Stars:
Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton, David Gale, Robert Sampson, and Jeffrey Combs
Writers:
Dennis Paoli, William J. Norris, and Stuart Gordon
Based
On H.P. Lovecraft’s “Herbert West – The Re-Animator”
Director:
Stuart Gordon
Feature
length: 86 minutes
Extras:
Feature Length Audio Commentary By Writer and Director Stuart Gordon, Feature
Length Audio Commentary With Producer Brian Yuzna and Stars Jeffrey Combs,
Robert Sampson, Barbara Crampton, and Bruce Abbott, New Video Interviews With
Director Stuart Gordon and Producer Brian Yuzna, New Video Interview With Writer
Dennis Paoli, New Video Interview With Composer Richard Band, New Video
Interview With Fangoria Editor Tony Timpone, 16 Extended Scenes, Deleted Scene,
Theatrical Trailer, TV Spots, Music Discussion With Composer Richard Band,
Multi-Angle Storyboards, Behind-The-Scenes Photo Gallery, Biographies and
Filmographies For Cast And Filmmakers, Isolated 5.1 Dolby Digital Music Score
Languages:
English DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Sound, English Dolby Digital 5.1
Surround Sound, English 2.0 Monaural Sound
Subtitles:
N/A
Packaging:
Double Alpha Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 24
Sound:
DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, and
2.0 Monaural Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 1985/DVD Release: 2002
Theatrical
Distributor: Empire Pictures
Home
Video Distributor: Elite Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: Not Rated
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
“Who’s
going to believe a talking head? Get a job in a side show!”
Herbert
West – Re-Animator
Stuart
Gordon’s cinematic adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s “Herbert West – The
Re-Animator” is a cult horror classic attracting fans with every generation.
It was the film Kevin Spacey’s character speaks about in one of the scenes in
the Oscar® Winning Picture “American Beauty” and the original DVD release
has been the most sought after title in the Elite Entertainment catalogue. In
fact aside from being a bestseller, copies of Elite Entertainment’s “H.P.
Lovecraft’s Re-Animator: Special Widescreen Edition” were being sold on
E-Bay for more than a hundred dollars. Last year Elite Entertainment met that
demand be releasing a second pressing of their “H.P. Lovecraft’s
Re-Animator: Special Widescreen Edition” DVD, but now Elite Entertainment is
delivering the definitive home video version of “Re-Animator” with their
“H.P. Lovecraft’s Re-Animator: Millennium Edition” and this DVD is the
best release to come from Elite Entertainment since the dawn of commercial DVD
releases a little less than 5 years ago and in fact is quite possibly the best
horror DVD to be released so far this year!
To
begin with the set features two dual layered DVD-Videos packed with extra
features that go above and beyond any previous release. This DVD kicks ass!
Packaged in a light lime green double alpha keep case to match the color of the
serum Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) injects into his subjects to bring them
back to life, the packaging almost looks like it will glow in the dark. The
transfer for the feature film, deleted scene, extended scenes, and the
theatrical trailer have all been digitally remastered and for the most part
cleaned up to present a version of “H.P. Lovecraft’s Re-Animator” that
looks superior to any previous home video version, including the previous Elite
letterboxed release.
“H.P.
Lovecraft’s Re-Animator: Millennium Edition” features a THX certified
(1.85:1) anamorphic widescreen transfer that is amazing. Granted this is not a
reference quality transfer, but for a low budget cult horror film like
“Re-Animator” this is the transfer from which to measure any other DVD,
laserdisc, and VHS transfer of the film against. There is a marked improvement
in overall picture quality that is even more apparent when one compares this
version with the previous Elite DVD release. The THX Optimizer® program is also
present for picture and sound calibration.
In
addition to the original Two-Channel English Monaural Soundtrack, “H.P.
