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Return of the Living Dead

 Return of the Living Dead
type
TVTItem
 Return of the Living Dead
label
Return of the Living Dead
 Return of the Living Dead
page
ReturnOfTheLivingDead
 Return of the Living Dead
comment
Return of the Living Dead is a series of zombie films, starting with a 1985 film. The original was a horror-comedy, but later films have varied tonally.The films are, in order: The Return of the Living Dead (1985) Return of the Living Dead Part II (1988) Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993) Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis (2005) Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave (2005)
 Return of the Living Dead
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2023-12-10T09:21:10Z
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Dropped link to ReturnOfTheLivingDead3: Not a Feature - ITEM
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DBTropes
 Return of the Living Dead / int_14beeefd
type
Darker and Edgier
 Return of the Living Dead / int_14beeefd
comment
Darker and Edgier: The third film drops the comedy completely in favor of a more serious plot revolving around a teen trying to revive his recently deceased girlfriend using the trioxin. The fourth and fifth films are also pretty dark and serious in their own way but to a lesser extent.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_222dc873
type
Black Comedy
 Return of the Living Dead / int_222dc873
comment
Black Comedy: The first and second films, in particular.
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Return of the Living Dead / int_222dc873
 Return of the Living Dead / int_30f48597
type
When It Rains, It Pours
 Return of the Living Dead / int_30f48597
comment
When It Rains, It Pours: Whenever trioxin gas or zombie ash gets into the atmosphere, it immediately starts pouring down raining. It's a rule.
 Return of the Living Dead / int_30f48597
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_3cb07b51
type
Fiction as Cover-Up
 Return of the Living Dead / int_3cb07b51
comment
Fiction as Cover-Up: The original Night of the Living Dead was meant as a cover-up of a zombie outbreak.
 Return of the Living Dead / int_3cb07b51
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Return of the Living Dead / int_3cb07b51
 Return of the Living Dead / int_485eb589
type
Sealed Evil in a Can
 Return of the Living Dead / int_485eb589
comment
Sealed Evil in a Can: The canisters of Trioxin that also contain corpses.
 Return of the Living Dead / int_485eb589
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_504a1991
type
Body Horror
 Return of the Living Dead / int_504a1991
comment
Body Horror: The zombies in general are largely mutilated and heavily decayed, especially the page picture, Tarman, who is seen transforming from a relatively intact looking corpse into, well... Tarman.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_52cd5b94
type
Elite Zombie
 Return of the Living Dead / int_52cd5b94
comment
The fourth movie also has two elite zombies, one equipped with buzz saws and other equipped with gatling guns.
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Return of the Living Dead / int_52cd5b94
 Return of the Living Dead / int_54428f7b
type
Ashes to Crashes
 Return of the Living Dead / int_54428f7b
comment
Ashes to Crashes: It's a bad idea to Burn the Undead, as more zombies come to life that way.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_55172a70
type
Zombie Gait
 Return of the Living Dead / int_55172a70
comment
Zombie Gait: Zigzagged, the zombies in most of the movies can run as long as they are not too decayed. For example, Tarman has a very pronounced Zombie Gait because he is so decomposed he can barely support himself. However, this is played straight in the fourth film.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_5a4aa505
type
Government Conspiracy
 Return of the Living Dead / int_5a4aa505
comment
Government Conspiracy: Trioxin, the zombie-creating chemical, was originally developed by the U.S. government, and is only released once again through their carelessness by subcontracting its storage to people who don't know how to handle it. In the third movie, the military is still conducting Trioxin experiments on fresh corpses.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_5a62e8d0
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SlidingScaleOfComedyAndHorror
 Return of the Living Dead / int_5a62e8d0
comment
Sliding Scale of Comedy and Horror: The series features a rather perfect blend of both comedy and horror.
 Return of the Living Dead / int_5a62e8d0
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Return of the Living Dead / int_5a62e8d0
 Return of the Living Dead / int_60414102
type
Zombie Apocalypse
 Return of the Living Dead / int_60414102
comment
Zombie Apocalypse: Zigzagged Trope. The first movie implies that the zombie hordes are unstoppable once released and will necessarily bring about the end of civilization, but in each of the sequels the situation appears to be under control until another canister of trioxin gets in the wrong hands.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_6136e02f
type
Brain Food
 Return of the Living Dead / int_6136e02f
comment
Brain Food: Ur-Example in regards to zombies. Here, the zombies eat brains because they give off endorphins that kill the pain of decomposition and rigor mortis.
