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| BEYOND
REANIMATOR
Released by Magna Pacific. Available to rent in March 2004.
Starring Simon Andreu, Enrique Arce, Nico Baixas, Jeffrey Combs
Directed by Brian Yuzna
Nineteen years since the classic Re-Animator (1985) was released, here comes another horror extravaganza from director Brian Yuzna who also directed BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR (1990), and produced Stuart Gordon's cult classic, Re-Animator. West is back in fine form in this gore-filled, old school horror flick born of the horror boom in the 80's that made its way into many living rooms via the 'VCR'.
From the start we find our anti-hero Dr West, firmly incarcerated in a maximum security prison. Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West gives the movie its gleefully sinister personality consistently portraying West as a mad scientist who really thinks that he's doing something good.
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| Dr. Howard Phillips (Jason Barry) and his fascination with Dr West leads him to accept a job at the prison, strictly for the opportunity to work with the infamous doctor. Howard Philips, young doc and brother of a girl murdered by one of Dr
Wests earlier creations thirteen years earlier. Phillips is obsessed with advancing West's reagent. The ever-cool and certainly insane Dr. West accepts this news as any self-respecting mad scientist would: To the lab!
Not surprisingly, the research gets quickly out of hand, landing a reanimated zombie
(Nico Baixas) in the prison's dank hole and West and Howard under the watchful eye of the prison's sleazy and sadistic warden (Simon
Andreu). If possible, things actually get worse and the rest of the flick is filled with the reanimated people, rodents, body parts, and criminals one would expect from the latest installment in the RE-ANIMATOR series.
Like-minded fans of the original flick can rest assured that with BEYOND RE-ANIMATOR, Yuzna's heart is in the right place.
Watch out for the West one-liners, "What are you waiting for? She's not getting any fresher." and "My last partner turned state's evidence against me. I expect better things from you."
Sure, a lot of this stuff is little more than a clever and colorful rehash of what was first presented in Stuart Gordon's cult classic - yet it's clear that Yuzna and Combs have a real devotion toward this series.
This truly outrageous piece of filmmaking is able to do two things; make you laugh and make you sick. The absolutely demented final fight scene that is set against the backdrop of a prison riot does both. |
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