Cultwatch! Re-Animator

We’re back with another weird and potentially wonderful cult film!

This time around, Jimmy and Tom are covering the 1985 splatterfest gore comedy Re-Animator.

Re-Animator

tomk:  Should I be watching this one with my cat sitting next to me?

jimmy:  Too late now, but no.

tomk:  Good thing she doesn’t care.

Did you?

jimmy:  It was a little rough around the edges, but it was…surprisingly good.

tomk:  So, you liked this one for the most part?

jimmy:  Yes. Definitely. You?

tomk:  Yes. And not because of the Watson reason.

jimmy:  Being a creepy roommate?

tomk:  I meant a blonde woman’s wardrobe for much of the movie…or lack thereof.

jimmy:  Oh, I hadn’t noticed.

tomk:  Was Ms. Impossible in the room for this one?

jimmy:  …no…this would not be Ms. Impossible-friendly.

tomk:  I think I could see why. A guy got swallowed by the reanimated intestines of a headless corpse.

jimmy:  Of all the crazy in this movie, that was the one thing that never made sense.

tomk:  Admittedly, that was pretty crazy.

jimmy:  I mean, the rest, others might consider crazy, but at least that…kinda seemed like science run amok. The intestines thing just seemed like sci-fi run amok.

tomk:  So injecting extra formula into other dead tissue can’t create additional crazy effects?

jimmy:  C’mon, Tom, be logical.

tomk:  Yeah. What was I thinking considering the head in a pan had some sort of mental control over the other zombies?

jimmy:  That’s a known fact about putting your head in a pan. I was more impressed with his ability to control his decapitated body.

tomk:  That came from the original H.P. Lovecraft short story this movie is based on.

jimmy:  Now, that seems like something you would know a lot about and I would know nothing about.

tomk:  Well, let’s see if I can find someone else to explain it better…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3QhAWlwZDo&t=51s

I always find the strangest people to explain things…

jimmy:  Ok, I’m still watching this video, but there are definitely things here that I didn’t see. Apparently there are two cuts: an r-rated and an unrated version.

tomk:  There were also two sequels which both had Jeffrey Combs.

jimmy:  I guess he escapes those intestines…

tomk:  And everything else in there with him.

jimmy:  So…how come the serum seemed to drive everyone mad…except Dr. Hill…because he was just a head? Or…that he had some kind of psychic power?

tomk:  Maybe he was already mad.

And the madness is said to be a lot of physical pain.

jimmy:  Maybe he can’t feel the pain because he is bodyless. But can still breath, and drink bags of blood. Maybe I should stop trying to think too logically about this. 🙂

tomk:  They brought the cat back twice. Physical abuse to the corpse made no difference in reviving something.

jimmy:  Poor Mr. Snuggleboots.

tomk:  Maybe that cat had it coming.

jimmy:  They are inherently evil.

tomk:  No comment.

My cat might be listening to me type.

jimmy:  Haha

tomk:  Well, did Herbert kill the cat the first time?

jimmy:  I would say yes.

tomk:  Why? Because he’s a creepy mad scientist with a dedication to science?

jimmy:  Yes?

tomk:  Good enough for me!

jimmy:  What did you think?

tomk:  I…don’t know. Probably, but there’s enough ambiguity to make it doubtful. He does have such a trusting face.

jimmy:  He does have a grown up Harry Potter look to him.

tomk:  Except he predates Harry Potter.

What if he’s Harry’s real father?

jimmy:  No wonder Voldemort is so interested in him.

tomk:  He does look like he gave Snape some potions lessons.

Don’t tell Jenny. She’d be so upset.

jimmy:  Because she likes potions?

tomk:  Because she would be heartbroken to learn James Potter was not the real father.

jimmy:  Eh…he turned out alright either way.

tomk:  Herbert West Junior and the Chamber Of Secrets doesn’t have the same ring to it.

jimmy:  We could call him Hewju.

tomk:  Hmm.

