Dead Heat [Blu-ray]

Director: Mark Goldblatt Mark Goldblatt

Overview

Although many genre filmmakers have managed to blend horror and humor with great success, movies employing this formula often run the risk of both elements canceling each other out, resulting in a horror comedy that is neither scary nor funny. Alas, Dead Heat is a textbook example of this kind of failure. It details the weird misadventures of a pair of mismatched L.A. cops -- the straitlaced and by-the-book Roger Mortis (Treat Williams) and wisecracking loose cannon Doug Bigelow (muscle-headed Saturday Night Live alum Joe Piscopo). Their quest is to reach the heart of a sinister crime ring that employs indestructible undead henchmen. In a strange twist, their inept handling of the case results in both cops -- first Williams, then Piscopo -- being killed in action and subsequently reanimated in a secret laboratory managed by the barely seen Vincent Price (whose walk-on role is more entertaining than the combined performances of the two leads). The potential for "splatstick" comedy in the mode of Evil Dead 2 or Peter Jackson's Bad Taste is defeated by two major obstacles: first, the painfully unfunny mugging of Piscopo, who was unwisely allowed to ad-lib much of his performance; and second, the MPAA's trimming of several minutes from Steve Johnson's sensational makeup effects in order to avoid the dreaded X rating -- including a clever scene involving a zombie go-go girl played by Linnea Quigley.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/20/2011
UPC:	0014381745955
Original Release:	1988
Rating:	R
Source:	RLJ ENTERTAINMENT, INC
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:23:00
Sales rank:	13,191

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Joe Piscopo	Det. Doug Bigelow
Treat Williams	Det. Roger Mortis
Lindsay Frost	Randi James
Darren McGavin	Dr. Ernest McNab
Vincent Price	Arthur P. Loudermilk
Clare Kirkconnell	Rebecca Smythers
Keye Luke	Mr. Thule
Ben Mittleman	Bob
Peter Kent	Smitty
Robert Picardo	Lt. Herzog
Cate Casplin	Salewoman
Mel Stewart	Capt. Mayberry
Toru Tanaka	Butcher
Martha Quinn	Newscaster
Cate Caplin	Saleswoman
Monica Lewis	Mrs. Von Heiserberg
Peggy O'Brien	Jewelry Store Manager
Chip Heller	Wilcox
Steven Bannister	The Thing
Lew Hopson	Whitfield
Steven R. Bannister	Thing
Tom Nolan	Jonas
Steve Itkin	Freman
Shane Black	Patrolman
Monty Ash	Waiter
H. Ray Huff	Cop
Ivan E. Roth	End Zombie,End Zombie
Ron Taylor	Shoot Out Zombie
Yvonne Peattie	Gertrude Bellman
Clarence Brown	Harry Latham
Mike Saad	Guard #1
Monty Cox	Guard #2
Pons Maar	Pool Zombie
Dawan Scott	Pool Zombie
Pamela Vansant	Lab Technician
Beth Toussaint	Lab Technician

Technical Credits

Darren Star

Dan Bradley	Stunts
Mark Goldblatt	Director
David Helpern	Producer
Patrick Read Johnson	Special Effects,Special Effects
Michael Meltzer	Producer
Darren Star	Screenwriter