The Return of the Living Dead

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The Return of the Living Dead

October 26th 2010 23:26

There is a die-hard legion out there who adore this 80s rule-breaker. The Return of the Living Dead (1985) may appear dated now, but it still works well, mostly due to its brisk pace, referential humour and cheesy punk-rock-pop soundtrack.

Freddy (Thom Matthews) is the new stock-boy at the Uneeda medical supplies warehouse. Frank (James Karen) acts like his uncle, showing him the ropes, making bad jokes, then takes him down to the basement to show him the real deal: large canisters containing zombified infected corpses in a dead limbo. Apparently Night of the Living Dead (1968) really happened.

A bemused Burt with Frank and Freddy ill at ease

Frank kicks one of the military designed canisters just to prove how safe they are. It ruptures spraying the very toxic Trioxin 2-4-5 fumes into their faces, knocking them unconscious. When they come to, the corpse has escaped from the canister. And they are sick as dogs.

The punk rockin' new wavers strut their stuff

Meanwhile a motley crew of punk rockers and new wavers are on the hunt for some serious fun. They end up at the local Resurrection Cemetery (aptly named, of course). They’ll get their fun of course, they’ll be chokin’ on it.

So the bumbling idiots who re-awakened this ghoulish mess, with the aid of mortician Ernie(the very hammy Don Calfa) and warehouse manager Burt (Clu Gulager), they try and clean the mess up by dismembering and incinerating the remains. The toxic smoke causes acid rain to fall over the cemetery. And wahey! It’s party time for the undead!

Spider and Trash settle in for the evening

Writer and director Dan O’Bannon (he wrote the original Alien storyline and acted in John Carpenter’s Dark Star) knows his material well, yet he’s not interested in a serious horror, he’s just serious about screwing with it. The end result is a highly mischievous comedy. But rather than the stylized post-modern comedies like Scream (1996) or the self-conscious gag-a-minute histrionics of Scary Movie (2000), The Return of the Living Dead has the characters playing for real, with the cinema audience aware of the comedy of the situation.

Originally to be directed by Tobe Hooper using a script by O’Bannon, but Hooper dropped out to direct the risible Lifeforce (1985). The production values are quite low compared to some horror flicks (much of the exterior action, especially in the graveyard, is shot on sound stages), and there is less-than-convincing animatronic effects which now days would be CGIed. It’s not that goriest of flicks either, especially up against any of your pasta zombie flicks, let alone Romero’s Dead series. But there are some crunchy-squelchy bits from time to time, particularly icky is the zombie Tarman and his unctuous call “Braaaaaiiinnsss!”

Matt Clifford’s rousing score, full of classic ominous riffs and chord progressions, fits very well with the movie’s severed tongue in cheek tone. Additionally are numerous “punk-rock-pop” tunes from the likes of Billy Idol, The Cramps and The Damned, as well as other lesser-known outfits such as TSOL and 45 Grave.

Linnea Quigley's B-movie status in all its naked glory

Most memorable of all is Linnea Quigley’s role as Trash, the punk rockin’ necromantic; “Like, what would be the most horrible way to die? For me the worst way would be for a bunch of old men to get around me and start biting and eating me alive.” Her striptease in the moonlight on top of a tombstone puts her into the horror movie hall of infamy.

The Return of the Living Dead is strictly B-movie fare, but it’s dressed up to party, no doubt about that, and partay it does. “Send more paramedics …. Send more cops.”

Made and released now, today’s radically cynical and presumptuous movie audience would probably find it too cheesy, too simplistic, and not nearly unconvincing enough. Yet its sheer naivety is what transcends it. Plus, it cheekily plays with Romero’s zombie conventions, such as having the zombies able to run rather than shuffle (and this was years before 28 Days Later), and they can’t be killed by a shot to the head or dismemberment.

