This theatrical bravado, somehow transplanted to the screen, means it’s “more than just a gore movie delivering splatter mayhem,” as Re-Animator soars toward its bloody climax. [but] It’s also a very effective dark comedy,” says Duffy.
However, according to Combs, Gordon truly believed he was making a serious film, and the decision to play for laughs was largely up to the individual actors. “Our instincts told us we had to find a release point for the audience,” he says. “I didn’t really talk to Stuart about it, and I didn’t talk to Bruce about it either.” [Abbott] – But that’s what we decided to do. Otherwise, you’ll just be bombarding something terrible. ”
No matter who the impetus is, the re-animators manage a fine balance between comedic and dramatic tones, and the humor helps temper some of the excesses that might come across as sadistic in a less self-conscious film. “It’s not mean or mean,” says Lindsay Hallam, film and film studies course leader at the University of the Arts London. “Nor do they take pleasure in torturing female victims.”
In fact, one of the things that made Re-Animator a success was its central female character, Crampton’s Megan Halsey. Unusually for the time, she is a complex horror heroine who does not get into trouble lightly, is wise to the dangers of resurrection, and is knowledgeable about the world in a way that her boyfriend is not. Crampton plays the lead role with a charismatic deadpan look. “She, like the other leads, really understands how to play with the material and keep it grounded while still embracing the silliness of Re-Animator,” says Hallam. “She sells authenticity and danger while avoiding falling into victim or ‘stupid blonde’ clichés.” Even if she is once again the object of lewd acts for the animated villain, “she transcends being just a sex symbol to satisfy the demands of men,” Hallam added.
Source: BBC Culture – www.bbc.com
