Re-Animator

This is the film that was cited as the best science fiction, horror, or fantasy film at last year's Cannes Film Festival by a panel of 16 of France's top film critics. It's also the film that the MPAA wouldn't rate. Based on H.P. Lovecraft's short story "Herbert West--Re-Animator" (collected in Lovecraft's Dagon if anyone is looking), Re- Animator is the gruesome story of a mad med student (marvelously portrayed by newcomer Jeffrey Combs) who has concocted a serum that will 'reanimate' or resurrect formerly dead tissue. Unfortunately, for West, an evil brain surgeon wants the serum for his own glory. When the battle begins, heads roll...literally. We've seen the unrated version--and it pushes the boundaries of taste to the limits. Limbs fly, organs fall out, blood pours; but the violence is raised to such comic-book extremes that the viewer can sit back and laugh. Still, you may want to go with the R-rated version on this one. Recommended. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review—Mar. 20, 2007—Anchor Bay, 2 discs, 86 min., not rated, $24.98—Making its third appearance on DVD, 1985's Re-Animator sports a fine transfer and DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. DVD extras on this two-disc set include two audio commentaries (one with director Stuart Gordon; the other with producer Brian Yuzna and costars Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Bruce Abbott, and Robert Sampson), a 69-minute “Re-Animator Resurrectus” making-of documentary, a 49-minute interview with Gordon and Yuzna, 24 minutes of extended scenes, a music discussion with composer Richard Band (17 min.), a 15-minute interview with Band (15 min.), an interview with screenwriter Dennis Paoli (11 min.), an interview with Fangoria editor Tony Timpone (5 min.), a three-minute deleted scene, numerous galleries (production, behind-the-scenes, on-set, posters, and storyboard), a text bio on Gordon, DVD-ROM features (including the screenplay and the original short story “Herbert West, Reanimator” by H.P. Lovecraft), and trailers, packaged in a box with a fake plastic syringe. Bottom line: a whopping extras package for a bona fide cult horror classic.][Blu-ray Review—Aug. 8, 2017—Arrow, 104 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on Blu-ray, 1985's Re-Animator features a great transfer and features a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include both the unrated version and integral version of the film, three audio commentaries (one with director Stuart Gordon; a second featuring producer Brian Yuzna and costars Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Bruce Abbott, and Robert Sampson; and a third by cast and crew), a “Re-Animator Resurrectus” making-of documentary (69 min.), the behind-the-scenes featurettes “The Catastrophe of Success” (13 min.) and “Theater of Blood” (12 min.), “A Guide to Lovecraftian Cinema” (54 min.), a conversation between director Gordon and producer Yuzna (49 min.), “Barbara Crampton in Conversation” (36 min.), a music discussion with composer Richard Band (17 min.), interviews with Band (15 min.), writer Dennis Paoli (11 min.), and Fangoria editor Tony Timpone (5 min.), extended scenes (23 min.), a deleted scene (3 min.), multi-angle storyboards (5 min.), and a stills gallery. Bottom line: a definitive edition of a camp horror classic.]