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Re-Animator
Re-Animator
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Re-Animator

Re-Animator

1985
Comedy, Sci-fi
1h 24m
A dedicated student at a medical college and his girlfriend become involved in bizarre experiments centering around the re-animation of dead tissue when an odd new student arrives on campus. (imdb)

Re-Animator

1985
Comedy, Sci-fi
1h 24m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 58.66% from 1944 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(1959)
Compact view
Compact view
Rated 09 Jul 2007
95
96th
CLAAAAASSIC. For whatever reason, this film really did it for me on every possible level. I love the aesthetic, the premise, the characters, the horror, THE HORROR! I have a painfully geeky crush on Jeffrey Combs, and his prickly, twitchy portrayal of Herbet West was genius of the mad variety. If I had 500 thumbs, they would all be up. If I were a 5'5" thumb, I would be standing perfectly erect right now. This film re-animated MY HEART.
Rated 01 Aug 2018
93
96th
You ever hear about a movie and just kinda of know; "this shit's gonna be my jams," well that's how I felt about this gory, campy, over-the-top, dark comedy/horror/sci-fi 80's B-movie. Luckily to my delight, the movie really lived up to my expectations, and became an instant classic. -"Who's going to believe a talking head? Get a job in a sideshow."
Rated 29 Jul 2016
76
75th
This is a load of insane 80s fun. Plenty of schlocky gore, enthusiastic performances and effective black comedy - it is by turns genuinely gruesome, horrifying and very amusing. Jeffrey Combs is very watchable as the "passionate" scientist. And what's with that re-animated Psycho score? Somehow seems appropriate. Well worth seeing.
Rated 28 Mar 2024
88
74th
Appropriately, this movie is a stitched-together, Frankenstein-like pastiche of older horror movies (including a score straight-up stolen from Psycho - did someone get sued?), but it all still works like gangbusters. A lot of good '80s fun, with gore and sleaze to spare.
Rated 27 Oct 2011
64
68th
I'm not sure if this is what Lovecraft intended, but hell if it doesn't work. Never have I laughed so hard at a decapitated head rape, and I've seen my sha-- Ahem!
Rated 22 Apr 2010
87
88th
Outrageous. Rides the demented stallion of a premise for all its worth. The technical proficiency and continual stake raising left me agog. Seamless integration of such audacious ideas speaks to a subtlety that belies the genre. Truly the apex of horror comedy.
Rated 26 Nov 2017
8
78th
A glorious, deliciously grotesque macabre fest that just screams 80's and gets better and better as it amps up the insanity. Shamelessly inspired by, if not ripping off countless other horror classics, Re-Animator gets by on sheer entertainment and filmmaking chops alone and Herbert West is right up there with Doc Brown when it comes to wacky, crazy scientists gone haywire. Blood, tits and gore, what more could you ask for.
Rated 06 Mar 2014
97
97th
It gets extra points because I always imagine it's the mischievous cat from Alien.
Rated 10 Oct 2010
75
85th
Phenomenal opening. 'Decapitated Cunnilingus' would make for a great band name.
Rated 03 Jul 2007
75
52nd
If you see one movie with a decapitated head performing oral rape on a woman this summer...
Rated 27 Dec 2018
95
96th
Jump started a love for good trash cinema. I remember getting the highlighter green dvd on a whim as a young clean boy and leaving my room a pock marked hideous man.
Rated 16 Jul 2013
87
85th
The script is an erudite, batty ouroboros of foreshadowing, smut, and innuendo -- it's brilliant. Nigh a thing in this film should be changed. You'll be crying from laughter and puking at the same time, which we know is the goal of all High Art. The unique combination of fluids leaves quite a refreshing taste in your mouth.
Rated 25 Aug 2021
78
66th
While Lovecraft adaptations have never really had much success on the big screen, this one was modestly successful enough to kick off long running careers in b-movies for Combs and Gordon both. The success is largely due to some decent and creative practical effects and gore.
