Essays · Movies

31 Days of Horror: Re-Animator

Really good horror comedies are notoriously rare, but this one works because it’s balls to the wall nuttiness.
By  · Published on October 4th, 2008

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Re-Animator (1985)

Synopsis: Mad scientist Herbert West has developed a glowing green serum that can bring the dead back to life. The formula hasn’t quite been perfected yet resulting in corpses that return angry, violent, and leaky. Things get ugly when an ethically challenged fellow scientist combines West’s notes on re-animation with his own theories on mind control, and all hell breaks loose in the hospital’s morgue.

Killer Scene: If you’ve seen Re-Animator then you know the scene ahead… The evil (and headless) body of Dr. Hill straps an unconscious Megan Halsey (Barbara Crampton) to the table while her zombified father rips the clothes from her body. Hill’s hands begin to play while daddy zones out in the corner. The doctor’s bloody and decapitated head commands the body to pick him up and face-plant him between her legs… this one’s crazy, folks.

KILLSHEET

Violence: Eyeballs inflate and explode, fingers are chewed off, a bone-saw is driven into a guys back and out through his chest, a head is severed by way of a shovel, and intestines burst from a body with a vengeance.

Scares: This is not a scary movie. There may be one or two scenes that might make you jump, but only if you’re not used to horror films. And between the comedy and the over-the-top gore, violence, and action, there’s not really any palpable dread either.

Final Word: Re-Animator is a classic of gore and dark comedy. Really good horror comedies are notoriously rare, but this one works because it’s balls to the wall nuttiness. It’s gory, campy, gooey, funny, gross, and a definite conversation starter. Watch it with your friends and lovers and a fun night is guaranteed.

What’s your favorite horror comedy?

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Rob Hunter has been writing for Film School Rejects since before you were born, which is weird seeing as he's so damn young. He's our Chief Film Critic and Associate Editor and lists 'Broadcast News' as his favorite film of all time. Feel free to say hi if you see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.