The Return of the Living Dead (1985) User Reviews

Influential Cult Classic!!

[JimmyLoneWolf · 8/10 · 20 July 2004]

I saw this film when I was around 9 or 10, and I remember loving it back then. Unfortunately, time has not been kind to most of the movies I enjoyed during my youth. Imagine my surprise when I realized that not only was Return of the Living Dead every bit as much fun as when I first saw it, its actually improved!!

First off, this is NOT a serious horror film. It is meant to be viewed as a comedy. Period. Once this perspective is taken, the horror elements are subtly introduced until, towards the end, we almost begin to feel a sense of disgust with ourselves for laughing at these people. I say ALMOST because a few silly decisions here and there (it would have been nice if the movie hadn't ended with recycled footage) turn what could have been the finest, and most disturbing, horror-comedy EVER MADE into a merely excellent one.

Honestly, I challenge anyone to find a "horror-comedy" that delivers laughs, gore, some genuine scares, and combines it with what can only be called the finest acting I've ever seen in a horror-comedy (much less one from the 80's!).

James Karen, Clu Gulager, and Don Calfa absolutely STEAL this movie with their sidesplitting hysterics. Listen to the lines, note the deliveries. These guys are pros! Anyone who could THINK to call their acting "wooden" clearly knows nothing about the traps horror-comedies often fall into. Personally, I was thinking of the OD scene from Pulp Fiction the entire time. The absurdity mixed with tension was eerily similar. Tarantino (an admitted zombie-movie fan) must SURELY have seen this movie upon its initial release. Gulager in particular is just plain brilliant here, he's like a burned out shop teacher fighting zombies!!

This film is a hidden treasure in a genre all too often plagued by mediocrity.

Immensely enjoyable and by far the best in the series

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 23 August 2015]

This is saying a lot too, because to me this is the only film of the five Return of the Living Dead films to be above good standard. The sequels varied in quality, with 2 and 3 being acceptable enough though with their problems and 4 (Necropolis) and 5 (Rave to the Grave) being terrible, the latter being marginally worse and being one of the worst sequels ever made. The original however is an immensely enjoyable film, with its very few flaws barely noticeable amidst the huge amount of good.

It is definitely the best-looking film in the series, it is stylishly shot and lit with a wonderful ominous atmosphere, complete with atmospheric sets, above average effects and some great make-up on the zombies. There is a killer 80s soundtrack that still sounds good and haunting rather than cheesy, and instead of the outdated quality it could have had the soundtrack makes one nostalgic for the 80s. As well as a hilarious and clever script that's never forced, doesn't get bogged down in too many explanations or too much exposition, and that is very quotable (which I don't think any of the sequels achieved and it was something that 4 and 5 could only dream of doing so), and a story that seemed tired in concept but felt very fresh in execution with so many funny moments and an equal number of highly disturbing and scary ones.

Return of the Living Dead is directed with adroit class and a clear fondness for the genre by Dan O' Bannon, and while some of the punk teens are annoyingly and one-dimensionally written and acted with not much spark (the sole problems with the film, and they are not that major), the leads are written very likeably and Clu Gulager, James Karen, Thom Mathews and Beverly Randolph are charming and lots of fun (all of them at least knowing what sort of film they're in), Gulager and Karen are particularly good. Don Calfa is also suitably shady. The film also cleverly and wisely makes the zombies the stars and uses them brilliantly, furthermore these zombies actually are very menacing, a real threat, do a lot more than just shuffle and plod around and are wonderfully tongue-in-cheek, exuding real personality. The twist is deliciously ironic, adding to the freshness when it easily could have been tired or anti-climactic.

All in all, immensely enjoyable and the best of the series by some margin, being the only one to be completely satisfying. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Genius from the co-creator of Alien

[mungflesh · 8/10 · 30 August 2004]

ROTLD is one of the rare cases where horror meets comedy to good effect. With some classic lines like "you gotta hit the brain" and "watch your mouth kid if you like this job", this film works because it doesn't rely solely on gore or stupidity; the script is very well written.

ROTLD pays homage to George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" but veers away from the slow lumbering zombies of the '68 classic, and instead gives us "the original" super zombies (ie before 28 days later or Dawn of the Dead remake) that are not so easily dealt with! This proves to be an interesting problem for the script to resolve which I think it does with style by the end of the movie.

