1989’s Rabid Grannies became a popular title for Troma Entertainment, so Lloyd Kaufman formed a partnership with producer Johan Vandewoestijne. The following year, Vandewoestijne produced Maniac Nurses Find Ecstacy, which was directed by Belgian filmmaker Léon Paul De Bruyn. When Troma acquired the distribution rights, they considered retitling it to seem like a sequel to 1976’s Bloodsucking Freaks. Instead, they used the original title, and the film ended up being another small hit for Troma. Vandewoestijne also produced 1994’s State of Mind, which featured American actors Lisa Gaye, Fred Williamson, and Jill Scholen. A decade later, Vandewoestijne reunited with De Bruyn to produce a Belgian zombie movie called Parts of the Family. When Troma acquired the movie for distribution, they found the final product unwatchable and decided to “fix” it. When they released the film on DVD in 2003, they included the original and an “improved” version with questionable results.
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Rating
Synopsis
After pulling off a bank heist, Jason Goodis (Bob Dougherty) is fleeing from the cops and looking for a hideout. While on the run, he kidnaps young model Elle (Cecilia Bergqvist) and holds her up in an old mansion. As the police try talking Jason down and bringing in a negotiator named Carl Ressler (Lloyd Kaufman), things turn dark. Through flashbacks, we learn that Elle knew the family who previously lived in the mansion and was their maid. She was having an affair with the son but was found by the father, and she killed them both. When the mother and daughter came home, Elle killed them and buried the bodies, vowing to keep them safe. In the present, the family rises as zombies and goes on the hunt, attacking Jason and the police outside. Who will survive, and who will become a part of the family?
Review
I should mention that the version of Parts of the Family I’m reviewing is the original, not the Troma-edited version. From what I understand, the main changes made were a mocking commentary by Lloyd Kaufman and some stock footage. Having seen the original version, I can see why Troma wanted to “fix” it since the film is plodding. I don’t mind a slow-burn movie if it produces a good payoff, but unfortunately, this one doesn’t. It almost feels like the filmmakers tried taking a cue from From Dusk Till Dawn with its genre switch. However, the characters and the writing kept you engaged before the vampires showed up, making the Rodriguez/Tarantino collaboration work. With this, we know so little about the characters, and the dialogue is so dull that it’s hard to care. Sometimes, it feels like watching a soap opera with nudity and blood.
In terms of acting, everyone does a serviceable enough job with the material, though no one stands out. Cecilia Bergqvist, while not terrible, was most likely hired because she looks good naked rather than her acting ability. Her delivery is flat, lifeless, and more laughable than believable when she tries to show emotion. Bob Dougherty isn’t much better, as he tries to play a tough guy but fumbles around and doesn’t offer much. Aside from Lloyd Kaufman as a police negotiator, everyone else might as well have been a cardboard cutout. Even the actors playing the family, when they’re living and undead, blend into the background and offer nothing. It doesn’t help that all these elements – crime thriller, erotic drama, and zombie horror – don’t mesh well together. It’s like Léon Paul De Bruyn had all these ideas but didn’t know how to make them work.
Admittedly, the only things that held my attention were the nudity, the gore, the decent soundtrack, and the gloomy atmosphere. As I said, Cecilia Bergqvist looks great when she’s naked, and we see her like that constantly. Also, the movie is full of blood and guts, especially in the last act when the family returns as zombies. The makeup for the zombies is crude but effective, and there’s enough blood spray to make Sam Raimi blush. While repetitive, the score adds a creepy, almost haunting feel to the film, and there’s some decent cinematography. It’s clear the director tried making more of an arthouse horror film, so it’s a shame that it didn’t work. Even at 85 minutes, the movie’s so slow and tedious, and it’s only worth seeing for the few trashy elements. Overall, Parts of the Family isn’t the worst Troma movie, but there are much better ones.
Buy Parts of the Family from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Zed34e.
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