Have you ever felt like cheating death? Well, think again. What if you didn’t fully come back? What if you were a brainless walking corpsical? If you’ve been dead for and suddenly find yourself screaming in agony, alive and confused, you just might have been reanimated.
RE-ANIMATOR (1985)
A Swedish (mad) scientist invents and serum to bring the dead back to life. But his experiments take a turn for the worst and now he must correct his mistakes.
A zombie movie with a twist, Re-Animator delights the senses. It’s full of bloody bodily fluids spewing from one end of the room to the other, perfect for those who like their horror with as much grotesque imagery as possible. And boy does it deliver on the grossness. Re-Animator boasts some excellent special effects and make-up. The dead have never looked this lively.
Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) is a brilliant scientist with a cure for death. But he hasn’t perfected it yet as it requires more research. He moves into a rented room owned by fellow student Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott) who has access to the morgue at the hospital where he works. Together they test the miracle drug on a corpse who springs into life and murders Dean Halsey (Robert Sampson). Halsey happens to be Dan’s boss. Halsey also happens to be the father of Megan Halsey (Barbara Crampton), Dan’s girlfriend. West and Dan attempt to resurrect Dean Halsey only to have him come back as a shell of the person he once was. Things continue to go down hill for both our scientist friends until the final confrontation with a headless, walking corpse.
Hubert West is a very weird person, and in certain light looks like a young Peter Weller. He’s played exceptionally well by Jeffrey Combs, bringing a dark sense of humor to an almost unlikable character. But there’s something about West that makes you feel sorry for him. He’s a passionate scientist, no doubt, but he’s not exactly a people person. He would often verbally abuse those who would criticize him. But when he moves in with Dan, we see a different side to West. We realize he has never had a real friend up to that point. And we see that West cares for Dan. It’s an extremely nice relationship between the two and one that is developed well.
Dan is a suitably naive, young and upcoming doctor who doesn’t know when to call it quits when a patient dies. He refuses to give into the inevitable.
Dan can understand what West is doing, and although he may not have the sheer determination West has, he is happy to help him on his quest. This makes them the perfect team. Unfortunately, that doesn’t quite sit with Megan. She doesn’t trust West and blames them both for the death of her father.
Then there’s good old creept Dr. Carl Hill (David Gale). He’s after West’s experimental drug so he can take all the glory. He also wants Megan all to himself. But when West kills, and then reanimate’s Dr. Hill, things take a turn for the worst. Dr.Hill escapes, steals most of West’s drug – so he can build an undead army – and kidnaps Megan so he can fondle her with his headless body. It is then up to Dan and West to try to undo the mess they have created. When they reach Dr. Hill, bloody mayhem ensues as we are treated to a fantastic showdown.
Overall, Re-Animator is a fun, disgusting, joyous film with enough gore and silliness for the most hardcore of horror fans. It has heart, plenty of heart. Red, bloody hearts. I recommend putting this on your Must Watch Horror Films.
Best Line: “You’ll never get credit for my discovery. Who’s going to believe a talking head? Get a job in a sideshow.”
Best Moment: Dan and West reanimate their first corpse with dire consequences.
7/10
