to dance in the graveyard that is about to be overcome by its formerly quiet residents. Pure 80’s goodness.

If you haven’t guessed already I highly recommend these movies. Watch them, love them…touch their monkeys.

I do know that there are some people out there (you know who you are) who are ridiculously difficult to please when it comes to movies, or most things for that matter. You can skip them. They’ll be better off without you...trust us. It’s for the best.