Return/Living Dead

Classic opening to The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
 Okay, so I put together a decent write-up with my "Need More Brains" post. I wanted to sort of shoot from the hip now with this post.

My first knowledge of this film came from an accidental peek inside my uncle's room (he lived with my grandmother; I spent some Friday nights with her occasionally) during Halloween around 1987 or so I'd say. It was, as fate would have it, Quigley's striptease in Resurrection Cemetery. This incredible sexual dynamo just swaying her fetching naked body to loud rock from a brought boombox. Later on I actually got to watch it on HBO in my uncle's room by his permission without my mother's knowing so. Oh how I cherished weekends at grandmother's! Of course, I would sometimes borrow the videotape recording of it, so I could record it for myself.


With the memorable soundtrack that fit the attitude of the film like a comfortable pair of stained undies, lots of worried folks at Burt's medical facility and Ernie's morgue trying to keep the hungry dead out while dealing with how to escape as well as what to do with infected Frank and Freddy, and the deteriorated stages of the Dead reanimated and on the prowl for heads to crack open to feed their need for brains, this was as much a cult horror find for me as it was others who grew up around 1985. I watched this a lot of summer Saturdays, for sure! 

I noticed this evening that it was much shorter in running time than I remember. It was over in a hurry! I don't know why, the film just seemed longer all those viewings in the late 80s and early 90s. This is my birthday weekend so I took Friday off and thought after work what better way to kick things off than with "The Return of the Living Dead" (1985). It was certainly the right choice. As I explained in the first of three Return posts for the blog, this is like the speaker turned up loud that throttles you. It is a maximum overdrive outrageous zombie film. 


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