 Return of the Living Dead / int_6136e02f
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_646b9cc8
type
Organ Autonomy
 Return of the Living Dead / int_646b9cc8
comment
The Trioxin zombies have Organ Autonomy and can function without their brains, making them hard to kill. The only way to kill the 2-4-5 zombies is to burn them to ashes; however, this isn't exactly ideal because the resulting smoke enters the atmosphere and produces Trioxin rain, creating even more zombies. That said, the military is able to contain the Trioxin zombies by stuffing them into secure barrels or freezing them temporarily with a special acid.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_68f6e811
type
Made of Plasticine
 Return of the Living Dead / int_68f6e811
comment
Made of Plasticine: The zombies (the Tarman especially). Justified, since they're... well, dead. In a slightly less justifiable manner, the zombies are able to bite into their victims' skulls as if they were biting into apples.
 Return of the Living Dead / int_68f6e811
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_8a07e085
type
Denser and Wackier
 Return of the Living Dead / int_8a07e085
comment
Denser and Wackier: The second film leans far more towards comedy than the first film, which was more of an equal blend of horror and comedy.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_8ba9512b
type
Our Zombies Are Different
 Return of the Living Dead / int_8ba9512b
comment
Our Zombies Are Different: In all of the movies, the Trioxin zombies are a cross between Artificial Zombies and Flesh-Eating Zombies as they are brain-eating corpses reanimated by 2-4-5 Trioxin or Tryoxin-5. The Trioxin zombies also retain their full human intelligence, which makes the Trioxin zombies normal people who just so happen to be undead... and ravenous for brains. Zombies are not limited to humans as the chemical affects animals like dogs and butterflies. In the first three movies, a military herbicide called 2-4-5 Trioxin has the unfortunate side effect of resurrecting dead people or zombifying regular people. The Trioxin zombies have Organ Autonomy and can function without their brains, making them hard to kill. The only way to kill the 2-4-5 zombies is to burn them to ashes; however, this isn't exactly ideal because the resulting smoke enters the atmosphere and produces Trioxin rain, creating even more zombies. That said, the military is able to contain the Trioxin zombies by stuffing them into secure barrels or freezing them temporarily with a special acid. Trioxin zombies can bite people to create more zombies. In the third movie, Trioxin zombies are able to spread the chemical through bites and can even resurrect corpses after biting them. The Trioxin zombies are also split between rotting corpses and fresher undead. The rotting zombies eat brains to ease the pain of decomposition, but the fresher undead, like Julie in the third movie, have a more standard zombie hunger. In the fourth and fifth installments, a new chemical called Tryoxin-5 creates the zombies instead. Unlike their 2-4-5 counterparts, the Tryoxin-5 zombies have weaker durability and can be killed the old-fashioned way. The fourth movie also has two elite zombies, one equipped with buzz saws and other equipped with gatling guns.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_8c49c29e
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Zig-Zagging Trope
 Return of the Living Dead / int_8c49c29e
comment
Zigzagged, the zombies in most of the movies can run as long as they are not too decayed. For example, Tarman has a very pronounced Zombie Gait because he is so decomposed he can barely support himself.
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Return of the Living Dead / int_8c49c29e
 Return of the Living Dead / int_9c5d474d
type
Zombify the Living
 Return of the Living Dead / int_9c5d474d
comment
Zombify the Living: Trioxin gas can simultaneously kill and reanimate someone, so fast that they initially don't realize it's happened to them until the discomfort of rigor mortis sets in.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_a4c37cbe
type
Mood Whiplash
 Return of the Living Dead / int_a4c37cbe
comment
Mood Whiplash: Though the first and second movies are horror-comedies, the third movie completely drops the humor in favor of being squicky and sad. The fourth and fifth movies return to the horror-comedy routes, while adding in some mild seriousness and sci-fi elements. Also, the basement scene with Tarman in the original is arguably the scariest scene in the entire film as there is absolutely no comedy present. There's an intentional unsettling atmosphere building up to his reveal, and as he stalks his intended prey (Freddy's girlfriend, Tina), we hear an eerie techno score.
 Return of the Living Dead / int_a4c37cbe
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_a8a04f6f
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And I Must Scream
 Return of the Living Dead / int_a8a04f6f
comment
And I Must Scream: The zombies are shown to be fully aware of their condition, and eat brains specifically because it gives off endorphins that soothe the pain of decomposition and rigor mortis. They can't even die, meaning they have no choice but to either suffer excruciating pain or be forced to murder innocent people.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_b06bbf4b
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Be Careful What You Wish For
 Return of the Living Dead / int_b06bbf4b
comment
Be Careful What You Wish For: Trash says her fantasy of being killed is by being surrounded by old men eating her alive.
 Return of the Living Dead / int_b06bbf4b
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_b1bf5c9b
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Removing the Head or Destroying the Brain
 Return of the Living Dead / int_b1bf5c9b
comment
Unlike their 2-4-5 counterparts, the Tryoxin-5 zombies have weaker durability and can be killed the old-fashioned way.
