Gordon (1985-1986)

1985 - Re-Animator - Decapitations, naked corpses going nutso, glowing-green vials of science, extended female nudity: what's not to love? Jeffrey Combs gives a perfect performance as Herbert West. He's at once a mad scientist and that utterly socially inept, geeky guy we all knew (or were) in high school. Re-Animator is one of the all-time classics of the modern horror era. If A Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy was our new Dracula, Herbert West is definitely our new Dr. Frankenstein.

1986 - Dolls - Probably the best killer toy movie ever made. There's something about old-school porcelain doll faces reflecting lightning flashes that is wholly spooky. The special effects still hold up well; I particularly like the wrinkled, black skeletons inside of the dolls where they're smashed. The fairy tale-like feeling of the film is nicely different. It reminded me that fairy tales were the original horror stories, where the wicked are punished and the pure of heart escape from the evil. And, of course, this film appears to have had a life-long impact on Charles "Full Moon" Band.

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