The movie spawned several super-low-rent sequels, which shouldn’t be approached at all. While not as sophisticated in its humour or special effects as Shaun of the Dead (2004), nor as outrageous or over-the-top as Braindead (1991), it clearly amuses and enthralls at just the right feverish pitch to provide horror-lite fans with puh-lenty of no-frills undead mischief.

Here's one of the original trailers in classic 80s mold:

And for the diehard brainlovin' misfits ....

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

17 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by KylieW

March 13th 2007 04:01

Celebrity Obsession

I loved this movie! Very cheesy and fun. From memory, there's a scene when the zombies start dancing round isn't there? I'm sure I remember a Michael Jackson look alike zombie (or am I thinking of another movie?).

Comment by JohnDoe

March 13th 2007 07:35

Film & TV on DVD

Funny, funny film, love the review.

Comment by Cibbuano

March 13th 2007 21:27

Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak

This is definitely something that I would have avoided, but after watching the Romero movies and Shaun of the Dead, I think this review has intrigued me to watch it...

Comment by Damo

March 14th 2007 02:20

I missed this when it first came out.
Now it has returned.
Now that's an Irony

Comment by Mark Schultz

March 14th 2007 02:39

Evil Pleasures
Random Musings on Life, Love and Everything
Let's Get Down To Business

When I first got this movie I was looking for a serious Romero-esque zombie flick, and hated it.

A few months later I'd seen Shaun and was more into the parody/comedy type flicks and went back to it, now I adore it.

Great movie.

Comment by Bryn

March 14th 2007 07:55

Horrorphile

Cheers for the putrid kudos my fellow zombie fiendish friends!
If this movie came out out now it would probably go straight to DVD, but thankfully due to years and years of worn out VHS tapes (and those lucky to see it on the big screen) it has garnered a BIG MELTED CHEESEBURGER cult following!
All hail the TARMAN!
"BRRRAAAAAAIIINNNSSSSSSSS!!!! !!!!!!!!!"

Comment by JohnDoe

March 14th 2007 08:21

Film & TV on DVD

And it is out on DVD in Oz, not a bad transfer either.

Comment by Bryn

March 15th 2007 05:04

Horrorphile

That is the one I have, pity no commentary from Mr O'Bannon, but I believe he had issues with the producers ...
Apparently it was shot in 1.37:1 ratio to save money ...? Go figure, as it looks fine in the 1.85:1 letterbox ratio on the DVD ....

Comment by Anonymous

March 26th 2007 21:19

I'd never been a fan of this particular horror genre (I'm probably the only person alive who doesn't like Evil Dead), but that clip looked damn funny. I suppose I'll track it down at the same time I do the one with Alice Cooper.

Comment by Bryn

March 27th 2007 06:09

Horrorphile

But The Evil Dead was a horror. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn was the splatstick one, and Army of Darkness was just plain silly.
The one with Alice Cooper?

Comment by JMD

October 27th 2010 00:46

A childhood favorite. "Send more cops" was just classic. It was a blast seeing Thom Matthews before he took on Jason in part 6.

Comment by Bryn

October 27th 2010 02:15

Horrorphile

JDM, the movie has aged like fine pastel wine.

Comment by Catherine Stebbins

October 27th 2010 04:26

Thoughts from a Cinephile
Thoughts from a TV Watcher

I adore this film. It's just so much fun! Trash is fantastic and memorable.

Comment by David O'Connell

October 27th 2010 06:04

20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic

Mate, I so goddamn concur. I LOVE this film too!! Actually, this is probably my favourite zombie film of all time. God knows how many times I've seen it over the years. It's so damn funny - the half-dog whimpering, belting the ghoul's head off with the bat, the punks in the graveyard, the first wave of corpses rising out of the ground, James Karen's entire performance, the score as you say which is low-grade brilliance.

I think I remember seeing the first sequel too with JK and Thom Matthews playing new roles as graverobbers in the opening scene? O'Bannon caught lightning in a bottle with his film, couldn't repeat it. I'm almost tempted to fly up to Sydney just to see this on the big screen!

God Almighty, what a film!!!!