The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

When two bumbling employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air, the vapors cause the dead to rise again as zombies.

Director:

Dan O'Bannon

Writers:

Rudy Ricci (story), John A. Russo (story) (as John Russo)

Stars:

Clu Gulager, James Karen, Don Calfa

4 nominations.

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

Storyline

When a bumbling pair of employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air, the vapors cause the dead to re-animate as they go on a rampage through Louisville, Kentucky seeking their favorite food, brains.

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Plot Keywords:

living dead | crematorium | poison gas | paramedic | female frontal nudity | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

MGM MySpace

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 August 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Return of the Living Dead

Filming Locations:

698 Moulton Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,403,000, 18 August 1985, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$14,237,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hemdale,Fox Films Ltd.,Cinema '84/Greenberg Brothers Partnership

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 108 min (workprint)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (CFI)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After the "rabid weasels" are brought into the Resurrection Funeral Home and the tarp is removed, what is actually in the bags are those motorized toy monkeys that have the cymbals. The cymbals were removed for obvious reasons.

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Goofs

(at around 1h 12 mins) When Burt and Spider are in the cop car, and they screech on the brakes to avoid hitting a horde of Living Dead, the camera man can be seen in the back seat of the car, as well as the camera (look for a red light).

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Quotes

Paramedic #1: You have no pulse, your blood pressure's zero-over-zero, you have no pupillary response, no reflexes and your temperature is 70 degrees.
Freddy: Well, what does that mean?
Paramedic #1: Well, it's a puzzle because, technically, you're not alive. Except you're conscious, so we don't know what it means.
Freddy: Are you saying we're dead?
Paramedic #2: Well, let's not jump to conclusions.
Freddy: Are you saying we're dead?
Paramedic #2: No conclusions.
Paramedic #1: Obviously I didn't mean you were really dead. Dead people don't move around and talk.

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Crazy Credits

The following phony disclaimer precedes the movie: "The events portrayed in this film are all true. The names are real names of real people and real organizations."

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Connections

Referenced in Braindead (1992)

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Soundtracks

Tonight (We'll Make Love Until We Die)
Performed by SSQ
Composed by Jon St. James, Stacey Swain
Produced by Jon St. James for Formula One Music Productions

User Reviews

One of the best horror films of all time!

"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!