MovieChat Forums > The Return of the Living Dead (1985) Discussion > Creepiest Scariest

Creepiest Scariest

posted 10 years ago by thatoneuglyguy
22 replies | jump to latest

I've seen this movie a million times and I still find some parts to be creepy and scary (definitely has to be middle of the night in pitch dark by myself though just seen it to many times), but the part that still gets me creeped out especially my girlfriend is right after the scene when Ernie calls the paramedics the cemetery gang is sitting in the convertible and Casey says "Do you hear something" and they do that slow pan over the cemetery graves... for me by far that's the creepiest scene they do the slow pan over the graves and you hear all the dead people screaming and yelling and banging on they're coffins and you hear some coffins breaking ! damn it's just something about that scene that creeps us out. At first you only hear one or two screams then more yelling and more banging and keeps getting more and more coming to life.

Just wondering if anyone else had a part like that or has everyone just seen the movie to many times to get scared or creeped anymore.

[–] Moondrop_C 10 years ago

To me, the creepiest part(s) would be (have always been, I think, since I first saw it many years ago):
1) right at the beginning just after Frank hits the canister and the gas starts leaking out, and then that music starts playing. Almost enough to give me goosebumps for some reason

2) when Frank offs himself. Just the idea of burning "alive" like that, and doing it voluntarily. *shudders*

Other than that, I just get a kick out of the rest of the movie.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] zargmatt-73661 9 years ago

YES! When the canister leaks and they just collapse instantly and the music plays and the nightmare begins. That really does it for me. When I first saw this film, that was when I knew I was in for a ride.

I also get really creeped out (and down right disturbed) by the scene near the end of the film where the zombie boyfriend is doing his best to convince his girlfriend to let them in. He's so rational about such an irrational topic. That's intellectually horrifying. The comedy is lost on me in the face of such a nightmare vision.

Even if it's silly that they want to eat brains and have the ability to verbally rationalize their innate desire to eat them, this movie is near the top of my all time creepiest movies list. And, although the brains eating *almost* ruins the immersion, it's such a classic idea within the zombie subgenre it doesn't bother me. Especially after the Simpsons Halloween Special homage, which btw makes an appearance in the Simpsons: Hit and Run game, which I HIGHLY recommend if you can find a copy.

[–] rodrigonassif7 10 years ago

The Tarman first reveal scene, no doubt .... when Tina is checking out if Freddy was in the basement ..... the music and the camera work it's just top notch to build the tension in this great scene .....

[–] thatoneuglyguy 10 years ago

Freddie and the attic scenes is definitely up there for me to and I love tarman easily the coolest zombie but he's to squishy and gooey and goes down to easy for it to creep me out heh. I guess my second creepiest scene would have to be the guy hanging in the fridge cadaver room when he first starts twitching and coming to life you know it's oh *beep* time when that happens.

[–] FaithNoMore33 10 years ago

The scene you mention is very creepy. It's the dead screaming in their graves that certainly does it. Good call.

I love the moment when the paramedic turns on the headlights of the ambulance and the dead are just standing there illuminated, staring at him. That's chilling imo.

[–] cptcatastrophy 10 years ago

Yep! And that sound they hear right before that skeleton/party time comes from the ground.

[–] daria84 10 years ago

Oh the scariest part is when the paramedic turns on the ambulance's light and we see all the dirty zombies soaked and muddy standing there watching....

To be honest, everytime I have to drive to the country and I find myself starting my car, that scene comes to my mind and it freaks the hell out of me >_<

... Viva Clark Gable, el eterno y único Rey de Hollywood

[–] LadyDi4476 9 years ago

Oh the scariest part is when the paramedic turns on the ambulance's light and we see all the dirty zombies soaked and muddy standing there watching....

Yes, I always thought that was the creepiest scene! Can you imagine turning on your lights in the dark and seeing those faces staring back at you? Sheeeet...

I think the shot of the tombstones with all the screaming and pounding is creepy too, but not as much. Also the shot of Tarman melting and the tank glass breaking is scary.

-Di

[–] watcher101 9 years ago

For me it was when Freddy's zombie scenes. It was more like he was a deranged rabid animal. He was even foaming at the mouth. And rabies have always freaked me out. And when he was trying to get into the attic, that was creepy too, even though you don't see him because of the things he says.

[–] dolemite72 9 years ago

The "Send more Paramedics" zombie creeps me out (in both his appearance and voice)

"If you're lying.....I'll be back"

[–] Isau 9 years ago

Three scenes for me:

- The deaths of the first ambulance crew.

- The scene where Don Calfa "interviews" the female half zombie. A lesser movie couldn't have pulled this scene off. The zombie's responses ("The pain....") are just intellectually horrifying to me. To me the whole movie would be different without that scene that establishes the zombie's motives, and the motives to me are just so pessimistic and perfect for a horror universe.

- Later on when the group is becoming overwhelmed, and the female zombie, strapped to the table, begins screaming "Brains, brains, brains, brains..." Again with the intellectual horror. The scene is ridiculous on its face, but works so well and is very chilling to me, the idea that it "hurts to be dead."

[–] LadyDi4476 9 years ago

The scene where Don Calfa "interviews" the female half zombie. A lesser movie couldn't have pulled this scene off. The zombie's responses ("The pain....") are just intellectually horrifying to me.

Totally! That half corpse lady used to really scare me when I was younger. It's very frightening the way she moans "the paaaaainnnn! The pain of being dead. I can feel myself ROT".

Scary stuff.

-Di

[–] steelysunshine 9 years ago

The scene where Frank is showing Freddie the tanks with the zombie in it. You just know something really bad is going to happen. Then when they wake up well something bad had happened, but they just didn't know it til they found the doggy.

[–] d-millhoff 9 years ago

I don't find ROTLD particularly creepy or scary, especially in contrast to the Romero classics or Walking Dead, but that's not the point.

This movie was ground-breaking dark comedy, brilliant, well-cast, and funny as hell. It's a classic upon its own terms and still one of the best zombie movies 30 years later. Funnier and smarter than Sean of the Dead and other spoofs.

[–] jaamy 9 years ago

Walking Dead creepy/scary? LOL

[–] Rick_Grimes_RG 9 years ago

Be honest, as an adult, WHAT IS truly frightening anymore? We have become desensitized.

-Rick Grimes

[–] JimmyStrudel (600) 6 years ago

Yeah nah. RoTLD is great and all but Shaun of the Dead is superior in every way possible.