Lovecraft’s Re-Animator: Millennium Edition” features a wonderful English
DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Soundtrack and a dynamic English Dolby
Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack. Both soundtracks greatly improve upon the
original elements with the DTS having a slightly edgier and somewhat more
aggressive feel to it. Again, considering this film was originally a low budget
horror film release from the mid 1980s, “H.P. Lovecraft’s Re-Animator:
Millennium Edition” is truly impressive in the soundtrack department.
A
new isolated Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound Music Score by Composer Richard
Band is also provided along with the original screen specific audio commentary
by Director Stuart Gordon and the very funny feature length audio commentary
track with Producer Brian Yuzna and Stars Jeffrey Combs, Robert Sampson, Barbara
Crampton, and Bruce Abbott, which were featured on the original DVD release.
While Director Stuart Gordon pauses frequently in a very serious tone, the group
commentary encoded on the DVD is a riot to listen to because the group is
clearly having a blast recording the commentary from the 1995 session that was
also originally included on the original laserdisc release from Elite
Entertainment. Unfortunately there are no captioning or subtitles encoded for
the hearing impaired.
The
menus on both discs are fully animated with full motion scene selections on disc
one as well as motion images from the film on both discs and animated
transitions and all of the interactive menus on both discs are easy to navigate.
The
second disc contains the rest of the extra features, which include a new
49-minute videotaped interview with Director Stuart Gordon and Producer Brian
Yuzna. They both quiz each other at times as they fondly recount memories that
include casting Jeffrey Combs, David Gale, and Bruce Abbott, the genesis of the
screen adaptation from being a part of a five part anthology series for
television to the first 2-½ hour cut they screened. They discuss how the film
has changed their lives as well as the surprise critical reaction and some
anecdotes about early screenings. The interview concludes with mention of the
third film in the series in development with Brian Yuzna entitled “Beyond
Re-Animator.” (Note the title
could change.)
There
is also a new 11-minute interview with Writer Dennis Paoli, who is a
dissertation away from a Doctorate in Gothic Literature. Very articulately Mr.
Paoli discusses Lovecraft as literature and how the screenplay was developed.
Composer Richard Band participated in a 14-minute interview that for me was
surprisingly engrossing because while I appreciate music scoring, I have to
admit that I’m not a big film score buff, but Mr. Band gives an excellent
commentary that includes how he purposely incorporated the “Psycho” like
music to give the film a twisted edge and as if the film did not have one
already, Mr. Band’s reasoning is not only understandable, I think he is
correct. Richard Band also provides a discussion for four scenes, which are
presented with the isolated Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Score Mix with videotaped
introductions. These can be viewed individually or as one reel with a length of
6-minutes. Fangoria Editor Tony Timpone also provides a 5-minute videotaped
interview, which details the impact “H.P. Lovecraft’s Re-Animator” had on
both the magazine and horror films as a whole.
16
extended scenes are presented and have been digitally restored and are all
presented in an anamorphic (1.85:1) aspect ratio. The scenes can be viewed
individually or as a whole with an approximate length of 23-minutes. The
3-minute deleted nightmare scene and theatrical trailer are also presented in
anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) aspect ratios. The soundtrack for the extended
scenes, deleted scene, and trailer is English Two-Channel Monaural. Five
(1.33:1) TV Spots are also included with English Two-Channel Monaural Sound and
there are three storyboard to completed scene comparisons that allows the viewer
to use the angle button on their remote to switch between them and these scene
to storyboard comparisons can be viewed individually or as one reel with an
approximate combined length of 4-minutes. An extensive behind-the-scenes photo
gallery and cast and filmmaker biographies and filmographies wrap up the extra
features in this DVD set. The back of the DVD packaging features a brief note
from Brian Yuzna.
Elite
Entertainment’s “H.P. Lovecraft’s Re-Animator: Millennium Edition” is
available now on DVD-Video and I think this might truly be one of the best
horror film DVD releases of this year and you can quote me on it!
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
The Top Ten DVD-Videos Of 2002 As Reviewed At GENRE ONLINE.NET!