Re-animator 4K (1985)

"Fantastic 4K Restoration of an All-Time Classic"

Second Sight have produced a gorgeous, extras-packed edition of Stuart Gordon's classic film of H P Lovecraft's story for RE-ANIMATOR's 40th anniversary, and are releasing a new 4K restoration of the film as both a limited edition UHD / Blu-ray combo and separate standard UHD and Blu-ray editions.

Medical student Herbert West, fresh from a gory fracas in Zurich, joins Miskatonic Medical School to continue his research into the reanimation of dead tissue on the sly with the assistance of his slightly unwilling colleague Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott). However his reagent doesn't work terribly well, except in the worst possible case, and soon he has to deal with his recently decapitated research rival and lecturer Dr Carl Hill (David Gale) who has designs on Megan Halsey (Barbara Crampton) the Dean's daughter and Dan's girlfriend. 

A frenetic, frenzied approach to adapting Lovecraft that skilfully adds generous doses of humour and sex to produce a work of manic genius on a par with Herbert West himself, Stuart Gordon’s RE-ANIMATOR made deserved instant stars (at least in the exploitation world) of some of its cast. Along with George A Romero’s contemporaneous DAY OF THE DEAD it also elevated the reputation of both mad scientist and zombie movies to new levels. The nifty screenplay takes the essence of Lovecraft’s story (something Gordon and screenwriter Dennis Paoli would later do successfully with DAGON, their adaptation of The Shadow Over Innsmouth) and deftly turns something pretty turgid (try reading it) into one of the classics of the genre. 

        Gordon works wonders with an obviously small budget (rehearsal time and Gordon’s theatre experience helped) and credit should be given to Richard Band’s score which, while derivative in places (especially that main title theme), hits just the right note of twinkle-in-the-eye ‘you won’t believe what’s coming next’ so many times that he can be forgiven the steals from Bernard Herrmann. But the film belongs to Jeffrey Combs, who in his performance as Herbert West created an icon of modern horror – one who refreshingly could talk, didn’t solve all his problems with a machete, and had actually been to university. Even if he had been thrown out for making his professor’s eyeballs explode.

REANIMATOR has always looked a little grainy (and a lot grainy on VHS transfers) but Second Sight's 4K restoration is a thing of beauty. Even if you have every other version of REANIMATOR on disc, in fact especially if you do, you're going to want this to marvel at what a terrific restoration job has been performed, with clearer image, more vivid colours and deeper blacks with no picture noise. Really excellent.

New extras kick off with a commentary track by Eddie Falvey who literally wrote a book on the film and knows his stuff, offering a fact-packed track that's well worth a listen. Mike Muncer provides a 10 minute 'primer' video essay on H P Lovecraft using THE THING, FROM BEYOND and others as illustration. Reanimator at 40 has Combs and Crampton in conversation with producer Brian Yuzna for 45 minutes, and there are new interview with editor Lee Percy (15 minutes) and actor Carolyn Purdy-Gordon (14 minutes). Legacy & Impact is 18 minutes in which film-makers Joe Lynch, Mike Mendez, Nicholas McCarthy and others talk about the impression the film made on them. 

Older extras include Barbara Crampton in Conversation - a record of her 2015 Frightfest interview with Alan Jones (37 minutes) and Nucleus Films' Guide to Lovecraftian Horror from 2016,  nearly hour long piece in which Chris Lackey guides you expertly through the sub-genre. Reanimator Resurretcus is an Anchor Bay piece with cast and crew from 2007 (69 minutes) and oldest of all are interviews from 2002 with Gordon and Yuzna (49 minutes), writer Dennis Paoli (11 minutes), composer Richard Band (15 minutes) and Fangoria editor Tony Timpone (5 minutes). Also included is the 'Integral Cut' which runs 104 minutes, 23 minutes of extended scenes, one deleted scene and the usual trailers, TV spots and still galleries. Second Sight's limited edition also comes with a 120 page book with new writing on the film, six art cards and a slipcase to keep it all in.

 

Stuart Gordon's REANIMATOR in 4K is being released in a limited edition UHD / Blu-ray combo as well as standard edition UHD and Blu-ray editions on Monday 15th September 2025

Whispering Smith Hits London 4K (1952)

It's time for another British movie obscurity to get the posh 4K UHD and Blu-ray treatment from Hammer studios, from the period when they specialised in B movie programmers and radio spin offs before hitting the big time with horror.

Steve 'Whispering' Smith (Richard Carlson) comes to London for a holiday and almost immediately finds himself involved in the apparent suicide of Sheila Garde. Her father (who we never see) is convinced she was murdered and it's the job of his assistant Anne (Rona Anderson) to get Smith on the case.

After some initial reticence Smith ends up interviewing Sheila's lawyer Reith (Alan Wheatley), her best friend Louise (Greta Gynt) and her fiancé Roger (Herbert Lom). Eventually he uncovers a blackmail scheme that may have led to Sheila's death. Are all, some, or any of the above involved in it? You'll have to watch the film to find out.

Who Whispering Smith is meant to be in this film isn't entirely clear. The character was originally created by Frank Spearman in the early 1900s and was a railroad detective in the Old West. Alan Ladd and Audie Murphy played him in a 1948 film and subsequent TV series. Carlson's Smith is modern day and wears a trenchcoat although he does sport a cowboy hat in one scene.

WHISPERING SMITH HITS LONDON is middle-grade crime for the period. If you're a fan of the genre you'll work out where it's going pretty quickly and if you're a fan of this period of British cinema you'll likely have a lot of fun getting there. There are blink and you'll miss them appearances by Stanley Baker and Laurence Naismith and longer contributions from an almost showstopping Dora Bryan at the start (so much so you assume she's going to figure in the plot but sadly no) and Reginald Beckwith. Most fun for British horror fans will be had from Herbert Lom's marionette puppeteer who feels like a dry run for the character of Byron in the 1972 Amicus ASYLUM. 

Hammer's 4K UHD and Blu-ray double disc set contains two versions of the film. The second, titled WHISPERING SMITH VS SCOTLAND YARD is shorter at just over 77 minutes, with the UK version clocking in at 84. There's a commentary track on each - Jo Botting and Dave Thomas on the UK and Richard Holliss and Gavin Collinson on the US. Best amongst the other extras are a 28 minute piece from Chris Alexander on the film and Hammer at the time, and an excellent 29 minute piece on Herbert Lom in the 1940s and 1950s, in which William Fowler, Barry Forshaw, Lucy Bolton and Vic Pratt cover his career up to and including Ealing's THE LADYKILLERS. Pratt and Fowler return to discuss the differences between the UK and US versions of Whispering Smith and why (23 minutes).

Other extras include a black and white short film about the town of Bray, a ten minute segment of an audio interview with sound editor Alfred Cox, image gallery and censor cards. Like with all these releases you also get a book featuring new essays on the making of, Hammer's early crime period, more on Whispering Smith, Greta Gynt and Richard Carlson. It's yet another very classy presentation from Hammer and invaluable for students and enthusiasts of this period of British cinema.

WHISPERING SMITH HITS LONDON is out from Hammer on Monday 15th December in a limited edition 4K UHD and Blu-ray set