Haunt-tober 2024 is here and it’s time to dive into the macabre, the strange and the frightful during this beloved time! Join me as I spend the month discussing new and classic films.
Between Stuart Gordon’s masterful eye to Jeffrey Combs pitch perfect performance, Re-Animator fires on all cylinders with silly and bloody precision.
This is an H.P. Lovecraft adaptation after all. So, expect a lot of weirdness with your horror.
Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) arrives at University with a reagent that revives the dead, dragging his roommate Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott) into his mayhem. Their experiments escalate when West involves his rival, Dr. Hill (David Gale), and Dan’s girlfriend Meg (Barbara Crampton).
Of course, no one ever learns – you shouldn’t mess with death! what starts as a genius yet bizarre invention becomes a cluster of bad decisions and even bigger mishaps.
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There is fantastic use of practical effects and some scenes will have you bust out laughing. Combs’ deadpan humor is especially hilarious and there are moments in this film that are so absurd I dare you not to crack a smile.
At a sleek 86 minutes the film is all pulpy playful fun, with little waste. The cast is all great (including scream queen Crampton) but it’s Jeffrey Combs with his intensity and dry delivery that make this so good.
Re-Animator was Stuart Gordon’s first movie and it has an energy that is undeniable. While the plot isn’t particularly inventive there is still a real charm to the mad scientist gone awry formula. It is also executed in a way that makes for an iconic and memorable experience showcasing what makes B horror so lovable.
Re-Animator is zany goodness, with ample splatter and morbid humor that makes for an all time classic.
Stay tuned for more Haunt-Tober fun!
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