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Category:    Home > Reviews > Horror > Comedy > Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things (DVD-Video)

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things (Horror Satire)

 

Picture: B-     Sound: C     Extras: D     Film: B+

 

 

Completely cheesy and hokey... but somehow Bob Clark’s Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things (1972) managed to creep me out in one whacked out way.  I can't exactly describe it - the acting is seemingly bad on purpose, the gore level really isn't high at all.  The direction is decent, but isn't anything you'd expect to elicit scares.  I've even watched the movie with a couple friends, and none of them thought anything of the movie other than seeing it as one of those cheapie cash-ins.  But still, when I sit down to watch, and the dead begin to rise - it's just utterly cool.  The experience isn't really akin to being spooked, but is more of a feeling of sheer excitement, as you're lusting for the undead to do their worst.  One of the only other film sequences to really have the same effect on me was the "Father's Day" story out of George Romero's Creepshow.  Both that movie and Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things contain some kind of charm missing from a lot of horror, and thus should be sought out.  Fortunately, the DVDs of both are stunningly cheap, and relatively easy to come across.  While neither movie happens to contain any bonus material, that 's just fine for me, as they're at least presented in their original aspect ratios and are of decent picture and sound quality.

 

Bob Clark served as the director for this unusual film, and in 2006, he will be reprising that role by helming its obligatory modern-times remake.  As of late, his track record doesn't look very good, and the chance of turnaround has seemed rather slim.  A string of family TV movies for years, all leading up to directing such future "classics" as Baby Geniuses and sequel SuperBabies:  Baby Geniuses 2.  How a moviemaker responsible for a triad of classic horror movies (Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things, Black Christmas and Deathdream, all reviewed elsewhere on this site) winds up in that cold of a director's hell, I'm not sure.  But whatever the case, it seems as though he might be making a comeback of sorts - revisiting some of his classic movies by involving himself in several remakes or rumored sequels.  Whatever the case, I wish him luck and hope that I will enjoy whatever comes of this resurgence.

 

This was Clark's first serious directorial effort, and the earliest one I know of to ever be made available on any home format.  But even with any obvious flaws and problems that one might have with various aspects, it's still an excellent example of an excellent schlock movie.  The story is about an acting troupe lured to an out of the way cemetery by their director, played by Alan Ormsby.  A few words of hocus-pocus later, and what was jokingly intending to raise the dead and little scare out of his actors, truly does manage to revive the rotting corpses and send them after the troupe.  You'll be amazed at how quickly the mood and pacing of the movie then turns so sharply, but the last half of this movie really holds some surprises for the viewer.  A good selection of fitting music also helps to heighten the experience and accentuate some of the scares.

 

The sound and video are only so good here, but you could do much worse.  Some noticeable grain and a mildly murky transfer will turn off some, but the movie itself is the most important part; and as mentioned before, at least it's presented properly with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1.  Neither the audio nor video is bad enough to turn anyone away I should think, so all is well.  However, a problem for some might be that the only special feature to speak of is a theatrical trailer - no commentaries, no nothing.  Of course, there will more than likely be an ultra-special edition of this film out soon enough, but not at this price point, and probably at least not for another year or so.

 

For those of you who are interested, picking it up now won't hurt your pocketbook.  But, if you wish to upgrade later (provided that a better edition does come along), you shouldn't have any trouble getting rid of this one for close to what you paid for it in the first place.  Hope you all enjoy.

 

 

-   David Milchick


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