The Return of the Living Dead

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews

Ben D The pinnacle of 1980s zombie-horror camp, The Return of the Living Dead was meta before meta became tedious and introduced many of the tropes we know today into the subgenre vernacular. Talking zombies who specifically want brains? This is where it comes from. On their own and as a concept, these zombies are not my favorite. They’re extremely smart — one uses the radio from an ambulance to call for “more paramedics” i.e. more brains — and they are basically impossible to kill. When they (Clu Gulager, James Karen, Don Calfa, Thom Matthews) do finally kill one, “Murphy’s Law” ensues and the smoke that pollutes the air from the crematorium coats the adjacent graveyard and you can predict where it goes from there. However, the movie is so campy and fun that it doesn’t matter that our human characters don’t stand a chance against the ravenous horde. The practical effects are what you expect and want, most notably being the “Tarman Zombie” (Allan Trautman) and “Female Torso Zombie” (Cherry Davis (voice)). The punk/alt soundtrack adds to the kitschy pastiche and at times presents more like a music video than movie. According to the sentient “Female Torso Zombie,” they eat brains to dull the pain of death. Brutal. A must-see for horror aficionados and 1980s cinema. Part II is already on the list. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/31/24 Full Review Landon J Very original and entertaining take on zombie dynamics. This movie wastes no time getting into it, great cast/characters, awesome effects, lots of good humor intentional or not. A TOP entry in the zombie survival genre without a doubt. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/31/24 Full Review nick s Some very average acting, stagey action scenes and unconvincing makeup. But the puppets and effects were pretty cool. Despite the low quality it was still entertaining... an unintentional comedy or so bad it's good flick. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/24/24 Full Review KerryWhite's S Rating: 6/10. 67/100 Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/23/24 Full Review Madden S A killer sound track, fun cast, fabulous practical effects and some genuinely scary moments, The Return of the Living Dead is one of the greatest movies of all time and a must for for the spooky season. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/07/24 Full Review Christian K An all time killer score and setup. Great, gory, and silly fun throughout. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/27/24 Full Review Read all reviews

The Return of the Living Dead

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Most Popular at Home Now