The Lost Skeleton Returns Again (2009)

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Director:

Larry Blamire

Writer:

Larry Blamire (written by)

Release Date:

2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Cast

H.M. Wynant	...	General Scottmanson
Frank Dietz	...	Reet Pappin
Christine Romeo	...	Sandra Fleming
Brian Howe	...	Peter Fleming
Fay Masterson	...	Betty Armstrong
Robert Deveau	...	Handscomb Draile
Kevin Quinn	...	Carl Traeger
Larry Blamire	...	Dr. Paul Armstrong
Daniel Roebuck	...	Gondreau Slykes
Susan McConnell	...	Lattis
Andrew Parks	...	Kro-Bar
Dan Conroy	...	Jungle Brad
Trish Geiger	...	Dr. Ellamy Royne
Jennifer Blaire	...	Animala
Alison Martin	...	Chinfa - Queen of the Cantaloupe People

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Filming Locations:

Arcadia, California, USA

Company:

Bantam Street

Trivia:

Of the five characters encoring from the first Lost Skeleton film (The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001)), all but Dr. Paul Armstrong wear the same costumes they did in the original.

Movie Connections:

Follows The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001)

Lost Skeleton Returns Again for the First Time. And None Too Soon

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.