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Editorials

‘Re-Animator’ Still Conquering Brain Death 32 Years Later

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Of all the many great things that horror accomplished in the ‘80s, the introduction to the trifecta of Jeffrey Combs, Stuart Gordon, and Brian Yuzna ranks high on the list. Their first collaboration, Re-Animator, released in theaters 32 years ago on October 18, 1985, not only marked the first of many H.P. Lovecraft adaptations between director Gordon and producer Yuzna, but proved that even boundary-pushing horror could win the critics over with enough charm and wit. Though it may be only loosely based on the first half of Lovecraft’s novella, Herbert West-Reanimator,  Re-Animator still remains one of the best, and most fun, cinematic adaptations of the prolific horror author’s works.

Inspired to come up with a new take on Frankenstein in a world inundated with vampire stories, a friend of Stuart Gordon suggested he read Herbert West-Reanimator. Thus, the idea for Re-Animator was born. Gordon, with his background in theater, initially thought to adapt the story for the stage, which soon gave way to adapting the story for the small screen with co-writers Dennis Paoli and William Norris. It wasn’t until Gordon was introduced to Yuzna that Re-Animator came together, with Yuzna making a solid case for the special effects that would be needed for the project. Most impressive of all was that this film was a first for both; Re-Animator was the first feature film that Yuzna produced and the first that Gordon ever directed.

The last piece of the puzzle was Herbert West himself, a blond-haired, blue-eyed scientific automaton according to the original story. Neither of which fits the description of actor Jeffrey Combs. When Combs read for the role, though, it didn’t matter. Combs was Herbert West, and no one else came close. Though Bruce Abbott’s Dan Cain may have been the everyman, it was Combs’ West that audiences gravitated toward with his dry humor and unflappable demeanor. It was Combs’ delivery of lines like, “Who’s going to believe a talking head? Get a job in a sideshow,” along with the clever writing that solidified Combs’ status in the horror genre.

It wasn’t just the dialogue and clever writing that made Re-Animator such an enduring favorite, either. The unapologetic blood and gore, pushing the boundaries of nudity and gore on screen to the point that it had to be cut to attain an R-rating for theatrical release. The uncut, unrated version made it to home release, which was Gordon’s preferred and intended vision for the film. Who can blame him? West getting choked by intestines, a severed head getting inappropriately deviant with Barbara Crampton’s Meg Halsey, and at least 25 gallons worth of blood meant that the horror and comedy were in equal balance.

Re-Animator

The gore and comedy delivered in spades, but it was Barbara Crampton as Meg Halsey that really made you care. Tasked with both being the fixation, and then victim, of Dr. Hill’s desire, Crampton had the unenviable task of portraying Halsey as the exposed damsel as well as the straight man counter to the madness around her. Like Combs, it was a breakthrough role for Crampton.

Upon release, even hard-to-please critics like Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert couldn’t help but fall for Re-Animator’s charms, despite the way it really went for broke in gore and sexual humor at poor Meg Halsey’s expense. The practical effects, the over-the-top humor, and Jeffrey Combs’ legendary performance makes Re-Animator a classic, even 32-years later.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

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Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

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Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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