Re-Animator (1985)

Back in the early 60s and 70s there some Lovecraft adaptation movies here and there but non of them get quite the recognition like Re-Animator in 1985 when it not only put Stuart Gordon and actor Jeffrey Combs into the cult status of horror movie history but also kick start the Lovecraft adaptation and Lovecraftian movies to this day with the latest contributation The Void in 2016.In Re-Animator despite being written by the author himself H.P Lovecraft and there's no doubt about the fun and gory natural of the movie it still contain nothing like the latter on adaptation movies when it not about the other dimension or crazy tentacle monster but a straigh up zombie movie.It's kind of bugging me out when i saw it for the first time but now after revisited Re-Animator the second time I finally known the true purpose of this movie is to introduce Lovecraft works to a new generation that grew up with modern monster like:Vampire,giant monster,werewolf and zombie before the good stuff that is fear of the unknown

Medical student Herbert West has just started studying at Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts having previously studied in Switzerland. He believes that he has developed a serum that can re-animate the dead! He lodges in the basement flat of fellow student Dan Cain and soon Cain and his girlfriend Megan, the Dean's daughter, are caught up in West's experiments. First he just re-animates a cat but soon he and Cain are re-animating a human being. It doesn't go well and the patient gets violent and the Dean is killed. They re-animate him and he is taken into the care of senior doctor, and lecturer, Dr Carl Hill. Hill figures out what has happened but rather than inform the authorities he decides to steal West's work... things then get really gory!This classic of the horror genre is somewhat over looked compared to other films of the era which is a pity... although I suspect most fans of the genre will have seen it. There are plenty of gory moments and quite a few laughs. The special effects are impressive; especially this involving a character who is reanimated after being decapitated and continues to function with head and body separate. The story itself might be a bit silly but that doesn't matter as it moves at a good pace so the viewer doesn't dwell on such details. The cast, particularly Jeffrey Combs who plays West, does a fine job making their characters believable even in the more extreme situations. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of the genre; especially those who like a few laughs with their gore.

I've written about the movie THE RE-ANIMATOR more than once. That's because various versions have popped up over the years since its initial release on disc. Of those the one issued by Image (I believe) was perhaps the best out there offering the movie in blu-ray format with a slew of extras. All that has changed with this new version from Arrow Video.A quick synopsis for those who've never seen the film. It tells the story of Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs), a scientists who dreams of finding a way to beat death. He comes up with a formula that does so but at the same time returns the dead to mindless creatures instead of who they once were. His research carries on with his roommate Dan (Bruce Abbott) helps him with his research and along the way jealous Dr. Hill (David Gale) finds out what is up. Planning on taking credit for the find West kills Gale and decapitates him. In a fit of curiosity he re-animates the head only to find it controls the body. Gale escapes, takes Dan's girlfriend Megan (Barbara Crampton) prisoner since he had a thing for her and a final battle follows.The movie was a breath of fresh air when it was released, a combination of horror and dark comedy that used gore to full effect but not nearly as much as it did quick witted writing. The barbs that come from West throughout the film are memorable, my favorite being "Who's going to believe a talking head? Get a job in a sideshow." Taken from a story by H.P. Lovecraft fans were pleased with the final effort. It spawned several sequels only the second of which deserved much attention.The movie did launch director Stuart Gordon's career. After this film he made FROM BEYOND, DOLLS, FORTRESS and ROBOJOX. What surprised me at the time and to this day is that Combs never rose to mega-stardom. I've yet to see a performance in anything he's done that wasn't wonderful to view. In addition to the sequels he was the star of DOCTOR MORDRID and had parts in THE FRIGHTENERS, HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, roles in several STAR TREK series and the series THE 4400.So what make this particular edition of the film worth adding it to your collection even though you already own the film on blu-ray? Lots. Like lots and lots of extras, some available before but plenty to satisfy the most discerning fan.To begin with Arrow Video presents the film in a 4k restoration of both the unrated and integral versions of the film. It has newly commissioned artwork by Justin Erickson, a collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by writer Michael Gingold, a reprinted copy of the original 1991 comic book based on the film, audio commentary track by director Gordon, audio commentary track by producer Brian Yuzna, Jeffery Combs, Barbara Crampton, Bruce Abbot and Robert Sampson, RE-ANIMATOR RESURRECTS a documentary on the making of the film featuring interviews with the cast and crew, an interview with director Gordon and producer Yuzna, an interview with writer Dennis Paoli, an interview with composer Richard Band, Music Discussion with Band, an interview with former Fangoria editor Tony Timpone, an interview of Crampton with journalist Alan Jones, deleted and extended scenes, trailers and TV spots and A GUIDE TO LOVECRAFTIAN CINEMA a brand new featurette that examines the filmed works based on Lovecraft's work.I'm not a huge fan of extras on most movies since the majority are nothing more than press kit packages made for newer films. But when something like this comes along you can spend more time watching the extras and enjoying every minute of them. That's part of what makes all releases by Arrow Video so special. Not only do they attempt to offer the cleanest and clearest version of the film you can find they put together a package of extras worthy of being watched. It's what makes this version of the film the ultimate one to buy.If you've never seen the film then by all means find a way to do so in whatever way possible. I would still suggest that you seek this copy out and enjoy not just the film but the extras I've mentioned. If you're a fan already then by all means pick this edition up. If you don't you'll only be angry at yourself later for not doing so. What you can expect is a fun movie with enough scares tossed into satisfy your need for horror. I can't recommend this one enough.

"Re-Animator" is enough to make you rethink everything you ever thought about horror movies. How is it that such a puerile and disgusting film can be so much fun to watch? It's probably because it doesn't even attempt to take itself seriously. What we have is a zombie flick with generous hints of dark humor thrown in for good measure: a classic combination that could easily satisfy even the most devoted fans of Dario Argento or George A. Romero. And why shouldn't it? The satire in this film is beyond plentiful, not the least of which comes in the form of obscenely over the top gore effects.This movie is scary, gory, original, and above all, a lots of fun. Just when you think it can't get any more over-the-top, it does. Combs steals the show as West, who looks like a cartoon version of a brainy young scientist with huge horn-rimmed glasses. I appreciate his performance more each time I view the movie. He gets most of the best lines, such as when Dan yells at him when a hysterical Meg has found her pet cat, Rufus, in West's fridge with a broken neck, that if he found the cat that way as he claimed, West could have left a note. "A note saying what? 'Dan: cat dead. Details later'?" he dryly replies."Re-Animator" is the kind of film that doesn't revel in its goriness; it completely depends on it. It's probably not something that fans of the original Lovecraft story would appreciate, nor should they; the film version is so far removed from the source material that the title is practically the only thing establishing a connection. I think that, for maximum viewing pleasure, you just have to go with the flow and leave behind any notions of good taste or decent principles and immerse yourself in pure horror delight.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.