Customer Reviews

Bride of Reanimator [VHS]

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

OK, so Bride of Re-Animator isn't as good as the original, but as fans know, that was a pretty hard act to follow. I didn't really appreciate this movie as much until I rented this special edition DVD and was blown away! First of all, this movie has the second most hilarious commentary track (the one with Jeffrey Combs and Dan Abbott, as Dr. West and Dr. Cain) I have every heard (the funniest was Evil Dead 2, limited edition-I don't think anything can top that).

I should also point out here in all fairness that I'm a complete Re-animator geek, I saw it in the theater in 1985 and was hooked; I've probably watched it more than any other horror movie-at least 50 times in the last 15 years. I almost broke my legs in my haste getting to the video store when their copy of the sequel came in I was so excited. I was slightly disappointed, but I did have very high expectations. The last 20 minutes or so were pretty impressive, but the prologue I was so psyched to see (more on that later) was completely gone.

When I rented this DVD special edition, though, I decided to actually pick up a copy. Not only; was the commentary by the actors hilarious, but both of the actors, especially Combs, go into interesting details like how the scene was shot,; and even going into the character's motivations. Combs even remembers some of his lines (with the exact inflections he delivered them in), which didn't make me feel like such a geek. You can tell he had a blast making the movie and really enjoyed it. Lines that never struck me as especially amusing before such as Dr. West saying, "My God...they're using tools!" were hilarious when the actor made a few comments afterwards. Anyway, if you're a diehard Re-animator "superfan" (hey,it sounds better than "geek") like me, you HAVE to see this special edition. I can't say enough good things about the commentary-I realize I sound like a broken record now as well as a movie geek, but again, you have to see it for yourself to really appreciate it.

The disc is absolutely packed with cool-a$$ extras-it's one of the double-sided ones, so be sure to check out the other side. Some of the highlights include the unrated version- it doesn't have a whole lot of extra gore, less than a minute, but it's pretty jaw dropping (several more seconds of the climactic meltdown). It includes great behind the scenes footage, (you haven't laughed till you've seen a behind-the-scenes shot of David Hale as Dr. Hill in full make-up, casually playing poker with a pair of bat wings sewed to his head) and a breakdown of a sequence where the detective actually finds Dr. Hill in a sideshow where he's advertised as "The Talking Head From the Miskatonic Massacre" (apparently, he followed West's advice from the first movie).

But the real gem is the deleted original sequence where Dan re-animates Meg (hint: it doesn't go real smoothly). It's sort of a rough cut, but very satisfying- I read about the opening in Fangoria before the movie came out and thought, "man, I can't WAIT to see that-perfect!", so I was really disappointed when it was cut. In fact, it's worth the price of the DVD just to finally get to see Combs as Dr. Herbert West utter the immortal line: "No, Hill didn't kill me...he didn't have the guts." YEAH BABY! I waited over 10 years to hear Jeffrey Combs say that line, and by God, it was worth it. Why they cut the opening, I have no idea. Ah, the invention of the DVD special edition -one of technology's greatest achievements (for us movie fans anyway).

So, if you're a big Combs fan, a big Stuart Gordon fan, a hard-core fan of the first movie, or all of the above like me, this is a must-add to your collection. Even if you weren't that blown away by the first movie, you'll love this special edition- trust me on this. Much, much better than I expected.

Date. Mate. Re-animate.

Bride Of Re-animator was previously released on DVD by Pioneer/Artisan as a Special Edition which was far superior to this bare bones DVD reissue from Artisan. The special edition offered two versions of the film (Rated R and Unrated). It had a full-length commentary by the director, cast, the special effects guys, etc. It also offered a deleted scene and a blooper/outtake/behind-the-scenes reel which are both absent on this reissue. Another thing it had were many still galleries, promotional materials, production notes...and more.

I have indeed seen the movie transfer on this reissued DVD, and it looks like the same transfer on the previous DVD release. If you don't care for special features, or can't get the older DVD...then, and only then, is it a good buy for the movie itself!

Artisan must be really lazy these days. They'd had no special features on any of their recent DVD releases of older Horror and Sci-Fi flicks. Not even a theatrical trailer! It's almost as if they could care less because they know the product will sell anyways.

So, you may ask...why am I giving this a 5 star rating? For the movie itself...surely not for this featureless DVD! The only thing good about this reissue is that it has the original movie artwork on the cover, even though the old DVD "neon" artwork looked much cooler.

