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.
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.
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