Based on the short story of the same name and directed By Stuart Gordon, fresh off Re-Animator and starring his posse once again. Jeffery Combs and Barbara Crampton among most people. While also bringing in Ken Foree whom you may recognize as Peter from Dawn of the Dead. He plays a cop here too.
This movie had a unique case of Role Reversal compared to Re-Animator. Where then Combs played the mad scientist, with Crampton as the innocent victim. Here it's the other way around, Crampton is the mad scientist now and Combs is her bitch this time around. You'll see what I mean.
The movie much like Re-Animator starts with a traditional Stuart Gordon Cold Opening. In this one, Combs plays Crawford Tillinghast. A scientist and student of Miskatonic University in Arkham. Yep. The same school the rampage in Re-Animator took place in. I wonder if he met West in class one day. He's working as an assistant at 666 Benevolant drive. His boss, Edward Pretorius. A scientist who is obsessed with going past the 5 senses while spending his leisure torturing women beyond the levels of BDSM. As a result he developed a machine called The Resonator. Which uses large tuning forks that vibrate at a precise frequency to stimulate the Pineal Gland. In hopes to see, feel, hear and taste beyond what humans could. Crawford was working on a new program and within testing it, not only was he able to feel it's effects on his gland, but he was also able to see something that was invisible to the naked eye. An eel like creature floating around one of the forks. As soon as it senses Crawford, it attacks him. Forcing him to shut off the resonator. Problem solved right? Wrong. Because this was it's first successful test, he relays the results to Edward. Edward later turns the machine all the way up, stimulating his gland and creating a sensation that could only be described as an orgasm to the brain. Crawford pleads with him to shut the machine off. Worried that more creatures will attack, but Edward refuses. The machine then through some unknown force runs itself, bringing in something much worse. We don't see what it is, but it makes enough noise to disturb one of the neighbors who calls the cops. When she goes in to retrieve her dog, who wandered in the Pretorius house, he sees a crazed and scared Crawford drive an axe through the lab door before running like hell. The cops, whom responded to the disturbance arrest Crawford while the dog discovers Edward's corpse. His head twisted right off. With nothing but a slimy stump in it's place.
Now unlike Re-Animator's opening credits, the theme is not a rip off of Psycho. It has it's own unique score. Nor is it animated. If one looked closely enough in their copy of the movie, you'd see what looks like maggots or worms clustered together. Representing how frayed one's mind can get using this device.
The movie opens proper with the arrival of Dr. Katherine McMichaels. Nicknamed "The Girl Wonder" for her unique brand of psychology in which she uses her patients as test subjects for newer discoveries in mental health. She is also an advocate for trying to cure Schizophrenia. Dr. McMichaels came to see if Crawford is sane enough to stand trial. He was committed in the mental institution, accused of murdering Pretorius despite no physical evidence of him doing so save for being at the scene of the body. Upon interviewing Crawford, he tells her what happened and unlike the others, she's interested. He mentions that the creatures he saw exist in our world and neither side can see each other without the resonator. At first things didn't go wrong, until he described what he only referred to as "It." committing the horrible deed on Pretorius. In his words It "Bit off his head like a gingerbread man." Now a line like that would be silly on paper, but Combs demonstrated yet again why he earned the status of legend. For he describes the line in such seriousness and fear that you can imagine how disturbing that must have looked. The head Doctor, Bloch has him restrained and they leave him. McMichaels demands a cat scan, because she seems to believe his story. Much to Bloch's protests and Crawford's fear, he is put under the machine. Which shows that the experiment did work as his pineal gland has expanded. With permission from law enforcement, Crawford is released in McMichael's custody. Believing that recreating the experiment. They are accompanied by Buford "Bubba" Browntree, a street cop who is a liason between McMichaels and the district attorney. He also serves as their Winston Zeddemore of the group. The everyman who has no degree in science, but is often the sanest one of the group.
