Reanimator paired with Braaaiins! Pumpkin Ale for Zombies

31 Days of Draughts and Darkness: Volume III

Reanimator (1985)

For such grim subject matter, zombie movies sure can range in tone. Many of the classic "...of the Dead" features are stark commentaries on society's faults. Others are pure, visceral monster movies like "28 Days Later". And then there are those who play the zombie apocalypse for humor. Be they parody like "Shaun of the Dead" or goofy fun like "Return of the Living Dead (which may make an appearance on 31 Days later this month), zombie comedies are more copious then you might think. I guess with all the death and suffering, it helps to laugh.

Tonight's feature isn't 100% zombie-comedy, though it certainly has a dark little sense of humor. 

Based on the story by H.P. Lovecraft, 1985's "Reanimator" is sort of a half-and-half of undead horror crossed with comedy. Campy moments abound, but so too does dismemberment. The kills are squishy and creative, steeped in the sort of gross, latex-driven practicality 80's horror is famous for.

Top that off with a great performance by genre-staple Jeffery Combs, and you're in for one hell of a ride.

The Plot:

Dan Cain is just trying to survive medical school. With a tight schedule and secret relationship with the Dean's daughter Megan, stress abounds. In an effort to raise some extra money, Dan puts one of the rooms in his apartment up for rent, hoping to attract another medical student. What he gets is Dr. Hebert West (Jeffery Combs).

Dr. West is a strange sort of loner-scientist who spends all his time either holed-up in his room or the lab. And that's it. Antisocial and aloof, Dr. West pours every moment of free time obsessively into his research. Once the secret of that research is revealed, things get real interesting for everyone involved.

Though admittedly unhinged and, well, a mad scientist, Dr. West is brilliant enough to have unlocked the secret to resurrecting the dead. His formula, when injected directly into the brainstem, has the power to reanimate deceased tissue. This glowing green potion, which uncomfortably resembles Mountain Dew, has only been tested on small mammals. 

So far.

Unfortunately, the medical school where Dan and Hebert attend just so happens to have a morgue, and it isn't long before the pair find themselves sneaking in to test the potion on a few fresh cadavers.

The serum does work, but the returned aren't exactly what you'd call the friendly type. More the murderous, rampaging sort. Each time someone dies at the hand of one of these zombies, Dan and Hebert attempt to revive them with the serum, which as you can imagine, only makes the problem far, far worse.

It's gonna be a bloody one, folks.

The Flavor:

"Reanimator" is largely made on Jeffery Comb's manic performance as Dr. West. Imagine Sheldon from "Big Bang Theory", only willing to kill to protect (and progress) his research. Dr. West's moral center is more than a bit skewed, but the character is made fun by Comb's straight-faced stoicism in the face of increasingly-terrifying (and disgusting) circumstances. 

While the idea of a resurrection potion is appealing, it doesn't take more than a trial-run on an unlucky cat to convince us that it's a very bad idea. Sadly, Dr. West is far too driven and Dan far to desperate to get the memo, so what starts with a zombie kitty quickly spreads to a morgue's worth of feisty undead.

And oh boy, are they ever feisty. While the zombies of "Reanimator" aren't hungry for brains, they still go after victims with the intent of relieving them of a head or limb. These zombies are the animalistic sort, unable to communicate and full of ferocity. Somehow, the serum appears to make them stronger, too, so many a victim loses an appendage or two along the way. With buckets of corn syrup and liquid latex, "Reanimator" revels at throwing some seriously gross effects work our way. Human and zombie alike are dispatched in squishy detail, especially at the film's climax. If you're a fan of inventive gore, especially when done with entirely practical effects, you'll find plenty to gobble up here.

Those easily made queasy are sure to be grossed-out, but the film's tone helps ease the impact. "Reanimator" goes for horrific shocks, but does so with a playful sort of vibe. Much of the violence is so over-the-top as to be comical. Even the film's more...uh, "suggestive" moments are rife with zombie gore. Let's just say death does little to suppress zombie libido and keep it at that.

Best Paired With:

Zombie-movie and horror fans are sure to get a kick out of "Reanimator", as it straddles the line between serious horror and camp. There's a reason the film is considered a cult-classic. If you're a casual viewer up for some zombie action, "Reanimator" is a lot more fun than something grim like "The Walking Dead", just go in knowing you'll be splattered with blood n' guts along the way.

 Brew:

I know the zombies in "Reanimator" don't go after brains specifically, but this brew was too zombie-themed to ignore. 

Name: Braaaiins!

Brewery: Spring House

Where Brewed: Conestoga, PA

ABV: 7.10%

Style: Pumpkin Ale

Color:  A true orange-amber exterior which begins to grow just slightly golden around the edges.

Aroma: Whereas most pumpkin beers go heavy on the cinnamon, here the primary spice components on the nose are nutmeg and clove. As well as a hearty dose of vanilla and toasted sugar.

Taste: Braaaiins! begins it's flavor profile with the typical Fall Trio (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove), but as mentioned above, the cinnamon character takes a back-seat to the nutmeg and clove. These flavors pervade each sip, lasting from the moment you first taste the beer and well into the aftertaste. Also well represented on the tongue is vanilla, which blends with a slight background sweetness.

Pumpkin appears as well, but far more mildly than the other flavors on display. Similarly, just a dash of hop bitterness is detectable at the very back end of each sip, but the powers of spice and vanilla go a long way towards keeping the hop factor whisper-thin.

Aftertaste: The sweetness of Braaaiins! fades quickly after each sip, helping to keep things refreshing over the course of a pint. With the hops barely registering, the flavors most pronounced on the tongue are the nutmeg and clove that dominate so much of the primary taste profile. This goes especially true for the clove, the flavor of which is amplified during the aftertaste if you take a deep breath in and out.

Body: Though strongly-spiced, Braaaiins! has a light body that goes down very easy. With the sweetness-level quickly tapering off between sips, the brew does not get cloying over time and remains refreshing.

Pair: Vanilla ice cream would benefit greatly from the powerful spices on hand. You may even think you're eating pumpkin spice ice cream if you take a bite of vanilla right after a sip. On the dinner-side of things, I'd recommend savory meats to help go with the mild sweetness.