The Resurrected-1991

Directed by Dan O'Bannon
Screenplay by Brent Friedman, based on "The Curious Case of Charles Dexter Ward" by H.P. Lovecraft


I found this in the $3 bin at Wal-Mart last Halloween and decided to give it a try.  It was definitely worth more than that, and I think it is way under appreciated.



The Story: It stars John Tery as Detective John March, who is hired by Claire Ward (Jane Sibbert) to find out what has happened to her husband Charles (Chris Sarandon).  Charles was perfectly normal until a few months ago when found some papers from one of his ancestors Joseph Curwen.
He began to behave more and more erratically and the neighbors complained of the smell coming from the lab in his coach-house.  The police eventually raid his lab after several boxes of human remains are shipped there.  Charles leaves his wife and will have no contact with her.  Not knowing what to do she turns to March for help.

My Thoughts: This is very old school horror movie.  I think it's important to mention the sets and costumes. I've always been a fan of practical effects and not green screen.  You had a feeling of claustrophobia with the characters as they descended into the ancient catacombs.  Flashbacks showing Curwen in the 1700's were very well done, with the characters in excellent period costumes.  Some lower budget horror flicks will skimp on this sort of thing, but the costumes and sets gave it the feel of a historical drama.

This is why I don't go hiking.

The effects are mostly practical make-up effects and generally hold up well.  There are a few moments of claymation and flashing lights that practically scream "it's the 1980's", but they were not overly distracting from the story.

Reason #1 why you don't explore old catacombs.

 The cast are all first rate and are recognizable from other TV shows and movies.  John Tery later played Jack's father Christian Shepard on "Lost".  Jane Sibbert played Ross's ex-wife Carol on "Friends".  Robert Romanus is March's partner and despite dozens of TV and movie roles is still best know as Mike Damone in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High". Chris Sarandon is excellent as Charles Ward/Joesph Curwen but is very underused.  His screen time is very limited and that's a shame.

Doesn't a widow defeat the purpose of a padded cell? 

The movie is not without it's flaws. At one point March has a bizarre nightmare that looks like an 80's metal video, and no explanation for that is ever given.  The characters also suffer from horror movie stupidity from time to time.  They never remember to take extra batteries for the flashlight or take a spare.  When exploring ancient ruins that might be cursed, everyone is armed, it's just common sense. 

O'Bannon only directed one other movie besides this one, "The Return of the Living Dead".  He did a good job creating a memorable atmospheric horror film here. It's a shame he didn't direct more, he certainly wrote several classics.  Screenwriter Brent Friedman also quite a few genre credits to his name, and I am a huge fan of his "Dark Skies" TV series.

A horror flick well worth checking out!