Herbert West, Re-Animator [ENGLISH VERSION]

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Hang on to your hospital beds, roll up one of your sleeves, and get ready for a massive shot of Doctor Herbert West’s infamous serum! If you thought you knew everything there was to know about Re-Animator, think again – because now you can hold in your eager, well-sanitized hands a beautiful hardcover book which explores the cinematic legacy of H.P. Lovecraft’s classic tale of mad science, from every possible point of view. Everything you’ve been too afraid to ask about what germinated from the twisted imagination of H.P. Lovecraft in 1921 is to be found within these lavishly-illustrated pages, from film adaptations to comics and graphic novels.

Our 256-page book gives the floor to directors, actors, producers, and composers who helped to shape the shocking and ground-breaking trilogy of modern horror, fueled by one of the most fascinating mad scientists ever to adorn the screen or the written page: the Re-Animator saga. Brian Yuzna (producer of Re-Animator and director of the two sequels), actors Jeffrey Combs (Dr. Herbert West himself), Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton, composer Richard Band, and many more are along for the journey as they share their memories from the sets in unreleased and exclusive interviews.

Herbert West, Re-Animator provides a wealth of information and in-depth analyses put together by an international team of film historians and specialists, coordinated by Eugenio Ercolani. On top of that, this tome was given a fluorescent glow-in-the-dark hardcover, thus allowing it to shine proudly on your shelf even when the sun has set! And that’s not all: we’ve cooked up a special formula for you, with a collection of short stories by H.P. Lovecraft that were later adapted into movies. An exclusive volume, in paperback format, to get together with Herbert West, Re-Animator

We can defeat death!

From October to June of 1921, H.P. Lovecraft published a new short story in the magazine Home Brew, entitled Herbert West, Re-Animator. It told of a scientist driven by an unshakable belief in his ability to bring the dead back to life, whose sinister plan will lead to total disaster. As often is the case with Lovecraft, the inconsequent use of forbidden and dangerous knowledge brings nothing but chaos and destruction.

Despite his prolific body of work, Lovecraft received little serious recognition during his lifetime, and it was not until years after his death in 1937, at the age of just 46, that his short stories and novels would leave an indelible mark in horror literature, and then in pop culture and movies, when newcomers who grew up with his tales drew inspiration from him.

Fast forward to 1985.

Theatre director Stuart Gordon, alongside producer Brian Yuzna, shook the entire horror genre to its very foundation. Their version of Re-Animator was very freely adapted from Lovecraft’s short story, bringing the classic horror trope of the mad scientist back with a modern, knowingly tongue-in-cheek flourish. The film is a cascade of gory effects in pure “Grand Guignol” tradition, pitched to those with a taste for “naughty stuff” and the blackest of black humor. Re-Animator was quickly hailed as the most refreshing horror film of the year and it soon became one of the defining staples of the emerging world of horror fandom via the home video market. The famous Doctor Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) is one of the most striking characters within eighties horror and one of the most likeable villains within the entirety of the genre. The character returned in two further installments with Bride of Re-animator (Re-Animator 2) in 1990 and Beyond Re-Animator in 2003. A great B-movie and a must-see of modern horror cinema and body horror, Stuart Gordon’s movie re-animates the audience every time they watch the film!

The Re-Animator saga told by its creators

This book fleshes out every possible aspect of each film’s production history: the genesis of each script, the special effects, the difficulties, the clashes and gossip, the compromises and tribulations. And it’s all here, dear readers, all laid out for the first time in one, extensive publication.

This beautiful 256-page tome comes with a hardcover enhanced with a fluorescent AND glow-in-the-dark special ink. To tell this complex tale, it was necessary to assemble an international editor and writers’ team, united around documentary director and film historian Eugenio Ercolani. This book also gives readers instant access to a series of exclusive interviews with the creators of the saga.

• Brian Yuzna, producer of the first Re-Animator and director of its two sequels.
• Jeffrey Combs, the actor who brought Doctor Herbert West to life.
• Barbara Crampton, the actress who offered her body to science… and to horror.
• Bruce Abbott, who plays Dan Cain, Doctor West’s roommate and loyal friend.
• Dennis Paoli, co-writer of the first Re-Animator.
• Richard Band, the star composer behind the now-classic themes of Re-Animator and Puppet Master.
• Nico Baixas, one of the recurring faces within Yuzna’s Fantastic Factory, having taken part in both Beyond Re-Animator and Beneath Still Waters.
• Richard Raaphorst, the man who helped create the visuals of Beyond Re-Animator.

But wait, there’s more! You also get comments and anecdotes from the likes of Stuart Gordon (deceased in 2020), Charles Band (deceased in 2002), spécial effect designer John Carl Buechler (deceased in 2019).

Herbert West, Re-Animator’s cover reprises a board with the anatomy of Grey, enhanced with a double special varnish, both phosphorescent and fluorescent. Yes, the serum flowing through the brain glows in the dark, a true signature of Doctor West’s potion of immortality.

The writers’ team

Eugenio Ercolani

Documentary filmmaker and film historian, he has contributed numerous bonus features on hundreds of well-known films for major American, British and German labels. He is also the author of Cannibal Worlds (2026) and Darkening the Italian Screen (2019).

Heather Wixson

Wixson writes for Fangoria, Dread Central and FEARnet, she is the editor-in-chief of Daily Dead and the author of several books including Search of Darkness: The Definitive Guide to 80s Horror and Monsters, Makeup, and Effects: Conversations with Cinema’s Greatest Artists.

Andrea Meroni

Film Editor, podcaster, and film historian. He regularly writes for various cinema magazines, as well as contributing to many special features.

Troy Howarth

A specialist author on European genre cinema, he has written more than a dozen books, including works on Umberto Lenzi, Mario Bava, Jess Franco and John Carpenter. He has also contributed commentaries, video essays, and liner notes to more than 300 editions for the home video market.

Nanni Cobretti

Cobretti created the well-known Italian magazine I 400 Calci. Nanni is also a film critic and an author of several books, including volumes on Sylvester Stalone and on satanic cinema, among others.

Giacomo Calzoni

Editor for several magazines and collective works. He is a member of the Rome FantaFestival commission and recently penned a book on Jack Sholder. He also wrote a book on movie adaptations based on Stephen King novels.

Discover the original stories behind the cult horror classics

Along Herbert West, Re-Animator, we propose you a new collection of Lovecraft’s classic tales of horror, Cinematic Tales of Horror, that have all in common to have inspired as many movies. For the first time gathered in a same paperback volume, (re-discover) the writings of the on and only original Master of Horror: Herbert West, Re-Animator, From Beyond, Dagon, Colour out of Space, Necronomicon, Caste Freak, and others.