:
Jon Tenney,
Jon Tenney,
Candus Churchill,
more...
:
Joe Dante,
Joe Dante
see all cast/crew...
: Not Rated
: Anchor Bay
: Horror, Television, Horror TV, Horror TV
: 59 min.
: English
see additional details...
|
|
Director Joe Dante stirred up a great deal of interest in Showtime's Masters of Horror series with his bluntly anti-Operation Iraqi Freedom political satire, Homecoming, scripted by Sam Hamm. An unnamed president is running for reelection during a divisive war, and one of his speechwriters, David Murch (Jon Tenney), goes on TV to speak with talk show host Marty Clark (Terry David Mulligan) and strident right-wing sexpot Jane Cleaver (Thea Gill of Queer as Folk). Another guest is Janet Hofstader (Beverly Breuer), the Cindy Sheehan-like mother of a fallen soldier, who demands to know what her son died for. Murch gets a bit teary-eyed and explains that he lost his older brother in Vietnam. "Believe me," he tells the grieving mom, "if I had one wish, I would wish for your son to come back, because I know he would tell us how important this struggle is." Cleaver is so impressed with Murch's handling of the situation that she takes him out for a drink later, picks his brain, and eventually seduces him. The Karl Rove-like Kurt Rand (Robert Picardo) interrupts their tryst, calling to let Murch know that the president plans to make his line part of his stump speech. Well, as they say, be careful what you wish for. Soon, the soldiers killed in the war do start returning from the dead, and it doesn't go the way Murch predicted. They're not back to feast on the living, but unhappily for the president and his supporters, they just want a chance to vote in the upcoming election. "We'll vote for anyone who ends this war," one explains. The spin machine goes into overdrive, but the dead are determined to make their voice heard. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
|
| Highly Political Zombies
by talltale
August 1, 2006 - 7:24 PM PDT
|
|
|
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful
|
Even knowing what to expect didn't prepare me for the shock, fun and sadness of HOMECOMING, Joe Dante's gift to the Masters of Horror series. I suppose, for those who have no strong feeling regarding what we have wrought in Iraq, this hour-long film may appear just an over-the-top screed, using horror tropes to score political points. It seemed a hell of lot more to me, offering scenes of enormous resonance: The soldiers coming out of their coffins, covered (or maybe bound) by our flag; the cafe with the soldier, the owner, his wife and their dog, and most particularly not just why the soldiers have returned, but what it takes to make them die.
Some of the writing (by Sam Hamm, who gave us the underrated "Monkeybone") and performances border on breathtaking--nasty, funny, & utterly on-target--with Jon Tenney just splendid as the conflicted "hero" and Thea Gill wickedly Coulter-esque as the libidinous, blond "author." It may seem odd that the most relevant and incisive bit of modern political muckraking comes from a short horror film made for cable TV, but there it is. When, at this point, it appears that only some kind of "magic" will put our country back on track, Mr. Dante's righteous and brave fantasy appears. Drink it up while you are still allowed. |
|
|
GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 6.40)
25 Votes
add to list 
|
|
|
Your cart
© 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. Portions of content provided by All Movie Guide®,
a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.