Re-Animator is one of the key/ important horror films of the 1980s, for more than a few reasons. First off, it brought the mad doctor horror form up to gory and black comedy date. It introduced cult horror writer HP Lovecraft to a wider horror audience,  and it stood as one of the key films released by Charles Band’s Empire studio. It’s also a damn fine film, with wonderful pacing, a well-selected cast, and still surprisingly effective with its special effects, and blend of shocking horror and comedy. Here from Second Sight is a new two-disc- featuring a new 4k scan, new and old commentary tracks, and a good selection of old and new extras.

Re-Animator appeared in the year 1985. It was directed by Chicago-born Stuart Gordon and was fairly loosely based on Lovecraft’s 1922  short story Herbert West- Reanimator. It was the tenth film to come out of the Empire studio, and is easily their best-selling/known film.

The pre-credit scene opens in an esteemed corridor of a medical university in Zurich, where strange screams and wails can be heard from a classroom. Staff break into find the white jacketed and bespectacled Herbert West- played by Jeffrey Combs( The Frighteners, Would You Rather) in a career-defining role- straggling with a bloody bulbous-eyed figure of the place's head Doctor. We then kick into the iconic credits, which feature twisting and turning anatomical illustrations edged with green glowing into dark fluid, which in the film brings things back to life. Playing over the top, we have Richard Band’s urgent/macabre score, which certainly nods towards Bernard Hermann’s score for Psycho, but manages to have its own identity.

As we get into the film, we get to meet our other lead characters, who are all connected to  Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts, where Mr West has been sent to after his incident. There’s conscientious Dr in training Dan Cain( Bruce Abbott), his blond and beautiful girlfriend Megan( Barbara Crampton), and her father/the dean of the university Dean Halsey(Robert Sampson). And the key lecturer/ Doctor at the university, the rather smugly arrogant/ creepy Dr. Carl Hill(David Gale).

In due course, Herbert is moving in with Dan, using his basement as a place to do his experiments. These begin with the reanimation of  Dan’s cat -twice!, before moving onto human subjects- some dead for a time, and some recently passed.

The blend of gore and very dark comedy is mixed to perfection- leaving you chuckling, as you're grossed out by the effects. These include a circular bone saw through the body, a gruelling decapitation with a shovel, both severed head & body reanimation,  bloody head squishing, and demented & rapidly curling around a body's intestines.

The film slides in at just under the one hour and thirty minutes mark- and it's active and entertaining throughout. The whole cast is perfectly picked- though I’d say the highlights are Combs the snappy/ curt West, and Abbot as the initially smug/low-grade sleazy Dr. Carl Hill- who later turns well untruly demented/unhinged.

I first saw Re-Animator when it appeared on the VHS racks in the 80s, and I’d still say it’s as impactful & enjoyable slice of horror as it was then- with really few of the effects/ gore looking at all dated.

Moving on to this new double Blu-ray set. We get a 4k print of the film- this is very clean and crisp- with lovely definition throughout. And on the extra side, we certainly get a good selection of new and old things.

On the new side, we have a commentary from film academic Eddie Falvey, who wrote the 2021 book about the film Re-Animator (Devil’s Advocates). The track is very well researched/ detailed, and it manages to largely sway away from stuffy academia.  He begins by touching on the original Lovecraft story the film was based on- saying it wasn’t the best of the writer's work, Lovecraft himself didn’t like it, and it was only really featured in collections of the author's work after the release of the film. He talks about the interior/exterior locations in the films' pre-credits, before discussing the credits themselves- pointing out notable names. He points out one of the nice early tracking shots, and finds out the film cost eight hundred thousand dollars to make. He discusses the fictional Miskatonic University- how it appears in the writer's work, and the locations used for it in the film.  He talks about each of the film's lead characters and those who play them. He touches on the comedy horror genre of the 1980s, and where Re-Animator sits in it. He talks about how the effectiveness of the effects got the film in trouble with censors worldwide, been outright banned in Sweden. He discusses the sexualized violence within the film. Later on, he compares the film to David Cronenberg’s The Fly, and talks in general about films that link the mad scientist trope to toxic masculinity with a pronounced sexual dimension.  He comments on moments of physical comedy in the picture, and much more. So it’s a track very much worth a play.

Otherwise, on the new side, we have the following: The Cosmic Horror of HP Lovecraft( 9.23) a video essay by Mike Muncer. Re-Animator at 40(44.42) conversation with actors Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton, and Producer Brian Yuzna. Piece By Piece Cutting Re-Animator( 14.57)  an interview with editor Lee Percy. Suzie Sorority and The Good College Boy( 14.07) an interview with actor Carolyn Purdy-Gordon. The Horror of it All (18.19) The Legacy and Impact of Re-Animator.

On the archive side, we have two commentary tracks- one with director Stuart Gordon. And one with producer Brian Yuzna and Actors Bruce Abbott, Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton and Robert Sampson. There’s Barbara Crampton in Conversation( 36.14). A Guide to Lovecraftian Cinema(54.04). Re-Animator Resurrectus( 1 hour 8). Interview with director Stuart Gordon and producer Brian Yuzna (48.47) Interview with writer Dennis Paoli (10.41). Interview with composer Richard Band (14,43). Interview with former Fangoria editor Tony Timpone (4.43). Extended scenes ( 23.36). Deleted Scene (2.40). Theatrical Trailer, TV Spots, and Stills Gallery.

On the second Blu-ray we have just the Integral Version of the film- presented in HD, with a runtime of 144.59.

There are several variations of this release- standard Blu-ray and UHD versions, and a deluxe box set taking in  a rigid slipcase with new artwork by Krishna Shenoi . A one hundred and twenty page book with new essays by Sean Abley, Becky Darke, Lindsay Hallam, Josh Hurtado, Michelle Kisner, Justin LaLiberty, Phil Nobile Jr and Heather Wixson , and six collectors' art cards.

If you have even a passing interest in cinematic horror, Re-Animator is a must-see, and what better way to see it than via this Second Sight release. It’s truly packed high with wonderful extras and features a classy 4k print of the film