‘The Return of the Living Dead’ is a hoot

It should have been forgotten as a cheap sequel to a horror classic. It should have been classified as one of those cheesy 1980s scare flicks. It should have been forgotten.

But, thankfully, it wasn’t.

The Return of the Living Dead is a hilarious zombie movie that features a bunch of punk kids, some living corpses and the gooey, iconic Tarman. The movie is that rare breed: A simultaneous horror movie and comedy rolled into one. Surprisingly, the film works nicely. Its jokes are quite funny. The special effects are convincing. And the acting is actually not bad.

The unofficial sequel to Night of the Living Dead (note: George A. Romero was not involved in this project) features a pair of medical supply employees who have an unfortunate accident in their warehouse. They release a deadly chemical that causes the dead to come back to life, starting with a grisly skeleton known as Tarman. The loose tie-in to the original film is that the same chemical was supposedly the cause of the undead outbreak in Night of the Living Dead, but covered up by the government.

At the same time that the employees (played by Thom Mathews and James Karen) realize the enormity of their accident, a group of punk teenagers decides to hold a party in a nearby cemetery. They are pure 1980s gold: They feature period clothes with retro styles; one girl’s hair is dyed pink; there’s some loop earrings; and I think I saw some acid-washed jeans as well. As the chemical seeps into the air and leaks into the cemetery, the dead come back to life and all hell breaks loose on the party. What a bummer man!

The movie, written and directed by Dan O’Bannon, never takes itself too seriously. There is always a tongue in the cheek of the actors, and yet the plot is invigorating and suspenseful. The Return of the Living Dead may be one of the earliest examples of a horror comedy, a highly influential sub-genre that later included Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland and the entire Scream franchise. What makes Return so superior to other 1980s movies is that it’s able to have fun and throw in a few scares. It’s almost like O’Bannon knew of the inherent cult status that the film would achieve decades after its original release.

The most memorable role is offered by Don Calfa as Ernie, the weird mortician who helps contain the crazy circumstances of the chemical spill. Calfa, who had a supporting role in Weekend at Bernie’s, is a perfect match for The Return of the Living Dead. His comedic chops mold together nicely with a creepy eeriness to form a clever character.

The Return of the Living Dead will not impress everyone. Some audience members will be unable to get past the ridiculous wardrobes, the 1980s slang and the conveniently simple plot line. However, for those zombie fans who are able to sit back and enjoy a cinematic cult classic without too much extra thought, the movie is a goldmine of fun.

John A. Russo, who wrote the novelization of The Return of the Living Dead and also co-wrote the original screenplay for Night of the Living Dead, must be proud that two of his projects have earned such iconic status (though I’ve been told Russo’s vision for Return is vastly different from what ended up on the screen).

For those unwilling to experience the horror of the 91-minute film, try snagging a copy of the soundtrack. The movie is filled to the brim with classic punk and prog rock tunes.

Party on!

• The Return of the Living Dead

• 1985

• Directed by Dan O’Bannon

• Written by O’Bannon; based on a story by Rudy Ricci and Russell Streiner, plus a book by John A. Russo

• Starring Don Calfa, James Karen and Thom Mathews

• Running time: 91 minutes

• Bubble score: 3 out of 4

• Click here to purchase The Return of the Living Dead on DVD.