Re-animator – BLU-RAY / 4K UHD LIMITED EDITION

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Brian Yuzna and Stuart Gordon teamed up somewhat unexpectedly, and together they created a beloved 80s horror film. This collaboration launched a career known for bold and unusual movies, beginning with the highly acclaimed and original horror film ‘Re-animator’ in 1985.

So how did Re-animator ever get made?

Gordon, a long-time experimental theatre director, had adapted H.P. Lovecraft’s novel into a script intended for a TV series. However, he couldn’t secure funding and eventually lost enthusiasm for the project. It remained unfinished until he connected with Brian Yuzna, a rising producer seeking a low-budget horror film. Yuzna envisioned something graphic and sensual, and Gordon’s script had the potential to be reworked and shortened into a feature film to fit that vision.

The story centers on Herbert West, a remarkably intelligent but eccentric medical student, who arrives at Miskatonic Medical School and clashes with his professor over the nature of death. West believes he’s found a way to bring the dead back to life with a special serum, and when his experiments succeed, things quickly spiral out of control. He enlists the help of a classmate, Dan Cain, and Dan’s girlfriend, Megan Halsey, but their shocking work has terrifying consequences. Soon, the school is overrun with the undead, putting everyone on campus in grave danger.

What went on behind the scenes ?

The film had to be made fast with a budget of just $1 million. The effects team only had six weeks to create the prosthetics and relied on student helpers as crew while the directors, Gordon and Yuzna, held paired auditions for actors. Jeffrey Combs was cast as Herbert West, a doctor who reanimates the dead – a role somewhat different from his previous appearance in Steve Martin’s ‘The Man with Two Brains’. David Gale, a British actor known mostly for TV roles in shows like ‘Kojak’ and ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’, joined him as the villain. Reportedly, Gale’s wife was shocked by what she saw at the premiere of ‘Re-Animator’.

The film also featured a romantic subplot with Bruce Abbott and Barbara Crampton, a character not found in the original story but one that cemented Crampton’s status as a horror icon. The movie included a nude scene that launched the intense finale and attracted censorship concerns. However, she wasn’t the only one appearing nude, as the film featured reanimated corpses causing chaos, and the cameraman worked hard to avoid showing too much. Interestingly, one of the actors had previously performed nude scenes as a body double for Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator, so it was a familiar experience.

The film’s dark humor set it apart from typical horror movies and initially impressed viewers at Cannes. However, American censors demanded many changes that director Yuzna refused to make. As a result, the film was released with minimal promotion, but quickly gained a dedicated following through positive word-of-mouth. It proved highly profitable, earning more than double its budget and leading to several sequels.

Those bonus features in full……

Stuart Gordon’s classic horror film is back, newly restored by Second Sight Films! This winter, you can own it on a stunning Dual 4K UHD / Blu-ray Limited Edition or a Standard Edition, packed with all its original gore and a wealth of special features. The Limited Edition comes in a sturdy slipcase with brand new artwork by Krishna Shenoi, and includes a 120-page book featuring a detailed essay. This release is a three-disc set in both UHD and Blu-ray formats, with the main film and bonus content spread across both.

Special Features

  • UHD Presented in HDR with Dolby Vision approved by producer Brian Yuzna
  • Dual format three-disc edition including one UHD and two Blu-rays with main feature and bonus features on both discs
  • Includes ‘The Integral Version’ in HD
  • New Audio Commentary by Eddie Falvey
  • Audio Commentary with director Stuart Gordon
  • Audio Commentary with producer Brian Yuzna and Actors Bruce Abbott, Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton and Robert Sampson
  • The Cosmic Horror of HP Lovecraft: a video essay by Mike Muncer
  • Re-Animator at 40: conversation with actors Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton, and Producer Brian Yuzna
  • Piece By Piece: Cutting Re-Animator: an interview with editor Lee Percy
  • Suzie Sorority and The Good College Boy: an interview with actor Carolyn Purdy-Gordon
  • The Horror of it All: The Legacy and Impact of Re-Animator
  • Barbara Crampton in Conversation
  • A Guide to Lovecraftian Cinema
  • Re-Animator Resurrectus
  • Interview with director Stuart Gordon and producer Brian Yuzna
  • Interview with writer Dennis Paoli
  • Interview with composer Richard Band
  • Interview with former Fangoria editor Tony Timpone
  • Extended Scenes
  • Deleted Scene
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • TV Spots Still
  • Gallery
  • Limited Edition Contents
  • Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Krishna Shenoi
  • 120-page book with new essays by Sean Abley, Becky Darke, Lindsay Hallam, Josh Hurtado, Michelle Kisner, Justin LaLiberty, Phil Nobile Jr and Heather Wixson
  • Six collectors’ art cards

Second Sight’s new release is typically excellent, packed with bonus features. It also includes archival material, a tribute to director Stuart Gordon, who sadly passed away in 2020, and actor David Gale, who died in 1991 but appeared in the 1990 sequel.

Re-Animator is a standout low-budget horror film from the 1980s. It’s become a favorite for both Jeffrey Combs, who delivers a particularly strong performance, and Barbara Crampton, who remarkably looks almost unchanged decades later. The film deserves its popularity because it brilliantly blends comedy and horror, and it also introduced many moviegoers to the work of H.P. Lovecraft.

Here’s the Re-animator trailer……

Re-animator – BLU-RAY / 4K UHD LIMITED EDITION is released on 15th December 2025

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2025-12-13 13:24