Today's Pick: The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
As I've mentioned quite a few times during the 31 Days of Drew, the 1980's were a golden era of splatstick horror gems. But, if there was one horror movie that captured that aesthetic, tone and energy perfectly, there's no question it would be The Return of the Living Dead. Filled with great effects, a new take on zombies and one of the bleakest but funniest endings ever, this could very well be the high watermark of the entire decade.
As I've mentioned quite a few times during the 31 Days of Drew, the 1980's were a golden era of splatstick horror gems. But, if there was one horror movie that captured that aesthetic, tone and energy perfectly, there's no question it would be The Return of the Living Dead. Filled with great effects, a new take on zombies and one of the bleakest but funniest endings ever, this could very well be the high watermark of the entire decade.
There's so much to love about The Return of the Living Dead that it's hard to say where to start singing its praises. Do I go with the biting satire of the script, or the script's ingenious idea to make the zombies virtually indestructable? How about this being the film that introduced the idea of zombies specifically wanting to eat brains? That's certainly landmark material. What about the truly fantastic effects work, especially on the Tar-Man, who might just be one of the best zombie characters ever realized on screen? And that's not just due to the suit, but the actor inside who gives the Tar-Man such a signature body language that makes him immediately indelible.
What about all the great comedic acting? The performers in this never wink at the camera, but they completely understand the sardonic nature of the script and play things at exactly the right level of earnestness and cheese. Or how about the absolutely bonkers ending, which happens to be both bleakly depressing and uproariously funny at the same time? And those who appreciate the female form in all its glory, do yourself a favor and see this movie just for Linnea Quigley's salacious dance scene.
I could go on and on about my love for this film, but I don't want to tell you too much if you haven't already seen it. If you have, there's no better excuse than Halloween to pop it in and remind yourself of an era full of punk music and practical effects. This is one for the record books.
Tomorrow gives us one of the best films to ever postulate what life is like when your a ghost. Hint: I swear it's not Ghost Dad.
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Great to see some love for ROTLD! My friends and I watched it just about every day during the summer of 86. Ahh, glorious VHS. And it still ties as one of my top four zombie movies of all time (Original Night, Return, Dawn remake and Shaun). I featured Return and its place in larger zombie lore on my radio show a couple of years ago: http://deflipside.com/?p=2852 Do you want to party? It's party time!
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