Author H.P. Lovecraft can be recognized for producing some great stories in the horror genre while acknowledging his general terribleness as a human being. Thankfully, as his works have been replicated or adapted, they’ve found ways to be true to the elements that mesmerize without including outdated social commentaries. In that vein, 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of filmmaker Stuart Gordon’s narrative feature film debut, Re-Animator, an adaptation of Lovecraft’s serial “Herbert West–Reanimator,” which starred Jeffrey Combs (The Frighteners), Bruce Abbott (The Prophecy II), Barbara Crampton (Suitable Flesh), David Gale (The Guyver), and Robert Sampson (City of the Living Dead). In celebration, Ignite Films has produced, in partnership with Eagle Rock Pictures and Re-Animator Productions, a brand-new 4K UHD restoration of the cult classic complete with nearly three hours of new materials and a host of legacy features. You can snag this restoration in one of four options, so let’s break it all down so you know which edition is right for you.
Medical student Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott) is just looking for someone to ease his rent burden when he put up a notice at Miskatonic University, but what he got was Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs), a roommate on a quest to defeat death. After stumbling upon Herbet in his makeshift lab, Dan ends up helping continue the experiments in a bid to perfect Herbert’s re-agent treatment. This choice, among many, however, ends up placing all Dan holds dear on a path to destruction, including his girlfriend Megan (Barbara Crampton). Can one defeat death without sacrificing something in the process? That’s the question Dan and Herbert aren’t quite ready for, but will continue their pursuit regardless.
Before getting into the details on the 4K UHD edition via the review copy provided by Ignite Films, let’s be sure that you know what your options are and the revised shipping dates due to the January 2025 fire in California.
RE-ANIMATOR Blu-ray Standard Edition packshot. Photo courtesy of Ignite Films.
There are four distinct options: a standard Blu-ray edition ($39.95), a 4K UHD combo edition ($49.95), a deluxe edition box set ($79.95), and an ultimate limited edition box set ($129.95). As one expects, the Blu-ray and 4K UHD combo editions are the baseline models with each subsequent edition including more materials for a higher price tag. At the time of this publishing, all four should be available for shipping as the standard editions began shipping April 18th, the deluxe edition box set on April 28th, and ultimate limited edition box set is expected to ship by May 19th. As of the time of this publishing, the ultimate edition has not yet shipped and the more recent press release stated that it’s likely due to the recently imposed tariffs which have impact the included Dr. Hill bobblehead. Ignite Films has been posting updates on their Re-Animator page.
RE-ANIMATOR 4K UHD Blu-ray Standard Edition packshot. Photo courtesy of Ignite Films.
If you’re new to Re-Animator, the baseline edition (either in the Blu-ray or 4K UHD combo edition) is going to be the version you’ll prefer, not just because they are the cheapest options, but because they offer you exactly what you’ll need to experience the film in its best on-disc presentation yet, as well as nearly three hours of new bonus materials, a large swath of legacy features, plus the Integral Version of Re-Animator. According to the press release, the deluxe edition box set includes “a hardcover book featuring interviews with Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, writer Dennis Paoli, and composer Richard Band, with essays by Scout Tafoya, Kate Rife, Will Sloan, Alex Kittle, and Ben Sachs, and preface by Brian Yuzna, and collector’s art cards.” Building off of that, the ultimate limited edition box set includes all of the above *plus* the aforementioned collector’s Dr. Hill bobblehead, and they state the bobblehead will not be restocked. Finally, to make things more interesting, do note that Ignite Films is apparently including a re-agent in an unspecified number of ultimate limited edition boxes. Those who discover that their box contains the re-agent will also receive a signed poster by actors Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton and producer Brian Yuzna, plus a Re-Animator themed gift package from Middle of Beyond.
RE-ANIMATOR Deluxe Edition packshot. Photo courtesy of Ignite Films.
