Braindead follow up to Carpenter’s integral horror film, drops all of the atmosphere and ramps up the sadism. As a slasher fan, I have no problem with this. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis again) is recovering in Haddonfield Memorial following that night’s horrific events and The Shape is taking out townsfolk as he makes his way to the hospital to finish the job. Dr. Sam Loomis (a returning Donald Pleasance) is hot on his trail. An inexplicably deserted hospital becomes a killing ground as Michael Myers takes out the skeleton crew running the place in pursuit of his (sigh) sister. Sister? That’s right, as opposed to keeping their killer extra terrifying by not really giving him any reason for his murder spree, we get some bullshit revelation discovered by Dr. Loomis and Sheriff Brackett (Charles Cyphers, also returning) as they dig into things. There’s a little bit of stupidity on display (the death of Ben Trammer is sort of hilarious) but there’s also one hell of a mean streak that anyone strictly familiar with the original may not have expected. It feels more like an actual “slasher” flick which became popularized by 1980’s Friday the 13th. Curtis spends most of her time underutilized in a hospital bed and a fresh-faced Lance Guest plays a sympathetic EMT.
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