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Film Details:
Written and directed by Dan O'Bannon (writer for Alien) Starring Review: by Melissa (e-mail your faithful reviewer) I'm a big fan of the comedy-horror genre, and I'm happy to say that Return of the Living Dead is one of the very best of the genre. The plot: A trainer and a trainee at a medical supply warehouse accidentally open a tub of noxious, dead-raising chemicals. Brain-munching ensues. Dan O'Bannon's clever script is both unabashed in its use of cliches, and disarming in its charm. There are no excuses made for why one of the girls suddenly strips and begins dancing, nor why a crematorium, cemetery, and medical supply warehouse all lie conveniently within a block of one another. The gang of teens is very clearly engineered to contain every cliched teen horror film character, even though none of them would be friends in real life. The film makes no apologies about any of this. Yet, in spite of its conscious effort to bring out these tongue-in-cheek references, it still manages to bring out little moments of drama that echo the humanistic feel of the Romero zombie films. These moments pop up here and there without warning, and they are gems among Mardi Gras beads. They don't hinder the raw fun of the film; they just give it a solid base. Furthermore, the script has the guts to not go for a happy ending, which is not only impressive for a comedy, it's also true to its Romero heritage. While the film's greatest asset is its script, its most eye-catching bonus is its excellent critter effects and production design. Even in 2002, after almost 20 years of special effects advances, these 1985 zombies still look pretty good. And they're extra scary! They run! They're intelligent! No shambling, out-runnable zombies here! So, if you are a zombie fan and have somehow made it to the year 2002 without seeing this film, grab some of your favorite brains, call the paramedics, and settle in with this fine little flick. If you have seen the film already, and remember it fondly, treat yourself to a new viewing on the glorious new DVD edition. DVD Details: Widescreen For a 1985 film that has never gotten enough recognition, Return of the Living Dead finally gets the royal treatment it deserves with this DVD edition. Put those grainy, second-generation VHS dubs out of your mind. The image on the DVD is crisp, the sound is decent, and it's likely that the only time this film looked better was originally in the theater. The extras are grand, too. The featurette is wonderful (Dan O'Bannon is a very odd duck), and I doubt I've ever seen a cooler conceptual art feature. The TV spots feature had me laughing until I almost hurt myself (you'll know what I found funny when you see it). Unfortunately, I have yet to check out the commentary track. However, if the featurette is any indication of what Dan and William are like, the track must be both fascinating and fun. Further Information: |
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