Exhumed Films Presents: “Beyond Re-Animator: A Jeffrey Combs Retrospective” at The Colonial Theatre – With Jeffrey Combs Live!

Exhumed Films and The Colonial Theatre are proud to present a weekend-long celebration of one of genre cinema’s most iconic actors. For over forty years, Jeffrey Combs has been a cult movie mainstay and one of the most beloved character actors of his generation. From his breakout role as the deranged scientist Herbert West in Stuart Gordon’s cult classic Re-Animator to his unforgettable appearances in various iterations of the “Star Trek ” franchise, Combs has won over audiences worldwide with his remarkable range, versatility, and wit. “Beyond Re-Animator: A Jeffrey Combs Retrospective” is a two-day marathon featuring some of the actor’s greatest performances and most popular features. Best of all, we will be joined by the legend himself: Jeffrey Combs will be on hand for both days of the event to introduce the films and talk about his long career in horror/sci-fi cinema. VIP ticket holders will also have the opportunity to receive a signed special edition poster and participate in an awesome themed photo-op with Jeffrey! All of this, plus classic trailers and shorts between films, raffles, prize giveaways, and Blu-rays/event merch on sale in the lobby. Don’t miss out on what is sure to be one of the biggest, bloodiest film fests of the year!

The film program is as follows:

FRIDAY, JUNE 21 (Doors at 7:00 PM*, movies from approximately 8:00 PM-1:00 AM):
Re-Animator
The Black Cat
Castle Freak

Featuring film introductions and Q & A with Jeffrey Combs
* Early entry at 5:30 PM for Re-Animated VIP ticket holders

SATURDAY, JUNE 22 (Doors at 12:00 PM*, movies from approximately 1:00 PM-1:00 AM): 
From Beyond
Love and a .45
Fortress
The Frighteners
Doctor Mordrid
Bride of Re-Animator

Featuring film introductions and Q & A with Jeffrey Combs
* Early entry at 10:30 AM for Re-Animated VIP ticket holders

Separate ticket packages will be sold for each day of the event, and will be available in three
different tiers:

GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET:
Friday Night General Admission = $30 / $20 Colonial Theatre members
Saturday General Admission = $50 / $40 Colonial Theatre members

The “Beyond Re-Animator: A Jeffrey Combs Retrospective” General Admission ticket entitles you to entry only on the specific day(s) purchased, and includes all movies, Jeffrey Combs intros and Q & A, and access to all merchandise tables & prize giveaways, etc.

VIP TICKET PACKAGE:
Friday Night VIP Package = $65 / $55 Colonial Theatre members
Saturday VIP Package = $85 / $75 Colonial Theatre members

The VIP Ticket Package entitles you to everything in the General Admission ticket, plus the following:

● An exclusive event poster that has been pre-signed by Jeffrey Combs! We will have two different, complementary poster designs for Friday and Saturday night–these special edition posters won’t be for sale at the merchandise tables and will ONLY be available with the VIP ticket packages.

● Access to a limited signing session where VIP ticket holders can bring their own items (posters, Blu-rays, etc.) for Jeffrey Combs to sign at the event–NOTE: a separate fee not included in the ticket price will be charged for each signed item. Due to time constraints, ONLY VIP ticket holders will be able to participate in the signing session. Signature pricing TBD; no selfies/table photos will be allowed.

RE-ANIMATED VIP TICKET PACKAGE:
Friday Night Re-Animated VIP Package = $100 / $90 Colonial Theatre members
Saturday Re-Animated VIP Package = $120 / $110 Colonial Theatre members

The Re-Animated VIP Ticket Package entitles you to the ultimate event experience! You’ll receive everything in the VIP Ticket Package, plus the following:

● An exclusive photo op where you can get your picture taken with Jeffrey Combs! We are planning this fun, themed photo op backdrop (see below) that will allow for a great pic and create a special keepsake from the event. Since Jeffrey will not be taking selfies during the VIP signing session, the only way to get a photo with the guest of honor is by purchasing the Re-Animated VIP ticket package!

