Yeah, okay, it’s the third entry in a weird trilogy. One might even say that Brian Yuzna’s BEYOND RE-ANIMATOR was produced simply to cash in on the original, not unlike the second installment was accused of doing. I don’t care about all that, even if it’s true. Seeing superb genre actor Jeffrey Combs back as Doctor Herbert West is like welcoming back an old friend you haven’t seen for a long time into your home. You might say, “Hey, pal, you look great.” And Combs, as West, does still look good. You might ask, “Where the hell have you been keeping yourself?” West would tell you that he’s been in prison. You’d probably say, “Prison? You’re kidding. What happened?” West’s reply would no doubt be that the idiots out there don’t understand what a genius he is. Finally, being a good host, you’d ask, “Can you stay for dinner?” Dr. West would say he has to get going. You see, he has a lot of work to do yet. That’s basically the nature of Herbert West. Nothing, no matter what it is, comes before his work. Not friendships, not women, not eating or drinking, and not even being confined in a prison cell can keep him from his re-animation experiments. So, why do we horror fans love Herbert West so much? Do we identify with his isolation from society? Maybe we share his passion for his work in the way we so eagerly seek out horror and genre films. Personally, I think we relate to West because of Combs. Think about it. If another actor had taken on the role, would the first RE-ANIMATOR have become such a horror classic? Some may disagree with me, but I believe Combs, even more than Stuart Gordon and/or Brian Yuzna, is responsible for the cult status of the film. As a result, it should be no surprise that it’s Combs’ talent, sincerity, dry sense of humor, intelligence, and obvious caring for the character that shines through in this third movie as well.

It’s been thirteen years since West was turned over to authorities by his former assistant. During that time, West has been incarcerated in a maximum security prison, which means his scientific studies have been reduced to mostly meditations that he’s scribbled down or experiments on the rats sharing the cells with the inmates. As luck would have it, Howard Phillips, a young new prison doctor, asks for West’s assistance in treating the ill prisoners. However, it turns out that there’s more to Phillips than his apparent need for another doctor. When Howard was a young boy, he actually saw his older sister get brutally murdered by one of West’s zombies. Since then, Phillips has been obsessed with beating death. Sure enough, West talks the young doctor into setting up a lab in the prison hospital and joining in on re-animating the dead.

The prison provides an appropriate atmosphere for the story. It’s dingy and gloomy, almost like a metal and cement hell, and it emanates hopelessness. Forget West’s experiments, the inmates and prison staff are already monsters in their own unredeemed way. The claustrophobic backdrops are perfect for a horror flick, and director Brian Yuzna, cinematographer Andreu Rebes and editor Bernat Vilaplana certainly take advantage of them. Every scene is layered with the shadowy and cold surroundings, which really helps the overall creepiness of the film. More importantly, if the dark microcosm that West dwells in wasn’t obvious before, it sure can be seen now with the good doctor behind bars. Not that our favorite mad scientist has any problems adapting to his environment. He is neither worried about the prison bullies or the guards. West doesn’t seem all that frightened by the sadistic Warden either. Quite the contrary, Herbert feels as if he’s far and away their intellectual superior, which he is, and he seldom reduces himself to conversing with the inmates or prison staff unless he’s stabbing them with condescending quips. Still, it’s Combs, even more than the production design and art direction that brings mood to the picture. His version of West is not just a carry over from the past two movies. This time we see a Dr. West that is angrier and more bitter than before. His energy and passion for his experiments are as fiery as ever, but he shows even less respect for the people around him. Of course, given the crusty lot that he’s spending time with, that’s rather understandable. That said, I like the choices that Combs has made to reveal the wear and tear the thirteen years behind walls has had on West, not to mention the past failures and disappointments of his re-animating experiments. It adds a lot of texture to what is really not a great script.

The other actors don’t really hold their own. None of their performances are particularly interesting or memorable, though lovely Elsa Pataky looks great and puts a lot of energy into her role as a persistent reporter. There are other lacking elements in the movie, but gore-hounds won’t be disappointed. There’s enough blood, sloppy murders, and brutal craziness to keep them interested. By the way, several companies worked on the effective special make-up and mechanical effects, including genre favorite Screaming Mad George and his crew. All of them did a great job. Speaking of effects work, I tip my hat to the zany inventiveness of the zombies. This might be the one part of the screenplay that was truly imaginative and assertive, and the special effects people handled the challenge well. I don’t want to provide any spoilers, but there are blood-soaked zombie bodies literally hanging from the ceiling rafters in the execution chamber. Also, there’s an outrageous zombie that’s been cut in half, with his guts hanging out that attempts to track down and kill Herbert West. It’s really an amazing effect and must be seen to be believed. And don’t miss the fight between a prison rat and a zombie penis during the final credits.

The DVD that Lions Gate sent us is only a screener, but the ones available in the stores will have some useful special features. The package will contain a director’s commentary by Yuzna, a “making of” featurette, a music video, and several trailers. I can say that the 16 X 9 widescreen looks fine and the 5.1 Dolby stereo more than adequately provides clear sound. Actually, most of the technical aspects, from the DVD quality, to the directing and cinematography, to the editing and special effects, are professionally executed. The screenplay and supporting acting is where the movie falls short. On the other hand, Jeffrey Combs is so much fun to watch as Dr. West that I can’t help but recommend this project to horror fans, especially those who have been faithfully following the RE-ANIMATOR films.