Re-Animator has never been one of my favorite 80s horror films. Though I watched it as a teenager, I rarely revisited despite an admittedly entertaining premise. I had actually never seen either of the two sequels, but all of that changes with the spectacularly realized Bride of Re-Animator. It also gave me a reason to return to the original movie, which is actually so much better than my memory would allow. Complete with a gorgeous new 4K transfer, multiple audio commentaries, and a feature length behind the scenes retrospective, Bride of Re-Animator takes everything that worked so well about the first film and amplifies it. That makes for a campy, utterly ridiculous bloodsoaked extravaganza that looks every bit as crisp and colorful as intended.
In the aftermath of the original movie, Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) and his partner Dan (Bruce Abbott) continue their work on reanimating the corpses of the dead. However, Herbert’s obsessions take on a decidedly different approach this go round. Instead of focusing on bringing the dead back to life, Herbert’s mission becomes that of creating a life, akin to Frankenstein. Thus, the film’s title is a direct homage to the classic, Bride of Frankenstein.
With Dan’s beloved girlfriend Megan left dead at the close of the previous movie, Barbara Crampton does not return as this character in any capacity. Instead, they take the heart of her performance, quite literally. Megan’s vital organ becomes a centerpiece of a Frankenstein-esque creature that Herbert and Dan build. Made up of all different body parts, Megan becomes the core of whatever identity this strange creature will develop. However, it takes an awfully long time to get to the actual bride awakening. Before that, Doctor Hill’s severed head (David Gale) returns in a major way to orchestrate the events as the central villain. He puppet masters a coroner into doing his bidding, quietly forming an entire zombie army to help execute his master plan.
The effects in Bride of Re-Animator are the true unsung hero. Moving on organically from what Stuart Gordon created, director and writer Bryan Yuzna builds a monster of a different flavor. The creature design includes stop-motion animated effects, such as those used for a puppet that fuses severed fingers with an eyeball, and all manner of other effects work given the rejected creatures that Herbert and Dan created. Perhaps the true crowning glory, though, is actually the bride herself, built from numerous prosthetics work. She looks freakish, gory, and the performance from Kathleen Kinmont perfectly characterizes her. A little less successful is love interest Francesca (Fabiana Udenio), who doesn’t hold a candle to Crampton.
The behind the scenes footage gives even more depth to everything, but the kitchen sink approach specifically makes Bride of Re-Animator feel special. Instead of merely repeating the first film, this creative sequel takes many wild swings and goes in some exciting, unforeseen directions. It’s far from perfect, but it does speak to Yuzna’s broader filmography. I think my favorite of his is still Society, but Bride of Re-Animator makes a pretty solid argument for why this series should continue for many installments. Jeffrey Combs even argues for more stories set in its world, including a compelling idea to focus on the White House. While I’m not sure about that one in particular, Re-Animator feels rife with possibilities. While there is a reimagining with The Originals star Joseph Morgan filling in as Herbert West, it would be something extraordinary to get Jeffrey Combs back. Visually striking, boldly nasty, and wickedly funny, Bride of Re-Animator is the rare sequel that’s just as memorable as the original.
Bride of Re-Animator is now available on 4K Blu-Ray from Eagle Rock Pictures and Ignite Films.
