Richard Johnson from Zombie died

[beat_truck]

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/jun/07/richard--johnson

He died on June 5th. RIP

[MoonSylver]

That's a shame. He brought a great sense of gravitas & drama to the role of Dr. Menard. RIP. :(

[shootemindehead]

Him and Ian McCulloch were the only ones treated with any kind of respect on the set apparently.

[Moon Knight]

RIP. Dr Menard was cool.

[JDP]

Him and Ian McCulloch were the only ones treated with any kind of respect on the set apparently.

Sucks if that really happened, but if you think about it, they are the only real veteran actors in the film (Olga Karlatos and Al Cliver had considerable acting experience previous to Zombie, but not nearly as much as them.)

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RIP. Dr Menard was cool.

He was cool, but in a "kind of an a-hole" way. I mean, what kind of a fellow leaves his hot wife without any real protection (and no, leaving the wimpy gardener "armed" with a cigar and an equally wimpy small dog to watch over the house does not count as "real protection") in the middle of nowhere on an island being overtaken by zombies??? Did he really expect she was going to make it out alive?

[shootemindehead]

Well, according to McColloch, Fulci could be quite a dick at times. He wasn't particularly nice to Auretta Gay, IIRC.

[MoonSylver]

He was cool, but in a "kind of an a-hole" way. I mean, what kind of a fellow leaves his hot wife without any real protection (and no, leaving the wimpy gardener "armed" with a cigar and an equally wimpy small dog to watch over the house does not count as "real protection") in the middle of nowhere on an island being overtaken by zombies??? Did he really expect she was going to make it out alive?

I got the impression that Menard didn't really know they were "loose" on the island or how widespread the problem had become. It seemed as though he thought he had the problem contained there at the church/clinic/quarantine.

[JDP]

I got the impression that Menard didn't really know they were "loose" on the island or how widespread the problem had become. It seemed as though he thought he had the problem contained there at the church/clinic/quarantine.

I am pretty sure that Dr. Menard was well aware of the situation, he even had Lucas give him reports of what was going on with the increasingly nervous islanders and how they were fleeing due to the increasing zombie menace. He kept giving excuses to his wife to remain on the island so he could continue trying to figure out what was causing the disaster, telling her that the zombies were -for some mysterious unexplained reason which she obviously never really believed- politely confining themselves to "the other side of the island". Notice that when he leaves for the hospital he tells the gardener to watch the house and let "nobody" near it. "Nobody" here obviously includes a new type of "intruder", not just some island burglar. This guy knew very well how dangerous the island was getting to be. But what the heck did he expect the gardener would do if the zombies showed up? Scare them off with his cigarettes or the little dog??? The least he could have done is give the shotgun or the revolver to either his wife or the gardener so they could actually have a safer way of dealing with any zombies that might show up on the property.

[slickwilly13]

Maybe he wanted her to die. They were fighting continuously. Or he underestimated the situation, because of his own arrogance.

[JDP]

Maybe he wanted her to die. They were fighting continuously.

I thought about that possibility, but if that is so, then why would he send the visitors to go check if she was OK? Why would he later on inquire what happened to his wife? His actions seem to argue the contrary: despite the arguments, he appears to have still cared for her. So then why would he leave her behind without any real protection on an island being taken over by zombies in the first place???


Or he underestimated the situation, because of his own arrogance.

The guy had guns in his office for protection, went around the island with the revolver, and one of the staff (Lucas) fed him information on what the islanders were doing regarding the zombies (their actions are very clear: they are fleeing!) It does not look like he would have underestimated what was going on. He just kept giving excuses to his wife about the situation not being dangerous yet (which she obviously did not buy anyway; ravenous zombies politely confining themselves to "the other side of the island"? Yeah, right! To use an expression she used earlier: "How convenient for you!") so that he could continue his research.

[EvilNed]

He wasn't by any means a zombie expert - nobody had encountered them before. He didn't know how dangerous they could be, seeing as nobody had faced them before. All he knew of were isolated incidents in the villages. It's safe to say he underestimated the threat they posed to the life on the island as a whole.

Think I might have to rewatch this classic this weekend. I have the steelbok blu-ray version. I love the transfer of it, it's beautiful.

[JDP]

He wasn't by any means a zombie expert - nobody had encountered them before. He didn't know how dangerous they could be, seeing as nobody had faced them before. All he knew of were isolated incidents in the villages. It's safe to say he underestimated the threat they posed to the life on the island as a whole.

Think I might have to rewatch this classic this weekend. I have the steelbok blu-ray version. I love the transfer of it, it's beautiful.

