Ignite Films revives Brian Yuzna’s Lovecraft/Frankenstein mash-up with a flawless set that perfectly remasters the ‘90s film.
Re-Animator is a beloved 1980s Stuart Gordon classic that allows the director to play to his strengths while he presents a gruesome, goopy take on H.P. Lovecraft. Bride of Re-Animator similarly becomes an opportunity for Brian Yuzna to lean into his natural talents with a chaotic B-horror spectacle that exudes ’90s energy and incorporates Mary Shelley’sFrankenstein into the existing Lovecraftian framework. Bride of Re-Animator isn’t the best sequel or Yuzna film, but it’s an exciting, anarchic exercise that never holds back and succeeds as a worthy riff on Universal Monster sequels.
Bride of Re-Animator has always been a cult classic that’s worth watching for its final gonzo set piece alone. It’s a film that’s often remembered more for its absurd practical effects – from KNB EFX Group and Screaming Mad George – than its narrative or performances. In some respects, this makes Bride of Re-Animator the perfect title to revisit and remaster in 4K. The film’s new 4K UHD Blu-Ray release from Ignite Films is the best that Bride of Re-Animator has ever looked and its new special features, returning legacy features, and supplemental special edition inclusions make it the definitive way to experience this foundational Brian Yuzna gem. It’s the ultimate love letter to this toxic tale of obsession.
Bride of Re-Animator picks up eight months after Re-Animator’s fatal consequences and chronicles Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) and Dan Cain’s (Bruce Abbott) misguided efforts to create the ideal woman from a melange of body parts that includes the heart of Meg, Dan’s dead fiancée. It’s the most extreme example of “Men will literally reanimate a dead corpse instead of going to therapy.” It’s a ‘90s film that’s aged surprisingly well, even if it’s not especially deep, and this new restoration celebrates Bride of Re-Animator in all its gruesome glory.
Arrow Video’s previous high-definition Blu-Ray release from 2016 was a real triumph. However, Ignite Films’ new 4K UHD restoration trumps Arrow’s set in every regard. Bride of Re-Animator’s restoration was personally approved by Brian Yuzna and handled by the same facility that worked on Ignite’s Saturn Award-recognized and sets. Ignite has pulled out all the stops with which is available in four different versions that range from the Blu-Ray Standard Edition for $39.95 to the Ultimate Limited Edition Box Set for a steeper $129.95.
Invaders from Mars
Re-Animator
Bride of Re-Animator,
Image Courtesy of Ignite Films
Video
Ignite Films absolutely kills it with Bride of Re-Animator’s visual upgrade to 2160p Ultra HD presentation in Dolby Vision HDR. It’s an incredibly crisp transfer that’s been restored from the film’s original camera negative. The colors pop like never before, whether it’s spurting red blood or the glowing, luminescent green of the signature Re-Agent. There’s a distinct sense of contrast between extreme colors, and the blacks have never looked better. At the same time, this increased resolution also shines a light on certain concessions that were par for the course in the ‘80s and early ‘90s with practical effects.
The UHD resolution highlights certain seams, wire rigs, and tubes that weren’t previously apparent. This may ruin the audience’s immersion to some degree, but come on, this is Bride of Re-Animator. If anything, seeing these details adds charm to the movie. 4K upgrades of older films like this really help audiences understand just how much work and detail went into these effects and props, even if they couldn’t be properly appreciated at the time. Ignite Films’ new release makes sure that Screaming Mad George and KNB’s groundbreaking work is properly praised.
Audio
On the audio side of things, Ignite Films makes sure that Bride of Re-Animator’s audio upgrade can match the heights of its new visual transfer. There’s 5.1 DTS Master Audio and LPCM 2.0 Audio, albeit without a newly remixed Atmos or multi-channel surround track. It’s enough of an overhaul to properly clean up what was previously muddy and imprecise. It also never misses a chance to amplify the abject grossness of Dr. West’s macabre creations. Bride of Re-Animator is a very wet and messy movie, which can really be valued on this mix. Richard Band’s plunky score, which always sounded like a rejected Puppet Master b-side, also blares in all its glory. It’s an audio overhaul that’s worthy of the rest of this package.
Image Courtesy of Ignite Films
Special Features
Ignite Films’ 4K release would be a success even if it didn’t bring any new special features to the table. Fortunately, there’s such endless love that’s been channeled into this release that makes it an easy purchase for anyone who already has the Arrow Video set. Not only is the set itself well-produced and absolutely gorgeous, but there’s also a decent amount of freshly produced content. Till Death Do Us Part: Making Bride of Re-Animator is a full 60-minute documentary that’s actually full of interesting insight and production details, rather than some perfunctory assembly of footage.
There’s also additional extended interviews with Brian Yuzna and several cast members that allow them to further reflect on the experience. Finally, a new audio commentary has been added, this time by Saturday Night Live’sSarah Sherman. It’s a welcome change of pace to have a mega-fan who is an outsider to the production weigh in on the movie and its impact on their work. It’s an approach that has far more value than yet another audio commentary by Yuzna, Combs, Abbott, and the FX team.
Additionally, Ignite Films’ set also includes hours upon hours of rewarding legacy special features from previous releases, such as past featurettes (“Brian Yuzna Remembers Bride of Re-Animator,” “Splatter Masters,” “Getting Ahead of Horror”), deleted scenes, audio commentaries, and the HD restoration of the censored theatrical cut. Ignite’s Deluxe and Ultimate Limited Edition Box Sets also come with a 120-page hardcover book that’s really a treasure trove of knowledge and passion.
The book’s introduction is penned by Yuzna himself and features some interesting insight on Bride of Re-Animator’s evolution. The book also includes compelling essays that unpack Bride of Re-Animator from unique perspectives, while new interviews with Combs and the rest of the film’s cast flesh out the comprehensive book. These supplemental coffee table books can often amount to style over substance. They’re something that you’ll flip through once and then it will just collect dust. Ignite Films deserves credit for putting together such an informative book and it’s unfortunate that it’s not just available on its own. It’s a standout element that makes the Deluxe Edition Box Set worth the $79.95 price tag.
On that note, there’s a $30 difference between the Deluxe Edition Box Set and the 4K UHD Standard Edition ($49.95), which basically pays for the 120-page book (and five collector art cards). That’s not an egregious price for a book that’s so well put together and full of rich production details, but the 4K UHD Standard Edition set is still a detailed delight with its included legacy bonus features, new 60-minute documentary, extended interviews, and new audio commentary. It’s really everything you could want from a Bride of Re-Animator physical release.
More than 35 years after its original release, Bride of Re-Animator has proven itself to have surprising staying power. It’s like a reanimated corpse that just won’t stay dead. What was initially dismissed as a shallow sequel and hollow imitation of Bride of Frankenstein has transformed into a crucial catalyst in Brian Yuzna’s career. Bride of Re-Animator offers the very best sort of campy ‘90s schlock that’s more interested in nonsensical effects showcases than character development. It’s a must-have for fans of Bride of Re-Animator and Brian Yuzna, ’90s body horror, and deluxe physical media boxsets. Ignite Films’ success in resurrecting this cold cult classic would make Dr. Herbert West proud.
