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by Frank Showalter

The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra

C-: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2001 | United States | 90 min | More...
Reviewed Jul 2, 2004

A parody of the B-grade science fiction movies that gained popularity in the 1950s.

The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is one of those movies that will grow on you with time; as you remember the funniest parts as even funnier, all the while forgetting its flaws. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra deserves credit as being one of the best parodies in the last 15 years, but miscasting and poor editing ultimately keep this one from becoming a classic.

The biggest piece of miscasting comes in the form of Brian Howe, who seems more like a handy-man than a scientist. While writer-director Larry Blamire is note-perfect as the protagonist hero, Howe is lacking as a villain. I’m not sure if Blamire was deliberately trying to cast against type, but either way the result is less than satisfactory. The rest of the cast is adequate, but none really rises to Blamire’s level of comedic timing.

The script is a played-straight send-up of 50s sci-fi movies, that has some funny material, but not enough to support a 90 minute feature. This leads to The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra’s other big problem: editing. Far too many scenes drag on long after they’ve ceased being funny, which in-turn causes the whole movie to drag.

This isn’t to say The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra doesn’t have it’s strong suits. The movie is full of great moments, and the titular skeleton is a true star, spouting instant catch-phrases and stealing almost every scene he’s in.

Cut about 20 minutes and its a classic, but as-is it needs work.