The Return of Swamp Thing
Encyclopedia
The Return of Swamp Thing is a sci-fi-comedy
film released in 1989, and directed by Jim Wynorski
. It is based on the DC Comics
(later Vertigo Comics) title Swamp Thing
and is a sequel to the 1982 horror film
Swamp Thing
directed by Wes Craven
; however, it had a lighter tone than the previous film. The film's main title montage consists of comic book covers set to Creedence Clearwater Revival's
"Born on the Bayou
".
) travels to the Florida swamps to confront her evil stepfather Dr. Arcane
(Louis Jourdan), who had been resurrected with a ludicrous explanation after his death in the first film. In an attempt to stave off the effects of aging, Dr. Arcane, assisted by Dr. Lana Zurrell (Sarah Douglas
), combines genes from various swamp animals and human beings, creating an army of monsters. Dr. Arcane tries to use his stepdaughter Abby in his genetic experiments until she is rescued by Swamp Thing (Dick Durock
), a scientist previously transformed into a bog creature after a confrontation with the evil doctor, and a conscience-stricken Dr. Zurrell.
gave a negative review, proclaiming the film "is intended for people who missed the 1982 Swamp Thing and don't want the bother of renting the videocassette." He added that it "means to be funnier than it ever is" and "contains scenes of violence, most of which are so unconvincing as to be less scary than an average comic book." Another negative review came from Variety
. Its summary headline read: "The Return of Swamp Thing is scientific hokum without the fun. Second attempt to film the DC Comics character will disappoint all but the youngest critters."
A writer for Time Out gave a somewhat neutral review, stating "Wynorski
is well-versed in double-bluffing his audience, denying them the chance of balking at dreadful special effects by implying that the ineptitude is deliberate. He opts for cheap nostalgic laughs and camp '50s sci-fi scenery; depending on whether you find this funny, you'll either smile knowingly or gasp in disbelief." Another positive review was from Roger Ebert
. He gave the movie "Thumbs Up" when Gene Siskel
did not.
Before his death a year later, Dick Durock stated in a 2008 interview, "They tried in Return of Swamp Thing to make it comedy, campy, and that's tough to make that work. I think [for the TV series
] they kind of gave up on that idea and got back to the darker side of the character as he was written in the comic book
."
Kathleen Norris
published a poem referring to this movie ("Return of Swamp Thing") in her book Journey: New and Selected Poems 1969-1999 (2001).
Heather Locklear won the Razzie Award as Worst Actress for her performance in the film.
wrote a novelization
of the film. Disappointed with the script, David rewrote large chunks of the story. To his surprise, the producers enjoyed the changes and allowed the book to see print as-is.
The film was issued on DVD by Image Entertainment
, with a commentary by Wynorski which suggests that some of the film's humor was not as intentional as it seems, and that Wynorski had a degree of contempt for the material. The DVD also includes two environmental public service announcements for television recorded with Durock in character and the two children featured in the movie. The PSAs aired in certain markets in 1989.
Warner Brothers re-released the film in April 2008 on DVD.
premiered the Swamp Thing
television series. This saw Dick Durock reprising his role and using a modified version of the Return of Swamp Thing costume. The series took a deliberate turn away from the campy themes of its 1989 film predecessor and leaned toward the darkness of Wes Craven
's version. It lasted into 1993 with a total of 72 episodes.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
film released in 1989, and directed by Jim Wynorski
Jim Wynorski
Jim Wynorski is an American screenwriter, director, and producer.-Career:Wynorski has been making B-movies and exploitation movies since the early 1980s. He has directed over 75 feature films. His earliest films were released to the theatrical audience and played in movie theaters...
. It is based on the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
(later Vertigo Comics) title Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing, a fictional character, is a plant elemental in the created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century . The Swamp Thing then returned in his own series, set in the contemporary world and in...
and is a sequel to the 1982 horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing (film)
Swamp Thing is a 1982 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven. It tells the story of scientist Alec Holland who becomes transformed into the monster Swamp Thing through laboratory sabotage orchestrated by the evil Anton Arcane...
directed by Wes Craven
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
; however, it had a lighter tone than the previous film. The film's main title montage consists of comic book covers set to Creedence Clearwater Revival's
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
"Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou
"Born on the Bayou" is the first track on Creedence Clearwater Revival's second album, Bayou Country. It was released as the B-side of the single "Proud Mary" and reached #2 on the Billboard Charts.As the songwriter, John Fogerty, commented:...
".
Plot
After her mother's mysterious death, Abby Arcane (Heather LocklearHeather Locklear
Heather Deen Locklear is an American actress best known for her television roles as Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J...
) travels to the Florida swamps to confront her evil stepfather Dr. Arcane
Anton Arcane
Anton Arcane is a DC Comics villain who first appeared in Swamp Thing vol. 1 #2, and was created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson.-Fictional character biography:...
