Jeffrey Combs Indulges Nerds at Neptune for Re-Animator’s 40th Anniversary
Poster for Re-Animator’s 40th Anniversary 4k release
Courtesy of Ignite Films (press release)
Re-Animator is a dorm room cult classic; it has been a mainstay of young adult watch parties for decades, reverently shared by 20-somethings in dark living rooms asking each other, “Wanna see something weird?” Not everyone was lucky enough to have an unobservant parent with a massive home VHS collection. I watched Re-Animator in a rare void of influence. No chortling companions, no mockery—none of the things that so often accompany such films. I was blessed with a vacuum so I could appreciate not just the camp but the artistry of Stuart Gordon’s Lovecraftian psychosexual nightmare.
Released in 1985, Re-Animator was loosely adapted from H.P. Lovecraft’s 1922 novelette, “Herbert West—Reanimator,” and while I would gladly change my legal name to “Official Lovecraft Hate Account,” I try not to hold the association against the movie. Director Stuart Gordon, whose background was in theater, originally planned Re-Animator as a stage production. Then it evolved into a television pilot, which was expanded into a feature film. It did fairly well for a low-budget horror film and produced two sequels: Bride of Re-Animator (1990) and Beyond Re-Animator (2003). This would be the first collaboration between Gordon and actor Jeffrey Combs, who would later reunite (along with co-star Barbara Crampton) in From Beyond in 1986. Jeffrey Combs, the ambassador for cult horror films of the end of the 20th century, is also a Star Trek icon. (While horror will always be my first love, I am also an unrepentant trekkie.)
To say that I was excited for the 40th anniversary of Re-Animator would be an understatement. This was a cosmic alignment of interests. The screening took place at The Neptune in the U District and included a Q&A with Combs, the film’s agonized antagonist. He began by reading an old review of Re-Animator from People Magazine (it did not age as gracefully as the film it attempted to roast), so when I say I would listen to Jeffrey Combs read the paper, you know I mean it literally.
Q&A with the Audience and Jeffrey Combs:
Both you and Stuart Gordon are very involved in theater. I was wondering if you think that your experience in theater helped you in this role with an eccentric like Herbert West?
Absolutely! Yes! Having a lot of experience in theater before you ever come to film I think is really, really important. Because then you have this wealth of experience…you have a foundation. Theater was pivotal. One of the pivotal things about why Re-Animator is such a success is that Stuart came from theater—most of us came from theater—and he said, “I want us to rehearse.” What a concept! So we had like two or three weeks of rehearsal. This was especially important with a low budget movie with no money and no time.
Re-Animator is a movie that’s chock-full of funny lines…is there a line in your memory that you think is underrated or doesn’t get the laughs it should?
The one line I could’ve done better, actually, because I missed an opportunity—you can’t time things [in film] if there’s no audience there. If you’re in a theater, you’d go, oh I know what to do to get two laughs. But I didn’t do that. It was: “‘Who’s going to believe a talking head?’ Laugh. ‘Get a job in a sideshow.’ Laugh.” I didn’t do that.
How do you feel this movie functions in relation to other contemporary horror comedies?
I think the genius that Stuart brought to this movie is that he took it very seriously. It was never told to us, “Be funny. Go for the joke.” All the things that get laughs are situational or they come out of character. No one's asking for a laugh, and that is the way to get a laugh.
Obviously, you’re a horror icon. What is your favorite horror movie or performance?
Original movie poster for Re-Animator
via Openverse
I love The Thing. It didn’t get good reviews when it came out; it was a remake. I still am deeply—although it’s not really a horror movie, it’s more like a psychological horror movie—moved by The Haunting. The original. I love smart horror movies, I’m not really a fan of the ‘set ‘em up, knock ‘em downs.’
You’re in a lot of Lovecraft remakes, and I was wondering: Were you looking for that, or did it just happen?
Was I looking to do Lovecraft movies? (Yeah) No. When I first auditioned for Stuart, he said to me, “This is based on a Lovecraft story,” and I said, “Oh yeah! Uh! Mhm!” [enthusiastic gesticulating]
If you were to reprise the role now, is there anything you would change about it?
I have always felt Herbert never changes. It’s one of the fascinations of a character like him. He is relentlessly himself. I think secretly, people are horrified by him, but also, “Damn, that guy doesn’t take shit.” He doesn’t compromise, and the world is his oyster because he’s so self-assured and clear and unapologetic. Everybody wants that.
