What can I say about the 1985 Dan O'Bannon cult classic Return of the Living Dead? I don't think I stopped laughing the first time I saw this! All you need to know is that there is a very slimy, Michael Jackson like zombie that maybe the exact thing that zombie nightmares are made of!
This epic, and the following franchise differs from the Romero zombies in that these guys have to consume brains and not just flesh. That and the fact that they can use an ambulance radio to call for more food!
Thom Mathews, of B-Movie fame puts in one of his best performances as Freddy, a drifter punk who finally mans up and gets a job at a medical facility. His superior, played by the extremely talented James Karen decides to show Freddy the drum intombing zombies from WW2 and hijinks ensue.
One bad mistake leads to another and after the body of the zombie is cremated and turned to "acid rain", Freddy's punk buddies, led by the beautiful Linnea Quigley, are exposed and start noticing tell tale changes. I thought it was crazy that being exposed to the acid rain could seep into the soil and reanimate the recently departed. Hilarious!
I have never understood the typical "movie Punk Rockers", but this movie makes good on dispatching the gang. And why is there always a nerdy boy/girl or couple who are in this punk gang? Without fail! That has always killed me! And I loved another appearance by screen legend Don Calfa as the mortician! This movie was really the first to solidify my love for the zombie genre, as I didn't really fall in love with Night of the Living Dead until after I watched it again as a teenager.
The make-up work is so great for the time, using practical make-up and puppets. The acting, where purposefully over-the-top, was really very good. You'll see some things that you probably wouldn't expect from a zombie film, like the reanimation of a small dog that had been bisected for medical studies.
Being from Cincinnati, it was cool that this film takes place in Lexington, KY. Having this kind of movie take place in a city that I was familiar with gave it a good scare boost. Maybe that's just my nerdy self?
Overall this film is a blast to watch, but definitely not for viewers under 14, due to the violence and brief nudity. I really think this is a really fun watch for horror fans. I'm wondering if this was the grandfather to the horror-comedy genre and to films such as Shawn of the Dead? Anyway, have fun!
Yeah man, everything you said. I saw it too young the first time (maybe 7-8yrsold?) and my parents made me turin it off, but those Zombies gave me nightmares forever! I saw it again in my late teens and loved it! Theres some good acting there, especially James Karen. That opening scene with him really pulled me in. It's still a really fun movie with some dark moments. A+
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading! It's always nice to hear personal accounts that relate to mine. Hope you decide to read more of my reviews. Thanks again!
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