Rated 30 Oct 2015
75
61st
So I settled down to watch this culty classic one Saturday with a joint and a few beers, I'm not particularly proud of that, but thought it might be relevant for the context of this review. Ordinarily I'd say it's styled mix of horror and comedy is off-putting and entertaining and a little clumsy in places, but ultimately enjoyable. As an added bonus, given my state while watching this, by the time it got to a certain talked about cunnilingus scene I was also questioning my life choices.
Rated 29 Oct 2015
78
89th
Along with Sam Raimi, Stuart Gordon defined the gonzo horror comedy in the 1980's, pushing the rigid boundaries of the genre in bizarrely inventive ways. Like Raimi, Gordon is a master of controlled chaos: he never lets the picture get away from him, no matter how absurd or outrageous it becomes. Reanimator piles on the blood and gore to delirious effect, bolstered greatly by a bold star turn by Combs as the mad but brilliant scientist. Grand Guignol is rarely this fun.
Rated 06 Oct 2015
87
85th
A wonderful exercise in black comedy camp and practical effects. The over-the-top gore is oddly charming, as are Combs' uppity med student and Gale's lecherous professor. A good doctor knows when to quit...
Rated 08 Dec 2014
80
80th
Disgusting and hilarious in equal measure. It has a very unique take on the whole horror comedy sub-genre, combining increasingy graphic splatter with increasingly absurd character drama into a very knowingly campy and strangely coherent fiesta of depravity. Starts over the top but continues to find new tops to break through and impressively manages to maintain its weird tone and momentum to the end. Nothing else quite like it in horror cinema.
Rated 17 Sep 2010
65
46th
A bit slow paced in the build up but the climax, involving oral rape by decapitated head, is not to be missed. Fun and gory at the same time. Oh, and Jeffrey Combs delivers an excellent performance as the mad scientist West: "No, I gave him life!!"
Rated 10 Jul 2010
90
98th
Never mind cardboard characters devoid of personality, and unoriginal sci-fi/horror themes - this film triumphs because it pushes the boundaries of the sick and twisted and never takes itself too seriously. For what is essentially a cartoon, the plot was excellent, very direct and full of surprises. Having a disembodied head slavering over a naked hottie is just too cool. Great effects, good performances, and the tone of the film is perfectly balanced between suspense and humour. Love Lovecraft.
Rated 07 Feb 2010
73
79th
The unusually excellent directing, acting, visual effects and music (Richard Band you rule) conspire to make this one of the best horror movies of its era. It builds up to a totally outrageous climax, almost comically crazy and yet lingeringly scary. I still can't help but feel it would have benefited from decent dialogue and at least very basic medical realism to help the illusion (case in point: re-animated head of John-Kerry-lookalike David Gale needing to breathe despite having no lungs).
Rated 08 Jan 2007
82
89th
One of the best H.P. Lovecraft adaptations benefits from a strong cast and crew and a great blend of gore and comedy.
Rated 19 Jul 2019
65
71st
Goofy fun horror movie with some ridiculousness. Catchy soundtrack. I did not expect West to be a relatively good guy. Fav scene: action goes through the roof when everyone gets reanimated at once.
Rated 02 Aug 2018
70
48th
Anything I could say about this movie would be a lie because honestly I only remember one thing the decapitated head going oral on the tied up girl Enough Said
Rated 07 Mar 2018
50
44th
The gusto with which all involved throw themselves into the proceedings make this an amusingly lively piece of nonsense. In retrospect, it also functions as a nostalgic evocation of a time when plagiarism was considered something worth caring about (the musical score notwithstanding).
Rated 13 Dec 2017
75
77th
Combs is fantastic, and I was vibing on the setup. The gory last act got a little too crazy for me.
Rated 07 Oct 2016
70
26th
Another horror that relies on gross out tactics, which is really not my thing, though the humour livens things up a bit. It's a decent mad scientist film. It would fit well as a 60s Hammer horror, and I might even like it better as such, with a bit more camp and a bit less gore.
