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Le retour des morts-vivants

Original title: The Return of the Living Dead
  • 1985
  • 12
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
74K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,102
781
Le retour des morts-vivants (1985)
Trailer for this classic gore film follow up
Play trailer2:44
9 Videos
99+ Photos
B-HorrorBody HorrorDark ComedyParodySupernatural HorrorTeen ComedyTeen HorrorZombie HorrorComedyHorror

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.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.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
  • Writers
    • Rudy Ricci
    • John A. Russo
    • Russell Streiner
  • Stars
    • Clu Gulager
    • James Karen
    • Don Calfa
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.3/10
    74K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,102
    781
    • Director
      • Dan O'Bannon
    • Writers
      • Rudy Ricci
      • John A. Russo
      • Russell Streiner
    • Stars
      • Clu Gulager
      • James Karen
      • Don Calfa
    • 428User reviews
    • 165Critic reviews
    • 66Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 nominations total

    Videos9

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:08
    Official Trailer
    The Return of the Living Dead
    Trailer 2:44
    The Return of the Living Dead
    The Return of the Living Dead
    Trailer 2:44
    The Return of the Living Dead
    The Return Of The Living Dead: Pull Her Off
    Clip 2:13
    The Return Of The Living Dead: Pull Her Off
    The Return Of The Living Dead: Party Time
    Clip 1:26
    The Return Of The Living Dead: Party Time
    The Return Of The Living Dead: William Stout (Exclusive)
    Clip 0:39
    The Return Of The Living Dead: William Stout (Exclusive)
    The Return Of The Living Dead: On Location With Sean Clark
    Featurette 1:38
    The Return Of The Living Dead: On Location With Sean Clark

    Photos155

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    Top cast37

    Edit
    Clu Gulager
    Clu Gulager
    • Burt
    James Karen
    James Karen
    • Frank
    Don Calfa
    Don Calfa
    • Ernie
    Thom Mathews
    Thom Mathews
    • Freddy
    Beverly Randolph
    Beverly Randolph
    • Tina
    John Philbin
    John Philbin
    • Chuck
    Jewel Shepard
    • Casey
    Miguel A. Núñez Jr.
    Miguel A. Núñez Jr.
    • Spider
    • (as Miguel Nunez)
    Brian Peck
    Brian Peck
    • Scuz
    Linnea Quigley
    Linnea Quigley
    • Trash
    Mark Venturini
    Mark Venturini
    • Suicide
    Jonathan Terry
    • Colonel Glover
    Cathleen Cordell
    Cathleen Cordell
    • Colonel's Wife
    Drew Deighan
    Drew Deighan
    • Paramedic #1
    James Dalesandro
    • Paramedic #2
    John Durbin
    John Durbin
    • Radio Corpse #1
    David Bond
    David Bond
    • Radio Corpse #2
    Bob Libman
    • Tac Squad Captain
    • Director
      • Dan O'Bannon
    • Writers
      • Rudy Ricci
      • John A. Russo
      • Russell Streiner
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews428

    7.374.3K
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    Summary

    Reviewers say 'The Return of the Living Dead' is celebrated for its innovative horror-comedy fusion, featuring witty, brain-hungry zombies. The film is lauded for its memorable dialogue, iconic soundtrack, and high-quality special effects. Performances by Clu Gulager and Linnea Quigley are often praised for their depth and charm. Despite some critiques on pacing and character portrayals, it is widely considered a cult classic that has significantly impacted the zombie genre.
    AI-generated from the text of user reviews

    Featured reviews

    7Tweetienator

    Of Gory Partycrashers

    A real classic of the zombie business. Directed by Dan O'Bannon who got writer credits for such classics as Alien, Aliens, Dark Star, Lifeforce and Screamers (he is still in business). The Return of the Living Dead is one of the earliest movie (if not the first) I remember who glued zombie-horror and a decent level of gore together with a fine shot of comedy elements.

