Re-Animator (1985)

How great is this film? I first saw it in the cinema, and was just blown away. It was so audacious, so over-the-top, and just so brilliant! HP Lovecraft's original story was his first professionally published work and was written as a serial, which really shows; every chapter begins with a short recap of a bunch of stuff you already know, 'cause you only just read it... Not his best work, by a long shot. As a fan of Lovecraft's writing, what came as the biggest surprise with Re-Animator is just how much Stuart Gordon "gets" the feel. It couldn't be more different, stylistically, but somehow, it just feels "right".

The biggest problem with trying to make a Lovecraft film is that most of his characters spend their time reading old books and visiting libraries. Doesn't exactly make for an exciting film. Another huge problem, of course, is the constant references to things which can't be described (as they're too horrible). Earlier attempts to film his work were almost universally dismal; they would overlay gothic (as in Die, Monster, Die!), or just go for the weird/psychedelic (The Dunwich Horror). Re-Animator, on the other hand, updates the story to the present day, then goes berserk with the gore, and adds the most bizarre necrophilia scene ever into the mix. And the weirdest thing is that this actually works!

Jeffrey Combs is perfect as Herbert West; he's creepy, nerdy, and has a roaring case of Aspergers. He's also completely obsessed with his quest to return the dead to life, and doesn't let anything, least of all morality, get in the way. The other standout is Barbara Crampton as Megan Halsey; she is one of my all-time favourite screamers, and really pulls out all the stops when it comes to kinky... She is a recurring Stuart Gordon fave, as is Combs, and I can see why.

Richard Band's music is also great; hugely plagiarised from Psycho, this actually adds to the enjoyment. I particularly love the title sequence, with its Psycho theme and anatomical illustrations.

Filmed on a relatively low budget, and, of course, before CGI made some effects ridiculously easy, the film stands up well to the test of time; 25 years on it still looks pretty good, and its just as much fun as it ever was. If you've never seen (or imagined!) a severed head giving head, you need to watch this movie. Its gory, its truly sick, but its also a work of twisted genius. If you make it past the eyeballs exploding and the removal of the cadaver's brain, all within the first couple of minutes, you'll manage the rest just fine!