Review of The Return of the Living Dead (1985) by Marcial R — 04 Feb 2011

Dan O'Bannon, is probably more known for his work as a writer (he is the creator of "Alien"), but in 1985 he left his mark in the horror genre when he directed a small low-budget film that mixed horror and comedy in a satire that payed homage to George A. Romero's "zombie" movies. "The Return of the Living Dead" is a terrific comedy-horror film that perfectly balances the two genres and probably has been the most influential film of its kind since its release.

The story begins with Freddy (Thom Mathews), a young man on the first day of his first job as an assistant in a warehouse. His uncle Frank (James Karen) is his new boss, and he shows Freddy the warehouse's most bizarre item: a forgotten tank of a Government's special gas that can bring the dead back to life as zombies. By an accident, the tank is opened and the beginning of zombie mayhem occurs.

"The Return of the Living Dead" is a perfectly well-written film that never loses steam and remains true to its original premise. O'Bannon makes good use of both genres and keeps an equilibrium where neither the horror nor the comedy are sacrificed for the benefit of the other. The film is also very smart and witty and doesn't rely on cheap tired jokes to be funny. Loosely based on John Russo's book, Dan O'Bannon takes the story to a new level with the added comedy and the political satire and keeps true to the zombie sub-genre.

Overall the film has good rhythm, and it has fitting direction. O'Bannon always has been more a writer than a director (so far he has only directed two films), but his work here is really good for a debut. The film has a slick, "rebel" look that goes hand to hand with the punk characters that are main part of the film. Despite its low-budget, the film has terrific special effects and particularly the make-up, still looks better than most of the modern stuff of more recent films.

The cast is superb, and it is one of the highlights of the film. Veterans Clu Gulager, James Karen and Don Calfa make wonders with their characters and demonstrate their experience. Newcomers Thom Mathews, Miguel A. Nuñez and Linnea Quigley shine in their roles as well as the rest of the punk gang, all very effective in their roles. Quigley has an unforgettable scene that launched her career and reinvented the term Scream Queen.

The movie suffers from its low-budget, but it is never a noticeable problem (in fact, it adds to the entertainment). O'Bannon may not be a great director, but his proficient script and the great cast definitely make up for any mistake he may had committed. If a real flaw is to be found, it would be the fact that it has dated somewhat badly, although it has gained that nostalgic mystique that surrounds all those 80s horror classics.

To summarize, while "The Return of the Living Dead" is not a perfect comedy/horror, it is definitely the most influential of all, and still holds up as one of the best horror movies of all time. To the world, Dan O'Bannon may be the creator of "Alien", but to horror fans, he is the creator of "The Return of the Living Dead". 5 out of 5.