Re-Animator: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1985
Director: Stuart Gordon
Writers: Dennis Paoli, William Norris, Stuart Gordon
Cast: Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton, David Gale, Robert Sampson

Release Date: August 8th, 2017
Approximate running times: 86 Minutes 6 Seconds (Unrated Version), 104 Minutes 56 Seconds (Integral Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English (Both Versions), LPCM Stereo English (Unrated Version), LPCM Mono English (Unrated Version)
Subtitles: English SDH (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: OOP

"When medical student Dean Cain advertises for a roommate, he soon finds one in the form of Dr. Herbert West. Initially a little eccentric, it some becomes clear that West entertains some seriously outlandish theories specifically, the possibility of re-animating the dead. It's not long before Dean finds himself under West's influence, and embroiled in a serious of ghoulish experiments which threaten to go wildly out of control..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (Unrated Version, Integral Version)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Both the Unrated and Integral versions of Re-Animator were fully restored at TLEFilms FRPS, sources from the original film and audio elements. The original 35mm camera negative and interpositive elements were scanned in 5K sensor/4K resolution on the IMAGICA Imager XE Advanced Plus film scanner. The colour grading was completed on the Baselight using a 6-meter screen via 2K-native Christic DCI projector, a 10- bit OLED TV and CRT studio reference monitors.

Extensive digital restoration work was performed using Furnace, Combustion and PF Clean to repair issues such as dirt, scratches, torn or missing frames, and photochemical lab damage. The work was performed carefully to ensure no digital artefacts would be created."

Re-Animator unrated version comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.8 GB

Feature: 27 GB

Re-Animator integral version comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.5 GB

Feature: 28.8 GB

The transfers for both versions are in great shape, and any imperfections are minor. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, contrast is good, black levels are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 English), 4.25/5 (LPCM Stereo English, LPCM Mono English)

The unrated version comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English, a LPCM stereo mix in English, and a LPCM mono mix in English. The integral version comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. Both versions come with removable English SDH subtitles.

The two DTS-HD 5.1 tracks are similar, and the stereo and mono tracks are comparable quality-wise. All four audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, ambient sounds are well-represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust. And though the two DTS-HD 5.1 tracks open up the sound spectrum, notably the rear channels, the other two tracks are more preferable choices that provide very satisfying audio experiences.

Extras:

Extras on disc one include a stills gallery, five T.V. spots (2 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer (1 minute 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), three scenes with multi-angle storyboard (48 seconds, 2 minutes 51 seconds, 1 minute 20 seconds), deleted scenes (2 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), extended scenes (23 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with director Stuart Gordon and producer Brian Yuzna (48 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with screenwriter Dennis Paoli (10 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with composer Richard Band (14 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Fangoria editor Tony Timpone (4 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a second archival interview with Richard Band titled Music Discussion (16 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled Barbara Crampton in Conversation (16 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled Theater of Blood - Re-Animator: The Musical (12 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled The Catastrophe of Success: Stuart Gordon and the Organic Theater (13 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a documentary titled Re-Animator: Resurrectus (68 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an Isolated music track, an audio commentary track is with Stuart Gordan, an audio commentary track is with Brian Yuzna and actors Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Bruce Abbott, and Robert Sampson and an audio commentary track is with Stuart Gordon, and actors Graham Skipper and Jesse Merlin of Re-Animator: The Musical.

Extras on disc two include an audio supplement featuring Jeffrey Combs reading Lovecraft’s original short story titled Doug Bradley’s Spinechillers: Herbert West – Reanimator (98 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and a featurette titled A Guide to Lovecraftian Cinema (54 minutes 2 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles). 

Other extras include four postcard sized lobby card reproductions (only available as part of this limited-edition release), Re-Animator the original 1991 comic book adaptation (92 pages), reprinted in its entirety (only available as part of this limited-edition release), and a twenty-four page booklet (only available as part of this limited-edition release) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Yucking it Up: The Black (And Red) Humor of Re-Animator written by Michael Gingold and information about the transfers.

Summary:

Re-Animator was directed by Stuart Gordon, who is best known for his adaptations of the literary works of H.P. Lovecraft. His other notable films are From Beyond, Dolls, and Dagon.

Although there have been numerous film adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft's literary works, the final results have frequently failed to capture the essence of the stories that inspired them. By the 1980s things looked bleak for fans of H.P. Lovecraft who were hoping for a cinema adaptation that perfectly captured the vibe of his literary works. This brings us to Stuart Gordon’s adaptation of Herbert West—Reanimator, a film that has since become regarded as the best cinematic adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s literary works.

Content-wise, Re-Animator skillfully balances H.P. Lovecraft’s cosmic sense of wonder with a dark sense of humor that is deeply rooted in the macabre. From the very beginning, Re-Animator makes it clear that it is willing to embrace the well-worn tropes of the horror genre. Its unflinching approach to portraying mayhem stands out as one of its greatest strengths.

There are so many things that can go wrong when making a film, and even if everything falls into place, nothing is more devastating than miscasting. Fortunately, Re-Animator is a film that's perfectly cast, and one could not see anyone else in these roles, especially Jeffrey Combs's (Frightmare) inspired portrayal of Herbert West. His character is focused on one goal, and his performance flawlessly gets across his determination to achieve it at any cost. The other performance of note is David Gale (Syngenor) in the role of Dr. Carl Hill, a professor who will do anything to obtain Herbert West’s research on reanimating the dead.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Re-Animator does not excel. The narrative is a perfect blend of mayhem and carnage that does an exceptional job building to an outlandish finale that serves as a very satisfying conclusion. While gore is the main attraction, one should not overlook how effectively Re-Animator employs humor, especially when it comes to the most blood-soaked moments. Although cinema has become more favorable to H.P. Lovecraft since Re-Animator, this film still remains the high-water mark for adaptations. Ultimately, Re-Animator is an exceptional film that deserves its reputation as one of horror cinema’s best films.

Arrow Video gives Re-Animator its best home video release to date, highly recommended.

Note: The limited-edition release is OOP. Arrow Video has since released a standard version that drops the Blu-ray disc with the integral version, four lobby cards, the comic book, and the booklet.

Written by Michael Den Boer