Bride of Re-Animator (1990)
Film:
DVD:

Written by Rick Fry, Woody Keith & Brian Yuzna, based on characters and stories by H.P. Lovecraft
Directed by Brian Yuzna
Starring Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, David Gale, Kathleen Kinmont, Claude Earl Jones

Released by Artisan
Rating: R
Region: 1
Anamorphic: Nope; full-screen version only.

My Advice: Find the previous two-disc special edition instead.

When we last were with our (decidedly) Anti-Hero, Dr. Herbert West (Combs), he and his partner, Dr. Dan Cain (Abbott), had barely escaped from a bunch of re-animated whackjobs under the control of the severed head of Dr. Carl Hill (Gale). No, I'm being serious. You see, West has created a serum (that glows like the stuff out of those glowsticks for a very good reason) that re-animates the dead. Now, he wants to go a step further and start creating some new life of his own. All he needs is some bits from a hospital, along with the heart of Cain's dead girlfriend, and voila--patchwork, sexy chick from beyond the grave!

Re-Animator was one of the last great zombie horror flicks of our time. Coming out in 1985 alongside Day of the Dead and Return of the Living Dead, the original flick was a slightly goofy, definitely gory (especially the "bonesaw version" of the film) and somewhat perverse romp. This sequel, though not as hitting any of those three original points with the same accuracy or velocity, was decent enough to warrant some watching. Combs is still the calculated nutcase upon which the burden of carrying this whole schlock-fest rests, Abbott still plays his foil well enough, and Gale comes back as a severed head, yeah, but gets bat-wings. Don't...don't even ask.

Very disappointingly, Artisan gives you less than nothing with this release of the flick. Having already been put out by Pioneer Video in a two-disc edition with commentary out the virgin's womb, and both the R-rated and unrated versions of the film just for a start, the very fact that this thing is in full-frame is even more nauseating than Gale's little scene with Barbara Crampton from the first film. Those of you who get that reference are nodding now, those of you who don't get it should probably just walk away. Not that I expect Artisan to lay hands upon all the cool features since they may not even have the rights to such things, but knowing that such a version exists--albeit out of print--makes me spin around in a fury.

So I can't think of a single reason to snag this rendition of the flick--if you're a fan of the film and want it on DVD, for God's sake, use eBay and find the special edition.