RE-ANIMATOR
PLOT-Two medical students develop a serum that gives life to dead bodies & parts.
WHY IT'S A CLASSIC-When I'm feeling down about the state of modern horror films, or even after I've just seen a crappy one, I can always play this movie to make myself feel better. They don't get much better than this, and I mean that. In the opening scene, before the credits roll, you know what kind of film it's going to be. A guy screams and his eyeballs blow out! Jeffrey Combs is one of the best actors around, and manages to come across strongly in a matter of seconds as the character of Herbert West. As with my other favorite films, this one is also armed with an insane sense of humor. It takes no pity on the audience, and does whatever the hell it wants, often with shocking results. RE-ANIMATOR is a reminder of a long-gone era of horror filmmaking, that "anything goes" style unconcerned with making an artistic statement. It goes directly for the thrills and delivers on all levels: gore, nudity, and scares.
MEMORABLE SCENES-The sinister Dr. Hill, having been re-animated after getting his head chopped off with a shovel, still manages to get around as just a head with the help of his body. He kidnaps the dean's daughter (Barbara Crampton) and straps her, butt-naked, to a table. His body then grabs his decapitated head and it starts licking her and...uh...see this movie.
DVD DETAILS-This disc is awesome (and by now, out of print). It has 2 commentary tracks, one featuring the main actors (except David "Dr. Hill" Gale, who died some years ago), and one with director Stuart Gordon. Both are well worth your time if you're a fan. Plus, the disc also has a bunch of deleted scenes, including a dream sequence (featuring lots more nudity from Crampton). No extra gore, even though the commentary states that the first cut ran over 2 hours!