5/12/2010
Stuart Gordon’s original horror masterpiece is an absolute classic that can be seen again and again. The insanely realistic gore and effects are like nothing seen before. Released in 1986, it got some pretty damn good reviews for a horror movie. "Re-Animator" is pure 80s horror at its very best.
Jeffery Combs plays Dr. Herbert West, a grad student studying medicine, the brain in particular, at the fictitious Miskatonic University in Massachusetts. He previously studied in Switzerland with Dr. Gruber, who died under mysterious circumstances. Dr. West has developed a fluorescent green serum that when injected into the base of the brain can reanimate the dead. Dr. West follows in a long line of Frankenstein like mad scientists who try to conquer death.
West rents a room with the star student Dan, who is also dating the Dean’s daughter Megan. Megan is by far the weakest of the actors and was probably only cast for her nude scenes, but hey it works. The other actors perform as expected while the real star of the show is the effects. The practical, before CGI, ruined everything effects. The script wasn’t written by Shakespeare, but it doesn’t hurt the film. Did I mention how crazy the effects were!
Anchor Bay has released a 2-Disc DVD loaded with every feature imaginable and is definitely worth picking up.