How do you follow up on one of the most influential horror films of all time? By pitting zombies against punks in a horror comedy, of course. The Return of the Living Dead isn't nearly as popular as George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead, but it is no less beloved thanks to a cult following. Arrow Video brings the zombie flick to 4K and Blu-ray in a new limited edition package that is undisputedly the best way to watch this underrated classic.

Alien screenwriter Dan O'Bannon helms the project in his feature debut as director, injecting mischievous self-awareness and truly terrifying concepts into the zombie mythos. The film sees two warehouse employees accidentally release a deadly gas that just so happens to make the dead live again. As the issue very quickly spirals out of control, a group of teen punks partying in a graveyard and a mortician get caught up in the warehouse employees' problem.

From the opening scene, The Return of the Living Dead makes you aware this isn't a straight-faced affair with its tongue-in-cheek tone. Horror tropes are toyed with (Night of the Living Dead is referenced by several characters), most frames are filled with background jokes, and numerous characters respond to dire situations with deadpan hilarity. The entire cast, which includes legends James Karen and Clu Gulager, give it their all despite the off-kilter material. O'Bannon's screenplay lets each character shine in their own unique way with standout one-liners and tics.

The Return of the Living Dead stands amongst the likes of Evil Dead II as one of the best horror comedies ever made. The balance between the two genres is impeccable here; the horror elements are genuinely horrifying. This is the film that introduced the concept of zombies eating brains, and the narrative reason why is properly disturbing. Other elements—a zombie-fied boyfriend taunting his lover, the anguished screams of the warehouse workers—are equally nightmarish. To cap it off, the zombies here are intelligent and simply won't stay dead. There is no way out for our unlucky cast.

With every remaster and restoration, there is always the fear that the technicians working on the film will clean up the visuals too much and scrub away the charming imperfections present before. Thankfully, this Blu-ray version keeps the film stock texture in place. What is noticeably different are the colours, which pop—especially the reds and blues. The disc comes with a mono and 5.1 sound mix, and both deliver on modern home cinema systems. Dialogue is clear, the brilliantly horrible sound design comes through, and the banging soundtrack hits hard.

Packed in with this limited edition aren't just special features and commentaries, but a feature-length documentary on the making of The Return of the Living Dead. More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead is a 2017 documentary featuring interviews with most of the cast as well as key crew members. What is refreshing about watching it now—in an age where every single piece of behind-the-scenes feels curated for positive marketing—is how brutally honest More Brains! is. Everyone featured doesn't shy away from the truth; that making this classic was a difficult endeavour with difficult people on the production. It's a fascinating watch and a worthy companion to the feature disc.

Arrow Video provides the best way to watch one of the best horror films in cinema. The Return of the Living Dead plays just as well as it did when it originally came out forty years ago. This hilarious and horrifying zombie ride never looked or sounded better.

Limited Edition Contents
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Orlando Arocena
• Perfect bound collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Gary Smart and a preview of the forthcoming sequel comic Revenge of the Living Dead
• Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Orlando Arocena

Disc One – Feature
• 4K restoration from the original negative
• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
• Original★ lossless mono audio plus DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary by writer-director Dan O'Bannon and production designer William Stout
• Audio commentary by Stout and actors Don Calfa, Brian Peck, Linnea Quigley, Beverly Randolph and Allan Trautman
• Audio commentary by actors Thom Mathews and John Philbin and make-up effects artist Tony Gardner
• Audio commentary by fans and filmmakers Gary Smart and Chris Griffiths
• The Origins of the Living Dead, an archive interview with author John Russo
• The FX of the Living Dead, an archive featurette on the special effects
• Party Time: The Music of Return of the Living Dead, a featurette on the film's soundtrack
• Horror's Hallowed Grounds, an archive tour of the locations by Sean Clark
• The Dead Have Risen, an archive featurette with Calfa, Peck, Quigley, Randolph, Trautman, Clu Gulager and James Karen
• Designing the Dead, an archive featurette with O'Bannon and Stout
• The Decade of Darkness, an archive featurette about 1980s horror classics
• Deleted scenes from a VHS workprint
• Theatrical trailers and TV spots

Disc Two – More Brains! (Limited Edition Exclusive)
• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation of the 2017 feature-length documentary about the making of the film, featuring extensive interviews with cast and crew
• A Conversation with Dan O'Bannon: The Final Interview
• Deleted scenes from the documentary
• Return of the Living Dead in 3 Minutes
• Resurrected Settings: The Filming Locations Today

★ The song “Dead Beat Dance” by The Damned has been replaced due to rights issues beyond our control.

The Return of the Living Dead is available on Blu-ray and 4K on 13 October.