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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Dan O'Bannon (screenplay) and
Rudy Ricci (story)
more
Release Date:
16 August 1985 (USA) more
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... more | add synopsis
Awards:
4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(27 articles)
Hey Chicago, The Zombie Outbreak is Coming!
(From HugAZombie. 13 November 2009, 3:43 AM, PST)
The Video Dead (Almost) on DVD
(From Dread Central. 12 November 2009, 4:03 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Should be a cult classic more (250 total)
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:
Director Cameo: [Dan O'Bannon]The homeless man that the crew walk past after arriving at the warehouse. He also voices the helicopter officer. more
Goofs:
Miscellaneous: Dozens of zombies attack the paramedics in order to eat their brains. But when the cops show up, the zombies have disappeared and brains are literally pouring out of one paramedic's head. Were they not that hungry? more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in "South Park: Night of the Living Homeless (#11.7)" (2007) more
Soundtrack:
Eyes Without a Face more
FAQ
Is this film a sequel to "Night of the Living Dead" (1968)?What movies are in the "Dead" series (and which aren't)?
more
more (250 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Return of the Living Dead (1985) moreRecommendations
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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."