ReAnimator

Stuart Gordon, USA, 1985, 86 minutes

After repeated attempts to offer a detailed critical analysis of this horror-comedy gem went awry, it was agreed that we keep this one brief. Please consider the following:

Does corny dialogue and cheap special effects bother you? Then don’t watch Re-Animator. Cerebral exchanges are more commonplace in a typical porno flick.

Are you easily offended? Then don’t watch Re-Animator. If you consider watching a disembodied head performing lewd acts on a captive female as an affront to decency, then perhaps this isn’t your cup of tea.

Are you an impressionable medical student? Then don’t watch Re-Animator. Whilst experimenting on the battered corpse of your flatmate’s feline is indeed hilarious on film, in reality it will be frowned upon and will likely have an adverse affect on your future prospects.

Still reading? The story in a nutshell: With the aid of fluorescent goo, maniacal doctor Herbert West has conquered brain-death. In order to continue his research he enrols at an American university. Enticed by the access to fresh specimens, he ‘brings an awful lot of dead people back to life, yet not one of them shows any appreciation’. If that seems intriguing, then a gruesome feast awaits you. Have fun trying to identify Arnold Schwarzenegger’s body double amongst the horde of rampaging cadavers.

Review by The Brewster
Written for EUFS Programme Autumn 2008