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4K UHD Review: Ignite Films’ Re-Animator 

A.W. Kautzer
Reanimator

Reanimator

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Welcome to the demented world of Dr. Herbert West and Stuart Gordon’s seminal gross out horror comedy classic Re-Animator.  Gordon’s film gets a masterful 4K UHD upgraded set from Ignite Films. 

The Film 

The simple mad scientist concept at play here has been streamlined for maximum gore set pieces.  The basic plot is spelled out in the first few minutes of the film.  Herbert West (Jeffery Combs) is kicked out (and one asked why not put in prison) from University of Zurich for reasons we see but the Miskatonic University isn’t aware of.   West finds a roommate in fellow MU Medical Student Dan (Bruce Abbott) who’s girlfriend Megan (Barbara Crampton) is creeped out by.  This plot setup can only go wrong.  And it does. In gloriously gory fashion with ample amounts of revived corpses, angry cats, blood and glow-stick green serums.  

By setting the film in and around a University Hospital and specifically the morgue, director Stuart Gordon and writer Brian Yuzna are able to put the Make-Up FX crew to work.  Much of the work is part disgusting, part fascinating and all fun.  Gordon understood that artful stage trickery that informs on how well the FX shots and make-up looks.  Even now three decades on the work done in Re-Animator is beautiful.

Few films are as accomplished a directorial debut as Re-Animator.  It helps that Stuart Gordon spent the early part of his career solely doing theater. That theater career informs on the film, wither one realizes or not.   The film has an initiate understanding of the Grand Guignol tradition in theater. There is a flare to the proceeding, a style that was not present in other films at the time.  Some would say that still isn’t present.  Gordon did not make Re-Animator until he was in his mid-to-late 30’s and it shows.  The film is impeccably designed, shot, acted and written.  

Everything in this film is intentional.  The arched style of acting that Jeffery Combs pitches his performance at as Herbert West.  The ample amounts of gore mixed in with truly hilarious slapstick comedy.  

The film also allows you to invest in Dan and Meg’s relationship.  Abbot and Crampton are great as the young loving couple.  They aren’t canon-fodder for West to destroy.  Gordon gives the space (which is amazing considering the film is only 88 minutes, in its original unrated cut) to them to find that relationship.  It’s that sort of adroit decision that makes the film smarter than its counterparts.  Because one cares about Dan and Meg and their fate, one invests fully in Re-Animator.  The film is as sincere as any horror film I have seen with its relationships. 

That is not to say that the film isn’t funny and lives up to its reputation as a raunchy gorefest.  By the time the notorious cat attack scene plays outs the film is running on all cylinders and just ups the gore quotient to an amazing level.  The film occupies a very rare space, slapstick comedy horror.  Even in that rarified sub-genre the film stands above; Re-Animator’s spiritual cousin (of sorts) Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn.  It’s not to take down the Evil Dead sequel.  Not in the least.  Re-Animator is more refined, Billy Wilder if you will.  Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn is blunt force trauma, The Marx Brothers if you will.  Both Billy Wilder and The Marx Brothers are amazing filmmakers.  Just one happens to be a little bawdier, where the other is more artful.  That artful refinement is thanks in large part to Gordon.  

NOTE: The review is of the original Unrated Theatrical Cut

The Integral Cut (Resides on the Blu-ray Edition): 

This integral version of the film is interesting, but my preference goes with the lean and mean 86-minute unrated director’s original cut.  The integral version mashes up the TV version and the original unrated version to give us what’s the “best of both worlds” cut.  The Integral Cut feels like it lacks narrative drive that is present in the original cut.  

The Transfer

This new 4K restoration is near flawless.  Having the old Blu-Ray disc, I did a reference comparison.  Ignite Film’s version is an upgrade in every respect.  There’s a remarkable uptick in quality, sharpness, contrast levels, color reproduction, and grain structure.  In the best way this transfer looks like a freshly struck 35mm archival print.  The highlight being the color reproduction – beautifully rendering with those day-glow greens and the deep reds perfectly in Dolby Vision and native 4K.  Ignite’s transfer is reason alone to upgrade to this 4K Edition of Gordon’s masterpiece. 

The Extras

They include the following;

4K UHD Disc 1 [Theatrical Version] New Bonus Features 

Blu-Ray Disc 2 [Integral Version] Legacy Bonus Features

4K UHD Disc 1 [Theatrical Version]

The three archival audio commentaries are both informational and entertaining in equal measures.  The three almost never cross over each with information or anecdotes the participants discuss.  Each track covers different aspects of the film.  The Commentary Track with Director Stuart Gordon by himself is a nuts-and-bolts commentary going over the production and a few tidbits about the film itself.  The “crew commentary” with producer Brian Yunza, Stars Barbara Crampton, Jeffery Combs and Bruce Abbott is a freewheeling good time with each of the speakers in a chatty lively mood.  The third commentary track with Gordon and Re-Animator the Musical actors Graham Skipper and Jesse Merlin is a great look back with Skipper and Merlin playing hosts of sorts prompting Gordon to discuss the film and the production.  These tracks are excellently put together that never suffer from the Arnold dilemma (e.g. when a person does a commentary and just points to things on screen like Arnold did during his infamous Conan:the Barbarian commentary with John Milius).  