He went around the island armed with a revolver, had a shotgun in his office, had Lucas give him reports on what the islanders were up to regarding the zombie situation (and Lucas tells him that they are fleeing), was in charge of an improvised hospital with many "patients" on their way to become zombies, we see the common graves packed with bodies with shots on their heads, when the visitors arrive he describes the situation as a plague that is turning the island into "a wasteland of terror", later on he says that the zombie crisis began about 3 months before the events we see in the movie... there is no way this guy was not aware of what was going on. If anyone was a "zombie expert" in this movie it is this guy! In fact, he, his wife, and the hospital staff are the only people on the planet who have a pretty good idea of the alarming things that are going on.

[EvilNed]

He went around the island armed with a revolver, had a shotgun in his office, had Lucas give him reports on what the islanders were up to regarding the zombie situation (and Lucas tells him that they are fleeing), was in charge of an improvised hospital with many "patients" on their way to become zombies, we see the common graves packed with bodies with shots on their heads, when the visitors arrive he describes the situation as a plague that is turning the island into "a wasteland of terror", later on he says that the zombie crisis began about 3 months before the events we see in the movie... there is no way this guy was not aware of what was going on. If anyone was a "zombie expert" in this movie it is this guy! In fact, he, his wife, and the hospital staff are the only people on the planet who have a pretty good idea of the alarming things that are going on.

I agree with you that he was the one who knew most about the situation, but that doesn't mean he knew enough about it to be considered a survivalist or anything like that.

[MrJeffHale]

Damn. R.I.P.

[LivingDeadGuy]

That's really sad. A lot of great actors are gone now...

Anyways I always wondered what was up with his wife. The scene where she was taking medication seemed to imply that maybe she really did have a mental illness (possibly bipolar disorder which is what I suffer from) and she was accusing her husband of being sneaky and evil but nothing about him in later scenes seemed to reinforce her accusations he seemed to me like a doctor who was just doing his job trying to cure the infected islanders. Also I think he underestimated how bad the outbreak on the island really was I don't think he intended to let his wife get killed.

Btw whatever happened to the gardner that was supposed to look after her? I guess he got killed by a zombie off screen.

[JDP]

That's really sad. A lot of great actors are gone now...

Anyways I always wondered what was up with his wife. The scene where she was taking medication seemed to imply that maybe she really did have a mental illness (possibly bipolar disorder which is what I suffer from) and she was accusing her husband of being sneaky and evil but nothing about him in later scenes seemed to reinforce her accusations he seemed to me like a doctor who was just doing his job trying to cure the infected islanders. Also I think he underestimated how bad the outbreak on the island really was I don't think he intended to let his wife get killed.

Btw whatever happened to the gardner that was supposed to look after her? I guess he got killed by a zombie off screen.

She probably was just taking tranquilizers, I mean with the island being overrun by zombies and her being stuck right in the middle of it and all. Perfectly normal response.

Regarding Dr. Menard's "innocence": his wife's accusations might have more solid ground than you think. Notice that Dr. Menard does not seem to be 100% honest regarding how Anne's father died. The version he tells her is rather different than the one we see in the opening sequence. In the version he tells her, he is all heart-broken and shocked at what happened to her father, but in the opening sequence the cold and somber way in which he dispatches Anne's father suggests a more sinister side to that event. Also notice that in the letter that Anne's father wrote to her he explains that he is basically being used as a guinea pig! This again emphasizes a rather different version of the events, a more sinister and cold-hearted side of Dr. Menard, which he obviously will not openly display in front of others. But his wife knows him better than anyone.

Dr. Menard obviously did not intend her to get killed, but he sure did a lousy job in securing the area she was staying at. The least he could have done is give the revolver or the shotgun to either his wife or the gardener, just in case any zombies actually did show up on the property they would have a good weapon to eliminate them.

Maybe the gardener survived and just joined the rest of the fleeing surviving islanders. We know that there are more survivors on the island than the hospital staff because Lucas was giving Dr. Menard reports on what they were doing regarding the zombie crisis.

[LivingDeadGuy]

She probably was just taking tranquilizers, I mean with the island being overrun by zombies and her being stuck right in the middle of it and all. Perfectly normal response.

Regarding Dr. Menard's "innocence": his wife's accusations might have more solid ground than you think. Notice that Dr. Menard does not seem to be 100% honest regarding how Anne's father died. The version he tells her is rather different than the one we see in the opening sequence. In the version he tells her, he is all heart-broken and shocked at what happened to her father, but in the opening sequence the cold and somber way in which he dispatches Anne's father suggests a more sinister side to that event. Also notice that in the letter that Anne's father wrote to her he explains that he is basically being used as a guinea pig! This again emphasizes a rather different version of the events, a more sinister and cold-hearted side of Dr. Menard, which he obviously will not openly display in front of others. But his wife knows him better than anyone.