What follows from here will be specific to the 4K UHD combo edition in terms of its packaging, on-disc presentation, and included materials.
This edition does include a slipcover with a design matching both the front and back of the case liner. The case itself is black plastic, a nice compliment to the green and purple hues that make up the cover art and the white text on both sides. Being a standard black case, there’s no art on the inside nor is the liner reversible or including any visible art. The two discs included in the 4K UHD are a single 4K UHD disc subtitled “Unrated Version” and a single Blu-ray disc subtitled “Integral Version,” each with identical art (a smaller version of the cover) and format markers. The 4K UHD disc includes all of the new featurettes, three audio options (mono, stereo, and 5.1), and several commentary tracks, while the Blu-ray disc includes the commentary tracks and legacy features.
RE-ANIMATOR Ultimate Edition Box Set packshot. Photo courtesy of Ignite Films.
Amid the new features titled “Re-Animator at 40” is a 40+ minute conversation between producer Brian Yuzna (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) and actors Crampton and Combs in which they discuss everything from director Stuart Gordon’s (From Beyond) start in Chicago on the theater scene, how Yuzna connected with Gordon for Re-Animator, the collective shooting experience (with various stories), and a discussion of the legacy (among other things). This featurette is fairly self-guided in the sense that the trio appear to be directing the conversation as they chat with each other, rather than a traditional unseen interviewer. There’s also “Piece by Piece: Cutting Re-Animator,” which is a brief interview with editor Lee Percy (The Half of It; From Beyond) who offers his personal journey connecting with the project, including how he was a fan of Gordon’s prior to this project thanks to the Chicago theater scene; his reaction to much of the gore and violence in the film; and a little bit about his editing process. For those who are curious about the restoration for this edition, there’s an exceptionally brief featurette, “Re-Animating a Horror Classic: The 4K Restoration of Re-Animator,” which provides a proper behind-the-scenes look at the tech used, the original source materials, and the process the technicians used to create this edition. Where a lot of boutique labels like Eureka Entertainment, 88 Films, Radiance Films, and The Criterion Collection include written information regarding the process their remasters or restorations undergo, in the absence of written materials, it’s fantastic to get a visual element to enlighten curious fans. This is but a small taste of the nearly three hours of new materials which also include talks with the cast and crew of the Re-Animater musical (which looks like the same kind of hoot as Evil Dead: The Musical); a look at the legacy of the film; an interview with re-Animator actor Carolyn Purdy-Gordon who played Dr. Harrod and also worked with Gordon in other projects; and a 1977 documentary titled The Organic Theater Company of Chicago which offers a look into the theater scene that Gordon came up in.
In terms of the on-disc presentation, there’s no appearance of grime or dirt in the frame, as well as no distortion on the audio mix. The range of color is particularly important within the film in order to distinguish between healthy bodies and chemically-altered or dead ones. The restoration maintains cinematographer Mac Ahlberg’s (From Beyond; House) overall natural tone for the film, thereby enabling the really wacky bits (resurrected Rufus) and gore (headless Hill) to stand out. Most importantly, the technical quality of the restoration shines as the bitrate primarily hovers in the low-mid 90s with the occasional dip into the upper 80s. Blu-rays have a max bitrate of 40 Mbps and 4K UHD maxes at 128 Mbps, so the Ignite Films restoration is delivering a high-quality video presentation that makes as much use of the 4K UHD space as possible. With this being a first-time watch, I did opt for the 5.1 audio mix, which is likely the audio mix created in 2002 for the Elite Entertainment DVD. Like the video elements, the audio is clear, crisp, and nicely balanced. I didn’t notice anything that felt deserving or worth watching on the 5.1 track; the film’s not exactly using sound in an immersive way, so I do suspect that watching this on the restored mono would’ve been an equally pleasant audio experience. If nothing else, it’s good to know that the porting over from the prior DVD release didn’t impact the quality here.
