Movies - Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things

Home > Listing Index > Movies > Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things

	Movies - Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things

Also Known As

Revenge of the Living Dead
Things From the Dead
Zreaks

Plot

The story focuses around a theater troupe, led by Alan (Alan Ormsby) a mean-spirited director, who travel by boat to a small island for buried criminals. Using a grimoire, Alan begins a seance to raise the dead after digging up the body of a man named Orville Dunworth (Seth Sklarey). Though the original intent of the ritual may have been intended solely as a joke, Alan appears disappointed that his efforts received no response except from the mockings of cast member Val (Valerie Mamches). Afterwards the party continues and Alan goes to extremes to degrade the actors, using the corpse of Orville for his own sick jokes. The dead return and force the troupe to take refuge in the old house. They must decide whether it's best to stay put until day, provided the old house holds up against the undead onslaught, try to all flee through the pitch black cemetery and forest to the boat, or have one person brave the obstacle in hopes that they can bring back help in time.

About The Film

Made in 1972, this low-budget zombie movie is the first film of director Bob Clark, famous for later directing the films Deranged, Black Christmas , A Christmas Story and Porky's. Although it does contain some amateurish elements, which are understandable for a first-time film, it effectively mixes humor and horror into an entertaining film. The special effects are well done and the end of the film is a wonderful zombie spectacle. It should be kept in mind that this film is fairly early in what is now our current idea of the zombie genre, with its forefather, Night of the Living Dead, being made only four years before in 1968.

The zombies in this story differ only slightly from other cinematic zombies. While radiation or toxins have caused the dead to walk in other films, these zombies come back from the dead via a satanic chant. The zombies in the story also do not spread the condition. It would seem if a CSPWDT zombie bites you or kills you, you do not become one of the undead. The similarity these zombies do have is the flesh eating / cannibalism, a trait that a majority of zombies seem to have in common.

Spoilers

The movie opens with what seems to be an actual ghoul standing by a cemetery plot, who then attacks the groundskeeper. This is later to be found out to be a friend to director Alan named Roy (Roy Engleman), who only tied up the groundskeeper. Along with another friend named Emerson (Robert Philip), also dressed as a ghoul, have plotted with Alan on scaring the rest of the cast who are about to arrive. Later when the real ghouls rise and begin to overtake the island, they spot Emerson in full ghoul gear but are not fooled by his disguise and simply overwhelm him in attack. This has been a situation posed in later zombie movies, such as Hard Rock Zombies and Shaun of the Dead. However, in those films, the zombies are not as intelligent and can be fooled simply by mimicking their mannerisms, without even the benefits of monster make-up.

The troupe tries to take a run for the boat, but that proves unsuccessful. The group must retreat and go to the house. A new chant is given and momentarily seems to work as it becomes quiet outside. Against the pleas of the refugee cast, Paul (Paul Cronin) tries to run and get help. He looks to be the fittest of the group, but is overtaken immediately, proving that physical fitness alone will not ensure survival. The rest of the cast try to barricade the house, while Alan looks to reverse the spell through his grimoire. He finds that there is a way of doing this but it requires returning the corpse (Orville) used in the ceremony to it's grave. The plan appears impossible since now the ghouls dwell on the burial grounds. Before this plot could even been attempted, the monsters smash into the house. Alan and Anya (Anya Ormsby) run to the stairs, where Anya falls behind. Alan's fear keep him from engaging in an inhuman tug of war, and the ghouls appear surprised at Alan for surrendering Anya to them. Alan flees to a room where Orville awaits to exact his revenge. The ghouls burst through the door and Alan is taken in creature tidal wave. After feasting on all the human inhabitants, the horde of ghouls board the docked boat and head for the city lights of the mainland.

Trivia

Bob Clark revisted his zombie roots in Porky's 2: the Next Day when the boys from Angel Beach tried to set up a prank on Pee Wee, by having Steve (Rod Ball) dress as a ghoul and spring out at him in a cemetery prank

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things ]

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.

Searches on eBay