Rated 11 Mar 2015
75
77th
The special kind of crazy that was solely cultivated in the 1980s.
Rated 10 Mar 2015
5
91st
The most flawless balance imaginable between straight-faced, low-budget horror and grotesque, absurd camp. If opinions are split between revulsion and hilarity, it's impossible to tell which Gordon favors, which makes it more sickening and as much more hilarious than you'd think possible. Horror comedy has never been better.
Rated 06 Jun 2013
62
70th
It may be corny and campy, and occasionally the comedy and horror elements clash instead of blend, but it's all worth it for the delightfully insane and gory climax. Some truly fucked up screenwriters and makeup effects people put a lot of work into that. For my money (perhaps it's the great Jeffrey Combs performance or the blatantly ripped-off Psycho score), it beats out similar zomedy gorefests Evil Dead and Dead Alive for entertainment value.
Rated 03 Feb 2013
90
86th
This was fucking awesome, why didn't I watch this before, ahhhh. Bonus points for the Talking Heads poster.
Rated 30 Apr 2012
77
58th
I don't know what to say about this film that hasn't already been said. Ok, here's one: IT'S IN COLOR!
Rated 25 Feb 2011
80
90th
it's 80s trash at its absolute best. the dr.hill-head/body is legendary, and while the movie starts so-so, it climaxes in whacky absurdity that's simply ingenius.
Rated 31 Dec 2010
74
36th
Though it's less than 90 mins & Gordon has a smart tendency 2 cut 2 the chase as quickly as possible, this still feels sluggish in parts. This may be b/c the movie & its characters announce their intentions so brazenly& loudly from the get-go, ur generally only waiting 4 the next shoe 2 drop (or head 2 fall). In the end, the only thing separating this from other 80's Bmovies is Gordon's relative finesse w/ presenting gory schlock & 1 genuinely borderline disturbing moment of envelope-pushing.
Rated 08 Nov 2010
8
79th
Darkly comical, outrageously gory, decapitated head rape, a twice revived cat and Jeffrey Combs playing the best mad scientist ever. I think that checks out to be the most awesome movie ever.
Rated 24 Aug 2010
80
39th
Cheesy, campy '80's horror classic with outrageous special effects and really bad campy acting. Jeffrey Coombs is always fun to watch in stories like these. Recommended if you don't take this seriously.
Rated 02 Mar 2009
86
91st
H.P. Lovecraft would have a hard time recognizing his episodic gem "Herbert West -- Re-Animator" as it is presented here, but everyone else should be made aware that this is one of the funniest, bloodiest, cleverest gore fests of the '80s. Lots of great comic dialogue ("Who's going to believe a talking head? Get a job in a sideshow!"), gung-ho performances, and some of the grossest FX ever make this a must-see for gorehounds everywhere. Once seen, the "head" scene is hard to shake.
Rated 09 May 2008
28
8th
Classic, and Combs is always interesting, but the film is hugely unpleasant to watch. Like Duck King mentioned, "decapitated head performing oral rape on a woman." If that's your idea of a fun time, party on. Wasn't mine. All the mixed up comedy and gore of Return of the Living Dead with none of the wit and cohesiveness.
Rated 23 Mar 2007
80
78th
I was as impressed with the character interactions as I was with the gore.
Rated 03 Jan 2024
55
41st
This makes the plots of 'Garth Marenghi's Darkplace' seem plausible! I mean a disembodied man's head performing (or about to) cunnilingus on a fully intact woman's body! Clearly the makers of 'Re-Animator' are big fans of Alfred Hitchcock, as the theme music is suspiciously similar to that of 'Psycho' as are the visuals of the opening credits to those of 'Vertigo'.
Rated 28 Nov 2021
8
37th
Rated 22 Oct 2017
78
64th
This is a tight production, it felt like the script blew by with pitch perfect pacing. Glad to tap into another vein of body horror goodness, Gordon's approach leverages those classic 80's practical effects that really do make the violence feel that bit more realistic. Filled with one liners and smart visual jokes. Combs carries the film along with a confident & dry performance fitting of the character he played. Plagiarist!
