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That's the bad news. The good news is there's no longer anything to lose, so the ambitious doctors are free to continue their hideous experiments. But they soon discover Cain still has access to the hospital morgue. This is good, because it turns out that the fresher the bodies, the better the result - except for that whole "homicidal rage" thing, which never quite gets ironed out. It’s actually kind of amusing - West is pretty juiced up over this whole “bringing the dead back to life” thing, but seems supremely unconcerned with the fact that everything he reanimates immediately tries to murder everything it sees.

You probably think you can figure out the rest of this, which is adorable because you're probably right - except the completely insane details I guarantee you're not anticipating. Re-Animator offers more than its share of body horror gross outs, and the effects, while obviously dated, are freaky enough to remain psychologically effective three decades on. You'll see this film billed as a "horror/comedy", and while I can't think of a better description, I need to point out that it's not "funny" so much as it is fantastically, almost blasphemously insane. Like a stage play, the action is limited mostly to the locations and characters I've already mentioned, while it tends to concentrate the madness like an overly strong pitcher of Kool-aid.

There IS a lot of incidental slapstick in Re-Animator, but it never overtly plays for laughs. The humor mostly lies in the fact that the story goes places that are so out of left field, you almost have to laugh. Halsey is so self-consciously obtuse that even when certain...things...happen, what should be terrifying and poignant leaves you snickering with guilty pleasure. But by far the most entertaining of the bunch are the duo of Combs, whose demented genius schtick never gets old, and Gale, who is creepy not just because his character is probably a closet sex offender, but also because he resembles John Kerry. Nobody could have known this at the time, but it’s impossible not to watch Re-Animator and imagine the current Secretary of State up to his elbows in blood, brains and insanity.

Re-Animator is one of those films that gets most of its love within the horror community. It’s probably not for you unless you count yourself part of that crowd. But even if you’re not, it’s a lot more fun, a lot zanier, and a lot more satisfying than you’re probably expecting. Even if you hate it, you probably won’t hate it enough to regret watching it. And if you decide you like it, remember that death is not the end. It’s just another chance to destroy your competitors, kidnap the woman of your dreams and attempt to seduce her with your own bloody remains. Re-Animator isn’t just a classic horror film - it’s an inspiring, can-do message from H.P. Lovecraft to everyone who’s ever doubted themselves.

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