The death of director Bob Clark in an automobile accident (which also took the life of his young son) in April of 2007 came as a major shock, and this tragedy cut short the career of a talented individual who surely still had a few good films left in him. Clark’s 1972 opus, CHILDREN SHOULDN’T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS, became a major cult hit that would make way for more competent genre works, including DEATHDREAM and BLACK CHRISTMAS, but the director also had a penchant for comedy (as easily witnessed with the box office smash PORKY’S and A CHRISTMAS STORY, one of the most delightful holiday films ever), and fortunately he was never typecast in one specific arena. Blending both horror and comedy lucratively, CHILDREN SHOULDN’T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS now gets the special edition treatment, paying tribute to its late, beloved director.

A youthful theater group led by their obnoxious director Alan (Alan Ormbsy) take a boat ride to and island which serves as a secluded graveyard. Others in the troop include macho Paul (Paul Cronin), flirty Terry (Jane Daly), wise-cracking Jeff (Jeff Gillen), strange Anya (Anya Ormsby) and no-nonsense Val (Valerie Mamches), who really has issues with their flamboyant leader. With the help of two gay actors (Roy Engleman and Robert Philip) made up as corpses, Alan scares the crap out of his comrades when the cheap thrills of grave-digging becomes more than they bargained for (making Jeff urinate himself). Soon after, Alan reads from an ancient satanic book in an attempt to raise the dead, and fails miserably. Always contradicting him, Val shows how it’s really done by performing her own black magic chant. As the group take back the freshly dug body of one Orville Dunworth (Seth Sklarey) to shelter for a night of morbid antics, they soon realize that “children shouldn’t play with dead things.”

CHILDREN SHOULDN’T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS was one of the earliest films to capitalize on George Romero’s groundbreaking NIGHT OF LIVING DEAD, and the concept of flesh-eating zombies would soon embrace a number of gore-laden productions from around the globe. Shot on location in Florida on a reportedly $50,000 budget, CHILDREN takes place entirely at night, in and around a fabricated cemetery and a nearby rat-infested shack. This might seem minimalist, but the film conveys a definite mood of darkness, doom and isolation, offset by a handful of quirky character in very loud, gaudy clothes, leaving no doubt that this is a product of the early 1970s.

The cast of newcomers make their characters distinct, with Ormsby’s Alan being one of the most detestable oddballs ever seen in a horror film, and he models the appalling fashion statements to go with it. Most of the first two-thirds of the film is a slow build-up (which might add up to a lot of tedium, depending on the viewer) to the final act; zombies literally crawling out of their graves to ambush and prey on a half a dozen hippy types. If anyone has a problem (I don’t) with CHILDREN’s pacing, the unleashing of the undead certainly makes it all worth while, and these scenes are augmented by the chilling, low-lit cinematography of Jack McGowan and truly eerie music effects by Carl Zittrer. Best of all are the homemade zombie make-ups by Alan Ormsby himself, which give the film its distinction and are impressive even in close-up. CHILDREN doesn’t rely on heavy doses of gore, and it got away with a PG rating, but its one of those cinematic experiences leaving you with the feeling that you saw things far more graphic than what actually occurred on the screen.

On its original street date, VCI accidentally unleashed this “35th Anniversary Exhumed Edition,” with a problematic transfer plagued with muted colors and missing footage. Thankfully, they quickly recalled the disc and this second pressing has now been issued. A disclaimer before the film explains that the passage of time has not been kind to the film’s elements, but the quality overall is very satisfactory and looks much better than VCI’s original non-anamorphic release of some years ago. Grain is always going to be an excessive problem with this cheaply-made, low-lit film, but at least this new transfer is watchable and consistent, with colors looking accurate and picture detail always being clear enough as to not drown out the darker scenes (which this film has many of). The film is presented uncut in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with anamorphic enhancement, and caries a decent-sounding English mono audio track.

Extras include an entertaining running commentary with Alan Ormsby, ex-wife Anya and Jane Daly, moderated by David Gregory. The participants all have a good sense of humor, have a number of amusing anecdotes to share, and remember much about making the film, especially Alan Ormsby, who can even point out most of the supporting players under their zombie get-up. You have to wonder if they’re watching the same disappointing print found on the DVD, since the actual dialog of the film is out of synch during the commentary. “Memories of Bob Clark” is a featurette which begins talking about his career, followed by the participants from the commentary giving their recollections on Clark shortly after his passing. Unfortunately, it’s not accompanied by video, only a still photograph of three. “Grindhouse Q&A” was videotaped at a Hollywood double feature screening of CHILDREN and DEATHDREAM, which has Alan Ormbsy, composer Carl Zittrer, construction chief Ken Goch and Albert Fisher, who was the set decorator on DEATHDREAM, sharing their Bob Clark-related film experiences in front of an enthusiastic audience. “Confessions of a Grave Digger” has Ken Goch back for a sit-down interview, talking about his memorable experiences with Clark (including a story about an oversized prophylactic on the set of PORKY’S). Other extras include several music related videos by The Deadthings and Freak (which seemed to have been tossed in as filler), a bio on Alan Ormsby, a photo gallery (which basically milks images from the lobby card set and the pressbook), CSPWDT trivia, and of course the great theatrical trailer. (George R. Reis)