Bride of Re-Animator (1990)/Shudder/Joe Bob Briggs

I have to admit that my second viewing of Bride of Re-Animator (1990) was so much better. I think there is some great things in this film, marvelous scenes and Combs is as sensational as always. But Kathleen Kinmont deserves a ton of credit for her limited screen time in the film. Much like Lanchester in The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Kinmont is not in Bride of Re-Animator much, but when she is, that woman makes the most of that time. I loved the long-form interview between Joe Bob Briggs and Jeffrey Combs on Shudder for the Friday show. And there was a point where Darcy, the Mail Girl, tells Combs that a lot of women thinks he's hot, and he doesn't seem to grasp that...it is a fun moment, where she just tells him to accept that. Briggs covers a lot of trivia and history with Combs, so if you are a fan of Jeffrey, check out the Last Drive-In. The head on the television set gimmick (attached to a scarecrow body) is a treat to me...I really enjoy it. The film itself, I hope to revisit this again sometime during the summer. I hope to include some more thoughts on it.

I cop to watching this in parts much like the In Search of Darkness docs. I really feel so much different about Bride of Re-Animator than in the past. Herbert West can't help himself; he wants that re-agent to work so badly, and all that results are unsurprisingly further disaster. People die. West uses the re-agent on them. They are resurrected, crazed, and violent. Nothing ever good comes from that damned re-agent. Claude Earl Jones as the cop whose wife is reanimated, looking to get his pound of flesh out of West, killed by Herbert from a handkerchief with some type of poison, and gets the re-agent as well...and, sure enough, he becomes an unhinged zombie.

Kinmont as this Frankenstein of various arms, legs, hands, and Crampton's heart (keeping her own head) is quite grotesque, but West is able to "seduce" his partner, Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott), by pointing out how each body part is ideal for their "bride"...it's quite a memorable scene. West really manipulates Cain by using his former love's heart as a way to keep him in the fold.

I want a rewatch of this film so I can go into the subplot regarding West's adversary, Dr. Hill (Gale, returning as the head, absent a body) and comment in depth on all the bizarre special effects. Also, Fabiana Udenio as another love interest for Abbott deserves some serious shine. I'll just say Hill's head with bat wings is astonishing if surreal. Not mention an eye and fingers walking around.