Freddy's 31 Days of Horror Day 8: Brian Yuzna's Bride of Re-Animator

One of the most bonkers movies of the eighties was the modernized adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's Re-Animator directed by indie/Full Moon go to director Stuart Gordon. It introduced us to the insanity that is Dr. Herbert West and his quest to conquer life after death, played by one of the greatest actors who ever lived, Jeffrey Combs! What do you do for a sequel? Well producer Brian Yuzna says let's crank it up to eleven and give the Re-Animator a Bride!

bride-1It's been eight months since the Miskatonic Massacre and it seems the good Dr. West along with his associate Dan Caine have traveled to Peru and become medics in a bloody civil war to gain access to fresh bodies and exotic reptilian organs! With their research complete and their side of the war losing they return home to use their new discoveries to cheat death! Dan is still an emotional wreck after losing his girlfriend Meg and West is the worst emotional crutch anyone could have. After discovering the remnants of Meg's heart they decide to use it to test out their theory of creating life from different body parts and organs! The many missing body parts don't go unnoticed as a detective who lost his wife in the Miskatonic Massacre is hot on their tails and has found the missing head of none other than West's rival, Dr. Hill who once reanimated has some nefarious plans of his own against West!

main-bride-of-reanimator_LRGThis movie has so many special FX artists, studios and names in it it's crazy. From Mad George to KNB FX group you start to get all kinds of crazy creatures. That's the most interesting aspect is in the first movie they're merely trying to resurrect life but here they're trying to create it. Dr. West seems to have gained a morbid fascination with sticking different body parts and organs together creating all kinds of creatures, all stop motion and some of the most believable stop motion I've ever seen. The end sequence where we have a mausoleum of monsters is some of the most deranged creativity I've seen and it makes a lot of sense Greg Nicoterro had a hand in some of the cadaver creations as he comes from a doctor background through his father.

Bora_4This is also one of my favorite opening sequences of any movie, you literally are run into an infirmary in the middle of a civil war. Bombs are dropping, gunshots are heard and blood is spewing left and right and smack dab in the middle of it are Dan and West, it is the best chaotic way to reintroduce us to these characters after the crazed ending of the first film. The characters are really on point too. Dan as always is thinking with the wrong head and doing anything and everything for the ladies while West is back with his dry humor and quips to counter Dan, "Dan don't let your little head over power your big head." Jeffry Combs as always delivers a scene stealing performance and this movie is worth the watch for his facial reactions to things alone as he is such a larger than life character. He tries so hard to be there for Dan but his concern is so awkward and misplaced it just doesn't work out for him.

re-animator 2The Bride herself is shown off in a scene with one of the best monologues ever as Dr. West explains to Dan where each part of her body came from in a line of morbid poetry and performance that only Jeffrey Combs could deliver. Once she is animated, we are given a grotesque and pitiable creature that only seeks love from it's cold creator and lover. But as all monster loves go they never end well as she literally tears out her heart for her lover and presents it to him!

For Brian Yuzna to step up from producer to director this is an excellent film! A great fun sequel that enhances the mythos, ups the gore factor and gives us so many great moments and monsters. This definitely stands as it's own movie and revitalizes itself perfectly with Dr. West's reagent!

23 Days til' Halloween Halloween!
23 Days til' Halloween! Silver Shamrock!