Blu-Ray Review: “Re-Animator” Comes Alive Again for 40th Anniversary Release
As they say, death is one of the only absolutes of this life…but what if it wasn’t? That sort of thinking has been at the heart of many horror stories. What if instead of having to worry about what happens after we die, we just go on living? In 1922, H.P. Lovecraft wrote a serial novelette called “Herbert West–Reanimator” that ran in the magazine Home Brew. It’s this series that serves as the inspiration for Stuart Gordon’s 1985 Re-Animator. Thanks to Ignite Films and Eagle Rock Pictures, Re-Animator gets to celebrate its 40th anniversary in style with a 4K UHD Restoration.
Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott) is a med student at Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts. When we first meet him, we see his desire to fight for his patients, even when hope seems lost. He’s engaged to Megan Halsey (Barbara Crampton), daughter of the med school dean (Robert Sampson), and the two plan to marry when Dan graduates. Despite his pleading, Megan won’t move in with him, which makes Dan desperate for a roommate. When Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs), the weird new guy who just transferred in from Switzerland, shows up to answer Dan’s ad, who is he to say no? Dan quickly realizes that Herbert’s interest in medicine is less about keeping people alive and more about bringing them back from the dead.
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It’s easy to see how Re-Animator became an instant cult classic. It’s the sort of bonkers B movie that may not have immediately found its audience, but there’s a deep, tuned-in, vocal group of film lovers who flock to movies like this. It’s hard to think this made anyone jump out of their skin, but it certainly earns more than its fair share of laughs. Some of the jokes are obvious, while others, like the Talking Heads poster in Dan’s room, are more subtle.
Re-Animator is a delightfully weird blast from the past. It’s also certainly never looked better than it does now. The re-animator concoction is an incredible shade of neon green that glows in a tantalizing, unnatural way. For those experiencing Re-Animator for the first time, it’s somewhere between The Fly and Little Shop of Horrors. The practical effects of the film make it fun rather than genuinely scary, and it’s impressive how well they’ve withstood the test of time.
Fans new and old can choose from one of the four offerings to bring Re-Animator home. All editions feature the 4K UHD restoration as well as the legacy bonus material. These new editions will also feature almost three hours of new material specifically made for the film’s 40th anniversary.
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