Re-Animator at 40: A Conversation with Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, and Brian Yuzna (44:32) – this all-new interview which is more of a roundtable look back at the making of the classic.  The trio begins with actually discussing how forty years to the date they began filming in Altadena California.  They discuss how the film came together; how Gordon responded to an Ad that Yuzna put out “looking for a horror director”; the adaptation and how much it differs from the original Lovecraft story; the landscape of filmdom at the time and the disrespect a horror got when it was released; how Combs was cast in the film; how Crampton was cast; what made the production so different than others they had been a part of; their favorite lines from the film; the imprint on Combs career that playing Herbert West left; Crampton’s discussion of her work with star Bruce Abbot; the various themes of the film; and much more. 

Piece By Piece: Cutting Re-Animator – A New Interview with Editor Lee Percy (15:47) – is an all-new interview with Percy that begins with why his skills are best suited for film editing.  Beginning with a discussion of going to Julliard for acting and finding it didn’t work for him; eventually finding Gordon’s The Organic Theater in Chicago; going to film school; how he got his first film as an editor on the film Roar; how he got the job on Re-Animator; his working relationship and collaboration with Stuard Gordon – including anecdotes from the post-production; the work that producer Brian Yuzna during post-production; the struggle to get an R-Rating from the MPAA – which Re-Animatorgot an X-Rating; and much more.  

The Horror of It All: The Legacy and Impact of Re-Animator (18:19) – this all-new featurette looks at various filmmakers first viewing of the film (most of them in theaters, some of them on VHS), their thoughts on the film, how the film/genre magazines covered the film, the resurgence of novelist HP Lovecraft, Stuart Gordon’s as a director, the uniqueness of the film’s combination of gore and comedy, and how it impacted horror film and their own work.  Comments by filmmakers Joe Lynch, Mike Mendez, Mick Garris, Nicholas McCarthy, Jackson Stewart, and Rob Savage.  

Suzie Sorority and the Good College Boy: An Interview with Carolyn Purdy-Gordon (14:07) – the all-new interview with Actress and eventual wife to Gordon who discusses their first interaction in college during a drunken phone call. Purdy-Gordon goes on to discuss their friendship via phone that turned into something more; what began Gordon’s career – an anti-Vietnam version of Peter Pan which lead to legal troubles; their beginning of the Organic Theater when they moved to Chicago; their success of the theater company – including producing David Mamet’s first play; how Re-Animator was developed and eventually became a film that Brian Yuzna produced; her role in the film; and more.  

I Give Life: A Look Back at Re-Animator: The Musical (27:36) – an all-new featurette looking at the cult hit musical adaptation of Stuart Gordon’s horror film Re-Animator.  The featurette charts the origins of the musical which Gordon wanting to make a stage musical of the film, eventually finding the right creatives to begin developing it, the production – including Gordon’s genius staging and blocking, the gore and blood – including the audience ‘splash zone’, adding more gore and gags, rehearsals, its previews, its opening, taking it on tour, and the response.  This gives a truly great understanding of how difficult but rewarding this iteration was and important it was to not just the cast and crew but Gordon himself.  There is great behind the scenes photos and footage from the stage production.  Featuring comments from musical producer Dean Shramm, composer and lyrist Mark Nutter, Actors Chris McKenna, Graham Skipper, Rachel Avery, Jesse Merlin, Liesel Hanson, and others.  

Re-Animating a Horror Classic: The 4K Restoration of Re-Animator (2:22) – an all-new but all too brief look at the restoration process with Brian Yuzna as they take him the process they go through scanning, reviewing and adjusting the image.  

The Organic Theater Company of Chicago (27:50) – is a 1977 documentary featuring Stuart Gordon.  The vintage documentary looks at this unique theater that features the likes of Joe Mantegna, Denis Franz, and other Chicago based actors that have since rose to prominence.  Not really focused on Gordon, though he’s interviewed a bit as he’s credited as the Artistic Director, but the entire company and their unique approach to theater. The documentary features interviews, clips from the work they’ve produced and much more.  

New 40th anniversary 4K UHD trailer (0:57) 

Blu-Ray Disc 2 [Integral Version]

Re-Animator Resurrectus (68:36) – is an archival documentary on the making of Re-animator.  This insightful and very thorough look at the film’s production that was produced for another release but ported over for this disc.  It’s a thorough detailed account of the production with all the major players taking part.  Everyone from Stuart Gordon to Jeffery Combs to Barabra Crampton and Bruce Abbott are all game and very proud (as they should be) of this classic.  A lot of the fun comes out of the anecdotes that everyone tells, especially about Cinematographer Mac Ahlberg.  

