The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
86%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: 4 nominations
A punk take on the zombie genre, The Return of the Living Dead injects a healthy dose of ’80s silliness to the flesh-consuming
The Return of the Living Dead is the ultimate zombie movie for anyone who loves a good mix of horror and comedy. With a killer soundtrack and some seriously impressive makeup effects, this movie will have you laughing and cringing in equal measure. And let’s not forget the iconic “More Brains!” scene – it’s a classic for a reason. Sure, it’s a bit cheesy at times, but that’s all part of the charm. So grab some popcorn, turn off the lights, and get ready for a wild ride with the undead.
Production Company(ies)
Claudie Ossard Productions, Union Générale Cinématographique Victoires Productions,
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1985
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 31m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 16, 1985 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 11, 2007
Genre(s)
Horror/Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Clu Gulager, James Karen, Don Calfa, Thom Mathews, Beverly Randolph, John Philbin, directed by Dan O’Bannon, written by Dan O’Bannon, horror, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Chris Hewitt, Simon Abrams, Variety Staff, Jeremiah Kipp, Geoff Andrew, Stephen Holden, Brian Eggert, Chris Plante, Rob Gonsalves, Mike Massie, David Nusair, producer Tom Fox, MPAA rating R, zombies, military experiment, Louisville, Kentucky, epidemic, mortician, flesh-eating, punk, ’80s, silliness, gore, outlandish, survival, supply warehouse, gas, reanimates, corpses, Frank, Freddy, Burt Wilson, Ernie Kaltenbrunner, Tina, Chuck
Worldwide gross: $14,237,880
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $40,214,819
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,432
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 4,385,476
US/Canada gross: $14,237,880
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $40,214,819
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,165
US/Canada opening weekend: $4,403,169
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $12,436,728
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 884
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $4,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $11,297,979
Production budget ranking: 1,621
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $6,083,962
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $22,832,878
ROI to date (est.): 131%
ROI ranking: 823
James Karen – Frank
Don Calfa – Ernie Kaltenbrunner
Thom Mathews – Freddy
Beverly Randolph – Tina
John Philbin – Chuck
Director(s)
Dan O’Bannon
Writer(s)
Dan O’Bannon
Producer(s)
Tom Fox
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
4 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (46) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (4)
Essential, enormous fun.
June 6, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Chris Hewitt (UK)
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The Return of the Living Dead is in fact the real deal.
February 25, 2011
Simon Abrams
House Next Door
TOP CRITIC
O’Bannon deserves considerable credit for creating a terrifically funny first half-hour of exposition, something in which he is greatly aided by the goofball performance of James Karen as a medical supply know-it-all.
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
A tongue-in-cheek, splatter-laden homage to George A. Romero’s zombie pictures.
September 27, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Jeremiah Kipp
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Any film which features a dead, bald and very hungry punk lurching towards the camera screaming ‘More Brains!’ gets my vote.
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
The volume of stagy gore quickly reaches a point of diminishing returns.
May 20, 2003
Stephen Holden
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
Part spoof comedy, part kitschy horror, The Return of the Living Dead was tailor-made to achieve cult status.
April 9, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
The Return of the Living Dead is the most 1980s zombie movie ever made and I say that as a compliment. Mostly.
November 2, 2021
Chris Plante
Polygon
It’s a mammoth amount of fun, with a sharp trashy punk/new wave soundtrack and a trio of perfect performances by middle-aged actors in the midst of posturing, attitudinizing youth.
September 14, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
The scares are always accompanied by silliness, though the special makeup effects are often outstanding, contributing to a considerable yuck factor.
September 7, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
There’s ultimately little doubt that The Return of the Living Dead improves steadily as it progresses…
August 22, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
It doesn’t feel like a single second is wasted in its well timed 91 minutes, providing constant entertainment.
July 17, 2020
Duncan Bowles
Den of Geek…
Plot
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.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Clu Gulager, James Karen, and Don Calfa in memorable roles.
Dan-O’Bannon.jpg
