Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The Return of the Living Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 24, 2022

1985 was a major year for the “Night of the Living Dead” brand name. In July, George Romero added another chapter to his undead saga with “Day of the Dead,” which disappeared from U.S. theaters fairly quickly. Original co-writer John A. Russo also delivered a zombie experience for the summer season, taking a co-story credit on “The Return of the Living Dead,” with writer/director Dan O’Bannon making his helming debut with the endeavor. Romero went somber with his vision for a zombie apocalypse, while O’Bannon goes wild, eventually, with “The Return of the Living Dead,” electing for a more comedic version of a monster rampage, trying to separate himself from the competition with a punk rock soundtrack, unabashed exploitation, and a tone of hysteria that either delights or repulses, depending on the scene. O’Bannon isn’t big on style, and his sense of pace leaves much to be desired, but he has a vision for physical horror and zombie threats, with the last half of the picture capturing a pure cinematic insanity that’s rarely found in the genre.

For additional analysis and information, please read.

Casey Broadwater’s 2010 Blu-ray review.

Jeffrey Kauffman’s 2016 Blu-ray review.

The Return of the Living Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Screencaps are taken from the Blu-ray.

"The Return of the Living Dead" has been previously issued on Blu-ray in 2011 and 2016, with Shout Factory returning with a new UHD release of the film, sourced from "a 4K scan of the original camera negative." Highlights are appreciable during the Dolby Vision viewing experience, with warm orange flames and sharp police lights. Blacks are deep and generally run darker, but frame particulars aren't lost, just a bit more shadowed. Detail is excellent, capturing the strange appearances of the undead and their makeup applications, along with the grisly details of more advanced decay. Skin surfaces are distinct, and town tours provide strong dimension. Signage and decoration are also open for inspection. Color is vibrant, handling punk hair and outfits with care. Primaries are preserved, exploring interior design and decorative elements. Skin tones on the living and the deceased are enjoyable, maintaining a defined line between monster and man. Grain is fine and film-like, with a little encoding slackness. Source is in good condition.

The Return of the Living Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio options available for "The Return of the Living Dead," with a 2.0 DTS-HD MA mono, 2.0 DTS-HD MA stereo, and a 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix, as found on the previous Blu-ray release. Perhaps most fans will gravitate to the original mono mix, which offers a straightforward listening event befitting the low-budget nature of the feature. Dialogue exchanges are clear, maintaining some order to the argumentative behavior on display. Music emerges with authority, delivering messy punk power to the track, never overwhelming performances. The 5.1 option opens things up to expectation, for those who prefer such space.

The Return of the Living Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features author Gary Smart and Chris Griffiths.

• Commentary #2 features effects artist Tony Gardner and actors Thom Mathews and John Philbin.

• Commentary #3 features writer/director Dan O'Bannon and production designer William Stout.

• Commentary #4 features production designer William Stout and actors Don Calfa, Linnea Quigley, Brian Peck, Beverly Randolph, and Allan Trautman.

• Workprint (108:05, SD) offers a longer, unfinished version of "The Return of the Living Dead."

• "More Brains: A Return to the Living Dead" (119:43, HD) is an outstanding making-of for "The Return of the Living Dead," going in-depth with producer John A. Russo, Orion marketing executive Paul A. Sammon, production designer William Stout, co-producer Graham Henderson, special makeup effects artists Tony Gardner, Kenny Myers, and William Munns, casting director Stanzi Stokes, cinematographer Jules Brenner, second assistant editor John Penney, and actors Brian Peck, Linnea Quigley, Thom Mathews, James Karen, Clu Gulager, Beverly Randolph, John Philbin, Miguel A. Nunez, Jr., Allan Trautman, Jewel Shepard, Don Calfa, James Dalesandro, and Drew Deighan. Anecdotes are plentiful, and there's a great deal of candor as well, marching through the often complex and difficult production process.

• "The Dead Have Risen" (20:34, SD) is a 2007 making-of for "The Return of the Living Dead."

• "Designing the Dead" (13:39, SD) is a 2007 featurette on visual elements of "The Return of the Living Dead," featuring interviews with writer/director Dan O'Bannon and production designer William Stout.

• "The FX of 'Return of the Living Dead'" (32:49, HD) features interviews with special makeup effects artist Bill Munns, production designer William Stout, additional makeup effects artists Kenny Myers and Craig Caton, actor Brian Peck, effects artist Tony Gardner, and visual effects supervisor Gene Warren Jr. Endeavoring to separate itself from the world of George Romero, the BTS talent attempted to generate more unique zombies, even looking at real corpses for inspiration. Tidbits from the creation of Tarman and Yellowman are shared, along with work on Linnea Quigley, who required careful attention while working around her nudity. Director Dan O'Bannon's obsession and tantrums are detailed, including the saga of Munns and his departure from the shoot after dealing with the helmer's petulant ways. Technical challenges are explored in-depth, from the use of real brains for zombie food to various makeup struggles along the way, which a few of the interviewees blame on cheap producers trying to work too fast.

• "Party Time!" (29:31, HD) focuses on the music of "The Return of the Living Dead," featuring interviews with music consultants Budd Carr and Steve Pross, and musicians Dinah Cancer (45 Grave), Greg Hetson (The Circle Jerks), Joe Wood (T.S.O.L.), Karl Moet (SSQ), Roky Erickson, Chris D (The Flesheaters), John Sox (Straw Dogs), and Mark Robertson (Tall Boys).

• "Horror's Hallowed Grounds" (10:15, HD) focuses on the locations of "The Return of the Living Dead" with host Sean Clark.

• "A Conversation with Dan O'Bannon" (28:32, HD) is billed as "The Final Interview" with the writer/director of "The Return of the Living Dead," and he discusses the challenges of making his helming debut, casting choices, troubled relationships with actors Clu Gulager and Beverly Randolph, opinions on guns, the trouble with his terrible temper, quickie makeup effects work on the picture, music appreciation, memories of the premiere, and his assessment of the final cut.

• "The Origins of 'Return of the Living Dead'" (15:12, HD) is an interview with John A. Russo, the co-producer of "Night of the Living Dead." He analyzes his experience on the original zombie film and his relationship with George Romero. The splitting of rights is examined, with Russo handed control of "Living Dead" movies, hatching his own story, which eventually became "The Return of the Living Dead."

• "The Decade of Darkness" (23:23, SD) is a featurette about the rise of horror in the 1980s.

• Still Gallery #1 (7:21) collects poster art, film stills, souvenir and soundtrack images, and BTS snaps.

• Still Gallery #2 (2:06) collects photos from the makeup effects team.

• T.V. Spots (5:23, SD) provide ten commercials for "The Return of the Living Dead."

• Trailers (8:31, HD) are included.

The Return of the Living Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Return of the Living Dead" is responsible for much of the zombie formula as we know it today, delivering more animated zombies and the special "braaaains" fixation that offers a unique pressure point on those hoping to survive the uprising. O'Bannon find ways to make his offering unique, dealing with a capable cast and excellent low-budget makeup effects, and he has some imagination for this type of chaos. It takes some time for "The Return of the Living Dead" to get going, perhaps too long, but once it does, there's shock value and appreciable elements of humor, contributing to a mischievous sense of doom to go along with all the flesh-tearing pandemonium.