Dr. Menard obviously did not intend her to get killed, but he sure did a lousy job in securing the area she was staying at. The least he could have done is give the revolver or the shotgun to either his wife or the gardener, just in case any zombies actually did show up on the property they would have a good weapon to eliminate them.

Maybe the gardener survived and just joined the rest of the fleeing surviving islanders. We know that there are more survivors on the island than the hospital staff because Lucas was giving Dr. Menard reports on what they were doing regarding the zombie crisis.

That is true about the flashback scene and the opening scene they did seem contradicting. Plus the letter from Anne's father seemed to imply that he was being treated more like a prisoner than a friend. However I still like to think that maybe Menard's wife did have a mental illness or at least he was passing her off as having one because the line "You'd like to pass me off as crazy!" seemed to imply this and for all we know that could be why she was taking pills. Of course regardless if she was or wasn't unbalanced that doesn't mean that she couldn't have been right about her husband.

Also as for the gardener considering that there were zombies right outside the house when Mrs. Menard was taking her shower before her grizzly death I think it's safe to assume that they killed him too.

[JDP]

That is true about the flashback scene and the opening scene they did seem contradicting. Plus the letter from Anne's father seemed to imply that he was being treated more like a prisoner than a friend. However I still like to think that maybe Menard's wife did have a mental illness or at least he was passing her off as having one because the line "You'd like to pass me off as crazy!" seemed to imply this and for all we know that could be why she was taking pills. Of course regardless if she was or wasn't unbalanced that doesn't mean that she couldn't have been right about her husband.

Also as for the gardener considering that there were zombies right outside the house when Mrs. Menard was taking her shower before her grizzly death I think it's safe to assume that they killed him too.

I think that Mrs. Menard just has a drinking problem, and to be fair, she has good reasons to drink. Her husband is doing weird experiments on people who are said to die and come back as these ghouls that attack and eat people, and she is stuck in the middle of this place without being able to get on a boat and leave or call anyone for help.

We don't know how many zombies were at the house when the gardener and his dog heard the breathing and noises. It might have only been one zombie at that point. We only see one zombie "peeping" at Mrs Menard through the window. He might have made it out alive. Plus if he had been caught by any zombies around the house he probably would have screamed in terror and pain (from the bites, as we see with other characters who get bitten by zombies), but we hear no such thing.

[LivingDeadGuy]

I think that Mrs. Menard just has a drinking problem, and to be fair, she has good reasons to drink. Her husband is doing weird experiments on people who are said to die and come back as these ghouls that attack and eat people, and she is stuck in the middle of this place without being able to get on a boat and leave or call anyone for help.

We don't know how many zombies were at the house when the gardener and his dog heard the breathing and noises. It might have only been one zombie at that point. We only see one zombie "peeping" at Mrs Menard through the window. He might have made it out alive. Plus if he had been caught by any zombies around the house he probably would have screamed in terror and pain (from the bites, as we see with other characters who get bitten by zombies), but we hear no such thing.

Well you can be mentally ill and have a drinking problem too. Just sayin. :D

As for the gardner somehow I don't get the feeling that he would have just walked away and left Mrs. Menard in danger. Plus the whole island was swarming with zombies so I'm pretty positive he ended up getting killed by the ones that were later seen eating Mrs. Menard. As for why we didn't hear him screaming... It is just a movie and maybe nobody saw the need to dub a scream just to let the audiance know what happened to him.

[JDP]

Well you can be mentally ill and have a drinking problem too. Just sayin. :D

As for the gardner somehow I don't get the feeling that he would have just walked away and left Mrs. Menard in danger. Plus the whole island was swarming with zombies so I'm pretty positive he ended up getting killed by the ones that were later seen eating Mrs. Menard. As for why we didn't hear him screaming... It is just a movie and maybe nobody saw the need to dub a scream just to let the audiance know what happened to him.

Not likely that someone with a mental problem would be allowed to drink, specially with a doctor for a husband.

The side of the island where the house was had not seen any zombies yet. When the visitors are trying to make their way back to the hospital on foot it takes a while before they encounter any zombies, and even then they are just rising from their graves, they have not been wandering around the island yet. So the gardener escaped at a time when there would actually have been even less zombies around the area.

The gardener was obviously thinking of self-preservation first and foremost, and he did obviously bail out and abandon the house and its inhabitant that he was supposed to be guarding, just like that. And can you really blame him? Dr. Menard did not give him any weapon to get rid of any zombies that might waltz through the property. How did he expect the gardener to deal with any zombies then? "Yeah, if you see any of those creeps approaching the house just yell to them: hey, get out of here, this is private property!" WTF??? The proper thing to do would have been: "Here, take this loaded shotgun/revolver. If you see any of those creeps approach the house, shoot them in the head."

