The Return of the Living Dead poster

1985·91 min·Released

The Return of the Living Dead

“They're back from the grave and ready to party!”

Comedy
Horror
Science Fiction

Two employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a toxic gas from a misplaced top-secret U.S. Army shipment, causing the dead to rise from a nearby cemetery with an insatiable hunger for human brains.

7.2(2,315 votes)

Popularity5

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Cast & Crew

Clu Gulager

Clu Gulager

Burt

James Karen

James Karen

Frank

Don Calfa

Don Calfa

Ernie

Thom Mathews

Thom Mathews

Freddy

Miguel A. Núñez Jr.

Miguel A. Núñez Jr.

Spider

Brian Peck

Brian Peck

Scuz

John Philbin

John Philbin

Chuck

Linnea Quigley

Linnea Quigley

Trash

Beverly Randolph

Beverly Randolph

Tina

Jewel Shepard

Jewel Shepard

Casey

Mark Venturini

Mark Venturini

Suicide

Jonathan Terry

Jonathan Terry

Colonel Glover

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Gimly

Written on 10/26/2018

So. Much. Damn. Fun. _The Return of the Living Dead_ always takes me back to being a teenager. In a good way. _Trash is taking off her clothes again._ _Final rating:★★★½ - I really liked it. Would strongly recommend you give it your time._

CinemaSerf

Written on 10/17/2025

“Burt” (Clu Gulager) is regaling new boy “Freddy” (Thom Matthews) with spooky tales in their medical supply warehouse and that takes them to the basement where the relics of the last zombie attack were stored in hermetically sealed metal jars. Rather stupidly, they open one and release not just it’s toxic gases but also one of it’s fairly peckish occupants! Fleeing for their very lives, they call in the boss “Frank” (James Karen) who in turn drags in the local funeral director “Ernie” (Don Calfa giving Christopher Lloyd a run for his money) to dispose of their recently acquired evidence. Snag? Well the cremation process creates loads of smoke which is conveniently carried by the rain into the soil of the adjacent graveyard and next thing, yep, the ground is alive with the long dead screaming for their ultimate painkiller - brains! These are shrewd and hungry critters who soon have paramedic and police officers on their menu, but what chance for our not so intrepid group? Especially as they are now accompanied by the hysterical young “Tina” (Beverly Randolph) who was out in the graveyard with her eclectic group of friends and who ran like hell when she was grabbed by something she didn’t want to grab back. It’s end to end stuff this, marrying some quickly paced dialogue with some remarkably decent special effects creating quite a fun horror film that is fairly light on fear but full of loads of comedy antics before the military resort to their ultimate sanction, thanks to “Col. Glover” (Jonathan Terry), and almost certainly make matters even worse for what I assume will be the next instalment.

Media

Official Sizzle

Official Sizzle

The Return of the Living Dead (10/10) Movie CLIP - My Zombie Boyfriend (1985) HD

The Return of the Living Dead (10/10) Movie CLIP - My Zombie Boyfriend (1985) HD

The Return of the Living Dead (9/10) Movie CLIP - Why Do You Eat People? (1985) HD

The Return of the Living Dead (9/10) Movie CLIP - Why Do You Eat People? (1985) HD

The Return of the Living Dead (8/10) Movie CLIP - Punks vs. Zombie (1985) HD

The Return of the Living Dead (8/10) Movie CLIP - Punks vs. Zombie (1985) HD

The Return of the Living Dead (7/10) Movie CLIP - Brains! (1985) HD

The Return of the Living Dead (7/10) Movie CLIP - Brains! (1985) HD

The Return of the Living Dead (6/10) Movie CLIP - Rabid Weasels (1985) HD

The Return of the Living Dead (6/10) Movie CLIP - Rabid Weasels (1985) HD