The characters are a little predictable and one dimensional except for the lead pair who are introduced at the start of the movie, but that's perhaps the only flaw. What I really like about this movie is that, whilst not entirely a gorefest, it still manages to kick-ass because of the flawless plot. By this I mean that there a few scenarios where you find yourself saying "that's just dumb" or "they'd never do that" etc, which is very rare nowadays in the horror/sci-fi genre. Dramas & thrillers etc get an easy job of it because all they have to do is convince us that their reality is real-life. Horror on the other hand needs to convince that the unreality it portrays is what is real-life, and that's not always an easy task.

ROTLD is funny, sick, clever and above all entertaining if you can stomache some pretty twisted content. Personally, I love it.

Be a man Frank goddamn it!!!

[eskovan1 · 25 December 2003]

This is quite possibly one of the funniest movies ever made.

It succeeds not simply thru its humor but in the way that it takes the plot seriously. That is, the characters avoid doing anything cliché or 'movie-like'. They react to an amazingly unusual situation in a very logical, sensible way (even as things become more & more desperate). Consequently none of the humor is forced. It all comes from the combination of having to deal with all the insane things that are happening to them in the sanest way that they can. The contrast of these two makes for absolutely brilliant comedy.

For example:

» They have to kill an already dead guy so they put a pick axe thru his head.

» This doesn't kill him so they saw his head off.

» This still doesn't work so they decide to incinerate him in the neighbor's crematorium.

» In order to do that they make up a "rabid weasels" story to tell the neighbor.

All of these things, as hilariously ridiculous as they are, actually make sense in the context of trying to deal with the situation. In other words, if you found yourself confronted with re-animated corpses you would probably do exactly what they do to try and stop them. And even as the situation slowly progresses from bad to worse to desperate the film maintains this idea.

In fact, the film quite brilliantly maintains this idea at the very end. As over-the-top as the ending seemed I can completely picture the military wanting to do exactly that!

Of Gory Partycrashers

[Tweetienator · 7/10 · 6 June 2018]

A real classic of the zombie business. Directed by Dan O'Bannon who got writer credits for such classics as Alien, Aliens, Dark Star, Lifeforce and Screamers (he is still in business). The Return of the Living Dead is one of the earliest movie (if not the first) I remember who glued zombie-horror and a decent level of gore together with a fine shot of comedy elements.

A must-see if you like zombies + comedy. Alone the scenes with the goth-punks having a party on the graveyard till the dead rise is iconic stuff. But unlike some of the recently produced zombie-comedies this one got still a good level of horror and gore and its main focus is not on comedy only.

Rabid Weasels?

[Gafke · 10/10 · 2 November 2003]

This is one of those very rare films that combines good black humor with bloody, messy gore and does it perfectly. Where 'Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things' fails miserably, 'Return of the Living Dead' succeeds triumphantly. It takes a tired plot (zombies eat teenagers) and makes it new again. The teenagers here are not faceless, stupid, oversexed victims at all. They are misfits and outsiders, the kind of kids who probably go to horror movies every day and make fun of the faceless, stupid, oversexed victims who populated the majority of the slasher films made in the 1980s. The nihilistic punk rock teens can identify with the zombies, and even though it is their ultimate fate to be consumed by them, you like them, you want them to survive and you're sorry to see them go even though the zombies are every bit as cool.

Long before '28 Days Later' appeared, 'Return of the Living Dead' presented us with FAST zombies, zombies who could run, jump and work together like a football team, tackling people and making it a group effort to tear their victims apart. There are very few slow, shuffling monsters here; these are zombies to contend with. They talk, they think, they problem solve. Who could ever forget the Tar Man (my personal favorite) rigging up a device to tear down the metal closet doors, behind which our heroine has locked herself?

The adult characters in this film are no less interesting than the teenagers. James Karen is absolutely hysterical in his role as a medical warehouse manager, whose bumbling irresponsibility leads to the zombies being unleashed. Clu Gulager is a stressed out corporate jerk who will do anything to save the name and reputation of the warehouse he owns. And Don Calfa is excellent as the slightly shady mortician who may or may not be an ex-Nazi. The mismatched cast really comes together and forms a bond here, fighting back and growing more desperate as the zombies grow stronger. This film never lets up, not for one minute. There are no long explanation scenes, no boring set-up, just in-your-face excitement from the very first scene. It is the perfect homage to the Romero films; there is no happy ending here, only an ironic twist which will make even the most cynical doomsayer grin. This film is already a cult classic and deserves its status. It's as close to flawless as you can get.