    A must-see if you like zombies + comedy. Alone the scenes with the goth-punks having a party on the graveyard till the dead rise is iconic stuff. But unlike some of the recently produced zombie-comedies this one got still a good level of horror and gore and its main focus is not on comedy only.
    8JimmyLoneWolf

    Influential Cult Classic!!

    I saw this film when I was around 9 or 10, and I remember loving it back then. Unfortunately, time has not been kind to most of the movies I enjoyed during my youth. Imagine my surprise when I realized that not only was Return of the Living Dead every bit as much fun as when I first saw it, its actually improved!!

    First off, this is NOT a serious horror film. It is meant to be viewed as a comedy. Period. Once this perspective is taken, the horror elements are subtly introduced until, towards the end, we almost begin to feel a sense of disgust with ourselves for laughing at these people. I say ALMOST because a few silly decisions here and there (it would have been nice if the movie hadn't ended with recycled footage) turn what could have been the finest, and most disturbing, horror-comedy EVER MADE into a merely excellent one.

    Honestly, I challenge anyone to find a "horror-comedy" that delivers laughs, gore, some genuine scares, and combines it with what can only be called the finest acting I've ever seen in a horror-comedy (much less one from the 80's!).

    James Karen, Clu Gulager, and Don Calfa absolutely STEAL this movie with their sidesplitting hysterics. Listen to the lines, note the deliveries. These guys are pros! Anyone who could THINK to call their acting "wooden" clearly knows nothing about the traps horror-comedies often fall into. Personally, I was thinking of the OD scene from Pulp Fiction the entire time. The absurdity mixed with tension was eerily similar. Tarantino (an admitted zombie-movie fan) must SURELY have seen this movie upon its initial release. Gulager in particular is just plain brilliant here, he's like a burned out shop teacher fighting zombies!!

    This film is a hidden treasure in a genre all too often plagued by mediocrity.
    8TheLittleSongbird

    Immensely enjoyable and by far the best in the series

    This is saying a lot too, because to me this is the only film of the five Return of the Living Dead films to be above good standard. The sequels varied in quality, with 2 and 3 being acceptable enough though with their problems and 4 (Necropolis) and 5 (Rave to the Grave) being terrible, the latter being marginally worse and being one of the worst sequels ever made. The original however is an immensely enjoyable film, with its very few flaws barely noticeable amidst the huge amount of good.

    It is definitely the best-looking film in the series, it is stylishly shot and lit with a wonderful ominous atmosphere, complete with atmospheric sets, above average effects and some great make-up on the zombies. There is a killer 80s soundtrack that still sounds good and haunting rather than cheesy, and instead of the outdated quality it could have had the soundtrack makes one nostalgic for the 80s. As well as a hilarious and clever script that's never forced, doesn't get bogged down in too many explanations or too much exposition, and that is very quotable (which I don't think any of the sequels achieved and it was something that 4 and 5 could only dream of doing so), and a story that seemed tired in concept but felt very fresh in execution with so many funny moments and an equal number of highly disturbing and scary ones.

    Return of the Living Dead is directed with adroit class and a clear fondness for the genre by Dan O' Bannon, and while some of the punk teens are annoyingly and one-dimensionally written and acted with not much spark (the sole problems with the film, and they are not that major), the leads are written very likeably and Clu Gulager, James Karen, Thom Mathews and Beverly Randolph are charming and lots of fun (all of them at least knowing what sort of film they're in), Gulager and Karen are particularly good. Don Calfa is also suitably shady. The film also cleverly and wisely makes the zombies the stars and uses them brilliantly, furthermore these zombies actually are very menacing, a real threat, do a lot more than just shuffle and plod around and are wonderfully tongue-in-cheek, exuding real personality. The twist is deliciously ironic, adding to the freshness when it easily could have been tired or anti-climactic.

