DVD Review: Return of the Living Dead - Collector's Edition

Way back in 1985, Dan O'Bannon delivered a new take on the zombie film. It was a genre that had long been defined by the 1968 George Romero classic Night of the Living Dead. Prior to that, zombie films were primarily of the voodoo variety, beginning with the Bela Lugosi film White Zombie. Anyway, ever since the Romero film the zombie sub-genre of the ever popular horror genre has been tainted by the flesh-eating undead version of the zombie movie monster. Now, what Dan O'Bannon did was take the lore built up by Romero and the related films and turned it on its ear, crafting a sneaky blend of horror and comedy set to a pulsing punk-rock soundtrack.

Return of the Living Dead begins in a warehouse where a young man, Freddy, is getting the lay of the land as a new employee. This tour leads to the revelation that Night of the Living Dead was not just a movie, it actually happened and the government was covering it up. Taking that bit of knowledge a little further, it is revealed that canisters containing the chemical that caused the uprising, as well as some of the dead bodies are in the basement. It is when the canisters make their appearance that everything really gets underway. There is a leak and the resulting expulsion of gas begins the reanimation process.

Meanwhile, Freddy's punk friends are cruising around looking for a place to party and for Freddy to get out of work. They settle on a cemetery, where the party starts. The centerpiece of the party is Trash (Linnea Quigley) stripping naked and spending the rest of the film in such a state. It is unforgettable.

Well, the zombie plot moves forward as Freddy and his boss take a dismembered reanimated corpse (from the accident in the warehouse) to the mortuary adjacent to the cemetery. They proceed to burn the body, sending ash into the sky just as a rainstorm hits.

Obviously, this is going to wind up being a bad idea. The last thing that you would want to do is risk spreading a chemical that reanimates the dead over a cemetery!

At this point, it turns from a movie wondering when it is going to hit the fan and into a more recognizable survival horror film. The quickly diminishing numbers of punks end up in the mortuary, reunited with Freddy and the few other survivors.

Return of the Living Dead is a blast. These zombies retain their ability to speak and move at a more normal pace. They are still quite dead, but they are more active than the Romero zombies. We learn why they desire brains (another new addition to zombie lore), and we learn that they like paramedics in one of the best lines of the film.

As the film builds to its climax, the number of zombies increase, and the gore factor also rears its bloody head. It is a frenetic climax that is sure to please horror fans while still retaining a fun factor.

There is no denying that this film marked a shift in the realm of horror comedy. It is not truly a laugh riot, just as it is not truly a horror film. It crosses the lines of both while forging something new right down the middle. So, get some popcorn, sit back and enjoy!

Audio/Video. This collector's edition DVD looks quite good. It is a low budget film and it does look it, but the transfer is probably the best it has looked since the theatrical release. The colors are sharp and there are no noticeable blemishes. Audio is also quite clear and nicely transferred.

Extras.

• Commentary. The track features members of the cast and crew, including Linnea Quigley, Beverly Randolph, Brian Peck, and Allan Troutman (Tarman). It is a good track as the group reminisce on their casting and the filming with plenty of entertaining anecdotes.
• Commentary. A second track features Dan O'Bannon and production designer William Stout. This track is good, but a bit drier in tone.
• Return of the Living Dead: The Dead Have Risen. A retrospective on the making of the film, featuring interviews with the cast and crew. (20 minutes)
• The Decade of Darkness. This takes a look at the 1980's era of horror films and includes interviews with historians and directors during the timeframe. This is more than just Return of the Living Dead. (23 minutes)
• Designing the Dead. This featurette takes a look at the creation of the film. (13.5 minutes)
• Trailers. There are a couple of versions of the trailer. It is always nice to have these on the DVDs.

Bottomline. This is a good movie. Regardless of what anyone tries to tell you, this is a good movie. It has laughs, scares, blood, and nudity. What else can you ask for?

Highly Recommended.