Return of the Living Dead Part II

"Just when you thought it was safe to be dead."

1988 1h 29m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 721

HorrorComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A group of kids discover one of the drums containing a rotting corpse and release the 2-4-5 Trioxin gas into the air, causing the dead to once again rise from the grave and seek out brains.

“Just when you thought it was safe to be dead.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Michael Kenworthy
Jesse Wilson
Thor Van Lingen
Billy Crowley
Jason Hogan
Johnny
James Karen
Ed
Thom Mathews
Joey
Suzanne Snyder
Brenda
Marsha Dietlein
Lucy Wilson
Hanala Sagal
Aerobics Instructor

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ken Wiederhorn
Writers: Ken Wiederhorn
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

89 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

38 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Return of the Living Dead Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ken Wiederhorn, shot by Robert Elswit. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by J. Peter Robinson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Charles Bornstein shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Michael Kenworthy and Thor Van Lingen and Jason Hogan carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Just when you thought it was safe to be dead.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ken Wiederhorn directs. Robert Elswit behind the camera. J. Peter Robinson scores. Charles Bornstein cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

189 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
238 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "Return of the Living Dead Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Ken Wiederhorn, shot by Robert Elswit. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by J. Peter Robinson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Charles Bornstein shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Michael Kenworthy and Thor Van Lingen and Jason Hogan carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Just when you thought it was safe to be dead.".
9IMDB entry: tt0095990 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Released under 16 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Robert Elswit
Original score: J. Peter Robinson
Editing: Charles Bornstein
Makeup / hair: Del Armstrong
Stunt coordinator: Gary Lee Davis
Runtime: 89 min · 1h 29m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $6,000,000
Box office: $9,205,924
Return: 153% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Return of the Living Dead Part II (1988)

Part of

Return of the Living Dead Collection

The series came about as a dispute between John A. Russo and George A. Romero over how to handle sequels to their 1968 film, Night of the Living Dead. The two reached a settlement wherein Romero's sequels would be referred to as the Dead movies, and Russo's sequels would bear the suffix Living Dead.