A Conversation with Director Stuart Gordon and Producer Brian Yuzna (48:47) – is an archival interview between the director and producer.  Beginning with an unrealized project that got them talking and eventually collaborating on Re-Animator.  The duo’s relaxed conversation – more than an interview – discuss the various topics including the making of Re-Animator, how they became to the project, the pre-production process like readings, screenings, the production troubles, the tightened schedule, the post-production process, the partnership of with Charles and Albert Band – and the relationship with them, the casting of the movie, working with Barbara Crampton on the more difficult scenes, the first showing at Cannes of the completed film, and much more.  

Interview with Writer Dennis Paoli (10:41) – is an archival interview with Paoli.  The screenwriter begins with Paoli was in his career when Gordon asked him to write the adaptation and the work divided between him and Bill Norris.  Some of the other details Paoli discusses include the origins of the project as a TV series; how it transitioned into a feature film; how the collaboration worked with the lack of email and computers at the time – Paoli was in New York, Norris in Chicago, and Gordon in LA; how they developed the script from a 60-minute TV episode to a feature length movie; and much more. 

Interview with Composer Richard Band (14:43) – is an archival interview with Band. The composer begins how he got involved with the film because of his work at Empire Films and his first impressions of the film.  Some of the other details that Band discusses include his approach to the score and resistance to that approach; his reference to Bernard Herman’s Psycho score and his intention to satirize the score; and much more. 

Interview with Former Fangoria Editor Tony Timpone (4:34) – is an archival interview with Timpone. The Fango Editor begins how he had first saw the film at an early screening, his impressions of the film and how Fangoria helped promote the film.  

Music Discussion with Composer Richard Band (16:31) – is an archival featurette with Band.  This not so much of an interview but rather a featurette where Band by sample and example of composition shows us how the score of Re-Animator was created and built.  Even if the featurette is older, we rarely get a discussion and look into Musical Composition on Home video behind the scenes special features this remains a fascinating look into the filmmaking process.  

The Catastrophe of Success: Stuart Gordon and The Organic Theater (13:08) – is an archival featurette discussing Gordon’s early career as a theater director and the life of his much-lauded Organic Theater – first making his move from Wisconsin to Chicago, the theater’s ethos, and much more. 

Theater of Blood (12:04) –is an archival featurette with Mark Nutter (the lyricist of Re-Animator: The Musical) about the musical adaptation of the film, Nutter’s involvement, and how Gordon’s work in the theater informed on this project. 

Barbara Crampton In Conversation (36:12) – is an archival interview with the star is taken from the Frigthtfest Film Festival 2015 interviewed by critic Alan Jones.  Crampton and Jones discusses a wide variety of subjects including her life on the road with her father (who was worked in a Carnival); her time on Soap Opera – what it taught her; going to college and working on the stage and how multi-faceted it was; a discussion of the various film roles from the beginning of her career [Body Double] to working with Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator to her current career in the indie horror and drama world [You’re Next]; and much more.  

A Guide to Lovecraftian Cinema (54:02) – is an archival featurette.  This documentary focuses on Lovecraft adaptations themselves, including Re-Animator hosted by HP Lovecraft expert Chris Lackey.  The doc goes into the life and times of HP Lovecraft, his work, his thoughts on various things including his thoughts on cinema.  The featurette is great at giving us a history of the various film adaptations – including details about these adaptations/productions.  It does give context to the Stuart Gordon film and also gives you some insight to Gordon’s follow up work post-Re-Animator. Thorough and well researched – great for anyone that is looking for more adaptations of HP Lovecraft. 

Doug Bradley’s Spinechillers (98:32) – this is an audio production of Herbert West-Reanimator the actual novella written by HP Lovecraft read by Jeffery Combs.  This is a lushly produced audio production of the novella that fans of the film will love.  The featurette can be played two ways: All 6-Parts at One Time or The Individual 6-Parts.  Each Chapter is denoted by a visual piece of art.  

Extended scenes (23:05) – the collection of approximate 16 extended scenes can be navigated through the Next and Back Chapter Stop buttons.  Most of the scenes in their extended form can be seen in the integral version. Note the image quality ranges from good to fair.  

Deleted scene (2:40) – the single deleted morgue sequence can be seen in the integral version.  

Theatrical Trailer (1:57)

TV spots (2:36) – five 30-second TV spots.

Stills gallery – the gallery consists of 41 production stills.  The gallery can be navigated by using the Next and Back chapter stops buttons on your remote.

The Final Thought 

Ignite Films have outdone themselves with this 4K edition of Re-Animator.  From transfer to special features, they’ve gone above and beyond.  Highest Recommendations!!

4K UHD Edition of The Re-Animator is out May 20th

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