Return of the Living Dead

While the Reagan-era, punk-rock stylings
of a supporting ensemble of clueless, wiseass teens, most of whom will
surely be unwilling specimens of the brain-chewers, inevitably dates
the film, the ghoulish makeup effects are still as repellent as ever,
not to mention creepier than anything that today’s computer-generated
gizmos could conjure. The cult following for this horror comedy has
surely been fueled by the frequent hardbody nudity of co-star Linnea
Quigley, especially during her cemetery dance, yet O’Bannon’s warped
humor and the tongue-in-cheek turns from old pros like Karen, Clu
Gulager and Don Calfa breathe life into Dead’s business-as-usual.

Return of the Living Dead screens with Lucio Fulci’s infamous 1980 bloodbath Zombie
as a 35mm double bill of creature features plus a costume party on
Friday, Oct. 24, 11 p.m., at Eastwood’s Palace Theatre, 2384 James St.
Admission is $5 with a costume, $8 without, with prizes for best
costumes and VIP passes for the Oct. 31 “Haunted Palace” Halloween
costume party up for grabs. For information, call 463-9240.

Brain trust: Zombies on the loose in Return of the Living Dead, at Eastwood’s Palace on Friday.