Rated 03 Nov 2015
7
84th
Gore, body horror, weirdness, 80s vibe, boobs. Nothin' to complain about!
Rated 24 Oct 2015
76
38th
The movie has some really fun 80s special effects, an enjoyably hammy performance from Jeffrey Combs, and and the campy aesthetic of a classic science-fiction movie. I feel like its reputation precedes itself, though, as I find that its too well known at this point to be a cult film and its gore effects, though at time suggestively gruesome (and I think you know what scene I'm talking about), are too tame at this point to warrant its barf-bag status. It's a good movie with a good story, though.
Rated 16 Oct 2015
60
40th
The Re-Animator is fun to watch, but in terms of substance and even pure entertainment value it holds no candle to Evil Dead. Sure it's Lovecraftian, but it can often be slow and a bit too campy for its own good. While Evil Dead 2 had the perfect mix of horror and comedy, this fell flat on the comedy end. That's not to say it's devoid of good though. The gore is good and I thought the director was quite talented. Not totally worthless.
Rated 03 Sep 2015
90
85th
A stunning horror movie that juggles its comedic/absurdist beats with terrifying jump scares and disturbing body horror. This is one of those movies that sounds interesting on paper, but would most likely be ridiculous in its execution if produced today. However, Re-Animator somehow was flawlessly executed, and it has been and will continue to be a classic keystone in the genre for decades to come.
Rated 15 Feb 2015
80
67th
If this movie taught me anything, it is that a reanimated male corpse has exactly the same sexual desires as any living man (i.e. boob groping). Re-animator actually manages to walk a fine line between horror (extremely gory scenes) and comedy.
Rated 03 Feb 2015
76
76th
Hitchcock should sue Gordon from beyond the grave for shamelessly ripping off the Psycho theme.
Rated 14 Jan 2015
70
41st
At first I was like, "Jesus, Combs, tone it down a little." And then the second half happened and I was like, "Ohhh...yeah, that makes sense now."
Rated 25 Dec 2014
75
30th
Gordon is answerable for popularizing classic writer H.P. Lovecraft's horrific stories in the mid-1980s with this low-budget debut. He fashions a ghastly, often blackly funny camp slasher. Jeffrey Combs' mad scientist is all stereotype, right down to the glowing green serum and the failure to consider the true ramifications of his experiments. There is some effort to grapple with the morality of "re-animating," but the set pieces and effects are what we come away with.
Rated 25 Sep 2014
26
9th
I guess I'm just not wired to find this funny, chauvinism included.
Rated 04 Sep 2013
87
91st
I have absolutely no idea what I just saw, but I know I loved every minute of it.
Rated 03 Apr 2013
6
53rd
As amusing as it is stupid. If you're looking for a lot of hilarious gross out gore, this is a good choice. There's a scene where a decapitated head tries to perform cunninlingus. What more could you possibly want from a horror comedy?
Rated 12 Feb 2013
72
87th
Stuart Gordon's film directing debut is a hilarious mix of gory horror and comedy. The script is based on Lovecraft's story, but the inspiration Gordon draws from classic horror movies is even greater. Technical side of the film is great - special effects are top notch, and cinematography is way above what could be expected from genre film. Jones steals the show in acting department - you won't forget him. One of the best films of this kind ever. "Cat is dead. Details later."
Rated 18 Dec 2012
70
88th
A cult classic I wish I'd seen years back, this tacky, OTT zombie sci-fi gore-fest is exactly the type of flick I'd have loved as a kid. Yes it looks cheap and dated now (probably did on its release too, to be honest) and certainly starts to feel like they were making up the story as they went along, but it's short and sweet and definitely one I'll watch again. Special mention must be made to the headless corpse sexual assault scene: one of cinema's genuinely disturbing moments.
