20 Best Cult Movies Of The 1980s
8. Return Of The Living Dead
Dan O'Bannon was something of a jack of all trades in Hollywood, contributing to a number of classic science fiction and horror movies beginning in the 1970s, including writing the screenplay for Ridley Scott's Alien and working on the special effects for Star Wars.
It was rare for O'Bannon to step behind the camera and direct himself, which is a shame, if Return Of The Living Dead is anything to go by. A horror comedy featuring running (and sometimes talking) zombies, it's an anarchic entry into the zombie sub-genre with some visceral effects, ridiculous visual gags, a screwball comedy style script and a thumping punk rock soundtrack.
While many zombie movies keep the undead origins a mystery, Return Of The Living Dead shows the outbreak from the source, as chemicals from a military experiment are transmitted into the air and pour down in the rain over a graveyard. It's a film deeply rooted in the 1980s aesthetic, from the naked punk chic dancing on a grave to the sterling makeup and practical effects.
It's also the film which popularised the idea of zombies eating brains, while adding a new spin to the concept of the walking dead by including a scene in which one partially dismembered, decaying corpse explains how they can feel themselves rotting away.