BLOOD WORK: HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 16: THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985)

Horror comedy is a paradoxical concept. How can something be both scary and hilarious at the same time? Well, I don't have a good answer for that. And maybe that's why there are so few quality examples of horror comedies in existence. Comedy fans usually don't like horror films and horror fans usually don't like to laugh in the horror movies they watch. But on occasion a film hits both marks perfectly. Some of the great horror comedies that come to mind include NIGHT OF THE CREEPS, EVIL DEAD II, SHAUN OF THE DEAD, and ZOMBIELAND.

Nowadays there is such a diverse group of viewers out there and all kinds of niche films to cater to these niche genres. It truly is a crazy time for movie making thanks to the incredible output of films being made. During the 1980's there was such an output of horror films that many strange and unique horror films saw release. Many of these fit into bizarre and specific niches, including that of horror comedy. Among these films came one of the greatest horror comedies ever made: THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD.

Directed by Dan O'Bannon and released in 1985, The Return of the Living Dead is one of those films that's quintessentially 1980's. It could never have been made anywhere else. And it is oh so amazing because of it.

THE PLOT

In the basement of a medical supply warehouse sit a half dozen steel barrels. Contained within these steel drums are the putrefying remains of the original zombie outbreak. Two idiot employees accidentally break open one of the barrels letting loose a noxious gas into the air. The gas drifts into the air over the nearby cemetery as it begins to rain. The rain, mixed with the gas, seeps into the soil and begins reanimating the dead bodies. A horde of zombies rises from the grave and only a group of misfits stand between them and the zombie apocalypse.

WHAT I LIKED

The Humor. This movie is essentially a caricature of a serious zombie film. It's not so much as to become a flat out comedy, there are still moments of tension, but it is slightly elevated in terms of melodrama. And the humor not only comes from the human characters but from the zombies as well. There's clever situational humor as well as some straight up funny dialog. The movie maintains this style from beginning to end.

Zombies of a Different Kind. There is a common notion about zombies in pop culture, that zombies eat brains. Well, Romero's zombies never ate brains (maybe they did but they're more just flesh eaters in general). The zombies in The Walking Dead don't eat brains and the traditional voodoo zombies don't eat human flesh at all. So where did this notion of the human brain being a delicacy among living dead originate? You guessed it, The Return of the Living Dead! These zombies crave brains! They also talk, run, and make jokes. Some of them rage too (this film is also the originator of the running rage zombies!). These are perhaps the most colorful zombies in all of cinema. But that makes them no less menacing. These zombies are also harder to kill... much harder. They're brutal and unrelenting. And the "Tarman" numbers among the few iconic zombies in film.

Case in point: you've never seen zombies like these.

The Excess of the 80's. George Romero's "Dead" films all house societal commentary of some variety. The same could be said of Return as well. Earlier I said the film was a caricature of serious zombies films. Well it is also a caricature of 1980's culture. The "yuppie" culture and living the life of excess. The excess on display in this film works perfectly with the tone. The characters are over the top and push their archetypes to the extreme. The zombies too are far more excessive than any other film. The gore is in abundance. And the drama is ratcheted up to the nigh ridiculous level. Who'd have thought that a horror comedy actually had something to say. Social commentary aside, I love the excess of this film! Everything in The Return of the Living Dead is dialed up to eleven.

NITPICKS

This is one of those interesting genre benders that is so bizarre that it's hard to find another film to weigh it against. Technically I can find no glaring fault with the film that wasn't either deliberate or working in the movie's favor. It's weird. This movie is so much fun and pure entertainment. The tone may set certain viewers aback though. Some may even say this is a terrible movie. But what they cite as "terrible" is actually a deliberate choice by the filmmakers. It's the tone of the movie. So depending on who you are and what films you allow yourself to enjoy, The Return of the Living Dead is either the worst movie you've ever seen or the best movie you've ever seen. Personally, this is one of my absolute favorite zombie movies and one of the most enjoyable movies I've ever seen.

THE VERDICT

The Return of the Living Dead is one of the finest examples of a horror comedy in existence. Everything in this film is dialed up to an excessive amount, a caricature of the time period in which it was made. The humor is borne out of the extremity of the situation and the "over the top" nature of the story. And the brain craving zombies are some of the most colorful reanimated corpses you'll ever see, both hilarious and terrifying. The Return of the Living Dead is of a sort that you either love or hate. I, for one, love this movie.

Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 6 out of 10