Enjoy this Monday with Mildred!
Re-Animator
Made by first time movie director Stuart Gordon, Re-Animator fairly well follows the H.P. Lovecraft story it’s based on, in a modern setting. Made just before the Romero mold for zombie movies hardened, it’s supposed to be a horror comedy, but I didn’t find it in the least bit funny. There was no modern flurry of catchy quips uttered during the gory frenzies, and I thought the “giving her head” joke was too over the top and obvious – and in poor taste – to be humorous. Gordon made a horror movie because he had heard they were cheap, so don’t expect anything grand in the way of effects, art work, music or cinematography.
After some really great credits, it’s mad scientist versus evil scientist in the quest for scientific reanimation of the brain after death. Hopefully you will feel a frisson when medical student Herbert West lands at the Miskatonic University of Arkham after an unfortunate eyeball-popping incident with his professor in Zurich. He moves in with deluded good guy Dan Cain, who is besotted with fellow med student Megan Halsey who is, unfortunately for Dan, Dean Halsey’s daughter. The guys don’t fight over the girl in this homoerotic thriller, though who would want her, anyway; she’s got post-coital dreams of graduating from medical school so she can go home and be a good widdle wifey. The icky professor who does want her is the yin to West’s yang, and it’s a battle beyond death for those two. How icky, you say? So icky he has a padded cell with a one way mirror in his office.
West has a monkey on his back. A cat monkey, and he won’t stop doing experiments no matter how badly things go for him and everyone around him.
Eventually some extremely violent zombies wreak havoc in the morgue, where a distracted attendant has taken his bondage magazine off to the bathroom to give our heroes some privacy.
Re-Animator is bizarre throughout, and devolves into total madness and mayhem. The denouement is truly horrific but not unexpected. It is the story of a brilliant, sociopathic young scientist and is very popular with a lot of people. I didn’t care for it but if you’re in the mood for mid ‘80s craziness give it a whirl.
LINKS:
CFR: In Addition: I think Mildred is being too kind.
Re-Animator (1985) – Trailer [HQ] – NOTE: For Mature Audiences ONLY!
Apparently, you can watch the whole movie here: Re-Animator (1985)
OR!
Do yourself a favor and listen to the original H.P. Lovecraft book being read. Warning: Unfortunately Lovecraft could be quite racist. And classist. And sexist. *sigh* And creepy. Very, very, very creepy.
Herbert West Reanimator by H P Lovecraft Audiobook Audio Book Horror Occult Gothic Supernatural
Chick Flicking Reviews 