Rated 28 Nov 2012
82
79th
Gruesomely hilarious, it picks up steam quickly as it heads towards its outrageous climax. Great camp value, which Combs' quite awesome turn as the mad scientist only adds to.
Rated 17 Jul 2012
87
96th
This was a great movie. A mad scientist named Herbert West (played by Jeffrey Coombs) is obsessed with ressurecting the dead, and makes a formula to bring back the recently deceased. The movie is creepy, gory, and goofy. The main villain in the movie, is just great, he's really creepy once he's become an undead villain. The effects in the movie are good, especially with the villain and the other resurected people, although the very end gets a bit too goofy (undead organs coming to life, etc.
Rated 16 Jun 2012
94
85th
Jeffrey Combs vs Undead John Kerry
Rated 07 Mar 2010
81
73rd
After the great credit sequence it starts a bit slowly but when it finally gets going, it's a blast.
Rated 01 Sep 2008
90
79th
The greatest horror comedy ever to hit this earth. It's bizzare, it's hilarious, it's twisted and it's a masterpiece!
Rated 30 Jul 2008
80
90th
Great
Rated 06 May 2008
87
92nd
This was truely fantastic!
Rated 25 Aug 2007
58
53rd
Good
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
90th
A true horror classic, bringing the work of Lovecraft respectfully to the big screen. Some pretty creepy visuals in this one make for a great horrific ride, with a gag here and there.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
50
35th
Amusing.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
91st
Dr. Herbert West comes up with a chemical serum that can bring the dead back to life, with hilarious and bloody consequences. Classic gore comedy with a memorable performance by Jeffrey Combs as the maniacal Dr West.
Rated 21 May 2007
90
89th
Greatest horror comedy ever made? I think so.
Rated 31 Mar 2007
95
90th
Completely insane movie. Kids today are a bunch of wusses who think stuff like the US version of _The Ring_ is scary (ha ha hee hee)
Rated 30 Aug 2023
70
70th
"Re-Animator" is a really enjoyable gore-fest full of zany, wicked imagery. The effects are for the most part very well done, the acting is on-point, and the story is engaging. Granted, some things are left unexplained, and the characters are rather cartoonish, but that does not hinder the enjoyment - in fact, it tends to become part of the charm. The amount and quality of grisly, gruesome gore is pretty impressive, and the occasional presence of fittingly morbid humour is the cherry on top.
Rated 28 Mar 2023
80
75th
Jeffery Combs is phenomenal!
Rated 02 Dec 2022
0
7th
disgusting attempted rape scene
Rated 12 Nov 2022
65
66th
Great effects and an amusing mood. The momentum however is lost towards the end.
Rated 09 Oct 2022
3
1st
The reason a lot of women aren't that into horror may have something to do with the fact that most horror writers find torturing, humiliating and raping women arousing, hilarious and fun.
Rated 28 Oct 2021
76
52nd
Some parts aren't the most interesting and I feel like the movie has peaks and valleys throughout most of it. It's well paced, love the tone/vibe here as well as the special effects which are really the main event for me. Jeffery Combs and David Gale are both fantastic. Didn't live up to the massive expectations I had for it but still very enjoyable nonetheless.
Rated 26 Oct 2021
70
76th
Good
Rated 23 Oct 2021
50
10th
Оценка - 44 Общая - 54 Нарратив - 5 Сценарий - 5 Постановка - 5 Целостность - 6 Монтаж - 5 Выполнение своей цели - 6 Флоу - 5 Жанр - 7 Личное - 5.5 Атмосфера - 5 Эмоции - 5 Актерская игра - 5 Саундтрек - 4 Синематографи - 5 Визуал - 6.5 Звук - 4 Продакшн дизайн - 6.5 Костюмы - 5 Грим - 6 Развлечение - 5 Скидка
Rated 08 Jul 2021
80
16th
-1 for kinda shitty scenarios. -1 for not knowing if my nigga TM survived
Rated 22 Jun 2021
80
45th
This is a fun 80's tongue-in-cheek gory horror romp. I enjoyed the fact that there was basically no overarching plot and that stuff just happened. Nothing really made much sense but that meant you have no idea what's going to happen from one scene to the next. It's like a well made B movie, with boobs.