For pure eighties, punk rock, walking dead, brain eating mayhem, this is the film to watch.

[mwilson1976 · 6/10 · 28 April 2020]

Original Night Of The Living Dead screenwriter John Russo Write the original story for this 1985 splatterpunk classic as a straight faced follow up to the hit 1968 movie. Tobe Hooper was originally set to direct, but when he dropped out of the project Dan O'Bannon was drafted in and set about a radical rewrite to differentiate it from Romero's movies. The end result is a classic of the zombie genre that delivers a good laugh with its silly, over-the-top nature. A mysterious military chemical is accidentally released into the atmosphere by a couple of numbskull employees at a medical supplies warehouse. Pretty soon the dead are coming back to life with a craving for human brains, leaving warehouse manager Clu Gulager to battle it out for survival alongside a mysterious mortician (Don Calfa) and a gang of partying punks . The movie is notable for featuring Linnea Quigley stripping off in a cemetery and dancing naked on top of the graves, as well as its soundtrack which features songs by The Cramps, The Damned and Roky Erickson amongst others. Allan Trautman who has worked with Jim Henson and The Muppets performed as the "Tarman" zombie, and contrary to popular belief the characters of Burt and Ernie in the movie are not named after the puppets from Sesame Street, that is just a coincidence.

What every horror comedy wants to be

[Apollyon_Crash · 10/10 · 19 December 2003]

"Return of the Living Dead" is an often hilarious, often frightening, often disgusting, and always entertaining horror comedy. The cast is great, the dialogue is snappy and very quotable, and the special effects still hold up very well, nearly 20 years after the film's release. Fans of the horror genre, 1980s buffs, or just folks who enjoy something different occasionally will most likely get a kick out of it.

10/10

Gives Brains to the Zombie Genre

[Cineanalyst · 7/10 · 2 May 2020]

This is one of the most fun, light-hearted zombie flicks ever made. Besides opening the door to all sorts of different depictions of zombies post George A. Romero's prior landmarks in the subgenre, by making the zombies talk, run, think intelligently and eat brains, I also appreciate how "The Return of the Living Dead" references Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" (1968)--even if one character mixes up its dating--while largely ignoring the template set by that first modern zombie film. Instead of the classic-horror-cinema-inspired, black-and-white straightforward gore and equally grizzly racial subtext of Romero's picture, this return is more of a punk-rock comedy. Of course, it's still gory, too, and Linnea Quigley plays one of the punks nude for most of the proceedings. Obviously, the soundtrack stands out, as well.

Besides being funny and stylish, this is a well-paced picture. There's nary a dull moment. It jumps right into the two main concurring plots of the warehouse workers and the punks, as the zombie-causing fumes are inadvertently and repeatedly released by the former and as the latter's party in a graveyard is subsequently interrupted by the resulting acid rainfall and reanimated corpses emerging from the ground. There's also the military operation that, temporarily at least, defeated the last zombie outbreak that Romero's film was supposedly based on. Thereafter, it becomes a battle of minds: the living trying to keep theirs, and the zombies trying to eat them.

One of the best horror films of all time!

[cropduster35 · 10/10 · 27 March 2001]

"The Return of the Living Dead" has held a special place in my heart for a very long time. This satirical take on Romero's classic (if you don't know which one, you shouldn't be reading this) is one of the greatest horror films ever made and is also one of the most respected. The direction by Dan O'Bannon, writer of "Alien" (also one of the greatest), is superb and Jules Brenner's cinematography is stunning for a film not shot in a widescreen aspect ratio (it was shot 1.37:1 full frame to save money). The scene with the rising of the zombies is best described as hauntingly beautiful yet chilling. The cast gives great performances and the special effects are astounding, as is Matt Clifford's rousing score. The nasty going-ons is highlighted by a powerful metal soundtrack featuring The Cramps and Billy Idol.

The plot concerns some nasty chemical that has the ability to bring the dead back to life. When a barrel of the stuff is accidentally opened, all hell breaks loose: the cast is forced to do battle with scores of zombies (this time hungry for brains). Twists and turns abound as the cast is trapped at Ground Zero-the epicenter of the plague, if you will. All of the characters are likely even though they are mostly sleazy and corrupt. Linnea Quigley is great as Trash as is Clu Gulager as the corrupt warehouse owner. The zombies themselves are fun to watch; be warned, however, that they are not the usual slow, shuffling stiffs we've all come to love.

