Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the cemetery, those brain-eating zombies are back and hungry for more tasty mortals. A fiendish mix of outrageous humor and heart-stopping terror, this “veritable smorgasbord of fun” (L.A. Herald Examiner) delivers skin-crawling jolts, eye-popping visuals and relentless surprises! When an accident at a medical supply warehouse reanimates an army of corpses, they arise from their graves with a ravenous hunger … for human brains!

For thoughts on The Return Of The Living Dead, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/f6KQXYwpn7Q?t=350]

Video Quality

Scream Factory presents The Return Of The Living Dead with a tremendous 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative with Dolby Vision/HDR. This film was originally released on Blu-Ray by Scream Factory six years ago which was derived from a 2K scan of the interpositive. That release was quite an upgrade at the time, but this new presentation offers some lovely improvements at every turn. This transfer has done a fine job of cleaning up most of the remaining print damage from the previous release, even if you might peep a fleeting speck here and there. The special effects are on display in all of their disgusting glory which makes the work all the more visceral, especially when you have zombies falling apart in front of your very eyes. The enhancement in clarity cannot be overlooked.

This is aided in part with the magnificent natural film grain which brings out so much distinct texture in the clothing, production design, the gnarly special effects and more. When the rain turns the dirt to mud, you can make out more distinct globs of mud on skin. This grain resolves well with nothing ever appearing frozen, clumpy or spiking throughout either the daytime or nighttime scenes. This disc holds up well when switching between various environments from the cemetery to the inside of the warehouse. The black levels are mostly solid with no blatant crush present, and white levels never get too hot. Scream Factory has provided a pretty consistent encode for this one, as well, with no sudden downturns in quality that we spotted.

The disc provides a stunning implementation of Dolby Vision which does not falter with its depth and nuance. While this may not be a Technicolor feast for the eyes, there are so many distinct colors in the clothing, makeup and production design that are more boldly realized. Even early on with the “yellow man” who is reanimated, you get a deep tone to that color. There is also a greater accuracy to the mechanical colors such as the metal exterior of the furnace in the mortuary. The new presentation reaches a level of accuracy and color detail that may even top the original prints. Overall, this is by far the best the film has looked on home entertainment, and it should be considered the definitive visual presentation at this point in time.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with what appears to be the previously released DTS-HD 5.1 and two 2.0 Master Audio tracks – “original mono” and an updated version that corresponds with the 5.1 track – all three of which capture this material pretty well. I’m not as familiar with this title as some fans, but it is my understanding that Scream Factory has inadvertently mislabeled the 2.0 tracks so the “Original Mono” option actually goes to the updated track, and vice versa. Fans will also want to note that the song “Dead Beat Dance” which has infamously not been able to clear music rights in most previous domestic releases is still missing from this release. Maybe one day the rights holders will be reasonable, but today is not that day.

With this title in particular, there is a strong focus on music to establish the overall vibe of the film, and it comes through with impeccable fidelity. The surround sound track makes these tunes sound a bit more immersive and all-encompassing. Dialogue comes through with great clarity even when the thrills are coming fast and furious and most of it devolves to screaming. Environmental noises such as the legion of zombies and the rain are given a notable place within the mix. You do not have to worry about track stability when it comes to this one even when things devolve into chaos. The low end of the track has enough weight to add texture, but it is not a standout aspect of the audio experience. Overall, Scream Factory delivered a capable audio experience for this one. English SDH subtitles are provided for those who want them, along with a “Zombie Subtitles” option and “In Their Words – The Zombies Speak” option.

Special Features

Disc One (4K UHD Blu-Ray – Feature Film)

Audio Commentary #1: Gary Smart (Co-author Of The Complete History Of The Return Of The Living Dead) And Chris Griffiths provide a very thorough and entertaining commentary track in which they discuss the film from both an expert and fan perspective. During this track, you are treated to some of their history with the film along with information about the production, the special effects, the performances, its legacy and more.

Audio Commentary #2: Actors Thom Mathews, John Philbin And Make-up Effects Artist Tony Gardner provide a commentary track moderated by Sean Clark in which they discuss how they got involved with the project, memories from the audition project, aspects they brought to their characters, coming up with some of the effects work, and more that rarely lets up throughout the film.