Rated 15 Apr 2021
35
6th
annoying
Rated 22 Oct 2020
70
56th
Trashy horror is at its best when literally every character is insane, and there is certainly no shortage of unhinged characters here. Alternate title: Wake up Mr. West
Rated 11 Aug 2020
77
58th
Herbert babamın mahalleden arkadaşına benziyor
Rated 16 Jul 2020
92
65th
A horror special effects classic!
Rated 23 Apr 2020
84
23rd
Reanimator is weird, gross, darkly funny, and definitely a one of a kind horror film. The sarcastic and sadistic doctor Herbert West is one of the genre's more striking recent figures and really drives the entire film. I don't think Reanimator is trying to make any broad social commentary, as its predecessors may have been, but it's often a fairly entertaining, albeit graphic, zombie movie and seems to know that it's silly, which is really what makes it all work.
Rated 14 Mar 2020
41
20th
Seen: 2. It wasn't as bad as I remembered. That doesn't mean I recommend it. But I do recommend just skipping most of the movie and watching the last 20 minutes.
Rated 25 Oct 2019
90
65th
Movie good, details later.
Rated 30 Jan 2018
12
16th
7/6
Rated 23 Nov 2017
68
32nd
Should've been more fun than it was, and though there's plenty of that to be had in the final gruey moments of the film, a lot of the beginning is schlocky and hard to take seriously.
Rated 17 Nov 2017
4
60th
This was a lot of fun. The acting was totally on point with just the right amount of camp and the gore effects were really good
Rated 30 Oct 2016
65
32nd
I did not enjoy Re-animator as much as Castle Freak. Maybe since this was Stuart Gordon's first film, he hadn't quiet developed his style. I missed the over the top acting and light heartedness found in Castle Freak. That being said, the gore was fun. If I only had one word to describe Stuart Gordon's films, it would be fun. This is a movie to put on if you want to have a good time.
Rated 15 Oct 2016
92
90th
This movie was certainly animated and re-animated over again. I must say, I LOVE this movie. It has a ton of gore and even more laughs. The violence is quite extreme, but in a mostly silly way. I thought that the special effects (although almost purposely cheesy) had some really great moments too. The head in the pan was brilliant. Jeffrey Combs playing as Herbert West was awesome. I think he's a pretty underrated actor...
Rated 02 Oct 2016
76
60th
THAT FUCKING CAT PUPPET RULES
Rated 13 Mar 2016
90
63rd
Fun
Rated 06 Oct 2015
6
99th
Insane.
Rated 04 Oct 2015
70
47th
I think the best part about this film is that it went right into the juicy juicy conflicts with barely any beating-about-the-bush character development.
Rated 16 Jun 2015
70
52nd
Uneven rise, but a highly engaging climax. Jeffrey Combs was lovely as the unbalanced mad scientist.
Rated 07 Mar 2015
1
20th
As campy and stoopid as I imagined lovecraft when reading and now darkplace makes a little more sense. I liked the effects but it really seemed to drag, literally 'watched-it-a-couple-of-weeks-ago-and-only-just-remembered-to-rate-it' underwhelming.
Rated 26 Mar 2014
83
75th
83.000
Rated 26 Feb 2014
75
69th
Simple, but effective, with an excellent Jeffrey Combs. Gordon knows how to construct both comedy and horror.
Rated 20 Dec 2013
63
28th
Oh, those crazy doctors, when will they ever learn to stop messing around with the natural order of life and death?
Rated 18 Nov 2013
5
21st
Score aside, I believe Jeffrey Combs is a bit of an under appreciated actor, and is by far the highlight of this film.
Rated 21 Oct 2013
72
44th
it's alright. mostly forgettable.

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