Horror Actressing: Barbara Crampton in "Re-Animator"
Tuesday, September 1, 2020 at 3:00PM by Jason Adams
Why's it so hard to put the work of H.P. Lovecraft on the screen? Over 80 years since the writer died it's real weird (an appropriate word in this context) to me that there's never been a truly grand-scale adaptation of his begging-for-just-that work, especially given how timely they do feel here in the 21st century as reality seems to morph into madness. Guillermo Del Toro notoriously tried for a decade to get At the Mountains of Madness off the ground to no avail, but that's the closest Hollywood has as yet come. Before theaters shut down in early 2020 we did get an unofficial HPL turn with Kristen Stewart in Underwater (which I truly dug) and we're now right this minute three episodes into the HBO series Lovecraft Country, which... well I'm waiting to see how that goes. Situating Lovecraft's profound racism against American race relations is hella smart, so I keep hope alive it will find its footing. (This latest episode felt like a tentacle squish in the right direction.)
In my talk there of notable Lovecraft adaptations I purposefully skipped over the hilariously disgusting 80s works of writer-director-madman Stuart Gordon though, in order to bring us to the subject of this week's edition of our "Great Moments in Horror Actressing" series, which is Scream Queen and Horror Icon Barbara Crampton's turn as the "bubble-headed co-ed" Megan in 1985's Re-Animator... (Which, without venturing into spoilers for Lovecraft Country, this week's episode actually shared some adaptation DNA with.) Let's give this goddess her damn due!
Because Leonardo DiCaprio eating raw bison liver ain't got nothing on what Barbara Crampton was asked to do in Re-Animator, and yet who won the Oscar? This is what happens when you quantify suffering for the sake of art -- I don't mean Oscars are what happens (although, obviously). I mean that we get ourselves an understanding as to what counts as "suffering" to our culture, and whose "suffering" we care about. Thirty-five years on Crampton's kept her good humor about what her character goes through in this movie's last act and, well, not to say I'd rather watch Barbara Crampton suffer, but... yes I would? At least Gordon & Co are putting the concept of suffering through the ringer and squeezing out some yuks. (And some "yucks.")
As quoted above the character of Megan is indeed at one point described in the film as a "bubblehead" which has always raised my hackles. But that line reading from Jeffrey Combs' unmoored (to put it mildly) character of Dr. Herbert West, coming as it does at a particularly sensitive moment, is there to remind us that even among all of the bloodthirsty naked zombies currently pawing around on the screen it's West himself who is the film's villain, because Megan, as played by Crampton, is anything but. She's a dream, and remains such all these years later.
The film, very much of its time, relishes leering pervily at Crampton with her clothes off, that's surely true. But there were naked actresses everywhere in low-budget horror movies during this period, so why is Barbara Crampton the one who's stood the test of time? Re-watching Re-animator for the ten thousandth time last night I was reminded how much heart and soul she injects (heh) into the campily lurid proceedings -- for a stereotypical "girl in danger" Megan's heartbreak over her father's death feels genuinely genuine, and Crampton more than anybody manages to get across the idea at the dark heart of Lovecraft's work, of a rational decent mind coming completely unhinged. Her screams, the stuff of queens, ring true, and rain down through the cavernous hallways of time and space and sanity itself...
Reader Comments (8)
She was pretty great in the director's followup Lovecraft film, the worthy FROM BEYOND. She has a classic line reading there: "It... ate... him!"
Dan -- I was torn between FROM BEYOND and this one! She's just always so much fun
I’m not familiar with her horror work, but Crampton later had success as gossip columnist Leanna Love on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and as Maggie Forrester on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. An icon of my childhood!
Jason -
Has anyone mentioned lately what a splendid writer you are? Few people give me scribbler's envy as frequently.
I consider CHOPPING MALL her finest hour.
I love Barbara Crampton. She's always pretty great in everything. Jason, did you see her in 2015's We Are Still Here? That was a fun little Fulci-esque item.
Rob -- I love We Are Still Here. It totally creeped me out. It was also filmed not far from where I grew up so it all feels weirdly familiar in that way, which gives it some extra oomph.
Andrew -- Chopping Mall is so much fun. I haven't seen the whole thing in ages, that's due a re-watch
Great article. I saw Re-Animator with my ex-wife on VHS in 1988. I loved it; she, not quite.
The reason for this is that the movie was cartoonishly gory and campy but well-written.
But the most appealing aspect of it was Barbara Crampton who played to my every fantasy:
1. "Girl-next-Door" beautiful with an exquisite body and no problem showing it.
2. "Girl-in-Trouble" situation of course but beyond that the "Rescue Fantasy" as well.
3. Perfect screamer.
4. When rescued she is covered up with the hero's shirt - always something about a woman in a guy's dress shirt.