Blu-ray Review: Remastered Edition of Gore Masterpiece ‘Re-Animator’

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CHICAGO – Stuart Gordon’s “Re-Animator” is a gore masterpiece, one of the best horror movies of its type ever made. It is pure lunacy, the kind of movie that will be just as shocking to audiences decades from now as it was when audiences first saw a severed head sexually molest a captive woman. “Re-Animator” brilliantly reimagines the “Frankenstein” myth of bringing what has passed back to life in all its gruesome potential. And the new Blu-ray features a well-mastered HD transfer along with some great special features.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

There’s little need to overly polish “Re-Animator.” It’s a film for which a bit of grit and grain to the picture seems appropriate. And so the modestly remastered transfer on the Blu-ray makes for a good fit. It’s nothing you’re going to use to show off your TV but it looks right for the movie.

More impressive is the collection of special features, especially the hour-long “Re-Animator Resurrectus,” a fascinating piece that delves into all aspects of the film including interviews with most of the major players. There are audio commentaries, interviews, deleted scenes, and more in a fantastic collection of bonus material for horror fans. Sure, most of it has been available before but not on Blu-ray and “Re-Animator” is a film that every good horror fan needs to own on Blu-ray. While more and more of the horror films of the ’80s have started to show their age, “Re-Animator” feels like it would still work were it released in 2012. In fact, it would be the best horror movie of the year.

Re-Animator was released on Blu-ray on September 4, 2012
Photo credit: Image

Synopsis:
Deep within the morgue at Miskatonic University, madman Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) introduces fellow graduate student Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott) to his formula for the re-animation of fresh corpses. But the secret of life and death has some very messy consequences. Get ready to experience one of the most outrageously inventive, over-the-top classic horror films of all time!

Click here to buy “Re-Animator”

Special Features:
o Documentary: Re-Animator Resurrectus
o Audio Commentary By Director Stuart Gordon
o Audio Commentary By Producer Brian Yuzna and Actors Bruce Abbott, Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton and Robert Sampson
o Interview With Director Stuart Gordon and Producer Brian Yunza
o Interview With Writer Dennis Paoli
o Interview With Composer Richard Band
o Music Discussion With Composer Richard Band
o Interview With Fangoria Magazine Editor Tony Timpone
o Deleted And Extended Scenes
o Theatrical Trailer
o TV Spots

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com