The Return of the Living Dead - 100% Soft Celebrates 40 Years

The cult horror-comedy The Return of the Living Dead by Dan O'Bannon celebrates its 40th anniversary, and the 100% Soft website is commemorating it with an exclusive merchandise line.

Collectibles and plenty of '80s nostalgia

The most anticipated piece is the famous Dumpster Fire, a collectible vinyl figure that for the occasion takes on the likeness of Tarman, one of the most iconic zombies from the 1985 film. The figure is sold for 35 dollars, measures 3.43” x 4.22” x 2.72” inches, and is glow-in-the-dark. The collection also includes a UV-reactive T-shirt (30 dollars) and 2x sets of 1.25” enamel pins (20 dollars), all dedicated to the macabre and ironic imagery of the film.

Directed by Dan O’Bannon (who also wrote Alien and Total Recall), The Return of the Living Dead marked his directorial debut, becoming a cult classic over the years thanks to its mix of terror and dark humor. The cast included Thom Mathews, James Karen, Clu Gulager, Don Calfa, Beverly Randolph, and Linnea Quigley.

The future of the franchise doesn't stop at merchandise: an official reboot directed by Steve Wolsh is in the works, while concurrently, Trash’s Revenge, a meta sequel that will see the return of several original cast members, has also been announced.