(Louis Jourdan), who had been resurrected with a ludicrous explanation after his death in the first film. In an attempt to stave off the effects of aging, Dr. Arcane, assisted by Dr. Lana Zurrell (Sarah Douglas
Sarah Douglas
Sarah Douglas is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for playing the Kryptonian supervillain Ursa in the first two Superman movies , and for her role as Pamela Lynch in the 1980s primetime drama series Falcon Crest .-Early life:Douglas was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, the...
), combines genes from various swamp animals and human beings, creating an army of monsters. Dr. Arcane tries to use his stepdaughter Abby in his genetic experiments until she is rescued by Swamp Thing (Dick Durock
Dick Durock
Richard "Dick" Durock was an American stuntman and actor who has appeared in over eighty films and over seven hundred television episodes.- Biography :...
), a scientist previously transformed into a bog creature after a confrontation with the evil doctor, and a conscience-stricken Dr. Zurrell.
Reception
The Return of Swamp Thing acquired largely poor reception from critics. Vincent Canby of The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
gave a negative review, proclaiming the film "is intended for people who missed the 1982 Swamp Thing and don't want the bother of renting the videocassette." He added that it "means to be funnier than it ever is" and "contains scenes of violence, most of which are so unconvincing as to be less scary than an average comic book." Another negative review came from Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
. Its summary headline read: "The Return of Swamp Thing is scientific hokum without the fun. Second attempt to film the DC Comics character will disappoint all but the youngest critters."
A writer for Time Out gave a somewhat neutral review, stating "Wynorski
Jim Wynorski
Jim Wynorski is an American screenwriter, director, and producer.-Career:Wynorski has been making B-movies and exploitation movies since the early 1980s. He has directed over 75 feature films. His earliest films were released to the theatrical audience and played in movie theaters...
is well-versed in double-bluffing his audience, denying them the chance of balking at dreadful special effects by implying that the ineptitude is deliberate. He opts for cheap nostalgic laughs and camp '50s sci-fi scenery; depending on whether you find this funny, you'll either smile knowingly or gasp in disbelief." Another positive review was from Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
. He gave the movie "Thumbs Up" when Gene Siskel
Gene Siskel
Eugene Kal "Gene" Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted the popular review show Siskel & Ebert At the Movies from 1975 until his death....
did not.
Before his death a year later, Dick Durock stated in a 2008 interview, "They tried in Return of Swamp Thing to make it comedy, campy, and that's tough to make that work. I think [for the TV series
Swamp Thing (TV series)
Swamp Thing, also known as Swamp Thing: The Series, is a science fiction, action/adventure television series based on the DC Comics character Swamp Thing. It debuted on USA Network on July 27, 1990 and lasted three seasons for a total of 72 episodes...
] they kind of gave up on that idea and got back to the darker side of the character as he was written in the comic book
Swamp Thing comics
The fictional character Swamp Thing has appeared in four comic book series to date, including several specials, and has crossed over into other DC Comics titles. The series found immense popularity upon its 1970s debut and during the mid-late 1980s under Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, and John...
."
Kathleen Norris
Kathleen Norris (poet)
for the novelist Kathleen Norris, see Kathleen NorrisKathleen Norris is a best-selling poet and essayist. She became known for her writings about Christian spirituality, especially after she became a Benedictine oblate and spent two extended periods at Saint John's Abbey in Minnesota...
published a poem referring to this movie ("Return of Swamp Thing") in her book Journey: New and Selected Poems 1969-1999 (2001).
Heather Locklear won the Razzie Award as Worst Actress for her performance in the film.
Novelization
Peter DavidPeter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
wrote a novelization
Novelization
A novelization is a novel that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work.Novelizations of films usually add background material not found in the original work to flesh out the story, because novels are generally longer than screenplays...
of the film. Disappointed with the script, David rewrote large chunks of the story. To his surprise, the producers enjoyed the changes and allowed the book to see print as-is.
VHS and DVD release
RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video released the film in 1989 on VHS.The film was issued on DVD by Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
, with a commentary by Wynorski which suggests that some of the film's humor was not as intentional as it seems, and that Wynorski had a degree of contempt for the material. The DVD also includes two environmental public service announcements for television recorded with Durock in character and the two children featured in the movie. The PSAs aired in certain markets in 1989.
Warner Brothers re-released the film in April 2008 on DVD.
Television series and sequel
In July 1990, USA NetworkUSA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
premiered the Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing (TV series)
Swamp Thing, also known as Swamp Thing: The Series, is a science fiction, action/adventure television series based on the DC Comics character Swamp Thing. It debuted on USA Network on July 27, 1990 and lasted three seasons for a total of 72 episodes...
television series. This saw Dick Durock reprising his role and using a modified version of the Return of Swamp Thing costume. The series took a deliberate turn away from the campy themes of its 1989 film predecessor and leaned toward the darkness of Wes Craven
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
's version. It lasted into 1993 with a total of 72 episodes.