RE-ANIMATOR 40th Anniversary. Photo courtesy of Ignite Films.
As someone who only dabbled in horror films as an adolescent (Evil Dead trilogy; Scream (1997)), Re-Animator was something that I knew about but never dared experience. Now, what would’ve made me squeamish then instead raises curiosity as to how they pulled off such impressive gags with practical effects. Where did the dummy chest fit for the first body Dan and Herbert reanimate that Herbert shoves a bone saw through? How did they execute the intestinal snare that seems to trap Herbert as he and Dan try to rescue Megan? What would’ve turned my stomach then is replaced by curiosity and, frankly, that’s the best part of these restoration anniversary releases. They provide an opportunity for old fans to see their favorite in a new way and a chance for new fans to be born. Do I feel the urge to track down the next two films in the series? No. But, in watching this, I have a different appreciation for not only this film, but also for Joe Lynch’s own Lovecraftian adaptation Suitable Flesh (2023), which just also happens to star Crampton. The more older films one watches, the more appreciation one gains for what’s come after, for what inspires artists of today are the artists of yesterday.
That said, if you’re new to Re-Animator and can screen a 4K UHD disc, I recommend the baseline 4K UHD edition. You’ll get all you need to explore the film with the best video presentation possible. Though I haven’t gone hands-on with the higher cost editions, the descriptions alone seem built to attract the generational fans of this title. If that’s not you, go with the one that’ll preserve your wallet and sit nicely on the shelf.
Re-Animator Special Features:
Newly Produced Bonus Features
- Re-Animator at 40: A Conversation with Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, and Brian Yuzna
- Piece By Piece: Cutting Re-Animator – A New Interview with Editor Lee Percy
- The Horror of It All: The Legacy and Impact of Re-Animator
- I Give Life: A Look Back at Re-Animator: The Musical
- Suzie Sorority and the Good College Boy: An Interview with Carolyn Purdy-Gordon
- Re-Animating a Horror Classic: The 4K Restoration of Re-Animator
- The Organic Theater Company of Chicago: A 1977 documentary featuring Stuart Gordon
- New 40th anniversary 4K UHD trailer
Legacy Bonus Features
- Integral Version (105 mins)
- Isolated Score
- Audio commentary with director Stuart Gordon and actors Graham Skipper and Jesse Merlin of Re-Animator: The Musical
- Audio commentary with Stuart Gordon
- Audio commentary with producer Brian Yuzna, actors Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Bruce Abbott, and Robert Sampson
- Re-Animator: Resurrectus – Feature-length documentary on the making of the film featuring extensive interviews with cast and crew
- Interviews with director Stuart Gordon and producer Brian Yuzna, writer Dennis Paoli, composer Richard Band and former Fangoria editor Tony Timpone
- Music discussion with composer Richard Band
- The Catastrophe of Success: Stuart Gordon and The Organic Theater – Director Stuart Gordon discusses his early theater roots and his continued commitment to the stage
- Theater of Blood – Re-Animator: The Musical lyricist Mark Nutter on adapting the cult classic for musical theater
- Extended scenes
- Deleted scene
- Trailer & TV Spots
- Still Gallery
- Barbara Crampton In Conversation: The Re-Animator star sits down with journalist Alan Jones for this career-spanning 2015 interview
- A Guide to Lovecraft Cinema: Chris Lackey, host of the H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast, provides a comprehensive look at the many cinematic incarnations of Lovecraft’s work.
- Doug Bradley’s Spinechillers: Herbert West, Re-Animator actor Jeffrey Combs reads H.P. Lovecraft’s original classic story
Shipping for the 4K UHD and Blu-ray standard editions began April 18th, 2025.
Shipping for the Deluxe Edition Box Set began between April 28th – 30th, 2025.
Shipping for the Ultimate Limited Edition Box Set expected by May 19th, 2025.
For more information, head to the official Ignite Films Re-Animator webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Recommendation
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