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Re-Animator review

Posted : 3 years, 8 months ago on 6 July 2020 12:37

Stuart Gordon’s enduring splatter classic riffs on many genres and defies logic, symbolic of most independent features from the '80s horror explosion, but supercharged by exceedingly well-written dialogue, "Re-Animator" ameliorates far above its counterparts. Based on H.P. Lovecraft’s classic terror tale ‘Herbert West – Reanimator’ and featuring dry, deadpan jokes aplenty, this zombie-laden, sexually graphic, insanely effective gorefest more than compensates for a lack of scientific exposition and plausibility in the plot, which centres on three students, one of whom advertises for a roommate and finds one in the form of Dr. Herbert West, the deliciously deranged mad scientist of the title. West's bizarre theories of reanimation are soon realised with the reluctant assistance of his overzealous roommate, and gruesome chaos naturally ensues. Low-budget though not perceptibly so, "Re-Animator" illustrates how, if well-executed, a B-movie concept and accomplished special effects can elevate even the weakest of scripts. Fortunately, "Re-Animator" is one of the strongest screen adaptations of an H.P. Lovecraft story, if not the freshest, modern revision of the well-worn Prometheus legend, albeit with grislier results.

Campy fun devoid of seriousness or sophistication and emphasised comedy and wit can push aside the most blatant flaw in a film, and by balancing over-the-top lunacy and excessive gore with a schlocky take on the Frankenstein theme, Gordon manages to achieve that. Eschewing the bounds of the classic Universal era as well as the mould of horror cliches, the film highlights the gore and amorality of medical science, as evidenced by West's experiments. Owing to its expedient pace, suitably hysterical performances, comical edginess and gross-out horror, "Re-Animator" rises above its cult movie trappings and is definitely one of the more virtuoso, strikingly explicit horrors of the 1980s.


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Re-Animator review

Posted : 7 years, 10 months ago on 21 May 2016 09:59

I can't figure out why I've not seen this one until now. Well now I can say I have. It's about time. Thank goodness for Netflix. I can't believe I've never seen any of horror legend Stuart Gordon's horror movies. I have only seen his writing with Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. I haven't seen any of Dennis Paoli's films either since it seems that he works solely with Gordon. This is the only credit William Norris. This is along a similar line to Frankenstein. Wait are they using the theme from Psycho? It certainly fits with the character here. I swear young Bruce Abbott looks like Elias Koteas from some angles. He was definitely not the cooler of the two Hans Grubers. That transition is always amusing. They are a pretty adorable couple. Haha what exactly is he doing there. Aww man of course that would happen. Oh man that's messed up. I can't believe people were ever scared of the old make up effects. Of course he is worried about things that are definitely no important. It's definitely not your typical zombie type of story. It's interesting when there a more villainous people than others. Well damn they kind of had what was coming to them. This is definitely one oddball of a film. That's kind of messed up. Well now the infamous scene is about to come. I guess I should have figured, but since I didn't that was pretty well done. That is a lot of nakedness. I think that's kind of a disturbing plan. It's definitely a different kind of film. Even though it's over 30 years old and clearly dated it still managed to give me some surprises. If you haven't seen it yet I would say give it a shot.


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I Gave Him Life!

Posted : 15 years, 2 months ago on 27 January 2009 07:38

the 1985 film directed by Stuart Gordon and written by H.P. Lovecraft and Dennis Paoli, about a doctor named Herbert West who trasnfers to a medical school in the United States to finish his research on brain life and possible re-animation. Deemed as strange from his roomate and thought as a fool by his professor, defiant Herbert goes against moral issues and so called "fact" and takes matters into his own hands (as he did overseas) and pulls out his green serum; bringing those both human and feline who have recently passed back to life...with horrifying effects. Springing back to life and attacking West in the upmost of savage manner, are everything which posses the green dose in his bottle. Even with some ticks still in the serum, it seems to find it's way into a slew of sources. This film has all kinds of dismemeberments with shovels, saws, and even the infamous "head giving head" scene just about made my hands sore from clapping so hard when they screened it at Monster Mania a few years back.

Dan Cain: [Dan's cat has died and been found in Herbert's refrigerator] You can call, or write a note.
Herbert West: I was busy pushing bodies around as you well know and what would a note say, Dan? "Cat dead, details later"?


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