The Return of the Living Dead

Name: The Return of the Living Dead
Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror, Comedy
Released: August 16, 1985
Duration: 91 min
Rating: 66
Cast: Beverly Randolph, Brian Peck, Clu Gulager, Don Calfa, James Karen

1985

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critics

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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7.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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The Return Of The Living Dead

Movie Details & Credits

Orion Pictures | Release Date: August 16, 1985

Starring: Beverly Randolph, Brian Peck, Clu Gulager, Don Calfa, James Karen, Jewel Shepard, John Philbin, Linnea Quigley, Miguel A. Núñez Jr., Thom Mathews

Summary: When two bumbling employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air, the vapors cause the dead to rise again as zombies.

Director: Dan O'Bannon

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Horror, Comedy

Rating: R

Runtime: 91 min

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Awards & Rankings

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Critic Reviews

Empire - Chris Hewitt (1)

Essential, enormous fun. Read full review

CineVue - Robert Savage

The most commendable aspect of the The Return of the Living Dead is its ability to combine horror and comedy rather than allowing the different elements to become intermittent and the tone inconsistent. Read full review

Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert

Return is a movie with some nice, droll opening scenes and the obligatory horrible climax. It doesn't make the mistake of Day Of The Dead - talking too much. It's kind of a sensation-machine, made out of the usual ingredients, and the real question is whether it's done with style. It is. Read full review

Time Out - Staff (Not Credited)

Any film which features a dead, bald and very hungry punk lurching towards the camera screaming 'More Brains!' gets my vote. Read full review

Miami Herald - Bill Cosford

The whole point is excess, and O'Bannon's good at getting to that point. But the film is so clearly meant for giggles that it packs nowhere near the emotional punch of one of Romero's, which are truly dreadful. [19 Aug 1985, p.D5]

Washington Post - Tom Shales

One problem is that the action in the film is restricted to a few basic locations; the medical supply house, a nearby cemetery and an adjoining mortuary. Romero made highly productive use of confinement. O'Bannon does not, but he does earn points with inventive gall, and there are enough lunatic thrills along the way to leave one with the giddy sensation of having been alternately scared silly and tickled even sillier. [19 Aug 1985, p.D1]

TV Guide Magazine - Staff (Not Credited)

The whole thing is played for laughs, with a pseudohip sense of humor satirizing everything from suburban punks to the military, while delivering a few legitimate chills. Read full review

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User Reviews

imthenoob

Nov 3, 2018

This movie is just flat out freaking stupid. It's very slow paced. And zombies don't appear until 30-40 minutes into the movie and even then it plays such a very small part of the movie since most of the film revolves around the cast trying to deciding what to do and how to deal with theThis movie is just flat out freaking stupid. It's very slow paced. And zombies don't appear until 30-40 minutes into the movie and even then it plays such a very small part of the movie since most of the film revolves around the cast trying to deciding what to do and how to deal with the zombies outside.… Expand

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