HOMECOMING

HOMECOMING

Aesthetic mirrors of cultural and individual anxieties, the horror genre has long combined beasts, blood, and breasts with complex, emotionally intensive criticisms of society, using symbols of supernatural and mythic fear to represent terrors of the everyday. Attacking organized religion, governmental tyranny, and prejudice no less viciously than their monsters ravage flesh, horror cinema is one of the few artistic forms where otherwise taboo subjects can be discussed, disguising controversial topics in the fancy dress of fantasy. This is precisely what Homecoming does, addressing the sensitive and unpopular question of a self-satisfied government (and an unjust war) during a time when to question authority is considered by the mass majority -- little different than sleepwalkers lumbering through the movie's twilight half-life -- equal to treason. A proud, poetic craftsman, Joe Dante has long displayed a penchant for crafting fear films as smart and sassy as they are genuinely frightening. From the big-business slap-down and ego-consciousness of Piranha, to an expose of the dangers of psychobabble in The Howling, Dante's films think just as strongly as they entertain. Homecoming, his gutsy and socially scathing condemnation of the Bush administration, is both a balls-to-the-wall fright feature and a supernatural shout of outrage.

A serious and suspenseful shock-show, Homecoming spares no punches, asks for no friends, and takes plenty of chances in our current media atmosphere of witch-hunting. If honesty was a crime, Dante would be guilty. Based on "Death and Suffrage," a story by Dale Baily, this vivisection of cultural stupidity and corruption focuses on the lies beyond the glossy veneer of mass packaged truth. Terror and scandal grip the nation when dead soldiers rise en masse to have their voices heard. A few weeks before the new Presidential election, the unpopular war overseas courts controversy, splitting families and political parties alike. When the Republican administration wishes that our dead troops could return to tell America how proud they were to serve their country (bad karma, fellows!), these politically conscious cadavers decide to make their vote count! Asking audiences to determine for themselves if these rotting soldiers are heroes returned to support the system or deadly dissidents enraged at a government using human lives as social commerce, this extremely powerful nightmare of conscience, corruption, and corpses is a much-needed call of sanity dressed in the wardrobe of genre.

Just one of the exceptionally well made one-hour mini-movies made for Master Of Horror, the critically acclaimed series that brought panic to primetime, the true aesthetic and intellectual power of Homecoming is that it can be seen as both a gut-munching horror flick of old and/or a searing satire of our guns, god, and apple pie morality -- one which preserves soulless ideals while sacrificing lives. As devoted to the bold sensationalism of 80's era horror as it is to making a serious statement amidst viscera, this is entertainment at its bloody best. Perhaps more frightening for its 'dead-on' (sorry folks, couldn't help the pun!) description of our nation's amoral political hierarchy as for its more traditional walking dead, this hour long vivisection of cultural confidence and exposed tyranny is grounded in the all-too-real nightmares of people who use political agendas to further their own careers, a loud-mouthed media eager to do anything for ratings, and the terror of voices never heard, blocked by a select few who hold far too much power.

While this episode doesn't steer away from supernatural thrills or violence, its major scares come from showing us those monsters who we watch every night on the cold eye of the television screen. While the walking dead in this putrid poke at politics is satisfyingly creepy, evoking disgust and, yes, sadness, who needs gut-munching ghouls when we have characters like David Murch, a demonically deceitful political consultant, the hypocritical (and constantly horny) Jane Cleaver, a sociopath agitator whose erotic liaisons certainly wouldn't have been approved on Leave it To Beaver, and shadows of such personas as Jerry Farwell (now that's scary?!). Successful as both a midnight movie and troubling criticism, one thing Homecoming isn't is boring. Neither, thankfully, does it preach.

While far from subtle, drawing both its scares and its pleas in broad, confident, blood strokes of characterization and theme, Dante's anti-war escapade is intelligent and macabre enough (and he himself grounded deeply enough in the waters of storytelling) to never allow the socially crippling subtext overshadow the entertainment value of the movie. Enjoyment comes first, strengthened by a series of socially conscious, timely mishaps that are integral to the plot, not the awkward after-thoughts that so often kill the pleasures of story for a yell from the pulpit. This piece of perverted patriotism and zombies never pretends to be subtle in its attack against current social chaos and injustice, screaming its fears and subtext for all to hear. A big, showy format for a crucial, worldwide problem, Dante isn't afraid to grab the corpse by the skin and drag it for all its worth. His characters are believable as both symbols and people with motivations and dreams. The direction, flashy as a dark comic book on one hand, never allows the action to veer into ridiculous. The humor provokes a laugh, but at the same time the painfully absurd context in which the dead walk is depressing. And, damn it, it should be!

A film that will be recognized in the future as a masterwork of political, socially conscious filmmaking, Homecoming is treated in this generously packaged disc with respect for the source material and fans alike. The picture is presented in anamorphic widescreen without blemish. No noticeable grain, washed out coloring, or image depth perception flaws were noted. Colors are strong and vibrant, and the flesh tones of characters are captured perfectly against well lit backgrounds. Audio is likewise satisfying, bringing every groan of sex and outrage into the living room. Extras are especially enticing, proving both entertaining and informative (rather like the film itself). We have, for our appetizer, an audio commentary with Sam Hamm (gotta love that ghost-name!), followed by "The Making Of Homecoming," a behind-the-scenes featurette exploring how the story was turned into a film. The story "Death and Suffrage," upon which the script was drafted, and a screen saver are offered on DVD Rom, while, more relevant to the film, we find Mick Garris interviewing Joe Dante. This interview is fund and friendly, getting at the skinny while informal enough to let the personality of these gentlemen shine through, Following a Joe Dante Bio is an interview with Jon Tenney, itself followed by an interview with Robert Picardo. Also of note is a still gallery and, perhaps most substantial "The Dead Come Marching," an interview with Joe Dante, which is a meaty stew of personal insight on filmmaking, politics, and the film.

Review by William P. Simmons


 
Released by Anchor Bay USA
Region 1 NTSC
Not Rated
Extras : see main review
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