MovieChat Forums > El ataque de los muertos sin ojos Discussion > Recycled Footage?!

Recycled Footage?!

posted 18 years ago by manomatuk
9 replies | jump to latest

Man, I was hyped when my TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD/RETURN OF THE BLIND DEAD dvd came and watching Tombs, I was somewhat dissapointed due to the lack of gore and over all cheesyness of the effects that were applied. I'm too used to Lucio I guess but never the less, it was a nice little treat.

RETURN OF THE BLIND DEAD was the one I was most excited to watch because there is so much praise around it being the best in the series. I was quickly derailed when I saw Recycled footage of the Templars from the first movie; rising from the graves and riding around like crazy bastards on horses, ALL Cut in and around new footage. BUT this was only for about the first 20 minutes of the movie before "new" Templar footage is introduced. Anyone who hasn't see Tombs wouldnt know the difference.

TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD is def the better film with it's originality and style. RETURN seems like something they rushed and shot too soon after the release of TOMBS to cash in on its success, which explains returning cast members playing different roles and the recycled footage. The story itself only picks up into something entertaining when they (the cast) all take refuge into and get trapped in some random church. It has it's flaws, like the leading lady is very ... um .. ugly? But it has its moments.

[–] STEVE-1559 18 years ago

Can't believe you think TOMB OF THE BLIND DEAD "lacks gore." What about the shots of the Templar's swords sinking into the breasts of their sacrificial victim? Agreed, the prosthetics were a bit cheesy -- rubbery, anway -- but this is plenty gory. And don't forget the poor little girl crying while her mother's blood drips down onto her face in the train. That's a great horror moment!

In any case, RETURN is much the better film, inspite of flaws like the recycled footage. Most obviously, the Templars are on screen more, and the pacing is much better -- none of the long-winded back-and-forth trapsing from location to location that slowed TOMB down, matching the pace of the Templars themselves!

READ MORE HERE: http://www.hollywoodgothique.com/returnoftheblinddead1973.html

[–] fallsmith 18 years ago

using STOCK FOOTAGE FROM THE ORIGINAL FILM. We have to forgive this as you must remember that these films are very high quality given they were made in less than 4 weeks on a budget of £1.20 ... Also at the time their were no rereleases and DVDs etc so a film was a disposable commodity and no one would be comparing. Still those scenes are hauntingly good so why reshoot them?

[–] STEVE-1559 18 years ago

Just one thing abour re-using old footage: I can understand the ratinal (in the days before video) for not going back and reshooting stuff that would look virutally the same. I just wish they would re-edit it -- shuffle the order around, maybe include some outtakes -- so that it didn't look exactly the same.

[–] apocolypsejunkie 18 years ago

It has it's flaws, like the leading lady is very ... um .. ugly?

I about fell off my chair laughing at that:-) and yes, she was hideous so part of the comedy is all of these men were lusting after her?

If my answers frighten you then you should cease asking scary questions.

[–] jeffyoung1 15 years ago

You're right about the leading lady. I noticed it immediately as soon as I popped in the DVD and started watching. Other than having wide hips and a big butt that many guys do like, she's not that pretty. Couldn't the film's producers have found another more attractive actress? No one else has posted this observation about the leading lady either.

It's true about the recycled footage from the first movie. It's brazenly shameless copping of previously-filmed footage which saved lots of money and shooting time. The film's producers were anxious to make a sequel, save lots of money and make more profit by re-using footage.

They even re-used actors. Pedro the smuggler and rapist from "Tombs of the Blind Dead" is back in "Return of the Evil Dead", in a more benign role. He can also be seen in a small supporting role in another Euro-horror flick of the early 70s, "Cry of the Lorelei". One of the other supporting characters, a white-haired guy, can be seen as a gunfighter supporting actor in a number of Italian "spaghetti" westerns exported into the United States and made famous by Clint Eastwood. The blonde chick who was in bed with poor Pedro can also be seen in a number of Euro-fright flicks from the early 70s. The main lady from Tombs of the Blind Dead is back in the sequel, albeit in a supporting role. She has a different hairstyle.

[–] andell-2 17 years ago

the recycled photage was hillarious, i saw tombs just before return so i could defenitivley se that it was the exact same photage.
overall two nice movies, better than ghost gallion becuase that one was only like a uncensored and more adult version of scooby doo.
i am going to wach the last one tomorrow and i hope it is like the 2 first ones.

[–] jorgito2001 15 years ago

As someone already stated, recycled footage was used quite a bit back in the day...being that there wasn't home video of any kind to compare it too...it seems we are a bit spoiled nowadays.

The footage of the rising templars was good, so why fix what ain't broke?

--
Unhinged:5/10
Zombie Diaries: 4/10
Rogue: 7/10
Welcome to the Jungle:6/10
Orphan: 7/10

[–] changedname 14 years ago

I agree, I also didn't like the movie much. Much of the dialogue pathetic, with so much time dedicated to the stupid love story.

Some of the ideas were good, some of the death scenes were good, such as when the blonde girl went down the tunnel with the church keeper, there were times I was tense and didn't know what was going to happen and afraid for the characters... but some of the scenes were predictable and inconsistent over how deadly the knights were. It's arguable whether the movie is worth watching or not.

[–] BrokenMirrorsbrokenMinds 11 years ago

I've always likened the first film as the best, for a variety of reasons. The siege on Virginia in the tombs and her ensuing attempt to flee on horseback probably rated as my favourite sequence in the entire series. Plus I love the 'heart-beat' and mannequin store sequences, the latter of which struck me as Bava-esque with the lighting employed. It didn't hurt that the two main actresses are gorgeous. I understand people's dissatisfaction with the lesbo-storyline but it wasn't a huge part of the movie so it didn't bug me.