Blu-ray Review: C.H.U.D. II: BUD THE CHUD Vestron Video Collector’s Series

Not all C.H.U.D. are created equal.

Within weeks of Arrow Video’s special edition Blu-ray of the original C.H.U.D.—still the best movie ever made about New York’s homeless being transformed by toxic waste into cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers—Lionsgate’s new(ish) Vestron Video Collector’s Series adds its 1989 sequel, C.H.U.D. II: Bud the CHUD, to its growing library of collectible Blu-rays. The completist in me is happy to have both available in the best possible format. The supportive horror fan in me is happy for the film’s fans, who finally get to put a high-def version of a movie they adore on their shelves. The movie lover in me would be perfectly okay not seeing it again.

C.H.U.D. II: Bud the CHUD is what Fred Dekker’s Night of the Creeps might be if it weren’t any good. The basic premise is the same: two wisecracking young men (Bill Calvert and Brian Robbins) steal a corpse that’s actually a zombie, and horror hijinks ensue. The differences here are that instead of alien slugs, the zombies in C.H.U.D. II come about when the military decides that injecting an enzyme from the O.G. CHUDs into dead bodies will create super soldiers—because there’s nothing movies won’t do to have the military create super soldiers. Patient zero is the titular Bud (played by Gerrit Graham), who is brought back to the suburbs and begins creating more and more zombies until the entire town is overrun and the military (led by Robert Vaughn, RIP) must launch their own retaliatory measures. Meanwhile, all Bud the CHUD wants is to spend a little time with the beautiful Katie (Tricia Leigh Fisher). CHUDs are such romantics.

In the tradition of The Bride of Frankenstein and Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, CHUD II is an overtly comic sequel to a horror movie that played it more or less straight. The change in tone is welcome, as the first movie said pretty much everything about cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers that there is to say. No, CHUD II’s greatest sin isn’t that it’s a comedy, it’s that it is a profoundly unfunny one. Gerrit Graham does what he can in the title role and gives something close to an inspired comic performance, but the script and the broadness of everything else onscreen sells him short, effectively canceling out his work by dumbing down the tone until his performance seems just like one more wrongheaded element in a movie full of them, instead of the self-aware and occasionally clever take on the traditional zombie Graham seems to be going for.

While Bud the CHUD disappoints as a comedy, rest assured that it’s equally disappointing as a horror movie. Gone are the cool-looking mutant monsters of the original film; in their place are zombies played by actors with a little eye makeup and some false teeth. Played strictly for laughs, the zombies are too buffoonish to pose any real threat. Almost all of the violence takes place off-screen, as director David Irving is quick to cut away before any zombie attack; we may get a scream and some biting noises, but that’s basically it.

I’ll repeat: I’m fine with the filmmakers going a different way with CHUD II and making it a horror comedy, but the movie still needs to deliver some of what its audience wants. Comedy is subjective, so while I don’t laugh at the jokes, I get that others might. What is less open to subjective opinion is the fact that there is very little here for horror fans. Moments of energy exist here and there (like a late movie dance number that hints at what could have been if the filmmakers had more time or money), but overall, CHUD II winds up being one of those frustrating horror comedies that doesn’t work in either genre.

That said, Lionsgate has done a great job with their Vestron Video Collector’s Series release of the movie. While not offering a complete remastering, the 1080 HD transfer looks good enough, with natural colors, a fair amount of detail, and no real visible print damage. It’s softer and more inconsistent than what a number of cult labels are offering in terms of video quality these days, but fans should be happy with how the movie looks. Director David Irving is joined by Red Shirt Pictures’ Michael Felsher for a commentary track that covers not just CHUD II, but also Irving’s career at large. Stars Gerrit Graham and Tricia Lee Fisher are both interviewed and have fond things to say about the movie while still seeing it for what it is; makeup designer Allan Apone also speaks about his work designing the film’s creatures. Finally, there is a gallery of stills and the trailer for the movie’s VHS release.

While the original C.H.U.D. is no masterpiece, it has a certain scuzzy, violent charm to it that both captures and reflects the feel of New York’s 42nd Street in the early ’80s. C.H.U.D. II: Bud the CHUD has a very different set of goals, and while it comes up way short for this reviewer, I have no doubt there are fans of the film who still have fond memories of watching it on VHS late at night with friends. This Blu-ray is for them. It’s very much in line with the films put out as part of the Vestron line so far, which leans towards horror comedies (Blood Diner, Chopping Mall, the upcoming Parents) and emphasizes fun over frights. I’m down for that. I only wish CHUD II had a little more fun with its fun.

Movie Score: 1.5/5, Disc Score: 3/5