They approach the house keeping a close eye on Crawford so he wouldn't try to run, but upon exploring the house Crawford disappears. They get the house running and find the broken resonator, Crawford stalking behind them presumably gonna attack. However it turns out he was reliving the night of the murder. The Axe was used to knock one of the tuning forks off, disabling the machine. Crawford and McMichaels rebuild the resonator and all three test it out. Crawford informs them that if they see the smaller creatures, not to move as they hunt on motion. They turn the machine on and feel the effects. A side effect causes Crawford and McMichaels to make out while Bubba watches, only to see the creatures. Bubba gets attacked by one, but he gets rid of it. Just as things couldn't get weirder, Pretorius arrives alive and well. However he turns out to not quite be himself. For the creature that ate his head, assimilated his mind and memories. Whether it's the creature just being a stranger version of Pretorius or if Pretorius dominated the creature with his will is unknown, but he's hungry for more heads. With his intentions for McMichaels made perfectly clear. Bubba tries to shoot him, but to no avail and Crawford shuts off the resonator. Problem solved right? Wrong.
Later they talk about the events at breakfast. McMichaels theorizes that the creature that used to be Edward Pretorius, could control his body on a molecular level and that the side effect they experienced, was the result of the pineal gland regulating the sex drive. In layman's terms the more you use that machine on you, the hornier you get.
Despite being attacked by a creature beyond their understanding, McMichaels is excited. Not only did she prove Crawford sane. Not only did Bubba officially become his friend for saving him. McMichaels believes that the resonator can help cure Schizophrenia. Crawford along with Bubba protests it. Not wanting to get themselves killed or worse go irreparably insane. After McMichaels reveals why she wants Schizophrenia cured, to avenge her father and to save future Schizos from dying in an institution like he did; Crawford compromises and demands that the experiment be done under safer conditions.
Now a lot of horror fans agree that what McMichaels plans were, were stupid. However there is a point to it. She specifically mentioned that the resonator would be the first step to curing Schizophrenia. The main argument being that she'd cause a panic if she proved what the Schizos are seeing is true. However, she never explained the full extent. So I'll have my buddy S.T. Explain it to you. This is a minor CIEIR moment.
S.T.: Well for starters, the resonator uses tuning forks. Strange as it sounds, it's possible to make a machine like that in real life. The real life name is an oscillator. Which uses an electric current to keep the fork's vibration going. The Resonator being a big version of that. As for how it stimulates the Pineal Gland. There are frequencies out there that can do that. The specific one being 741hz. So naturally the forks are programmed to vibrate at that frequency. As for how this could cure. I theorize, that McMichaels believes, once she proves this world is real, she can use a frequency that could shrink the pineal rather than expand it. She believes that those who have been diagnosed, really just had an overstimulated gland. Without a resonator, the creatures are harmless and wouldn't be able to attack them, which in turn makes them look more crazier since they are fighting invisible enemies.
They all try to sleep on the event, but as they do their pineal glands are acting up. Crawford discovers McMichaels turned the machine back on and tries to stop her, but like Pretorius, she grows addicted to it. She distracts him with another make out session only for Pretorious to come in a more melted form. He takes Katherine hostage with the intention of raping and eating her head. Believing that the greatest sexual pleasure is to know the desires of another through assimilation. Crawford races down the stairs with Bubba following him so he could shut the power off through the Circuit Breaker. Only to be blocked by a giant worm monster. Which tries to eat Crawford. Bubba cuts the power which stops both monsters and Crawford gets out with no hair and burns from being partially digested. Problem solved right? Fuck you.
When McMichaels demands that she do the experiment alone, believing that the others are what's causing it to go wrong, Bubba has enough. He flat out calls her a junkie and demands that she gets dressed so he could take them both back to the asylum before things get worse. While she's waiting she tries on bondage gear and molests Crawford while he's sleeping. Now a lot of people dismissed that scene just because they thought it was an excuse for more Barbara Crampton T and A. However I offer an alternative interpretation. When she first started eyeing the gear, she seemed to be imagining what it was like to be Pretorius. Since Gordon claims she's basically a Rule 63 version of Herbert West, it seems apt. The resonator was not only corrupting her, but maybe Pretorius was also doing so too. When Bubba sees what she's doing he grabs her and forces her to look at herself. Seemingly snapping her out of it, but before they could leave, Pretorius turns the machine on from his world. They try to stop it, but are surrounded by a swarm of flesh eating bugs. Which prey on Bubba when he gets them off. Stripping him down to the bone. Well one thing the "Lovecraft is Racist" advocates were right on the money for, Pretorius is definitely a bigot. He could have simply ate his head and gained his knowledge of police procedure to better manipulate the town of Arkham and take over the world, but instead he has his bugs kill him in a way that only his head was intact. I'm guessing he has more of a thing for white meat, because he goes after McMichaels once again. Crawford tries to stop him and through his own, Pretorius awakened Crwford's Pineal gland. Now in real life the Pineal Gland is located at the centre of the brain and should it grow, it would expand to the back rather than the front. However, in this case, the pineal goes from gland to stalk protruding out of Crawford's forehead. Allowing him to see what Pretorius sees. While he's distracted, Pretorius sets his sights on McMichaels once again, only for her to use a fire extinguisher to disrupt the machine. Problem solved right? You've gotta be fucking kidding me at this point.
