The 561st film I have seen in theaters…

A throwback to the silly 80’s movies I grew up with

It is the 1980’s and Lisa is lonely. Living with her dad and his new wife (plus her daughter), she becomes fascinated by an old cemetery and the grave of a young man who died unmarried. One spiked drink and a magic wish later, the corpse comes back to life! Will love conquer all?

I liked this one. It is the type of movie I would have watched in the late 80’s. This is by design, as the film is set in that era. Kathryn Newton portrays Lisa, and she does a great job carrying the movie. This is essential as her co-star, the fantastic Cole Sprouse plays “The Creature”. Aside from the very end, it is a mute role. I’ve enjoyed Sprouse in his other projects, but he did impress me here with his ability to do so much without words.

This was the first movie directed by Zelda Williams and although it did not set the box office on fire this week, it was a great movie. The writer, Diablo Cody, played a good part in this. Its good to see her back on the big screen. The cinematography was by Paula Huidobro, I’m not familiar with her, but this was a beautiful movie. Excellent lighting, again evocative of 80’s horror comedies, and overall very well made.

I was pleasantly surprised by this. I think it has a chance to become one of those cult hits that get rediscovered in 15 years. Worth a watch for sure.

6/10