The Return of the Living Dead (Collector's Edition)
MGM Home Entertainment
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Do you wanna party? The freshly risen undead certainly do in this horror-comedy that finds two employees of a medical supply company unwittingly releasing several zombies from cylinders in which they have been trapped for many years. The nasty brain-eating creatures are as hungry as ever, and eager to make up for lost time. Soon, the local citizenry is forced to deal with a large-scale zombie epidemic.

Fans of George Romero know that amidst all the blood and gore of his zombie films, there was a message, normally allegorical in nature. He's an artist of the truest sense in that he was communicating ideas through his work. The fact that he entertained in the process – bonus. Taking zombie lore and satirize it and, I'll be danged, you've still got the entertainment. Dan O'Bannon's The Return of the Li ving Dead is a quintessential time capsule of the 1980s scene where punk and valley mix and the dead come to play.

Equal parts horror and comedy, Return of the Living Dead finds success on both fronts. As a horror film, there are many great creatures and creations that still stand up in the way of effects today. My only complaint here is that it shows some of its best innovations off somewhat early into the film's action so by the end it doesn't feel quite so threatening. Much of the laughs come from the fingerprint it provides of an era. Made in 1985, punk was hitting the mainstream so it was trendy but not as cool. O'Bannon seems to take great joy in making fun of the punk scene, taking it over the top to satirical levels.

Although it might not have the depth of a Romero film, Return of the Living Dead is still a fun film for zombie and horror fans.

Video: How's it look?
The most disappointing part of this DVD is the transfer quality. Presented in widescreen format (1.85:1 aspect ration), it is rather soft and grainy throughout with additional points knocked off for noticeable dirt and specks.

Audio: How's it sound?
Sadly, the rock soundtrack is somewhat drowned out in the lackluster Dolby stereo audio track. There's also additional mono tracks in English, French and Spanish.

Extras: What additional goodies are included?

• The features are led by two separate commentary tracks. The first includes production designer William Stout and stars Don Calfa, Linnea Quigley, Brian Peck, Beverly Randolph and Allan Trautman. They're very friendly and relaxed as they dish dirt on the making of the film. The second is Stout alongside director Dan O'Bannon is more historical as it looks more at the technical aspects. Both are anecdotal and more entertaining than a lot of other commentary tracks.
• "Return of the Lving Dead – The Dead Have Risen" is a 20-minute retrospective featuring plenty of cast and crew interviews.
• "The Decade of Darkness" breaks down the boom of monster horror films made during the 1980s and early 1990s – largely through the eyes of the MGM library.
• "Designing the Dead" looks at the film's visuals, primarily through the words of director Dan O'Bannon.
• Two trailers and bonus trailers and previews for other MGM horrors.
• English, Spanish and "Zombie" subtitles (the zombie screams are written on the screen in case you don't understand, "Gaaaaaaaaaa!"
• Colour booklet with additional background information. Glow-in-the-dark slip cover.

Closing Thoughts
A fresh change of pace from the zombie films of George Romero, Return of the Living Dead is an often funny take on the genre. The time stamp of the 1980s makes it even more entertaining. This Collector's Edition offers several solid extras, although the technical misgivings in audio and video are rather frustrating.


Review brought to you by our friend Ryan @ Movie-Views.com