The uncut version is in pretty poor condition. The picture, particularly in dark areas is very pixelly, and the sound is so bad you have to crank it to even hear. This should just be seen as a curiosity because it's only 1 minute longer. The only difference I noticed was in the uncut version, I think the Luetenant swings the dog an extra time and shoves his stump into Francesca's face for an extra few seconds. That's it, really. If there is anything else, it's certainly not noticed. Also it should be noted that this film was shot in Super 35, because it went straight to video. Apparently Brian intended the picture to be matted, and this is an option that is provided. But understand that you are BLOCKING OUT A GREAT DEAL OF PICTURE! It is just as if you took two strips of black construction paper and taped them to your TV screen. The featurette is not narrated and is in fact home movies strung together. It's only about 10 minutes long, but I have to admit seeing David Gale with bat wings on his head playing cards with a zombified Johnny Legend is simply hilarious. The box also makes it sound like it has tons of stuff. Everything except the featurette is in one file titled "Casefiles", which is just a series of stills you step through. For example, "conceptual drawings". There are 2-3 drawings in this mix, as well as 2-3 paragraphs of text regarding the production. All these bloopers, behind-the-scenes, etc. are all part of the featurette, which I think is misleading. The highlight of this disc is the commentary. I have the 10th Anniversary LD for Re-Animator, and it has one of the best commentary tracks I've heard, so I was excited to get this DVD for that reason alone. Here's a case where the jacket doesn't do the disc justice. There are 2 seperate tracks, one with Brian, George, Tom, Howard, Greg, etc., and the other with the comedic stylings of Jeffry Combs and Bruce Abbot. They have a blast reliving the film and tearing it apart at the same time in the vein of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Buy this DVD for this feature alone. Although the featurette is pretty cool, it is way too short, and the other features are more or less a let-down.

Just as James Wales' BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN managed to surpass his own Gothic masterpiece, Brian Yuzna's BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR also manages to outdo Stuart Gordon's original in many ways. Picking up only a few years after the disaster in the Miskatonic University morgue, BRIDE finds Dr. Herbert West and Dan Cain returning to their questionable practice of re-animating the dead as they attempt to build the perfect being out of choice pieces of flesh that they have 'borrowed' from Arkham cemetery. Dr. Cain professes a selfless desire to help heal the wounded with the fruits of their research, but unlike Dr. West (who quite openly admits to his own selfish desires), Cain secretly hopes to revive the heart and brain of his dead girlfriend within the body of their new pet project. Jeffrey Combs and Bruce Abbott continue to create a perfect synergy on screen, though their performances are a bit more reserved than before. David Gale also returns as the bodiless head of Dr. Hill, who has plenty of new torments to unleash upon his enemies. In addition to a substantial amount of gore, Yuzna injects the film with the same deliciously dark humor that lined Paoli's earlier script. The creative geniuses at KNB EFX Group also introduce a massive array of imaginative designs that are as hilarious and ironic as they are disturbing. BRIDE is very much the twisted take on BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN that it intends to be, and in all of its absurdity it proves to be a winning sequel that recaptures much of the brilliance found in the original film.

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies

Even though the Pioneer DVD is long out of print and might be more expensive than the readily available Artisan release, you should make the effort to track the out of print disc anyway!
Why bother?
Well, the Pioneer release includes the R-rated and Unrated versions of the film, a commentary with Brian Yuzna,Jeffrey Combs, and a bunch of others involved in the making of Bride of Reanimator. Also, there are things like conceptual drawings, behind the scenes footage, outtakes,etc.
The Pioneer 'Special Edition' truly deserves that label.

Well, basing this on the quality of Lovecraft screenplays, and taking into account the budget et al, this movie definitely holds its own. It's not the genre's fault that the only people brave enough to pick up the ultimate master of horror's gauntlet are the lower budget variety (sorry, Gordon and Yunza, no offense intended). Of course Jeffry Combs steals the show, as usual. This movie is loosely based on Herbert West, Reanimator, and does have a very well done Lovecraftian mood throughout the whole film. Defintely one of the "must watch" movies in the Lovecraft arena. Watch it, buy it, own it. Three tentacles up!

When I started my horror collection on dvd i had to have The Re-Animator saga(Re-Amimator, Bride of, and From Beyond). But they only had Re-Animator on DVD. But after a long awaited period it here. If you liked the first one you"ll like this one. Now we need From Beyond! I can not wait tell the next installment, Beyond Re-Animator!!!...

I really liked the first Re-animator when it came out in the mid 80's. Saw it in the theater. (I'm really dating my self) This one I missed, but was glad to catch it on video. More of the same low budget horror with great gory FX and some jokes added in for fun. Some great monster FX. Very original. The DVD is great to watch with the actor's commentary. It sounds like they had a great time making the movie. If you like fun campy movies and are not an up-tight snob give this one a chance. Its good clean...well bloody fun. Oh and a bonus, it has that hot Italian girl from the first Austin Powers movie.

