Courtesy of Empire International Pictures

Stuart Gordon’s celebrated cult classic Re-Animator turned 40 earlier this month. The film, which follows the exploits of Herbert West, a medical student who discovers a way to bring the dead back to life, has enjoyed a lasting legacy thanks to gratuitous gore, campy humor, and a pitch-perfect cast who understand the assignment. In celebration of the film’s enduring appeal, the BBC profiled actor Jeffrey Combs, who plays West, and effects artist John Naulin, the man behind the film’s epically gory send-offs. 

The duo shared a series of fond memories and behind-the-scenes anecdotes from their time with the production. Both seem to remember the shoot as a blood-soaked fever dream. Naulin recalls, “We made over 40 gallons of blood from my own formula, which was more than I have ever used on any film.”

Combs also vividly remembers stage blood as far as the eye can see. “They would dress the set with blood, and then Stuart would walk in and say, ‘Hand me that gallon of blood, would you?’ It was like drowning in this stuff sometimes.”

At Gordon’s behest, Naulin created a concoction he refers to as “foamy drool” out of, among other things, antacid. You can see his signature creation cascading out of the mouths of the reanimated dead throughout the picture. Taken in large quantities, antacid has potentially harmful side effects. Since Gordon called for so much of it, Naulin ultimately had to switch up the formula. “After we’d heard the call ‘more foamy drool!’ more times than you can shake a stick at, we worried it might thin the actors’ blood,” says Naulin.

Thanks to its comically graphic nature, the film has enjoyed an enduring legacy. It has also proved to be plenty influential over the years. You can see Re-Animator referenced in a variety of different places, including, according to Combs, in Batman Begins. As the actor puts it, “Arkham Asylum is run by a young, sort of bespeckled, arrogant young man [Cillian Murphy’s the Scarecrow]. I thought, ‘That could be me.’ It’s a frame of reference for people.”

The film’s enduring success and lasting influence on pop culture stem from a collaborative effort between cast and crew. Gordon had the vision for the gore, but the actors are largely responsible for the film’s tone. As Combs recalls, “Our instincts told us we have to find release points for the audience. I didn’t really talk to Stuart about it – neither did Bruce [Abbott] – but it’s something we decided to do. Otherwise, it’s just going to be a bombardment of gross stuff.”

It’s fascinating to think that Gordon originally intended to play it straight. Much of the film’s charm stems from the campy performances and over-the-top exchanges between the cast members. One thing is for sure, though, the collective efforts of a talented cast and crew make Re-Animator a film we’re still talking about 40 years on from release.

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