It's more than just a matter of us hearing it. The character who is the center of this sequence, Mrs. Menard, would also have heard the screams, yet she did not. She heard the noise made by the zombie who was breaking into the house (we do not see where he entered the house, but she hears it), so needless to say she would have also heard the gardener's screams as well if he had been caught by zombies near the house. The zombie "visitor" caught her by surprise, which would hardly have been the case had she heard the gardener scream.

[LivingDeadGuy]

Not likely that someone with a mental problem would be allowed to drink, specially with a doctor for a husband.

The side of the island where the house was had not seen any zombies yet. When the visitors are trying to make their way back to the hospital on foot it takes a while before they encounter any zombies, and even then they are just rising from their graves, they have not been wandering around the island yet. So the gardener escaped at a time when there would actually have been even less zombies around the area.

The gardener was obviously thinking of self-preservation first and foremost, and he did obviously bail out and abandon the house and its inhabitant that he was supposed to be guarding, just like that. And can you really blame him? Dr. Menard did not give him any weapon to get rid of any zombies that might waltz through the property. How did he expect the gardener to deal with any zombies then? "Yeah, if you see any of those creeps approaching the house just yell to them: hey, get out of here, this is private property!" WTF??? The proper thing to do would have been: "Here, take this loaded shotgun/revolver. If you see any of those creeps approach the house, shoot them in the head."

It's more than just a matter of us hearing it. The character who is the center of this sequence, Mrs. Menard, would also have heard the screams, yet she did not. She heard the noise made by the zombie who was breaking into the house (we do not see where he entered the house, but she hears it), so needless to say she would have also heard the gardener's screams as well if he had been caught by zombies near the house. The zombie "visitor" caught her by surprise, which would hardly have been the case had she heard the gardener scream.

I'm sorry but I think you overanalyze these movies to death. :|

We're talking about an Italian explotation movie from the 1970's that was full of plot holes AND moments that made no sense. Like the part when Lucas turned into a zombie instantly after being bitten but it took Bryan several hours to turn. Or the two patient zombies that died being shot in the chest when every other zombie had to be shot in the head.

[JDP]

I'm sorry but I think you overanalyze these movies to death. :|

We're talking about an Italian explotation movie from the 1970's that was full of plot holes AND moments that made no sense. Like the part when Lucas turned into a zombie instantly after being bitten but it took Bryan several hours to turn. Or the two patient zombies that died being shot in the chest when every other zombie had to be shot in the head.

I know, but that's what makes them nitpickable.

[LivingDeadGuy]

Well whatever I still say the gardner most likely got killed by the zombies and that Dr. Menard was just a doctor trying to cure the zombie epidemic. Also he was trying to pass his wife off as mentally ill and she said so herself. That is how I interpret this movie.

[JDP]

Well whatever I still say the gardner most likely got killed by the zombies and that Dr. Menard was just a doctor trying to cure the zombie epidemic. Also he was trying to pass his wife off as mentally ill and she said so herself. That is how I interpret this movie.

The gardener & his dog: likely survived. Not many zombies around that area of the island when he decided to take off.

Dr. Menard: trying to cure the zombie epidemic, yes, but the type of guy who will stop at nothing to accomplish a given goal, even using his very own friends as guinea pigs! This more sinister side of the doctor is what his wife was very likely referring to when she accuses him of being "demented, cruel, evil..."

Mrs. Menard: she was talking about when (or if) they went back to civilization, she was going to spill the beans about what the good doctor had been doing on that island. She is anticipating that he will try to pass her off as crazy so that people would not believe what she was going to tell about his activities.

[LivingDeadGuy]

The gardener & his dog: likely survived. Not many zombies around that area of the island when he decided to take off.

Dr. Menard: trying to cure the zombie epidemic, yes, but the type of guy who will stop at nothing to accomplish a given goal, even using his very own friends as guinea pigs! This more sinister side of the doctor is what his wife was very likely referring to when she accuses him of being "demented, cruel, evil..."

Mrs. Menard: she was talking about when (or if) they went back to civilization, she was going to spill the beans about what the good doctor had been doing on that island. She is anticipating that he will try to pass her off as crazy so that people would not believe what she was going to tell about his activities.

Lol fine I really have nothing more to say. :p

[LivingDeadGuy]

Except this... Was his wife having an affair with the gardener while Dr. Menard had an affair with his nurse? I know there's no proof of it in the movie but I wonder since they were such an unhappy married couple. :elol: