Have you ever wondered why doctors are so very boring? It's because the ones that are passionate about their work will stop at nothing to save the lives of their patients; including injecting them with a fluorescent green compound that revives the corpse's nervous system but transforms their bodies into rabid, uncontrollable savages. This is highly unprofessional.
The Reanimator is required viewing for the gore aficionado. If your idea of the perfect horror movie is the 6th Sense then it would serve you well to look elsewhere. However, if the sight of a body carrying his own decapitated head in a tray sounds appealing to you then at last your search is over. Jeffrey Combs plays Dr. West, the neurotic, high strung, undisputed Dr. Frankenstein of the 80's. His research into reanimating the dead is so vitally important to him, nothing will prevent it from going forward. His first experiment does not go as well as expected, as the revived corpse goes on a scientist-tossing rampage. One unlucky doctor is killed in the mayhem. Rather then get discouraged though, Dr. West immediately doses the newer, fresher victim with the juice. Unfortunately, the late Dr. Halsey goes on a little rampage of his own. But West isn't even slightly deterred by this setback...
The climax of this splatter-fest includes naked, bloody corpses stumbling around and gargling blood, people getting attacked by intestines, and limbs being torn off liberally - all while the laboratory is in danger of exploding. Combs brings a dead-serious but comedic performance to this outlandish film. His trembling lip and furrowed brow allow the cartoonish violence to play out unapologetically.
Goofy, gross, midnight movie bliss.
1 comment:
Excellent review! The two sequels are equally enjoyable and equally gory. Herbert West never seems to age even though there's like 10+ years between parts 2 and 3.
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