Director/producer Brian Yunza revives his characters from 1985's Re-Animator with this tongue in cheek splatter fest homage to The Bride of Frankenstein (1935). But where The Bride of Frankenstein actually succeeded its' predecessor (in the opinion of many), The Bride of Re-Animator falls a little short.

Returning are now doctors Herbert West (Jeffery Combs), Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott), and even Doctor Carl Hill (David Gale) makes an appearance, despite the fact he has no body (see the first movie). The film tries to build on the original showing doctors West and Cain, nine months after the hospital massacre in the first movie, working in Peru on the bloody frontlines of a civil war, still experimenting with the luminous, green life-giving juice. The notion is that in this backwater part of the world, they can work unfettered, not bothered by legal constraints. Things get a little hairy, and the boys decide to return stateside, working at the hospital with the first unpleasantness took place (I guess the hospital administrators have short memories). Taking up residence in a house that was once a mortuary, located next to a cemetery, the doctors continue their work with creating life, using various body parts from the hospital morgue. Dan is reluctant, but Herbert proposes they create a woman, using various body parts, centered around the heart of Dan's deceased girlfriend, Meg, who bit the big one in the first movie. Weird experiments and bloody body parts fill the screen, as a police lieutenant with a personal stake continues the investigation of what originally happened even though the case has been officially closed. Even the head of Dr. Hill makes a kept alive with the living giving juice. Do Herbert and Dan succeed in bring Meg back to life from spare parts? From the title of the movie, you'd think so, but their creation is less than perfect...the movie may not be up to par with the original, but there is a really great scene where Herbert Combs goes into a nice rant about picking up where God left off, taking the refuse that is humanity and creating new life. Seeing that scene alone was worth watching this movie.

I did like this film, but felt little of what made the first so enjoyable. If they were going to make a sequel, it was only natural to take the course that the filmmakers did, but I wish they would have infused more of a story into the film, and not gone whole hearted campy on us. The first movie did have its' humor, but it was well balanced with the rest of the story. I know sequels are rarely as good as the movie that spawned them, but I did have high hopes here. There's plenty of gore and blood, if you enjoy that kind of thing, but the movie is light on story. I felt much of it was patched together, tying elements together with the weakest of threads. The story may not hold up well, but it was fun to watch, especially the effects of Screaming Mad George and K.N.B. EFX Group.

My real disappointment is with Artisan, the company that released this disc. There are absolutely no special features, and all we are provided with is a full screen format. This movie was released on DVD before by Pioneer Video, loaded with special features, including two separate versions (one being a minute longer than the other), deleted scenes, bloopers, photo galleries, production information, commentary, and more. Also, the original release had both full screen and wide screen letterbox format, while we only get full screen here. You may be able to find that release, but you will most likely have to pay a premium, at least for a nice copy. This film was followed by a third movie, Beyond Re-Animator (2003).

Cookieman108

I Love the Re-Animator films simply because of the hidden element of humor they contain. We try not to laugh at some of the cheesy zombie moments because we want to stay in a serious frame of mind but it's hardly possible when the zombies begin making one-liners and it becomes horribly noticeable that Herbert West is extremely dumb for a smart person. (I hope that makes since.) This movie takes place months after the Miskatonic Massacre in Arkham Massachusetts. West and Dan Cain are taking advantage of their new surrounding in a civil war in South America. Being doctor gives them access to all the dead bodies, fresh subjects, that can be used in their re-animation experiments. When things get bad, West and Cain pack up their bags and head back to Arkham. Here they become doctors at the local hospital, yet again very fortunate. This is where things begin to take off. West is stealing body parts and trying to get Dan to help him create a sort of Frankenstein monster. The real kicker is that the heart used for the gruesome experiment is the heart of Dan's deceased lover Meg. Unknowingly another doctor at the morgue, whom found a bottle of West's re-agent the night of the massacre, once again re-animates Dr. Hill from the first film. Hill wants revenge on West and in the final climax of the film when West and Cain's Frankenstein creation is born, Hill arrives to "crash" the party. This film is rather entertaining and extremely good for gore lovers. The only thing i wasn't so fond of at first is the fact that in the last movie they were struggling just to re-animate corpses and in this film they've actually made the transition of life creating. That would be cool but in the next film in the series West is pretty much back to Re-animation rather than recreation. So i'm gathering he didn't find his previous exploits successful. And is it just me or does Herbert West die at the end of each movie? If he's dead, how's there a sequel? They've worn this gimmick out. But rest assure Re-Animator fans, how much longer can it be until Jeffrey Combs dons the glasses and picks up the needle again? A sequel is long over due.