Re-Animator (1985)

Starring:
-Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West
-Bruce Abbott as Dan Cain
-Barbara Crampton as Megan Halsey
-David Gale as Dr. Cale Hill

This is one of those "occasional" times I mentioned when it comes to the horror genre. I initially discovered Re-Animator in college. It was the semester before I knew anyone but had access to a really great video store with a wide selection that only fueled the love of the horror genre that I had neglected living in a small town. There are certain movies you hear about and wonder if they live up to the hype, and Re-Animator was one that was mentioned on the Fangoria boards I frequented in 2005 (full of people much more knowledgeable than I was...and Bill Moseley) as being an incredibly fun and gory movie. So when I saw it, I picked up the first film and its sequel, Bride of Re-Animator.

This is a movie for a select group of people. You have to enjoy moments of incredibly dark humor, even when those moments would be tragic in any other horror movie. This is not film for the squeamish. Not only is there more gore than most films of its kind (there is blood in nearly 3/4 of the film, somewhere), but it has some imagery that would be disturbing if they played it straight. But director Stuart Gordon revels in the audacity and ridiculousness of it all, making this a funny and nasty little horror film.

The glue that holds this movie together is Jeffrey Combs. What could I say that hasn't been said? He makes Herbert West a slimy, detestable little cockroach, but he's still enjoyable to watch. You have to love how he calmly takes a bone saw and destroys a re-animated corpse with all the passion of doing the dishes. I don't think this movie would be forgettable without Combs in the role, but it certainly wouldn't be as memorable. It's one of those performances where you really can't imagine anyone else playing the part after seeing it.

Re-Animator is a lot of fun, but there are some problems. The score has always bothered me, because it's more or less Richard Band's take on Bernard Hermann's Psycho score. I've also always felt that this film could have used about ten more minutes, because it's too short. You know you have a fun movie when you're angered that it ends too quickly. It's shorter run time means that the end of the film is sped up some and we rush through things to get to the final moment.

But if you're a fan of 80s horror that features a lot of blood and some darkly funny moments, then you don't get a more perfect blend than Re-Animator. It has a reputation for a reason. It's hard to imagine that the series would get even more ridiculous, but both Bride of Re-Animator and Beyond Re-Animator have proven that things can indeed get worse.

Score: 7.5