The Lost Skeleton Returns Again

If I may borrow the immortal words of Tom Servo, Larry Blamire is "a national friggin' treasure." Many writers and directors have trafficked in parody and pastiche, but Larry has three things going for him that I've rarely seen demonstrated by other filmmakers: An encyclopedic knowledge of movies, from the most obscure Poverty Row programmer on up; an infectious enthusiasm for the output of auteurs whose ambitions are bigger than their brains; and a unique style which combines brilliant wordplay and antic comedy in a way that makes one suspect he's actually the secret love child of Preston Sturges and Dr. Seuss. In other words -- he's a triple threat. And all of these qualities combined to make THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA one of the funniest films of the last few years.

So how does the sequel fare? Surprisingly, it doesn't really feel like a sequel. I went in prepared for more of the same, but THE LOST SKELETON RETURNS AGAIN takes on a whole new series of clichés, primarily drawn from those low budget adventure epics -- rich in potted ferns and stock footage -- that thrived on cheap back lots from the early 30s to the late 50s. But LSRA wanders beyond the narrow confines of jungle pictures, parodying everything from gangster movies (there's a hilarious scene which pretty much guarantees you'll burst out laughing the next time you see a movie character order another to "take your gun out -- slowly") to those Mondo films of the 1960s, with their salacious native dances (believe me, you'll never look at cantaloupes the same way again).

All the actors from the original film make a return appearance, alongside a few new additions to the Blamire stock company. But it's not necessary to have seen the original LOST SKELETON (although I'd recommend checking out the DVD), or even many of the films the sequel lovingly mocks, because the jokes come so thick and fast there's something there for everybody. If you can appreciate a comedy that's smart and silly at the same time, you'll enjoy THE LOST SKELETON RETURNS AGAIN.

Maybe its because I saw this one first, but this movie is amazing. Yes, the first one has better flow, but the dialog of this one is sooooo much better, especially Paul with his bitterness speech. Animala gets way more play, I love Dr. Ellemy Royne, because she really is a villain scientist, and not quite as pathetic as Rudolf Yaber, Betty is even sillier here, Jungle Brad is way more manly - As someone who has watched a ton and a half of MST3k, as well as some other really bad movies, this was awesome.

I agree we could have done with less of Chinfa, but I love the cantaloupe dance, and her interaction with Animala is worth putting up with the strains of the double negative. Although its the first time Grammar has been traded for goods, so I have to give a bow to the novelty of that.

And also, there is more skeleton. And if there is a third movie I want way way more skeleton, cause he's awesome sauce.

And yes, some people won't get it, because it's a genre film, and its just not some people's cup of tea. But I think people who don't get it should just admit they don't get it and not automatically blame the movie just cause its not their taste. Feel free to watch something you like better, and leave the cheesy fun to us.

We saw this at the LA premiere last night, complete with cast and crew (and their families and friends, which made for an enthusiastic and fun audience).

Even with 10X the budget, it still had the no-expense look. All the old characters were back, including the bickering aliens Kro-bar and his wife, dead characters resurrected as their not-so-evil twins, and yes, Animala. Of course the Skeleton is back, although only as a skull (which gives him certain dependency issues). He gets the best lines (while waiting for his minions to carry out some task - "It's the waiting that's difficult").

All the performances were excellent, particularly Larry Blamire as the bitter scientist (another scientist took credit for his rock) and wife Fay Masterston.

The plot, such as it is, involves a race to South America to obtain the valuable Geranium-90, worshiped by the Cantalope people. It's basically 60 minutes of plot stuffed into a 90-minute movie. Although the individual jokes are often very funny, the framework is too bare-bones and linear. Even cheeseball 50s SF movies often had, you know, subplots. There's a lengthy middle section where everyone passes the same banana plant about 10 times (which was probably part of the joke). Failing a bit of a rewrite and reshoot, editing down to 70 or 75 minutes would help.

To his credit, Larry Blamire said he would not do another sequel, as he fears the jokes would start repeating themselves. True enough.

THE LOST SKELETON RETURNS AGAIN is bigger, bolder, and far more "in color" than its predecessor. All of our favorite characters return, including Animala (Jennifer Blaire), Dr. Armstrong (Larry Blamire), and Ranger Brad's brother, Jungle Brad (Dan Conroy)!

Indeed, the sinister skeleton has returned seeking world dominion once more. Now, the race is on to find the miracle element known as Jerranium 90, deep in the jungles of The Valley Of The Monsters.

If you enjoyed the first film, then get ready for another trip in Director Larry Blamire's time machine of fun! With more monsters! More adventure! Annnd, more double negatives than never not attempted in any other film! Ever!

Beware of the Queen of the Cantaloupe People, for she is one heck of a dancer...

The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra redefined how I viewed independent film. It was fresh, fun, and smart.

The sequel is fun and smart.

To be honest, the trailers didn't give me much hope. I went into the theater nervous.

First, I want to say the first 20 minutes of the film are a blast! The rest of the movie is a pleasant but not powerful ride.

I will say that the characters are still funny, and making Paul and Betty a little smarter this time around adds just enough to keep them interesting. The new characters are a mixed bag...the queen is pretty damn funny, the others come and go.

The plot does drag a bit, as did the original, but this movie really feels too long. At some point, everything seems to lose steam, but it never comes to a halt.

Still, if you're a fan of Blamire's smart dialogue humor and somewhat theatrical directing style, you'll find lots to laugh at here.