The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

Director:

Dan O'Bannon

Writers:

Dan O'Bannon (screenplay) and
Rudy Ricci (story)

Release Date:

16 August 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

They're Back From The Grave and Ready To Party!

Plot:

When a bumbling pair of employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air...

Plot Keywords:

Louisville Kentucky | Warehouse | Zombie | Massacre | Sledgehammer

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Clu Gulager	...	Burt
James Karen	...	Frank
Don Calfa	...	Ernie
Thom Mathews	...	Freddy
Beverly Randolph	...	Tina
John Philbin	...	Chuck
Jewel Shepard	...	Casey
Miguel A. Núñez Jr.	...	Spider (as Miguel Nunez)
Brian Peck	...	Scuz
Linnea Quigley	...	Trash
Mark Venturini	...	Suicide
Jonathan Terry	...	Colonel Glover
Cathleen Cordell	...	Colonel's Wife
Drew Deighan	...	Paramedic #1
James Dalesandro	...	Paramedic #2

Also Known As:

Return of the Living Dead (USA) (video box title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Finland:K-18 (2002) | West Germany:18 (video premiere) (cut) | Norway:(Banned) (1985-2003) (cinema release) | Denmark:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Italy:VM14 (new rating) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | West Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:M | France:-12 | Iceland:(Banned) | Mexico:C | UK:18 | USA:R | Finland:(Banned) (1985) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Hemdale Film

Trivia:

The eye-test poster (seen most clearly after Frank and Freddy run into Burt's office after hearing the first re-animated cadaver) in Burt's office actually reads "Burt is a slave driver and a cheap son of a bitch who's got you and me here" if you put the letters together.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The films starts out on Friday, July 3, 1984 when in actuality, July 3 fell on a Tuesday in 1984.

Quotes:

Burt Wilson: Put that gun away, Ernie! Before you shoot somebody!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Stubbs the Zombie in 'Rebel Without a Pulse' (2005) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Eyes Without a Face

Should be a cult classic

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."