Oh
RE-ANIMATOR,
Stuart Gordon, and
Jeffery Combs how I love you! Yes, I do! My first introduction to Stuart Gordon and Jeffery Combs came with FROM BEYOND when my dad taped it off cable TV one late night. He watched it and shared it with his work pals and though he only let me watch some bits and pieces at the time, I watched it on my own when he wasn't around. Something about Jeffery Combs and the pineal gland pokin' out of his head always stuck with me.
Then I found
RE-ANIMATOR as I watched more and more horror movies! I didn't get a chance to see
RE-ANIMATOR on a big screen until a few years ago along with some other Q&A's but now those have been topped because I got to see
RE-ANIMATOR at my favorite theater,
THE NEW BEVERLY and director Stuart Gordon, actor Jeffery Combs, and costume designer Robin Lewis West were all in attendance.
There was a good turn out at the New Beverly that night filling up the seats. Stuart Gordon showed up early and Jeffery Combs was in a hat and with a mustache chilling along the aisle wall and they chatted with fans some. Rob G of
ShockTillYouDrop.com did the intros and invited Stuart, Jeffery and Robin to the stage to being the Q&A.
Rob G brought up that the film is about to have it's 25th anniversary! (WOW!) It was the first film for Gordon as director and his first team up with Jeffery Combs and today they're still working together. (Check out
NEVERMORE the one-man stage show with Jeffery Combs as Edgar Allen Poe! It's at the STEVE ALLEN THEATER in L.A.)
Robin commented that on the set they're shoes all stuck to the floor thanks to what they called foamy drool. Robin also made a confession to Stuart, something that she never told him before as
RE-ANIMATOR was her first movie opportunity as a costume designer. On the set they had box of autopsy gowns that got lost and she replaced them with white hefty bags.
Jeffery said how this was his first big opportunity for him, to sink teeth into a roll and how much fun he had and really complimented actor Bruce Abbott who is the unsung hero of the film. Jeffery also said how great a character Herbert West has been for him because as an actor it's fun to play a character who does not compromise the way the Herbert does.
Stuart and Jeffery talked about the critical reaction to the film and how it won the critics award at Cannes even though it wasn't in competition. Jeffery recalled Siskel and Ebert's review at the time where Siskel gave it a thumbs down but later gave it high praise 6 months later when it was on on video.
As the Q&A wrapped Jeffery Combs gave Clu Gulager a shout out and said how great it was to see him there. The two exchanged quick hellos!
So, NEVERMORE is going to have 10 more performances, ending it's run in December! Be sure to check it out if you haven't seen it and are in L.A. and Stuart did say they might be taking the production on tour in the next year.
RE-ANIMATOR was just as awesome this time out on the big screen. I love it more each time I watch it. Jeffery is just awesome as Herbert West, those glares he does are great! And the headless Dr. Hill and his obsession with Megan Halsey makes me cringe every time. (shudder) But it just proves that RE-ANIMATOR is timeless and holds up because Jeffery and Stuart team-ups are a good thing!
TRAILERS: RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, DR. GIGGLES, and DAY OF THE DEAD (this trailer made my dad jump, heee heee)
I write a popular fanblog on Jeffrey Combs, The Combs Corner (http://www.combscorner.com) and I stumbled across your post today. I was hoping you would let me use your awesome photos for an upcoming post on the "Re-animator" screening. I was there too, and had an absolute blast.
Thanks!