Director Tobe Hooper somewhat returns to his rural horror roots (think of 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and 'Eaten Alive') with the better than expected low-budget b-grade 'Mortuary'. Just like those early Hooper features, 'Mortuary' sets the unyieldingly growing horror (tagged with humorous strokes) at an isolated location (where it's a baleful rundown funeral home with a cemetery). But like others have mentioned, after getting off to a good start (very tidy and eerie) with some good looking production designs it eventually goes on to loose shape and become a kinetic mess with some vague developments and questionably dismal computer special effects, but the decomposed make-up FX remains effective. Nonetheless I still enjoyed it, even with the blatant faults.
The story follows the Doyle family; Leslie Doyle and her teenage son Jonathan and younger daughter Jamie moving to rustic California to start a new business in what was known as the 'The Flower Brother' Funeral Home'. Having been abandoned for quite a while, the place doesn't look too crash hot and its hazardously clogged septic tank is leaking sewage. But the place holds a horrific history, as the locals believe it to be haunted and the Doyle's come to realize there's some truth to the urban legend of Bobby Fowler. But also they must content with a strange fungus substance coming from their grounds, which transforms the dead and living into zombie-like creations.
The set-up might not be anything special (while routine, Hooper's direction is surely crafted and well-paced), but the idea behind the terror has some spirited imagination (very Lovecraft like), despite the fatuous nature of it all when revealed. This helps it lean towards a wicked sense of humour. In the early stages it really does enough to pull you in with its underlining creepiness with sharp photography, robust score and atmospheric art direction where it has dark figures lurking in the shadows and slight lighting. It's tightly controlled, as the jolts have no real build-up (although that does occur in the latter half) and are quickly over with some off-screen action happening. Strangely this worked, but when it decided to break out (soon after the fairly intense dinner table scene) it just felt predictably strained, repetitive and overlong with a vastly abrupt and perplexing closing. The willing performances are modest at best. Denise Crosby is good fun. A twitchy Dan Byrd is appealing and Stephanie Patton suitably adds innocence. There are some spunky ladies in Alexandria Adi and Courtney Patton. Lee Garlington is amusing too.
Predictable, but a solidly entertaining offering with a certain ominous ambiance and cheap thrills.