 Return of the Living Dead / int_b1bf5c9b
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1.0
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_b5171e10
type
Tragic Villain
 Return of the Living Dead / int_b5171e10
comment
Tragic Villain: Zombies are already roundly this by default, being mutated into ravenous shambling monsters against their will, but Return reveals the extent of their suffering: they're not mindless, they're in agony, and that's what drives their Horror Hunger:
 Return of the Living Dead / int_b5171e10
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_bc5ddda5
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Thematic Series
 Return of the Living Dead / int_bc5ddda5
comment
Thematic Series: The series is loosely connected as well as being a loose Spin-Off of Night Of The Living Dead.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_c14ca4e0
type
Zombie Infectee
 Return of the Living Dead / int_c14ca4e0
comment
Zombie Infectee: Several people keep their wits about them once infected. They even find ways to stave off the desire to eat flesh well into the transformation phase, so as to not be a danger to friends and loved ones. This, unfortunately, makes them rather attractive to the government.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_c22e0b2
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Revenge of the Sequel
 Return of the Living Dead / int_c22e0b2
comment
Revenge of the Sequel: Return was this to Night of the Living Dead. John Russo, co-creator of the original Night of the Living Dead (1968), owned the rights to the "living dead" which is why Romero's films only have "dead" in their titles.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_c3f6e68
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Dem Bones
 Return of the Living Dead / int_c3f6e68
comment
Dem Bones: A couple zombies, including Tarman. One shot of what is blatantly a skeleton with eyes rising is used the first and last times a contaminated cemetery gives up its dead in the first film.
 Return of the Living Dead / int_c3f6e68
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_c95d04f2
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It Can Think
 Return of the Living Dead / int_c95d04f2
comment
It Can Think: The Return zombies show clear signs of intelligence, like puzzle-solving note Tarman rigs a chain winch to tear open the doors of a closet a potential meal was hiding in., speech note They know more words than just "Brains", but this one seems to be their favorite., setting up ambushes note The zombies would hide and wait until the right moment before charging at their victims., the ability to deceive others note They use the radios in the ambulance and police car to lure more paramedics and police officers into a trap., and awareness of their condition note leading to a couple Tear Jerker moments with infected heroes, all of which are traits not found in their shambling, mindless cousins from other zombie franchises.
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Return of the Living Dead / int_c95d04f2
 Return of the Living Dead / int_cb643ebb
type
Everything's Deader with Zombies
 Return of the Living Dead / int_cb643ebb
comment
Everything's Deader with Zombies: Present and accounted for, a lot.
 Return of the Living Dead / int_cb643ebb
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_cf7b362
type
Horror Hunger
 Return of the Living Dead / int_cf7b362
comment
The Trioxin zombies are also split between rotting corpses and fresher undead. The rotting zombies eat brains to ease the pain of decomposition, but the fresher undead, like Julie in the third movie, have a more standard zombie hunger.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_e7e40c98
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Berserk Board Barricade
 Return of the Living Dead / int_e7e40c98
comment
Berserk Board Barricade: The heroes do this in various locations. For the most part it works just fine, with only one failure shown to occur.
 Return of the Living Dead / int_e7e40c98
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_eb8856
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The X of Y
 Return of the Living Dead / int_eb8856
comment
The X of Y: The Return of the Living Dead.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_ecc634fa
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The Dead Have Eyes
 Return of the Living Dead / int_ecc634fa
comment
The Dead Have Eyes: Even the most decayed zombies have functioning eyeballs.
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 Return of the Living Dead / int_f9f2c33
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Running Gag
 Return of the Living Dead / int_f9f2c33
comment
Running Gag: "Send more..." This was only featured in the first two films, however.
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Return of the Living Dead

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Beautiful Dreamer Pretty Cure / Fan Fic
seeAlso
Return of the Living Dead
 Pretty Cure Agents Of Romero / Fan Fic
seeAlso
Return of the Living Dead
 Scientific Pretty Cure / Fan Fic
seeAlso
Return of the Living Dead
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
A True Story in My Universe / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Attractive Zombie / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Complete Immortality / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Eerie Anatomy Model / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Flesh-Eating Zombie / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Government Conspiracy / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Horror Comedy / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Hungry Menace / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Invincible Villain / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Meta Sequel / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
No Zombie Cannibals / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Our Zombies Are Different / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Recursive Canon / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Sci-Fi Horror / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Sliding Scale of Undead Regeneration / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Tortured Monster / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Who Needs Their Whole Body? / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Zombie Infectee / int_e633badd
 Return of the Living Dead
hasFeature
Zombify the Living / int_e633badd