Every decade has its quintessential horror comedy. The ‘70s had Young Frankenstein, the ‘90s had Army of Darkness, and the 2000s had Shaun of the Dead. The 1980s, however, boasted a movie that could be considered the greatest horror comedy of all time, The Return of the Living Dead. Directed by Alien screenwriter Dan O’Bannon and written by Night of the Living Dead’s co-creator, John A. Russo, the duo essentially took the idea that Russo and George A. Romero had with their groundbreaking 1968 story and made it a slapstick comedy.
It wasn’t just the comedy that made The Return of the Living Dead iconic, though. As the character Scuz yells in the film, “You think this is a costume? This is a way of life!” There was a specific punk feel throughout the film, from its iconic characters and its rockin’ soundtrack, all the way to its memorable poster art.
For those unfamiliar with the film, The Return of the Living Dead follows two medical supply warehouse employees, Frank and Freddy, who accidentally unleash a government chemical compound called Trioxin, which can bring the dead back to life. When the two burn a corpse at the crematorium next door, the chemical soaks into the nearby graveyard, and zombies start to rise from the ground, attacking everyone in their path in search of delicious brains, including Freddy’s friend group of local punks.
Surrounding the movie’s obvious comedy are some pretty dark and gory moments. The zombies look great, with excellent makeup and animatronic effects used. The film’s iconic poster zombie, Tarman, is as goopy and intimidating as it gets, hulking around the storage facility and waiting to pop out and snack on the first brains he can find… and he does find them.
Also, fun fact: The Return of the Living Dead was the first zombie movie to introduce the “zombies eat brains” trope now found extensively throughout the subgenre’s lore. It’s also the first film to feature thinking, talking zombies; an idea that has also been used in the four decades since its release. That idea comes in the form of a rather creepy scene: when a deteriorating zombie tells the group that they eat brains because it’s the only thing that can cull their eternal hunger.
The most memorable part of The Return of the Living Dead may be its soundtrack. Catchy earworms like The Cramps’ “Surfin’ Dead” and 45 Grave’s “Partytime” set the tone from the opening scene to the end credits. It may just be the greatest horror movie soundtrack ever constructed.
What helps The Return of the Living Dead stand the test of time over the last 40 years can be attributed to the fact that its comedy never lost its luster. Even in today’s comedic standards and society, where many ‘80s horror films don’t hold up, this movie uses slapstick, horror-based comedy to stay relevant in a constantly changing social world.
The film was a big hit at its release, too. It garnered more than three times its budget at the box office in 1985 and went on to spawn multiple sequels. Its fandom is still relevant today, as a reboot is currently in the works from director Steve Wolsh and starring Final Destination’s Devon Sawa. Whether you’re looking for something spooky or something funny, this film has you covered on all fronts this spooky season.