Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave, is a 2005 Made-for-TV Movie sequel to Return of the Living Dead, made by the Sci Fi Channel.
This film has the examples of:
- Beware of Hitchhiking Ghosts: Played with at the very end; Tarman is seen holding a sign trying to hitchhike a ride to the rave on a highway. A couple actually stops and screams when they see he's a zombie. Frustrated, Tarman drops the sign and decides to walk.
- Deus ex Nukina: The government actually tries this maneuver again. Thankfully though, it works this time, albeit only because the Tryoxin-5 zombies are weaker than the zombies from the first three movies and because the virus did not become airborne in the aftermath.
- Drugs Are Bad: In Rave to the Grave, a bunch of college students cook up a recreational drug based on Tryoxin-5. Three guesses what the side effects are, and the first two don't count.
- Incongruously-Dressed Zombie: Several zombies in this movie wear distinct outfits that make them stand out. Notable examples include a zombie dressed as a clown, a zombie dressed as a jester, a zombie dressed in a demon costume, a female zombie wearing a circus dancer costume, a female zombie with her long hair in ponytail wearing a warrior princess costume, a zombie wearing a cowboy costume, a zombie dressed in a disco dancer costume, a zombie dressed up in a medieval monk costume, a zombie wearing a knight costume, etc.
- Jack up with Phlebotinum: Kids in raves gulp down pills of what they think is a rave drug like Ecstasy, but it is actually Tryoxin-5, the chemical phlebotinum from the movies that turns people into zombies.
- Mugged for Disguise: To infiltrate the rave, Aldo and Gino steal the costumes of two female partygoers. The costumes fit them perfectly, despite being adult men wearing outfits designed for female college students.
- Oddly Named Sequel 2: Electric Boogaloo: Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave? Witty title, but still odd, especially because that title has more letters compared to other movie titles in the ROTLD series.
- Only Sane Man: Julian and Jenny are wise enough to not mess with the Tryoxin-5 and actually test the chemical before doing anything that could lead to disaster.
- Senseless Sacrifice: Cody dies saving Shelby, only for Shelby to be killed moments later.
- Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome:
- Uncle Charles, the human antagonist of Necropolis, is killed off in the opening scene. Also doubles as Dead Star Walking due to him being portrayed by Peter Coyote, the biggest name in the cast.
- Becky, the female lead in Necropolis, also dies fairly early on, becoming a zombie and then killed prior to the climactic rave.
- Too Dumb to Live: Cody really should've listened to Julian and Jenny and left the Tryoxin-5 alone.
- Villain Decay:
- The new Tarman is subjected to this for the most part as he's reduced to the role of comic relief after a failed attack on the heroes. Ultimately, he gives up trying to eat people and opts to party with them instead.
- Like in the previous movie, the new Tryoxin-5 zombies are nowhere as durable as the 2-4-5 Trioxin zombies from the first three movies. Instead of being unstoppable juggernauts, these zombies don't even have to be shot in the head to bring them down as even a few rounds in the chest will do the job.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Gino is never seen again after the police bomb the rave although his absence implies that he didn't make it.
