"Do you ever wonder about all the different ways of dying? You know, violently? And wonder, like, what would be the most horrible way to die?"

"I try not too think about dying too much."

"Well for me, the worst way would be for a bunch of old men to get around me, and start biting and eating me alive."

Released in 1985, comedy-horror film The Return of the Living Dead is easily one of my favorite zombie movies. The punk aesthetic, the quotability, the easter eggs, and yes even the zombies - put them all together and you're in for the most fun you can have while getting your brains eaten.

Speaking of eating brains, if you've ever heard that zombies have an appetite for the warm brains of the living, you have this movie to thank for that. Zombies are almost universally flesh eaters, but at least as far as the Living Dead franchise goes (five films by the way), the dead are hungry for just one thing. Honestly, it's nice knowing that somebody's into you for your brains.

The film's influence is helped by the credibility of writer John Russo. He had previously partnered with George Romero on Night of the Living Dead. When they went their separate ways, they agreed that Russo would have rights to any Living Dead titles while Romero could develop his own sequels. There's something of a nod to this in the movie, one of the characters asks if the other has ever seen the movie Night of the Living Dead, even going so far as to say it's based on a true story.

However despite this link to the zombie canon, the zombies behave quite differently from Romero zombies. They possess a human level of intelligence, fully capable of conversation and even using radios to set ambushes. They also can't be killed by any means short of total incineration - as Burt remarks "You can cut them to pieces, but the pieces will still come after you."

The mechanism of infection is chemical. The US Army contracted the Darrow Chemical Company to develop 2-4-5 Trioxin for spraying on marijuana in the 60s. This is a play on the Dow Chemical Company and its role in the creation of 2,4,5-T Dioxin - more commonly known as Agent Orange. While Agent Orange is a defoliant, fictional Trioxin has the unique property of reanimating the dead. And of course, if you're killed by a zombie you'll come back as one yourself, which suggests there may be a viral component at play.

Several performances are worthy of mention. Scream Queen Linnea Quigley is perhaps best known for her role in the film as Trash, showing us a confidence rooted in nihilism which when challenged shows us her vulnerability. Miguel Núñez Jr provides an animated take on the strong black protagonist trope common to zombie movies. For me though, the standout performance comes from puppeteer Allan Trautman as the Tarman - you just don't see too many puppets these days and the way he moves is mesmerizing. Trautman would later become a Muppeteer.

While on the surface this is a cheesy zombie flick, the writing and details elevate it. The film is littered with easter eggs. For instance, while it's never explicitly said, the observant might conclude that Ernie is a closeted gay nazi who desires Burt. And while the movie is ostensibly a comedy, the zombies' motivation is truly horrifying - it hurts to be dead.

The soundtrack is noteworthy. The titles and main theme are composed of the obligatory synths common to zombie movies, but the majority of the score comes from contemporary punk artists. This lead to some licensing problems with future re-releases: some songs either could not be restored or were replaced. Oddly, even the Tarman's declaration of "Brains!" varies by release.

The Return of the Living Dead is available to stream on MGM and AMC via Prime or Apple TV. It's intermittently available on Tubi. You can also watch the original VHS release with theatrical audio at the Internet Archive