All in all, "The Return of the Living Dead" is an amazing thrill ride that will remain in your mind long after it's over. Do yourself a favor and seek out this cult classic. You won't regret it!

A fun time for all

[ctomvelu1 · 7/10 · 2 October 2010]

To this day, I can't believe Dan O'Bannon got away with using "The Living Dead" in his title. George Romero should have sued, and probably did. Nevertheless, this is a classic horror comedy straight out of the 1980s, with gruesome brain-devouring zombies running riot in a small town. Actually, due to the movie's modest budget, the zombies run around a small number series of sets, consisting of a warehouse, both inside and outside, a bridge and a mortuary, inside and outside. There also are a couple of shots dealing with Army personnel. An Abbott and Costello-type pair unleashes a government-developed gas that revives the dead. Even dead parts. A warehouse exec, a mortuary owner and several daffy young people end up in a fight for their lives, while a series of EMTs and police arriving on the scene are quickly dispatched by the ravenous zombies. The hammy acting is strictly from hunger, the dialog largely improvised, and the clumsy blocking and static photography (mostly medium shots) are like something from a 1932 talkie. But the zombie attacks are ferocious and go way beyond anything Romero attempted in "Night." Also, zombies getting on the ambulance and police radios to order up more help in their sepulchral voices is beyond hilarious. You also have the ravishing Scream Queen of her day, Leanna Quigley, spending most of screen time nekkid. It also is a riot to see familiar grocery store hawker James Karen in a prominent role here. Plus, much has been said over the years about the individual hired to play the rotting basement zombie, and he is indeed absolutely marvelous. Good for a laugh, and great for trotting out every Halloween.

F**k you, ball-buster!

[masondixonkid · 10/10 · 25 May 2010]

Okay, we have zombies, punk rockers, a punk rock soundtrack, violence, gore, nudity, one-liners, comedy, great special effects, gratuitous profanity, an old creepy/shady mortician, an old cool caddy, brains, cheesy acting(where needed), dissected dogs, three sweet settings, and an awesome plot...BOOM! What else do you need? This movie has been one of my favorites for the past 25 years. This is by far one of the most entertaining movies I have ever seen. Hilarious when it needs to be and sadistically chilling when the plot calls for it. This movie will be remembered for years to come. A definite cult classic. If you have never watched this movie then you are depraving yourself. Watch this movie...again and again!

Zombiez, punk soundtrack n Linnea quigleys dance.

[Fella_shibby · 7/10 · 27 March 2016]

Its directed by Dan O bannon ( writer of Alien n co writer of Total Recall ). The movie may sound silly and simple, but its a masterpiece with no slow parts. This movie is a perfect mix of Horror and Comedy. Its scary, its funny, its got a great punk soundtrack, and it has  Linnea Quigleys unforgettable nude scene that launched her career. The zombies are smart. They are fast. They talk. Clu Gulager may be the most interesting B-movie actor of all time. He was seen recently in Feast trilogy. It has James Karen (poltergeist n recently in superman returns n pursuit of happiness). He was nominated for a Saturn Award for his role in The Return of the Living Dead in 1985. The action is relentless with full on gore, and the grand finale is simply beautiful. This film re-invents the living dead, giving them even more life. Saw this on a rented VHS in the mid 80s. Its just a shame the sequels were not up to its standard. It spawned four sequels. I saw all of em. But the first is da best. The plot is interesting, it has great special effects and the soundtrack is perfect for this kind of flick.

Meh...

[mentalcritic · 5/10 · 11 February 2005]

After reading that this remake/spoof was written by John Russo with being a sequel to Night Of The Living Dead in mind, I cannot say I am entirely surprised at its mediocrity. Director Dan O'Bannon had enough sense to decide he didn't want to end up with unfavourable comparisons to George Romero's timeless classic. So he rewrote this script idea as a sort of satire. Which is rather novel when you consider that the zombie horror concept is, at heart, a satire of consumerist social ideas. What makes this satire work is how irreverently it plays out. What counts against it is that it never seems to make up its mind whether it wants the audience to laugh or scream.

Another moment in the film's favour is when one of the young punk women, played with aplomb by Linnea Quigley, strips down to her birthday suit and dances about. Not only is she very pleasant to look at this way, she remains in this state throughout the rest of the film. Even when she becomes a zombie. But that was one of the fun things about Hollywood in the mid-1980s. Women could get their clothes off without people making such a big drama about it. It would have been nice if more of the feminine part of the cast could have taken their clothes off, but this particular woman was pleasant enough to carry the show on her own.