Both McMichaels and Crawford are taken back to the hospital, with Bloch pinning Bubba's death on Katherine so she can have her committed and subjected to shock therapy. She tries to warn her that the Resonator must be destroyed, but they don't believe her. I found this to be very stupid, because Bloch seen what was in Crawford's head and yet dismisses it as delusion. However that's the least of her worries. While they prepare to shock Katherine, Crawford escapes and finds himself hungry. Yet no hospital food would sustain him. I don't blame him, hospital food in any movie was disgusting. He finds through his Pineal vision an ultraviolet glow. Bloch finds him later on, the glow turns out to be frozen brains which he is seen eating. In a surprising display of compassion, she tries to tell him that eating those would make him sick. Crawford has a moment of clarity wondering what is happening to him and Bloch offers to help him. However his hunger resumes and he instead goes after her. Sucking her brain out of her eye socket. The frenzy causing the staff to leave McMichaels who escapes, determined to destroy the resonator once and for all. Crawford spots her, intending on eating her brain next, after taking out two paramedics and stealing an ambulance to follow her.
Katherine returns to the mansion and sets a bomb on the resonator. Before she could escape Crawford, restrains her and tries to eat her brain. Insanely claiming that it's because he loves her and wants to be together with her in every way. However before he could do it, she bites off the pineal stalk, restoring him to normal. Before he could untie her, Pretorius turns on the Resonator once more. He sets his sighs on Katherine once again, but Crawford taunts him about his past life's impotency. How he only gets off on pain and can't ever have proper compassionate sex with a woman. Even going so far as calling him a eunuch. (For those who don't know. Don't look it up.)
This enrages Pretorius enough to want to get Crawford first. Prompting a chase. Using the smaller creatures, Katherine frees herself and tries to get Crawford out before the bomb goes off. Only to be too late, when Pretorius already ate his head. Now Crawford described the process as it being bit off like a Gingerbread man. Upon watching it happen to Crawford....well if you decide to twist the head while doing it and leaving a huge drool spot behind, I would agree. I seen many horror movies and a lot of deaths involving decapitation. Yet this one scared the living fuck out of me.
Pretorius then blocks the main exits, prompting Katherine to try to escape through the addict. However Pretorius has her cornered and just when she thinks this is it, something happens. Something so disgusting, horrifying and yet awesome at the same time. The assimilated Crawford tears his way out of Pretorius and yells for Katherine to run. The two fighting for control over the creature they are part of. Katherine jumps out the window in time, but due to the long fall she breaks her leg while the house blows. When the nosy Neighbor along with others come to check on her, her mind is cracked completely. Only describing what happened to Crawford, before laughing maniacally ending the movie.
Now this movie has less humour than Re-Animator, as Gordon wanted to see if he could make a serious horror flick as opposed to the horror comedy Re-Animator was gonna be. However it doesn't skimp out on the campiness. Through uses of elaborate sets and ultraviolet for most otherworldly colours.The effects rival that of John Carpenter's The Thing which is also a Lovecraft inspired work. Not to mention the overall downer ending would probably make H.P. himself be proud.
When it first came out a lot of people didn't like it because it was toned down in comparison to the gore fest that is Re-Animator, but like the other movies in Stuart Gordon's collection, it gained a cult following over the years. Credit of course goes to Combs and Crampton for basically putting themselves in each other's shoes for it. With him playing the innocent victim while she plays the West-like mad scientist. Hell if you listen to her ranting about wanting to continue the experiment, she sounds exactly like West. While Combs whom was able to repulse everyone save for the fangirls and fanboys who crush on him as Herbert West, was able to play a sympathetic character who's been through so much Hell that he deserves at least a hug. I'm not kidding. Half the time he was ranting and raving about no one believing him, it felt less like acting and more like real raw emotion. If I was in Arkham and they let him have visitors, I'd literally do anything to help this guy out, because I'm that nice of a person.
It's worth the watch, but be careful, some things are just not meant to be seen.
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