C.H.U.D 2: Bud the Chud (a title that just rolls off the tongue) is firmly a product of the ‘80s including questionable hairstyles, VHS aerobic workouts, a soundtrack that consists of slap bass and electric guitar solos that feels like it’s going to give way to a Huey Lewis and The News song at any moment, and its very own rock pop theme song.
The plot has one of the weirder set ups this writer has ever had to describe. Deemed too catastrophic and expensive to continue, the C.H.U.D (which stands for cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers) experimental military programme is discontinued. A chemical trial that reanimated humans, it had the nasty side effect of making each infected host a cannibal, along with the ability to pass on the infection through their bites. Disappointed army Colonel Masters (The Man from U.N.C.L.E’s Robert Vaughn) keeps their last test (the eponymous Bud played by Gerrit Graham) subject frozen until he can have the programme reopened. Meanwhile, friends Steve (Brian Robbins, curly mullet, double denim – the loveable but troublesome funster) and Kevin (Bill Calvert, big glasses, major curtains hairstyle – the loveable intellectual) get detention during science class. While kept back to tidy up, they accidentally lose the corpse that the class were going to dissect next lesson. Instead of telling the teacher and getting in trouble they decide to steal another corpse. Heading to the disease centre to find a frozen replacement. Guess who. After accidentally waking him up, Bud goes on a flesh eating rampage, Chudding the townspeople (including a young(ish) Rich Hall). Steve and Kevin, along with their best friend Katie (Tricia Fisher, smarter than the other two, contractually obliged to appear in a bikini and be bait) have to save the town from the acronymed menace.
C.H.U.D is by now a largely forgotten entry in the b-movie horror genre from the 1980’s. The sequel moves away from the horror aspects and towards teen comedy, not entirely successfully. It’s only sporadically funny, raising a few chuckles here and there but nothing that you’ll remember after it’s finished. The tar slicked monsters of the first film are jettisoned for humans with bad skin and sharp teeth, with the performances turned straight towards slapstick.
It’s entertaining enough but it’s hard to see how much of an audience still exists for C.H.U.D 2: Bud the Chud. It might get some nostalgia mileage but we can’t imagine many people are fondly speaking about it with the warm glazed expression of someone recalling their youth. As for cult status, it’s not genuinely good or weird enough, nor a so-bad-it’s-fun b-movie for it to register any impact. In the end, we think C.H.U.D 2: Bud the Chud, will disappear back into forgotten history.
C.H.U.D 2: BUD THE CHUD / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: DAVID K. IRVING / SCREENPLAY: M. KANE JEEVES / STARRING: BRIAN ROBBINS, BILL CALVERT, TRICIA FISHER, ROBERT VAUGHN, GERRIT GRAHAM / RELEASE DATE: 28TH AUGUST