    All in all, immensely enjoyable and the best of the series by some margin, being the only one to be completely satisfying. 8/10 Bethany Cox
    7ctomvelu1

    A fun time for all

    To this day, I can't believe Dan O'Bannon got away with using "The Living Dead" in his title. George Romero should have sued, and probably did. Nevertheless, this is a classic horror comedy straight out of the 1980s, with gruesome brain-devouring zombies running riot in a small town. Actually, due to the movie's modest budget, the zombies run around a small number series of sets, consisting of a warehouse, both inside and outside, a bridge and a mortuary, inside and outside. There also are a couple of shots dealing with Army personnel. An Abbott and Costello-type pair unleashes a government-developed gas that revives the dead. Even dead parts. A warehouse exec, a mortuary owner and several daffy young people end up in a fight for their lives, while a series of EMTs and police arriving on the scene are quickly dispatched by the ravenous zombies. The hammy acting is strictly from hunger, the dialog largely improvised, and the clumsy blocking and static photography (mostly medium shots) are like something from a 1932 talkie. But the zombie attacks are ferocious and go way beyond anything Romero attempted in "Night." Also, zombies getting on the ambulance and police radios to order up more help in their sepulchral voices is beyond hilarious. You also have the ravishing Scream Queen of her day, Leanna Quigley, spending most of screen time nekkid. It also is a riot to see familiar grocery store hawker James Karen in a prominent role here. Plus, much has been said over the years about the individual hired to play the rotting basement zombie, and he is indeed absolutely marvelous. Good for a laugh, and great for trotting out every Halloween.
    Poe-17

    Crackerjack ...

    I love this film to living death ... Every actor got the right part, and they all got the part right. High camp, higher parody, positively hilarious scenes so well set up that a mere facial gesture delivers the punchline, sometimes only a few beats of music delivers. In the midst of all this ripping off of Romero's "Night of the Living Dead", it borders on worship of its inspiration. Pathos holds hands with hilarity, genuinely creepy scenes bleed into high gear humor. I haven't found a misstep. There is a high quotient of "Oh s**t" scenes and they all work. The undraped Quigley is neither gratuitous or prurient; just imagine the movie without her character; loses much. This is a delicious, feverish living dead romp that plays out to one crackerjack musical score. Everything meshes, everything works. How do you fault a film that gets it all right? This title will survive a long long time.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The filmmakers had to get approval from Lysol to have Frank spray away the stench of death with their product. "They liked the idea that Lysol would kill any conceivable odor."
    • Goofs
      When Frank is explaining how the original Night of the Living Dead is based on a true story, he states that the true story occurred in 1969. However La Nuit des morts-vivants (1968) was released in 1968, a year before the incident happened. In the original script Frank said the event happened in 1966, but Dan O'Bannon changed the line because he felt it would be better if the character was unreliable.
    • Quotes

      Zombie: Send... more... paramedics.

    • Crazy credits
      The following phony disclaimer precedes the movie: "The events portrayed in this film are all true. The names are real names of real people and real organizations."
    • Alternate versions
      The MGM 2002 DVD releases (UK and US) has had some changes in the audio compared to the original version:
      • The Damned song Dead Beat Dance has been replaced with another song
      • The Tar Man's voice has been re-recorded. However, the original Tar Man voice can be heard briefly during the closing credit sequence.
      • The line "send more cops" has also been re-recorded
      • The song "Take a walk" has been removed, now you only hear it for a few seconds with no vocals.
      • The song "Burn the flames" has also been shortened.
    • Connections
      Edited into Cent une tueries de zombies (2012)
    • Soundtracks
      The Trioxin Theme
      (Main Title)

      Performed by Francis Haines

      Composed by Francis Haines

      Produced by Simon Heyworth

      Plays during the opening credits and at other points throughout the film.

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    FAQ22

    • How long is The Return of the Living Dead?Powered by Alexa
    • Is this film a sequel to "Night of the Living Dead" (1968)?
    • What movies are in the "Dead" series (and which aren't)?
    • What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Workprint?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 15, 1985 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El regreso de los muertos vivientes
    • Filming locations
      • Louisville, Kentucky, USA(one exterior shot only)
    • Production companies
      • Cinema '84
      • Fox Films
      • Hemdale
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $4,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $14,237,880
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,403,169
      • Aug 18, 1985
    • Gross worldwide
      • $14,240,656
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 31m(91 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono

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