Re-Animator (Stuart Gordon) - This was the first '18'-rated film I saw at the cinema, and it completely blew me away with its mix of black humour, excessive gore and amazing characters. I had literally never seen anything like it: my previous experience of splatter films had been tedious 'nasties' such as 'Cannibal Holocaust'. But 'Re-Animator' was different; it was, simply, FUN. This devastating realisation - that it was possible to enjoy dismemberment and surgical procedures - is a large part of the reason why I am here today.
It's a film which has stood the test of time well, and is still great entertainment. This is for two reasons. The first is the wit of the script, which treads beautifully the thin line between parody and gullibility, taking the ludicrous central concept and making it...well, believable might be pushing things a bit far, but plausible, at least. This is backed up by Jeffrey Combs in the role of Herbert West, who plays it dead straight, absolutely the only way to get away with such an OTT character. In contrast, Bruce Abbott and Barbara Crampton, border on the flat, though Crampton at least would come up trumps in the follow-up, From Beyond. Crammed full of great lines and memorable moments, it's a viable contender for best splatter movie of all time. A+