Well, we’re going in weird directions now. You said you liked this one despite some rough edges. What did you like about it?

jimmy:  Good story. It wasn’t really cheesy. Mostly passable acting.

tomk:  Jeffrey Combs is awesome.

jimmy:  Yes, that was my next bullet point. And many people probably wouldn’t recognize him.

tomk:  He does a lot of B movie type horror movies. He did some episodes of Enterprise. And for Justice League Unlimited, he voiced…wait and see there.

jimmy:  I know him from Star Trek mainly.

tomk:  He does have a very distinctive voice.

jimmy:  Did you recognize anyone else in the cast?

tomk:  No.

jimmy:  Me neither.

tomk:  Barbara Crampton apparently did a lot of soap operas. She, Combs, and director Stuart Gordon teamed up for an even looser Lovecraff adaptation after this one.

jimmy:  Re-Animator 2: Re-Animatorer

tomk:  Nope. She’s not in Bride of the Re-Animator.

The actual movie is called From Beyond.

jimmy:  Never heard of it.

tomk:  I had because a sarcastic Canadian guy I like reviewed it on his YouTube show.

jimmy:  Those Canadian guys are the worst.

tomk:  I find them charming.

jimmy:  *Is he hitting on me?*

tomk:  *NO*

or is he?

jimmy: I’m flattered. Maybe a little curious. But I don’t go in for those backdoor shenanigans.

tomk:  That’s the title of Watson’s memoir.

jimmy:  lol

tomk:  I would so Photoshop Watson’s face onto a book called Backdoor Shenanigans if I knew how.

jimmy:  Some things are better left undone.

tomk:  Like continually raising the dead?

jimmy:  No. That’s ok.

tomk:  But the car’s OK?

jimmy:  Uh huh

tomk:  All right then.

But I think we agreed we liked Herbert West. What about the assistant roommate guy whose name I forgot?

jimmy:  Doctor Outerbridge?

tomk:  Or Dan Cain. I looked it up. Not Dean Cain. Dan.

jimmy:  He’s no Superman, but throws a mean cat.

tomk:  Does he throw nice cats?

jimmy:  Only if they’re bad.

tomk:  I thought asking about nice cats would be a trick question.

jimmy:  I thought the cast was fine. No absolutely horrible acting like say Flash Gordon. Ms. Dan Cain wasn’t that great, but she did have great big tracts of land going for her.

tomk:  All she does is scream and threaten to call her daddy. She didn’t have much to do.

The security guard got more personality.

jimmy:  And liked to admire the ladies as well.

tomk:  Hey, the black guy didn’t die first. That’s noteworthy for an 80s horror movie.

jimmy:  Or at all.

tomk:  That’s even more noteworthy.

jimmy:  So, you said there were two sequels?

tomk:  Yeah. I’ve never seen either of them. The third movie only brought back Combs.

But should Jenny watch this one for her Halloween marathon?

jimmy:  She should have watched it last week with us!

tomk:  No accounting for the lack of assistance all our cool projects get around here, Jimmy.

jimmy:  Jerks.

To answer your question, yes, yes she should.

tomk:  We should tell her so. Or at least tell Jonathan. Better chance to get it done that way unless we change the title to Disney’s Re-Animator.

jimmy:  Haha, good point.

tomk:  I think Jenny would get mad at the depiction of the female lead anyway.

jimmy:  Possible. But she is friends with Watson, so we know she likes boobs.

tomk:  Does she like Watson?

jimmy:  I said friends…not like.

tomk:  Silly me.

Anything else?

jimmy:  Hmm…I guess not. Should we vote?

tomk:  Or grade.

Let’s say 9 out of 10 exploding eyeballs.

jimmy:  lol…now why did I say vote?

tomk:  You want to pick your favorite?

jimmy:  I’ll go 8.5 another movie with people dying with their eyeballs bulging out.  Tom, are you picking these on purpose because of that out of 10?

tomk:  Um, no.

Would you like to try something that I don’t think has any of that?

jimmy:  Well, I have enjoyed the eye-popping deaths…but sure, why not?

tomk:  Have you seen the martial arts extravaganza The Raid?

jimmy:  I have not.

tomk:  Then dust off your reading glasses for some subtitles because you are in for a treat!

jimmy:  What if I can’t read good?

tomk:  Hooked on Phonics works for me!

NEXT TIME:  Tom and Jimmy are going to Indonesia and seeing about The Raid.  And it will be awesome.  Probably.