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The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
16 August 1985 (USA)
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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...
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Plot Keywords:
Awards:
4 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(29 articles)
Return of the Living Dead Book Needs Your Help
(From shocktillyoudrop. 20 November 2009)
Horror-filled Fundraiser in Burbank this Sunday!
(From Fangoria. 18 November 2009, 10:05 PM, PST)
(From shocktillyoudrop. 20 November 2009)
Horror-filled Fundraiser in Burbank this Sunday!
(From Fangoria. 18 November 2009, 10:05 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Influential Cult Classic!!
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| 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 |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Return of the Living Dead (USA) (video box title)
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
91 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
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:
Company:
Fun Stuff
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.
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Goofs:
Factual errors: The films starts out on Friday, July 3, 1984 when in actuality, July 3 fell on a Tuesday in 1984.
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Quotes:
Burt Wilson:
Put that gun away, Ernie! Before you shoot somebody!
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Stubbs the Zombie in 'Rebel Without a Pulse' (2005) (VG)
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Soundtrack:
Eyes Without a Face
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FAQ
Is this film a sequel to "Night of the Living Dead" (1968)?What movies are in the "Dead" series (and which aren't)?
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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.