Audio Commentary #3: Director Dan O’Bannon And Production Designer William Stout provide another great commentary track in which they discuss the details behind the “true story”, the shooting locations, working with the performers, memories from the set and more.

Audio Commentary #4: Cast And Crew Featuring Production Designer William Stout And Actors Don Calfa, Linnea Quigley, Brian Peck, Beverly Randolph, and Allan Trautman which is very chaotic in a good way. The crew discuss how they became involved with the picture, secrets from the production, favorite moments and more.

Disc Two (Blu-Ray – Feature Film)

Audio Commentary #1: Gary Smart (Co-author Of The Complete History Of The Return Of The Living Dead) And Chris Griffiths

Audio Commentary #2: Actors Thom Mathews, John Philbin And Make-up Effects Artist Tony Gardner, moderated by Sean Clark

Audio Commentary #3: Director Dan O’Bannon And Production Designer William Stout

Audio Commentary #4: Cast And Crew Featuring Production Designer William Stout And Actors Don Calfa, Linnea Quigley, Brian Peck, Beverly Randolph, and Allan Trautman

The Decade Of Darkness: A nearly 24-minute featurette which takes a broad overview of horror films of the 1980s including how they responded to the culture of the time, the financial success, how the genre plays with cinematic tools and more. This is a very fun piece with so many horror luminaries whom you love to hear speak.

Trailers & Radio Spots: A nearly nine-minute collection of trailers are provided here.

TV Spots: A five-and-a-half minute collection of TV Spots are provided here.

Still Galleries: There are two galleries provided including one for Posters, Lobby Cards, Movie Stills & Behind The Scenes Photos, and one for Behind The Scenes Photos from Special Effects Artist Kenny Myers’ Personal Collection

Disc Three (Blu-Ray – Special Features)

More Brains – A Return to the Living Dead: A terrific two-hour documentary in which the cast and creative team come together to tell the story the story of the film including how it shook up the horror genre, the troubled production, the legal issues, the special effects work, the camaraderie of the cast, the unique tone, the direction of Dan O’Bannon, creative solutions to what was deemed an untenable amount of nudity and so much more that fans will eat up.

The FX of The Return Of The Living Dead: A 33-minute piece in which the special effects are explored in greater details including the inspirations for certain key zombie designs, how the work was pulled off, early drafts of certain designs, what it was like for the performers and more.

Party Time – The Music Of The Return Of The Living Dead: A 30-minute featurette which gives an overview of the music created for the film including interviews with the punk rockers who helped make these tunes a reality. There are discussions about the budget nature of the production, the development of the music and more.

Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: A ten-minute piece with Sean Clark in which he takes you on a tour of some of the shooting locations from the film.

A Conversation with Dan O’Bannon: A 29-minute interview with O’Bannon in which he discusses his thoughts on directing The Return of the Living Dead and subsequent work, the legal issues in its relation to Night of the Living Dead, the audition process, his “difficult” presence on set and more. The filmmaker is very honest and open about nearly every subject which makes it a real treat to listen to.

The Origins Of The Return Of The Living Dead: A 15-minute featurette in which John A. Russo discusses his journey from Night Of The Living Dead to The Return of the Living Dead, what sets this latter film apart with its zombies and more.

The Return Of The Living Dead – The Dead Have Risen: A 21-minute archival piece in which the ensemble and others discuss the film in greater detail including character development, shooting scenarios and more.

Designing The Dead: A 14-minute look at the film’s production design and how it developed.

The Return Of The Living Dead Workprint: A 108-minute workprint version of the film is presented with very poor quality but delivers what is advertised.

Final Thoughts

The Return Of The Living Dead is a title that was a little too abrasive for me when I first watched it in my young life, but now I can appreciate it for the punk rock zombie classic that it truly is. The way in which this script balances the ridiculously biting social satire with genuine thrills is impressive by any measurement. Not to mention, the amount of care put into crafting this film is fairly bananas, especially when you take a look at the goopy special effects. This is both fun and incredibly effective horror goodness. Scream Factory has provided the film with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release that boasts a tremendous A/V presentation and a vast library of special features that fans will devour with glee. Even if you already own this one on Blu-Ray, this new presentation is calling your name as a substantial upgrade. Highly Recommended

The Return Of The Living Dead (Collector’s Edition) is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.