The rest of the cast do a decent job of playing the required parts, but there are no standout parts. Scratch that. The story and characters do have enough potential for memorable performances, but the actors seem utterly lost as to how to take advantage. Those who have watched enough B films will recognise a few familiar faces here and there, Thom Mathews and Miguel A. Núñez Jr. being two examples that spring to mind, but one will be hard-pressed to remember the characters' names. The real stars of this show, other than the aforementioned stripper, are the makeup effects.

The majority of the zombies, in contrast to the more cerebral works of George Romero, really look like they're dead. Unfortunately, they also seem to follow that fast-zombie pattern. In fact, this could well be where the origin of the fast-zombie idea may be traced back to. The ending seems more like a cop-out than a wrap-up. Given how the rest of the film makes the zombies seem invulnerable, I suppose this was inevitable, but it also has that faint odour of poor planning. When all is said and done, John Russo appears to have been doing some serious coattail riding with his connection to Night Of The Living Dead.

I gave Return Of The Living Dead a five out of ten. It is amusing enough to pass ninety minutes with, but I wouldn't want to take it with me to a desert island. It is worth a rental.

Crackerjack ...

[Poe-17 · 19 September 2003]

I love this film to living death ... Every actor got the right part, and they all got the part right. High camp, higher parody, positively hilarious scenes so well set up that a mere facial gesture delivers the punchline, sometimes only a few beats of music delivers. In the midst of all this ripping off of Romero's "Night of the Living Dead", it borders on worship of its inspiration. Pathos holds hands with hilarity, genuinely creepy scenes bleed into high gear humor. I haven't found a misstep. There is a high quotient of "Oh s**t" scenes and they all work. The undraped Quigley is neither gratuitous or prurient; just imagine the movie without her character; loses much. This is a delicious, feverish living dead romp that plays out to one crackerjack musical score. Everything meshes, everything works. How do you fault a film that gets it all right? This title will survive a long long time.

iconic, distanced goofiness

[jonathan-577 · 7/10 · 17 June 2009]

Reagan-era Romero Lite, an inaugural directorial foray from a screenwriter-by-trade capable of such divergent product as "Dark Star" and "Alien". This splits the difference between the wit and the gore while basically dispensing with terror altogether: there's too much distanced goofiness to feel much. Instead, it's a punk-rock zombie party, and as such it rocks the house, with hilarious dialogue from humans and zombies alike and social commentary limited to general contempt for bosses, cops and nuclear weapons. The screaming and general chaos do get a bit static toward the finish line, but by then a great deal of good will has been generated with the multifarious sight gags. Naming them seems redundant, because they're so iconic - the half-dog, the headless yellow zombie, the 'rabid weasels', the re-animated butterfly board. And, of course, the greatest sight gag of them all, Linnea Quigley as the stripper-punk-zombie-icon, exactly the focal point the movie needed.

Should be a cult classic

[preppy-3 · 8/10 · 11 December 2003]

Back in 1985 this movie was deemed "unreleasable" by its studio. They (purportedly) re cut it and quietly opened it. To their surprise it was a sizable hit leading to two sequels. I saw it twice when it came out--this movie REALLY delivers the goods to horror fans.

It starts off by saying all the events in this movie are true (???). It focuses on 2 warehouse workers played by Thom Mathews and James Karen. It turns out that the movie "Night of the Living Dead" was based on fact and the dead bodies are stored in the basement in air tight canisters with some gas keeping them asleep. One of the canisters breaks open, the dead guy comes to life and all hell breaks loose. Also, the gas leaks into a graveyard next door and all the dead people come to life...hungry for brains! And how about that group of punk kids hanging out in the graveyard--including Linnea Quigley who spends 99.9% of her screen time nude? Also, unlike "Night of..." these zombies move FAST and bullets don't hurt them...

This movie is strange. It pays homage to old zombie horror flicks and goes of on its own direction. The annoying, constantly swearing bunch of punk kids are only there to be victims--and they inexplicably have an innocent, sweet girl with them--Tina played by Beverly Randolph. The first half is very funny--expertly mixing laughs with some truly scary, gory moments. The laughs disappear completely for the second half. Then on in its a gore show and VERY disturbing. It's moves extremely quick, there are tons of people killed, the number of zombies is incredible, the special effects are great and the blood goes flying. But the change from humor to horror is jarring and some of the stuff at the end is VERY disturbing (Karens and Mathews' slow deaths are very upsetting and painful to watch and hear).

