If you have never seen Re-Animator, I envy you. The 1985 splatstick classic is arguably the standout sci-fi horror comedy of the decade. Loosely based on the short story by H.P. Lovecraft (admittedly, one of his weakest where he was pretty much maximizing his word count at every possible avenue in order to get the most from his publisher, the kind of tactic this well-regarded and well-respected author would never indulge in, like using elaborately long parentheticals that overtake the bulk of the first paragraph), the film is truly its own beast and all the better for it.
No joke, Re-Animator is a must-see transgressive miracle. It’s actually never been more must-seeable than now thanks to Ignite Films giving the film an utterly gorgeous 4K restoration. This is a movie I have seen dozens upon dozens of times — Re-Animator and Battle Royale were usually the two movies anyone who came over to my house in my middle school and high school days got thrusted upon them — but the new 4K really is fulfilling the cliche of seeing a movie you love like it’s the first time.
And as of this writing, there is no indication you may ever get to see this version of Re-Animator on streaming.
Physical Media Saved Re-Animator
The good folks over at Ignite Films really gave Re-Animator all the love and respect it has deserved and earned over forty years in the pop culture landscape. So much so that they included both the original unrated version of the film and the fan-beloved “Integral Cut” version which restores twenty minutes of deleted scenes. If not for this new release and restoration, it’s possible we may not have been able to preserve this piece of horror history in its most optimal home video presentation.
Which only goes to further strengthen the need for a strong physical media market in defiance of the streaming model. It’s very likely that Re-Animator’s 4K version will be available digitally at some point in the not-too-distant future, but there is nothing saying when that day will come. More importantly, those streaming or video-on-demand copies can vanish at the whim of the corporation that actually holds the rights to your digital token. At least for now, they can’t burst into your house and take away your DVDs and Blu-rays.
A Celebration Of Bloody Bad Taste
And Re-Animator is undoubtedly a movie the moral militia will want to throw on the burn pile. It’s unabashedly trashy with one of the most infamous… head scenes in all of cinema. (Yeah, that should get past the High Sheriffs) Loaded with gobs of gore, it’s also brimming with exuberant creativity and relentless energy. No more is this better channeled than through Jeffrey Combs as Dr. Herbert West, a mad scientist performance to rival Dr. Frankenstein himself. Combs devours the movie with pulsating presence, demented glee, and more quotable line deliveries than you’d expect from such a low budget affair.
Re-Animator is way up there on my list of favorite movies of all time. It’s the perfect flick for sci-fi fans who want to get into the Halloween spirit. Do yourself a favor and pick up the Ignite Films release. It’s loaded with special features and that alternate cut, but it’s worth it solely to own the most gorgeous presentation of an ‘80s knockout on the market.
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