Reencarnación macabra

My review was written in November 1988 after watching the film at Technicolor screening room in Manhattan.

Though competently enacted, "Twice Dead" is a supernatural horror film suffering from tired blood, as helmer Bert Dragin adds little in the haunted mansion genre.

The Cates family moves into the ancestral home in L. A., a rundown manse known as the Tyler place after a movie star who hanged himself there. A feud breaks out immediately because the Cates and some punkers who view this as an invasion of their turf.

It seems Tyler's spirit is haunting the joint, with his apparition appearing in mirrors and causing objects to move invisibly. Twist is that Tyler proves not to be malevolent but rather aids the Casteses in their bloody war against the punks.

Corny script contrivance has Ma & Pa Ctes (Sam Melville, Brooke Bundy) exiting early on to leave their kids in charge. Tom Breznahan and Jill Whitlow as the offspring resourcefully use artistic and makeup effects abilities to scare the devil out of the punkers, before Ytler ens them to their just reward.

First problem here is that the punkers are cast as wimps, not the threatening grotesques intended. One (Jonathan Chapin), whokeeps trying to ravish lovely heroine Whtilow, in fact plays a dual role, portrayin Tlyer in flashback and ghost guise. The punks' moll, Joleen Lutz, is far too sympathetic, even reforming at film's end and becoming the kids' friendly schholmate. None of this is conducive to terror creation.

Michael Bunett's makeup effects do the job, with an interesting contrast between the homemade effects essayed by the kids and the "real" gore shown later. Well-lit film otherwise looks like a cheapie.