Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
. . .almost as good as the evil dead bunch, 13 Dec 2002
Been missing my video copy of this for nearly a year now so I'm glad to find it being released on DVD. This is classic over-the-top gore/ black comedy/ horror, very much in the vein of Evil Dead 2. The story is about a group of friends which gets smaller and smaller as the film progresses as is traditional in the 'schoolies go off to the log cabin for the weekend' type of horror films. Here, the first character has just got a new job at a medical supply warehouse. His new boss is giving him the guided tour, trying to spook him with ghost stories etc - gas used by the government went bad, remains of a test subject in a barrel downstairs, that sort of thing. Anyway the barrel is accidently cracked open and the gas escapes- as do the remains of the unfortunate trapped within. This gas then starts making the dead rise from their grave and its all hell on earth from there. This is all fairly preposterous stuff but its meant that way. Theres not so much suspension of disbelief (ahem. zombie film...) as setting the stage for whats to come. The 80's seemed to spew these type of films out but apart from the Evil Dead bunch, the Romero classics and this they all seem to have disappeared (thank god!). But the cast do well to realise their characters with what they're given and they ARE characters, not the typical 80's almost-jock with a checked shirt and body warmer, looking either terrified ,angry or confused all through the film.
Director Dan O'Bannon (Lifeforce amongst others) has learned from his earlier releases and has gone straight for the comedy jugular with this one. Although the humour is never too in your face, the almost slapstick duo of the boss and his employee is hilarious as they complain of sickness and extreme pain due to the gas they were directly exposed to takes hold of them (I guess they become unalive rather than undead, but the eventual effect is much the same!). Nor do they shrink for the horror aspect. These zombies don't just shuffle and mumble, they want to eat your brains! And once the ambulance crew have been polished off as an appetiser, one blood soaked zombie gets hold of the radio as it requests a report and says simply '...send more paramedics' as though ordering the next round of drinks (to mix my metaphors). Great B movie fun, silly plot, this has energy and pace to it as well, unlike most 'zombie' flicks, and the nearest we get to romance is the last words of the boyfriend who calls to his hiding girlfriend ' if you really loved me you'd let me EAT YOUR BRAIN!'
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Ultimate Zombie Movie, 25 Jul 2006
Release in 1985 and directed by Dan O'Bannon, The Return Of The Living Dead is a comedy horror (more comedy than horror by today's standards), and stars Clu Gulager, James Karen, and Don Calfa.
The film begins with a man who has just started a new job at a medical supply warehouse. While his boss is giving him the grand tour, he talks about a gas (Trioxin) that was developed by the military. He is then shown someone's remains contained in a machine in the warehouse's basement. Naturally the two men accidentally damage the machine and some of the gas it contains awakens that within. The men then make the situation a lot worse when they try to "kill" it, as their methods causes the residents of a graveyard to rise and feast. Thrown into the mixture is a gang of Punk's who get caught up in the chaos, a unique combination of horror and comedy, some brilliant lines, some brilliant scenes and you've got The Return Of The Living Dead.
The are hundreds of Zombie films in existence to choose from, some are unbelievably poor (such as Zombie Lake or Zombie Flesh Eaters 3) others such as the more recent addition to the genre "Dead Set" are simply great. The Return Of The Living Dead is an example of one of the greatest Zombie films ever made.
There are several elements which raise The Return Of The Living Dead above many other films. Firstly it attempts to explain why the zombies eat brains which is something that I haven't seen many horror films even attempt to address. Simply they eat brains to "ease the pain of being dead," because they can feel themselves rot (a worrying thought). Return Of The Living Dead has more than a few memorable scenes that will stick with you whether you want them too or not. Two of my personal favourites however are when the two men mentioned previously try unsuccessfully to "destroy the brain" and the scene when two paramedics tell them that they are officially dead, despite the fact that they are having a conversion about it. Saying that being an animal lover, I could have done without the 'split' dog scene which I didn't really enjoy. The film offers plenty of gore to keep the more hardcore horror fans happy, while at the same time has the right level of humor at the right times. It's always great to be scared one second and laughing the next. The film has been well written and it's script is far superior to other Zombie films to raise from the eighties. The sound track throughout is also pretty decent.
The acting of the main characters is reasonably good but nothing to boast about. One of the characters spends almost all their time in the film naked (I'm not sure why - she just seems to take her clothes off).
While in a way Return Of The Living Dead, is a parody of the "Night Of The Living Dead" films by George Romero, it's still different enough with it's own identity to entertain. The idea of Zombies and their use in films always seem to draw people in, and despite the fact that this film is more than twenty years old, it still manages to hold it's own even today.
I do feel that anybody watching this film for the first time now, that have become accustom to today's modern running zombies and films with more computer effects than anything else may be a tad disappointed, which is really unfortunate.
The film has spawned a number of sequels, Return Of The Living Dead 2 and 3 are pretty good and also worth considering. By the time you get to the 4th (Necropolis) and number 5th (Rave To The Grave) film things are not so good, and the last two parts are worth avoiding.
It's not meant to be the most serious film and while there are some problems it's still brilliantly entertaining and a worthy DVD to add to your collection.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You will laugh till you die!, 13 Feb 2007
My favourite Zombie movie (and I've seen a lot!!) Brilliant performances, great post-punk atmosphere and soundtrack. It has tragedy ("It hurts to be dead") comedy that will seriously have you falling on the floor laughing, and in a bizarre way it's scarier than most Zombie films. The fact that you actually care about the dumb humans gives it an edge.
Also the ultra cynical ending is perfect (who says it's not political)
Personally I can't stand CGI effects, they always look the same and nobody believes their eyes.
In this film you won't believe your eyes either but for different reasons; the sheer grotesque imagination of the film makers will stun you!
[...]
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