I was pretty young when I first discovered Re-Animator (1985) and quickly became obsessed with its over-the-top gore and wicked sense of humor. Of course, I followed the horror franchise, so I knew about both sequels and enjoyed them for what they were. Then, in a mail-order catalog, I came across a listing for ReAnimator Academy (1992), which sounded like a cheap cash-in.
It was quickly swept under the rug and largely forgotten. Then along came Visual Vengeance, resurrecting the SOV title in a fancy special edition that even Herbert West would be impressed by.
The fraternity brothers at Delta Epsilon Delta are your typical red-blooded American party animals, except for Edgar Allen Lovecraft. He’s locked up in his room, trying to cure death, and finds a serum that works on the severed head of a recently deceased comedian. When a mafia hood steals the serum to use on his murdered squeeze, her reanimated corpse goes on a campus killing spree.
The film was directed by SOV royalty, Brett McCormick, under the hysterically funny pseudonym Judith Priest. It’s an absolutely wild, funny film that may draw inspiration from those films but charts its own path. It’s ridiculously over-the-top and cheaply made, but it never forgets what it is.
One of McCormick’s strong points has always been the ability to entertain despite a nonexistent budget. If you take Re-Animator and cross it with Revenge of the Nerds, you get ReAnimator Academy. I can’t necessarily say it’s a good movie, but it’s definitely highly entertaining.
Watching it today at home on a special-edition Blu-ray doesn’t quite hit the same way as finding it at a mom-and-pop video store with friends. It certainly takes you back, though. After all, who doesn’t love a severed head named Fred?
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Visual Vengeance goes overboard in the best way possible with its special features, making this a must-own release. It includes:
- Transfer from existing SD tape masters
- Commentary from Sam Panico of B&S About Movies and Bill Van Ryn of Drive-In Asylum
- Talking Heads: director Bret McCormick Interview
- Back To School: Reanimator Academy Location Tour
- Brainwaves: Scoring Reanimator Academy
- Interview with actor Tom Fegan
- Fred The Head interview
- Reanimator Academy: 2023 director’s alternate soundtrack cut
- Bonus film: Bret McCormick’s Children of Dracula (1994)
- Bret McCormick interview: Children of Dracula
- Bret McCormick Reanimator Academy Q&A – Nitehawk Cinema
- Visual Vengeance trailers
- Optional English Subtitles
- Folded mini-poster
- Reversible sleeve featuring original VHS art
- ‘Stick Your Own’ VHS stickers (FIRST PRESSING ONLY)
- Limited Edition slipcase art by Giorgio Credaro (FIRST PRESSING ONLY)
- Limited Edition Video Store Card (FIRST PRESSING ONLY)
ReAnimator Academy is a rare SOV comedic gem, rescued by Visual Vengeance and given new life on Blu-ray. Genre fans won’t want to miss it.
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