Scream Factory Reviews – Return of the Living Dead

Hello readers, and welcome to a new monthly post in which I will be reviewing a Scream Factory release. Each month I will pick either a new or previous release from the line of collectible horror releases which are released each month under the Scream Factory name!

The collector’s editions they release each month come with amazing artwork from equally amazing artists. When pre-ordered from their site, each release also comes with posters of the artwork as well as receiving the release several weeks before it hits shelves. Sometimes they even offer Deluxe-editions for select releases which include two different artworks with slipcovers and posters. They have become a big name in the collectible horror release companies including others like Arrow Video.

Scream Factory is known for their disc content and always deliver new exclusive content with each release, making it worth the price if it’s a double dip. I will watch everything on the release I pick for each month and highlight the best parts, including the vast array of special features. So, let’s get this first in-depth review started!

THE FILM:

Return of the Living Dead is a seminal horror film in the zombie genre. The original screenplay that was written was to be a direct sequel to Night of the Living Dead. After Dan O’Bannon was hired, he re-wrote the script and made it into the film that it is today. This film has a special place in the history of horror and was a first in many ways. It became the first ever “zomedy” and was much different than it’s predecessors. In this film, the living dead were fast and vicious, as opposed to the slow walking zombies seen on screen before. Also, this film was the first film in which the zombies were seen eating brains! In films like Romero’s previous work, the undead just ate flesh in general.

If you’ve never seen this movie, then what are you waiting for? This movie still holds up today and is easily rewatchable over and over again. The film perfectly combines the comedy with the horror, and still gets me a few times each watch. With memorable characters such as “Tarman” and even more memorable scenes including the graveyard naked dancing scene, this film is one you just can’t help watching multiple times and showing all your friends who have yet to witness it themselves.

THE EXTRAS:

This release comes packed with loads of extra content, some from previous releases as well as new features and a brand new 2K scan of the film, which looks absolutely amazing! It also feature two brand new commentaries and three new featurettes.

I have a few favorites out of the content available on the discs. The new cast commentary is really a fun listen. It’s always great to hear the stories from the cast and the shenanigans that take place on a movie set. It speaks wonders to how great this movie is when listening, when at several moments the cast just stops talking and just watches. It’s amazing how well this movie turned out for how much behind the scenes drama that took place during the filming.

The Horror’s Hallowed Grounds feature is always a favorite on the Scream Factory releases. They revisit the filming locations that were used and show what they look like now, whether they still are the same or look completely different. Also the More Brains documentary is by far one of the most amazing features. It really gives you a bit of everything in the way of information about the making of the film. One of the coolest facts I learned was that originally, Tobe Hooper was set to direct the film. Unfortunately, obligations with Lifeforce caused him to have to drop out. It would have been interesting for sure to see what he would have done with this movie. The Party Time extra about the soundtrack was also really interesting. It gives viewers and fans an in-depth look at how the film acquired a soundtrack by contacting Enigma Records. The indie punk label added a soundtrack to the film that has become equally as significant as the film itself. They even go through a track-by-track of the songs in the film and talk with band members about their memories of the film.

All the other featurettes are just as amazing and interesting for any true fan of the film, definitely making this edition worth the upgrade!

CONCLUSION:

For any fan of the film or fan of horror in general, this is a must have release for your home video collection. This isn’t just another film on the shelf, with equal minded people it’s much more of a conversation piece and something that any horror fan can enjoy and get more out of with each watch!