204 - REANIMATOR (1985)

REANIMATOR (1985) was a pivotal moment in horror filmmaking for several reasons. First among them is that it announced the arrival of a major talent behind the camera – director Stuart Gordon. His screen career remains a wonder and with this episode we start a series in which we will examine the entirety of his directorial efforts. We might even take a look at the projects that he was involved with but were directed by others.

I am joined by John Hudson to talk about this amazing film. We touch on the original 1922 H.P. Lovecraft story ‘Herbert West – Reanimator’ and the creation of this adaptation starting as a possible television show to eventual big screen incarnation we now know. The cast is discussed with a general amazement at the near perfect choices made for each role. We note that even though this was Gordon’s first feature film, his years of stage experience seems to have allowed him to understand both actors and audience in ways that translate well to cinema. It would be difficult to find a more sure-footed first movie. We talk about the dark humor that permeates the story including what has been called the world’s first visual pun. Mostly we spend our time heaping praise on this one and explaining our love for it so be aware!

If you have any comments thebloodypit@gmail.com is where to send them. We’ll return to the films of Stuart Gordon as soon as possible. Thank you for listening!