31 Days of Halloween: It’s Party Time with ‘Return of the Living Dead’ (1985)

During the Halloween season there exist a few films that are required viewing. As our 31 Days of Halloween celebration continues, let’s discuss one of those must watch films. 1985’s Return of the Living Dead is the perfect mix of horror and comedy that will surely get you in the haunting spirit.

Written and directed by Dan O’Bannon, Return of the Living Dead tells the story of Frank and Freddy. Freddy is a new hire at a medical supply company and Frank is showing him the ropes. Freddy asks innocently, “What’s the weirdest thing you ever saw in here?” With that question begins the chain of events which will lead to the zombie insurrection.

Frank asks Freddy if he has ever seen the film Night of the Living Dead. When Freddy says he has, Frank proceeds to tell him that the film is a true story. But he tells him that the film changed the actual events.

Frank tells Freddy back in 1969 in Pittsburgh, at a V.A. hospital a chemical spill had occurred and the chemicals leaked into the morgue causing the deceased to reanimate. This 2-4-5 Trioxin was apparently developed by a chemical company to help eradicate marijuana and sold to the Army.

According to Frank the government covered up the spill and sent all the contaminated soil and bodies away. The director had to change the story around to protect himself from government lawsuits.

via Orion Pictures

When Freddy asks how Frank knows all of this, Frank tells him the Army screwed up and sent the bodies to the warehouse they are in. Frank takes Freddy downstairs and shows him huge oil drums labeled Department of the Army. While looking at the drums Frank inadvertently lets the toxic gas out, knocking Freddy and him unconscious. We can see the drum also contains a body.

Upon waking up they discover that the gas has resurrected a cadaver housed inside a meat locker. They call the warehouse owner Burt and tell him he needs to come right away to help. After Burt arrives the three decide that to kill the body they have to destroy the brain. They come to this conclusion because it worked in the movie.

When they find out that in fact the movie lied after decapitating the cadaver to no avail, they must formulate a new plan. They decide to dismember the body. Burt, Freddy and Frank decide to take the pieces to the nearby mortuary to dispose of the body in the cremation ovens.

Across town Freddy’s girlfriend Tina is hanging out with a group of punks as they wait for Freddy to get off work so they can party. The punks decide that they will wait in the adjacent graveyard for Freddy to finish his shift. Tina leaves to group and walks over to the medical supply warehouse to get Freddy.

via Orion

As Tina is walking through the empty warehouse she goes down in the basement. As she is looking around she comes face to face with the zombie that was in the barrel. This zombie is known informally as “Tarman”. Tina hides in a closet as Tarman attempts to get in.

Meanwhile at the mortuary Burt convinces Ernie to cremate the bags and tells him the various trash bags contain rabid weasels. The body parts burn but the smoke from the oven contaminates the clouds with the Trioxin which causes acid rain to fall.

As the acid rain is falling the group of punks run to the warehouse to seek refuge. As they get in they hear the commotion in the basement from Tarman and Tina. They are able to rescue her but not before one of them is killed. They barricade Tarman in the basement.

via Orion Pictures

The zombie inducing acid rain makes the dead return from the grave and overrun the town eating everyone and everything in their way. Freddy and Frank seem to be growing more ill as the movie progresses from the initial exposure to the gas in the warehouse.

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It is a race against time to try to find a way to destroy the zombie herds. Will anybody be able to save the town or survive? Will Frank and Freddy find a cure for their rapid decline in health? I guess you’ll have to watch it and find out. Trust me it’s worth it!

The shooting of this film was completed in a grueling six weeks. During the filming director Dan O’Bannon paid some of the zombies more money if they were willing to eat real cow brains in the film. According to legend Dan O’Bannon did not ask his actors to do anything that he wasn’t willing to do. He ate calf brains in front of them.

In the film when Frank is telling Freddy about the chemical company, writers intended it to basically be Dow Chemical. 2-4-5 Trioxin is a play on 2-4-5 Dioxin. You may know Dioxin by another name “Agent Orange.” This chemical is used to defoliate vegetation and was used heavily during the Vietnam War.

Return of the Living Dead received positive reviews with Roger Ebert giving it 3 out of 4 stars. Return of the Living Dead is an essential zombie film, horror and zombie aficionados. The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously blending comedy and horror. When watching the film look closely at some of the things in the background. They contain jokes for the eagle eye viewer.

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So this Halloween eat all of your kids candy, kick back and enjoy the campy horror that is Return of the Living Dead. For those of you who have seen this film, say it with me “Send more cops.”