RE-ANIMATOR (1985)

4 stars

Second Sight Films. Dual 4K UHD/Blu-ray Limited Edition plus Standard Editions. 15th December

Confident student Herbert West (a wonderfully manic Jeffrey Combs) has come from Switzerland to Miskatonic University to further his studies – though he accuses his teacher Dr Hill (David Gale in a role originally offered to Christopher Lee) of plagiarising the research from Dr Gruber, who West studied with in Europe. West moves in with fellow student Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott) as the place has a basement where he can setup a laboratory to further his clandestine experiments into reviving the dead. Dan is engaged to Megan Halsey (the cute Barbara Crampton) daughter to the Dean of the University.

She is upset one night when she realises Dan’s cat Rufus isn’t around and sneaks into West’s room only to find the feline in the fridge. West arrives and demands they leave, claiming he found it dead.

Later that night Dan hears what sounds like a cat squealing. Crashing into the basement he finds West being attacked by the now alive moggy! Dan hurls it against the wall and it ends up mangled and dead again. At this point West explains that he has a reagent that can reanimate deceased things – and that Dan can help him in his quest. He demonstrates on the grisly remains of Rufus, by injecting the brightly glowing liquid and brings it back to life … again.

Of course this soon leads to trying it on a human subject and as Dan has access to the morgue, they sneak in there and find a likely candidate, which once reanimated goes mental and attacks the duo. Unfortunately for them the Dean has come to find out what is going on… and he ends up dead. The perfect fresh subject to test the compound on. You know things are going to rapidly go awry!

Combs is great in the lead role, matched by Gale as the doctor who wants to steal the research for himself and will end up as a talking severed head in a silver tray! This was based on H.P. Lovecraft’s ’Herbert West, Re-Animator’ and has a wonderfully whacked out script by Dennis Paoli, William Norris and Stuart Gordon. Gordon also stylishly directed, aided by atmospheric cinematography by Mac Ahlberg. The film is gloriously gory – apparently using 24 gallons of fake blood during the production – with fantastic splattery special make up effects. There is also a thread of black humour throughout. The film looks fab in this 4K restoration approved by Producer Brain Yuzna. It also has a shed load of extras.

Steve Kirkham

EXTRAS

Three Audio Commentaries by Eddie Falvey/with Director Stuart Gordon/with Producer Brian Yuzna and Actors Bruce Abbott, Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton and Robert Sampson

The Cosmic Horror of HP Lovecraft: a video essay by Mike Muncer

The Horror of it All: The Legacy and Impact of Re-Animator

A Guide to Lovecraftian Cinema and Re-Animator Resurrectus

Re-Animator at 40: conversation with Actors Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton, and Producer Brian Yuzna

Interviews with Editor Lee Percy/Actor Carolyn Purdy-Gordon/Barbara Crampton/Director Stuart Gordon and Producer Brian Yuzna/Writer Dennis Paoli/Composer Richard Band/Fangoria Editor Tony Timpone

Extended Scenes and Deleted Scene

Theatrical Trailer/TV Spots Still/Gallery

With the limited edition you also get Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Krishna Shenoi/120-page book with new essays by Sean Abley, Becky Darke, Lindsay Hallam, Josh Hurtado, Michelle Kisner, Justin LaLiberty, Phil Nobile Jr and Heather Wixson/6 collectors’ art cards