Return Of The Living Dead 3 (1993) *** [ROTLD Double Feature Pt. 2]

I really appreciate that Brian Yuzna went in a different direction for 1993's Return Of The Living Dead 3 (especially after revisiting Return Of The Living Dead Part II (1988) (review) just prior and being a bit let down). Its low budget roots show in some of the action scenes and a few of the cheap f/x shots but the gore and makeup on the whole are great. Yuzna brings familiar elements from Re-Animator (1985) (review) (which he produced) and Bride Of Re-Animator (1990) (which he co-wrote and directed) to ROTLD3 that suit this Romeo And Juliet zombie tale well. The comedy is dialed back and the melodrama is turned way up and it works. Melinda Clarke really sells her role—you can tell she understood the trauma of the Julie character and she's a total babe. ROTLD3 only has tangential connections to the original 1985 film (review) and is of course nowhere near the cult classic that film is, but it's a very enjoyable tragic romantic horror picture.

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