This movie is also helped by good acting. The punk kids are by the numbers (except for Randolph who is kind of fun), but Mathews is good and Karen and Gulager are hilarious in their respective roles. They all play it reasonably straight and it helps.

Gory, scary, funny--a definite must-see for horror fans. This film deserves more recognition than it's gotten.

Best line: "I think things are getting a little out of hand."

Successful mix of horror and comedy

[superguapo2000 · 7/10 · 11 April 2009]

Return of the Living Dead is a great low-budget zombie flick that's both scary and funny. It's more intelligent that most other horror spoofs out there, and more thought-out than many supposedly serious zombie movies. The bulk of the humor comes from fairly understated parody of horror clichés and from clever exploitation of the discomfort we feel in the face of a seemingly unsolvable crisis.

The movie begins with the accidental leak of a toxic chemical in a medical supply warehouse. It appears at first to be a manageable screw-up, but the situation quickly spirals into a full-blown zombie epidemic. As the crisis gets progressively more out of control, Return of the Living Dead gets more frightening and humorous, at the same time.

This movie is like very little else out there

[spencergrande6 · 8/10 · 7 July 2017]

This movie is like very little else out there. It's a zombie comedy that isn't a full-on splatterfest like most, doesn't offer some overly humorous social satire (there's subtle jabs at Agent Orange and Nazis), and doesn't have a high-concept premise (for a zombie movies that is). What you have is dry as hell, with punk rockers (timely for the time - Repo Man meets zombies?), Nazi morticians smoking pipes and listening to their Walkman while embalming, and Quigley nudity for its own sake, but characters are in on it and equally celebrate and scold her. It has iconic scenes and quotes though I'm sure a lot of people have no idea they're actually from this.

It just works - it's funny, weird, creepy, gory, and always entertaining. A hard mix to pull off and one that happens with success very rarely. It's always said that there's a fine line between horror and comedy - the pros can straddle it like a daring high-wire act and this is one of them. If only the ending weren't so abruptly anti- climactic and there were a few more naked zombie Quigley kill scenes it'd be a perfect cult classic.

Gotta love the very serious Suicide while naked Quigley grinds on him: "No one understands me, you know that." "You think this is a f***in' costume? This is a way of life." "Hey, what's wrong with you, man? Show some f***ing respect for the dead, will ya?" All this because he was called a "spooky motherf***er."

Classic Zombie Film

[Nigsley · 7/10 · 30 May 2017]

With so many zombie films being made nowadays It's easy to forget how influential this film was.

This film was fun, had talking and running zombies and was the first time they wanted to eat your brains.

The first time I saw this I was blown away and 30 years later it still impresses and apart from some of the 80's outfits, it has aged well.

As with the best zombie comedies, the humour backs up a proper horror film with some genuinely scary moments.

It's fast paced and has some good effects, which thankfully because of when it was made are genuine physical effects rather than CGI or optical effects. No doubt if that had been the case then it would have aged nowhere near as well.

Overall this isn't quite the Grandaddy of Zombie films ( an honour we should leave with George Romeros first 2 Dead films). Rather this is the roguish uncle who doesn't follow the rules yet everyone likes to have round every now and again as they're so entertaining.

It does have it faults as some of the plot is rather holey and the gang of kids don't come across as very likable, but don't worry about that.... Just sit back and relax and watch one of the most influential zombie films ever made,

It's not a bad movie, Burt.

[Hey_Sweden · 10/10 · 30 November 2011]

In fact, it is indeed a freakin' classic, one of the most delightful 80's genre efforts, and a nice modern spin on zombie fare.

A deadly chemical leaks out of misplaced Army canisters and proceeds to infect various unlucky people, including the corpses that had been resting peacefully under the Earth at a nearby cemetery. An unlikely bunch of would be dinners end up having to team up in order to try and survive.

