THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING

US, 1989, 83 minutes, Colour.
Louis Jourdan, Dick Durock, Heather Locklear, Sarah Douglas.
Directed by Jim Wynorski.

Return of Swamp Thing is a sequel to the original film of 1981, or a remake. Once again, Louis Jourdan is the suave, mad doctor, doing all kinds of mutant experiments to find the elixir of life and immortality. Heather Locklear is his Californian stepdaughter who is to become his victim. Swamp Thing is a good doctor, victimised by an experiment gone wrong, who saves people in the swamp. Sarah Douglas is an adequate villain (Superman, Red Sonya).

The film is tongue-in-cheek style, parody of the science fiction films and alluding to such movies as the Frankenstein series, the Mad Doctor series and Beauty and the Beast. (At one stage, Jourdan moves into a parody of some of the lyrics of Gigi.)

1. Comic strip entertainment? Serious, comic, parody?

2. The Bayous, the lonely mansions, the laboratories and their equipment? The grounds of the mansion, the swamps? Atmosphere? Georgia locations?

3. The make-up of the creatures, Swamp Thing, the mutants? Special effects and stunts? Atmospheric score?

4. Abby and her quest for self-knowledge, California, the plants and naming and talking to them? Her stepfather, bar visit, the arrival, everything new, the move to horror? The encounters with Swamp Thing? The doctor's plan to use her for his formula, her being rescued? The tongue-in-cheek sexuality of the love fantasy with Swamp Thing? Lana and her putting her in the laboratory, her energy going into her stepfather, the final rescue? The end with Swamp Thing - and her foot sprouting?

5. Louis Jourdan's urbane style as Professor Arcane (And the symbolism of that name?), unemotional, suave, his quest for immortality? His use of Lana and Dr. Rochelle? The experiments? His seeming detachment? The parody of the lines from Gigi? His attitude towards his stepdaughter, wanting to use her for experiments? His bodyguards and their terrorist get-up and style? His frustration with the experiments? Relationship with Lana, planning to use her? Lana and the transformation from Abby? Killing her? The quiet ending
as he sat resigned in the explosions and fires?

6. Dr. Rochelle and Lana: scientists and their style, manner, the exhibits, their amoral tone towards such experimentation? Dr. Rochelle and his mannerisms with his breath, being transformed into a mutant? Lana and her
saving Abby? Deaths?

7. Gunn and the mercenaries, their terrorist style, the bodyguard girl, her shooting the police, the background of their lives, telling the story of all their wounds in all the terrorist and mercenary activities of 15 years? The parody of the Rambo style?

8. The police, their initial disappearance, the encounter with the monster? Swamp Thing saving the guard with his glasses? Nice? The encounters with Abby? Swamp Thing as victim, rescuer, hero, confrontations?

9. The allusions to popular science fiction, mad doctor films, Frankenstein, Beauty and the Beast?