The Return of The Living Dead (1985)
In today’s zombie-saturated entertainment landscape, it’s hard to believe there was a time when movie zombies actually ate brains, couldn’t be killed and liked to show their boobs. We’re taking you back to 1985 for Dan O’Bannon’s “The Return of The Living Dead.”
Listener Kevin commissioned this wacky approach to the undead, inspiring the Shat Crew to examine whether “The Return of The Living Dead” had a hidden message on immigration, whether gravity is the ultimate weapon against zombies and whether Ernie was actually a Nazi in hiding.
In this episode, we also discuss Trash’s legendary striptease and recommend “The Return of The Livind Dead” get the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” treatment.
When foreman Frank (James Karen) shows new employee Freddy (Thom Mathews) a secret military experiment in a supply warehouse, the two klutzes accidentally release a gas that reanimates corpses into flesh-eating zombies. As the epidemic spreads throughout Louisville, Ky., and the creatures satisfy their hunger in gory and outlandish ways, Frank and Freddy fight to survive with the help of their boss (Clu Gulager) and a mysterious mortician (Don Calfa).
Plot Summary: In the 1985 horror-comedy The Return of The Living Dead, directed by Dan O’Bannon, Clu Gulager stars as Burt, the owner of a medical supply warehouse where a terrifying mistake unleashes a zombie apocalypse. The chaos begins when Frank (James Karen), a senior employee, attempts to impress the new hire, Freddy (Thom Mathews), by revealing a secret: military drums containing a toxic gas are stored in the warehouse basement. When one of the drums accidentally leaks, a deadly gas escapes, reanimating the dead bodies stored nearby.
The gas spreads to a nearby cemetery, causing the corpses to rise from their graves, hungry for human brains. Burt, Frank, and Freddy are soon joined by a group of teenage punks, including Freddy’s girlfriend, Tina (Beverly Randolph), and her rebellious friends Trash (Linnea Quigley), Spider (Miguel A. Núñez Jr.), and Scuz (Brian Peck), who find themselves trapped in a nightmare of relentless zombies.
Unlike traditional zombies, these reanimated corpses are fast, intelligent, and insatiable in their desire for brains. As Burt and the group struggle to contain the outbreak, they discover that these zombies are nearly impossible to kill, even with decapitation or destruction of the brain. The survivors must use every bit of cunning, courage, and creativity to fight back, navigating through waves of zombies while searching for a way to escape the undead nightmare.
The Return of The Living Dead is a cult classic that blends horror and dark comedy with a punk rock soundtrack, redefining the zombie genre for a new generation. Join our podcast review as we explore the film’s unique style, memorable characters, and its lasting impact on zombie cinema. Does this 80s horror-comedy still deliver the perfect mix of chills and laughs?
Meta Description:
Podcast review of The Return of The Living Dead (1985). Explore this cult horror-comedy and see if its mix of scares and laughs still works.
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