MovieChat Forums > Re-Animator (1985) Discussion > How to Make the Perfect Re-animator 4 *P...

How to Make the Perfect Re-animator 4 *Possible Spoilers*


I am a huge fan of this film, but I am also a huge fan of the original Lovecraft story. So how could we maintain both? I think there is a simple solution: PREQUEL.

There are too many discrepancies between the 80s film and the short story for them to be identical. For example, in the story Herbert West has blond hair and blue eyes. However, there are also similarities, such as how the Herbert West in the 80s film behaves a lot like the one in the story.

I think that the most brillant way to resolve this is to have it be revealed that the Herbert West in the 80s film is not the Herbert West of Lovecraft's story, but rather HIS DESCENDANT, a la "Young Frankenstein." In this way, we could still see a faithful adaptation of the original story, while maintaining continuity with this film.

If, for the sake of argument, you consider both stories canonical, then this would be an awesome solution.

Somehow the original Herbert West hid his notes and/or his formula for the reagent, which was discovered by his descendant in the 80s. His behavior in the 80s film is then the carrying on of his ancestor's work, and his character traits are in line with what he inherited from the original Herbert West.

I think Jeffrey Combs played Herbert West perfectly, so he would probably also be the best choice to portray the original Herbert West (if somehow they could fit him with blue contacts and bleach his hair).

So what do you think? "Re-animator 4: Origins" :)

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Hey, ScarletSpider, I noticed you weren't getting any comments on your idea, so I just wanted to say that it's great!

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Thanks, random poster, who is in no way the same as me!

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I also think that your idea is great.

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A prequel won't work. Have you ever seen horror prequels that work at all? I sure haven't. The Thing (2011), Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Exorcist: The Beginning, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.

The thing about horror prequels is that they tell us the story that we already know, which is just like a remake except certain scenes and characters are changed. Besides, isn't it true that the less you know about a horror villian the more you're afraid of them? It's cool to learn about origin stories and such but only if a franchise has gone on longer and if it has nothing new to bring to the table, I really don't want to see a prequel to Re-Animator.

Here's one problem with your idea, you're saying that it should be that the original Herbert West should put away his secrets to the living-dead serum until his descendant, new Herbert West, finds it and carries on his work? Forgive me for saying this, but wouldn't that completely discredit the Herbert West in the movies, which Jeffory Combs has been playing for a long time, as being a fun, maniacal scientist stand-alone? Putting in the plot for this would make it seem like new Herbert West was just some guy who stole the ingrediants and would just be a severely mad, if he's not already, man who doesn't even understand his scientific work.

I don't know, it seems to make little to no sense about bringing in the original look of the short story to tie into the movies because they're two totally different things, and that's what makes them both good seperately, as well has the movies having a loving connection to Lovecraft's story.

Does this mean I don't want to see a Re-Animator 4 in general? Of course not, I would love to see just one more Re-Animator film with Combs as the reliably mad doctor he is to this time make a gigantic plague of crazy undead creations running amuck, and to have finally perfected the serum once and for all and becoming the lord of the dead. More of a closure to the whole franchise, you know?

"You know what's funny? People. People are funny."

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What you said is absurd. What the guy that started this thread said is great.

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That's actually a really cool idea, I'm secretly harbouring the idea of a TV series similar to the recent Hannibal show that would recount the movies in expanded form and explore Dan and West's relationship.

Check out my list of my favourite movies! http://www.imdb.com/list/ls066327610/

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