Re-Animator (1985) & Poor Things (2023): Reanimated & Reimagined | EP22

Things get messy in the lab this week as we cover two different tales of reanimation — Re-Animator (1985) and Poor Things (2023). From Herbert West’s glowing green serum to Bella Baxter’s rebirth under Dr. Godwin Baxter, we explore mad science as both grotesque horror and feminist fable. Expect chat about practical effects, literary roots, the Frankenstein legacy, and why both films celebrate the beauty (and terror) of scientific creation gone too far.

“Mad science isn’t just about bringing things back to life — it’s about what kind of life we create.”

LISTEN BELOW:

Discussion Points from the Episode

In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi, we explore:

• how Re-Animator transformed Lovecraft’s story into cult splatter horror

• the film’s practical effects and dark comedic tone

• how Poor Things reinvents the Frankenstein story through feminist satire

• why resurrection remains one of science fiction’s most enduring ideas

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Re-Animator (1985)

Director: Stuart Gordon

Writers: Stuart Gordon, Dennis Paoli & William Norris

Producer: Brian Yuzna

Studio: Empire Pictures

Starring: Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton

Release Year: 1985

Re-Animator is a cult science-fiction horror film loosely inspired by H. P. Lovecraft’s short story “Herbert West–Reanimator.”

The film follows eccentric medical student Herbert West, who develops a glowing green serum capable of reanimating dead tissue. Convinced that death is merely a biological problem waiting to be solved, West begins experimenting on corpses with increasingly disturbing results.

As West and his reluctant partner Dan Cain push the research further, their experiments unleash a wave of grotesque resurrected bodies — leading to escalating chaos inside the medical school laboratory.

The film became famous for its outrageous practical effects, dark humour and over-the-top body horror, eventually gaining cult status among fans of 1980s genre cinema. It also helped establish the “splatter-comedy” tone that would influence later horror films.

Poor Things (2023)

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Writer: Tony McNamara

Producer: Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos & Emma Stone

Studio: Element Pictures / Film4 / Searchlight Pictures

Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe

Release Year: 2023

Poor Things is a surreal science-fiction black comedy directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and based on the novel by Alasdair Gray.

The story follows Bella Baxter, a young Victorian woman who is resurrected by the eccentric scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter using an experimental brain transplant.

After being brought back to life, Bella begins exploring the world with childlike curiosity while gradually developing her own identity and independence. Her journey takes her across continents and social classes as she discovers freedom, sexuality and the complexities of human experience.

The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion, and later received widespread critical acclaim, winning multiple major awards including four Academy Awards, with Emma Stone winning Best Actress for her performance.

Resurrection Across the Decades

Although separated by nearly forty years, both films explore the same fundamental idea: what happens when scientists learn how to defeat death?

• Re-Animator presents resurrection as grotesque chaos driven by reckless ambition.

• Poor Things reimagines it as an opportunity for transformation and self-discovery.

Together they demonstrate how science fiction continually revisits the Frankenstein myth, reshaping it for new audiences and cultural moments.

Listen to the Episode

Listen to Re-Animator (1985) & Poor Things (2023) wherever you get your podcasts.

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Or explore the full Journey Through Sci-Fi archive to discover more episodes exploring the history of science-fiction cinema.