Dr. Herbert West Welcomes the Dead Back to Life in “Re-Animator”

At an institute in Switzerland, Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) is discovered leaning over a man screaming in pain. Though the man dies, Dr. West tells the other doctors, “I gave him life.” West arrives at the Miskatonic Medical School in Arkham, Massachusetts, where he rents a room from med student, Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott). Dan’s girlfriend, Megan (Barbara Crampton), doesn’t approve of the doctor’s presence, particularly when finding Dan’s recently missing cat’s lifeless body in a small fridge. That night, however, Dan awakens to the sounds of a cat and, breaking into West’s makeshift lab in the basement, witnesses the doctor’s work. Utilizing a luminous lime-green serum, what he calls his “reagent,” Dr. West has successfully reanimated the feline corpse, which -- in a scene that’s both macabre and comical -- has already attacked West and latched onto his back. West convinces Dan of his reagent’s efficacy, and the student decides to join West in further research. The threat of Dr. West leaving the university and Dan having his student loan rescinded (not to mention possible criminal charges) cannot keep the two men from tiptoeing into the morgue for fresh subjects.

Re-Animator (1985) was directed by Stuart Gordon, his feature film debut. The script, by Gordon, William J. Norris, and frequent Gordon collaborator, Dennis Paoli, is an adaptation of a story by H.P. Lovecraft, “Herbert West--Reanimator.” Gordon, who co-founded the Organic Theater Company in Chicago with his wife, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon (who often appears in his films and has a small role as a doctor in Re-Animator), initially intended to adapt Lovecraft’s story for the stage. The writers then worked the story into a potential television series, writing a pilot and 12 accompanying episodes. Producer Brian Yuzna read the scripts and persuaded Gordon to make a feature film.

Upon its release, Re-Animator performed very well, earning back its small budget and garnering positive reviews. Gordon displays a flair for black comedy, creating a near perfect combination of horror and humor. The screenplay is stellar, consisting of sharp, intelligent dialogue, including this memorable line spoken by Dr. West (to a newly reanimated corpse): “Doctor, welcome back to life.” The performances are satisfactory, especially the leads: Combs, Abbott, Crampton, and David Gale as Dr. Hill, West’s nemesis. Combs in particular is outstanding. He has appeared in numerous horror films and has twice been nominated for a Saturn Award: his reprisal of Dr. West in Bride of Re-Animator (1990) and his scene-stealing role in Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners (1996).

A fan of Lovecraft, Gordon has made additional adaptations of the writer’s stories: From Beyond (1986), Castle Freak (1995, from “The Outsider”), Dagon (2001, from “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”), and an episode of the short-lived Showtime series, Masters of Horror, “Dreams in the Witch-House” (2005). He’s also adapted the work of another gothic horror author, Edgar Allan Poe, with 1991’s The Pit and the Pendulum (a composite of Poe’s story of the same name, “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The Premature Burial,” and other elements from his work) and another Masters of Horror entry, “The Black Cat” (2006). Combs appeared in From Beyond and Castle Freak (both also starring Crampton), as well as “The Black Cat.”

The distribution company which produced Re-Animator, Empire Pictures, was owned by Charles Band. After handling a number of movies, including the successful Ghoulies (1985) and other films directed by Gordon, Empire Pictures collapsed. Band formed Full Moon Features in 1989, specializing in low budget productions, most notably the Puppet Master series (the first film was produced by Empire but distributed by Full Moon in 1989). Though the company was defunct in 2002, Band continued to produce films under different titles. Full Moon apparently returned around 2005, and a new Puppet Master entry, Axis of Evil, was finally released in 2010. Band’s father, Albert Band, is also a producer/director. Charles Band’s brother, Richard Band, is an accomplished composer, having provided Re-Animator with a solid score, reminiscent of Bernard Herrmann’s work. He was nominated for a 2006 Primetime Emmy for his work on an episode of Masters of Horror -- Gordon’s “Dreams in the Witch-House.”

Producer Yuzna has worked with Gordon on a number of films. He’s also a writer and director, having co-written and directed Bride of Re-Animator, as well as directing a second sequel, Beyond Re-Animator (2003).

A third sequel, House of Re-Animator, has been rumored for some time. The plot was to deal with Dr. West being brought in to reanimate someone recently deceased at the White House (reportedly the Vice President).

In the film, above Dan’s bed, is a poster for the concert film, Stop Making Sense, featuring the band Talking Heads. This is a joke, with a literal interpretation of the band’s name later in the movie. The unrated version of Re-Animator has a running time of 86 minutes, whereas the rated R version is, interestingly, 95 minutes. The latter version includes additional scenes but has much of the gore trimmed. Some fans believe the longer running time adds depth to story and characters, while others believe it simply slows down a nicely paced film. In any case, Re-Animator is undoubtedly visceral, which may prompt some viewers to avoid it. Blood and gore notwithstanding, the movie is anything but lowbrow, an energetic cinematic draw that more than deserves its cult status.