Marking the directorial debut for the late Dan O'Bannon, it injects a wonderfully quirky, comic sensibility into its raucous story, incorporating elements of farce into its mix with ease. It also populates its story with not the usual sex obsessed, personality deficient teenagers but a group of outcasts that is genuinely interesting and engaging. The pacing absolutely never lets up, delivering one riotous scene after another; this is energetic, spirited stuff. Even the zombies themselves - not the typical shambling kind, but relentless, speedy, and quite smart as well - are given a degree of personality. In addition to the movie's most popular zombie in the form of the foul, dripping Tar Man (Allan Trautman), we are treated to a Civil War soldier zombie, a half woman corpse with some of the most striking blue eyes one will ever see, and a midget zombie. The zombies even talk, and from one of them we're even given an explanation why they would crave brains in particular (this movie can take credit for introducing the "eating of the brain" idea into pop culture).

Highly quotable dialogue is another plus, as well as the kick ass soundtrack featuring such cool groups as The Cramps, 45 Grave, Tall Boys, T.S.O.L., and others, and the extremely catchy Trioxin theme (Trioxin being the name of the chemical). The nicely chosen cast all work incredibly well together, including the under-rated veterans Clu Gulager (as the corporate weasel who cares only for saving his business at first but eventually turns into a real take-charge kind of guy), James Karen (delivering a memorable, delicious comic performance as the warehouse supervisor), and Don Calfa (as the mortician with a possible Nazi past). The younger generation is represented by Linnea Quigley, in her break through role as the kinky "Trash", the hilarious Mark Venturini (who unfortunately has also passed on) as Suicide, the "spooky" guy who just feels misunderstood, Thom Mathews as the ill-fated Freddy, cute Beverly Randolph, sexy Jewel Shepard, and Brian Peck, John Philbin, and Miguel Nunez, all of whom are fun to watch.

The makeup effects and gore are excellently done, with some juicy gross 'em out moments. Culminating in an effectively ironic twist, "The Return of the Living Dead" is definitely one of those modern classics that veteran horror fans are sure to proudly display among their movie collection, and which newcomers to the genre really ought to check out. It's too good to miss.

10 out of 10.

Zombie movies don't come much funner

[adamscastlevania2 · 7/10 · 2 September 2014]

(70%) There's no two ways about it, all fans of zombie horror need to have seen this at least once otherwise they're not a true fan, and they are only pretending. With "Dawn of the dead" in existence this isn't the best zombie movie ever made, but it is one of the most fun examples. The simple, almost comicbook style plot is very well told to maximum effect, the punk rock soundtrack is perfect, the comedy works, and the practical effects are some of the best of the decade. As puck themed zombie horror goes this is the very best bar no exception, and at just over 80 mins long it comes and goes like the fun party that it is.

"Straight comedy..."

[poe426 · 10/10 · 13 March 2002]

The best comedy is played straight, and there are few films "straighter" than horror movies (in which the intent is, ostensibly, to terrify). Dan O'Bannon's "straight comedy" is gut-bustingly funny. [I also remember being impressed by his performance in the delightful DARK STAR, which turned up at an art house showing along with the STAR WARS parody, HARDWARE WARS.] Intense, and boasting great music and some of the best performances ever seen in a fright film (including Clu Gulager, James Karen and Don Calfa, veterans all, whose frantic on-screen antics are the cornerstones of this film), RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD is one of those "must-see" movies no serious fan should miss. The cinematography is simply stunning, and the fx are 100% believable. It's amazing that O'Bannon hasn't directed more often: it's clear that he belongs behind a camera.

Brains...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 31 December 2015]

"The Return of the Living Dead" is an entertaining movie even though it is a bit old. But it is one of the more important of movies in the zombie genre, and it did of course introduce Trioxin and the tar zombie to us zombie aficionados.

It has a good story which is entertaining from beginning to end, and it is nicely paced. Sure, it is a predictable story to be fair, but it still delivered entertainment where it mattered.

The characters in "The Return of the Living Dead" were colorful and memorable. And even with years passing between watching the movie you will still remember these characters. And what is not to enjoy with a cast ensemble that includes Clu Gulager, James Karen, Don Calfa, Thom Mathews and Miguel A. Núñez Jr.?

The effects were quite good for its age, and still do hold their ground by todays standards. "The Return of the Living Dead" introduced zombies groaning "brains..." which is a detail that you will come to find amusing.

"The Return of the Living Dead" is a movie that rightfully belongs in the movie collection of any zombie aficionado.

A funny?

[gpolice_97 · 4/10 · 14 March 2002]

this film is just so Funny!! how many times do you get to see a naked bald white guy running around getting smacked in the head with a hammer ??? not Very often!!! hahaha but in this film you do! hee hee

this film is campy fun....no Night of the living dead..but fun