Twice Dead

Twice Dead is a 1988 film that is a little difficult to categorize.  Some call it a comedy horror but I didn't see enough comedy in it to call it that (unless it's called that by accident because some of it is funny but it might not have been meant to be), I've seen it listed as a TV movie but due to the language and nudity that is in the film I can't see this being a made for TV movie unless it was made for one of the cable pay channels but I'm more thinking it was released straight to video.  What I will say it is is a supernatural ghost story about a love that transcends even the boundaries of death.  That sounds so much better than the movie actually is though because this one is a bit of a mess.

Twice Dead was written and directed by Bert L. Dragin who is also responsible for Summer Camp Nightmare, don't worry I don't expect you to know that one either.  The film stars Tom Bresnahan and Jill Whitlow as a brother and sister who are left in charge of the new house that their family just inherited while their parents are out of town.  The house they inherit is haunted by the ghost of their dead relative who was a silent film star that murdered his wife before he committed suicide.  The siblings are terrorized by the local biker gang who were using the old house as their home turf.  They get help from their new friend Petie; played by Todd Bridges from Diff'rent Strokes.  They also get help from the spirit of their dead relative who has taken possession of one of the biker dudes and then sets his sites on Robin (Whitlow) who looks exactly like the wife he killed long ago. 

This one has a lot of problems one of them being some of it is really hard to see because it's just too dark.  The special effects are really cheep and cheesy looking too.  The acting is pretty bad by just about everyone in fact I can't give anyone credit for doing a good job except for maybe Brooke Bundy and Sam Melville who play the parents but they are only in the first half of the film.  The "scary" biker gang all have Flock of Seagulls haircuts so maybe at the time they were scary and threatening but now they all just look silly.  Then there is the brother and sister relationship which I had issues with because I've seen people that have very close relationships with their brother or sister and they don't act like these two do.  While nothing was inferred it just felt a little hinky at times for example: when Whitlow has a bad dream her big brother is right there to comfort her.  I mean he was RIGHT there, and real close.  At times they sounded more like boyfriend and girlfriend that sister and brother.  I was uncomfortable is all I'm saying, so maybe that says something about me and not them but whatever, The Horror Honey agreed with me and said to her, they were the creepiest part of the movie.  She also agreed with me in only giving this one 2 Kajagoogoos out of 5.