THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985) Turns 40: Why We’re STILL Hungry for Brains!!

THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985) d. Dan O’ Bannon (USA)
RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD PART II (1988) d. Ken Weiderhorn (USA)
RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3 (1993) d. Brian Yuzna (USA)
RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD: NECROPOLIS (2005) d. Ellery Elkayem (USA)
RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD: RAVE TO THE GRAVE (2005) d. Ellery Elkayem (USA)

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With a nod to undead kingpin George A. Romero (courtesy of a story credit from Night of the Living Dead co-writer John Russo), medical warehouse worker James Karen (Poltergeist) reveals to protégé Thom Mathews (Friday the 13th: Part 6) that NOTLD was actually based on a true story, stemming from a reanimating chemical, 2-4-5 Trioxin. And wouldn’t you know it, there just happens to be one canister left downstairs. Before you can say, “don’t touch thates ar,” corpse rising from their graves, licking their moldering lips, and unlike the lumbering shamblers of old, these zombies move with a purpose.

HUNTER'S BLOOD (1986) movie review

Hunter's Blood (1986) d. Hughes, Robert C.

Cut from the same “city folks vs. the vicious locals” cloth as Deliverance, Southern Comfort and Rituals (although using a much duller pair of shears), this schlocky violent survival yarn – based on Jere Cunningham’s novel – pits weekend warriors Timothy Bottoms, Clu Gulager and Ken Swofford against a nasty band of backwoods bad boys led by Billy Drago, Bruce Glover, Lee de Broux and, in his film debut, Billy Bob Thornton. Played exclusively for cheap thrills and gory gags (including a wow of a shotgun-meets-face splatter moment), Hughes’ flick doesn’t prompt the same Vietnam allegory discussions as its elder, wiser brethren, but still has its own sleazy, low-grade charm. Kim Delaney puts in an early film appearance as Bottoms’ blushing bride.