● Early entry into the theater to secure the best seats in the house before lining up for the photo opportunity! ONLY Re-Animated VIP ticket holders will get early access to the venue.

PLEASE NOTE: Doors for Re-Animated VIP ticket holders will open at 5:30 PM on Friday night and 10:30 AM on Saturday morning. Friday’s photo op will take place from approximately 6:00 PM-7:00 PM, and Saturday’s photo op will take place from approximately 11:00 AM-12:00 PM. Be sure you are able to be at the theater by these times for the photo op before purchasing your Re-Animated VIP Ticket Packages!

Both VIP tiers are VERY limited in number, so get your ticket packages before they sell out!

FILM DESCRIPTIONS

FRIDAY, JUNE 21:
Re-Animator
Dir. Stuart Gordon / USA / 1985 / 87 min / 35mm

Re-Animator is a darkly comedic horror favorite that launched lead actor Jeffrey Combs into cult cinema superstardom. This adaptation of the classic H.P. Lovecraft short story series features Combs as maniacal medical student Herbert West, whose deranged experiments with the re-animation of dead tissue unleash chaos and bloodshed in the halls of Miskatonic University. With its blend of grotesque effects and twisted humor, Re-Animator remains a macabre masterpiece.

The Black Cat (“Masters of Horror” episode)
Dir. Stuart Gordon / USA / 2007 / 58 min / Digital

Director Stuart Gordon’s 2007 episode of the TV series “Masters of Horror” is a meta adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s legendary tale that stars Jeffrey Combs as Poe himself! Combs is a dead ringer for the iconic author, who is here portrayed as a struggling writer descending into alcoholism; Poe’s fixation on a feline companion leads to a downward spiral of obsession, madness, and murder.

Castle Freak
Dir. Stuart Gordon / USA / 1995 / 90 min / Digital

Jeffrey Combs reunited with his frequent collaborators–director Stuart Gordon and co-star
Barbara Crampton–for another gruesome gorefest loosely inspired by the works of H.P.
Lovecraft. An American family inherits a remote castle in Italy, unaware that a tortured creature is lurking within its walls. Before long, mysterious murders start to pile up and dark family secrets bubble to the surface, leading to a harrowing battle for survival against a relentless and vengeful foe.

Featuring film introductions and Q & A with Jeffrey Combs

SATURDAY, JUNE 22:
From Beyond
Dir. Stuart Gordon / USA-Italy / 1986 / 85 min / 35mm

Jeffrey Combs followed up his breakthrough in Re-Animator with this creepy companion piece that brought back Barbara Crampton and added Dawn of the Dead star Ken Foree. Although ostensibly based on another Lovecraft story, this twisted tale of scientists mutated by their experiments with alternate dimensions features goopy creature effects that point to the film drawing equal inspiration from John Carpenter’s The Thing.

Love and a .45
Dir. C.M. Talkington / USA / 1994 / 101 min / 35mm

One of Jeffrey Combs’ greatest roles outside of the horror/sci-fi realm is featured in the
incredibly underrated noir-thriller Love and a .45. The film focuses on Watty and Starlene (Gil Bellows and Renee Zellweger), a modern-day “Bonnie and Clyde” duo who are on the run to Mexico after a botched robbery. They are pursued by a pair of mob enforcers, including an over-the-top Jeffrey Combs as the sleazy Dinosaur Bob. Love and a .45 is one the best of the
early-’90s neo-crime thrillers, and Combs is a big part of its success. Special thanks to director C.M. Talkington for graciously providing the only existing 35mm print of the film for our event!

 Fortress
Dir. Stuart Gordon / Australia / 1992 / 95 min / 35mm

Fortress is an enjoyable sci-fi action thriller that is best described as “Escape From Alcatraz
meets Escape from New York.” In a dystopian future where fertility is controlled by the
government, a couple defies the system and faces imprisonment in a high-tech underground
facility. Their struggle for freedom becomes a heart-pounding battle against tyranny and
technology. Highlander star Christopher Lambert takes center stage, but Jeffrey Combs is a
blast as fellow prisoner/demolitions expert D-Day.

The Frighteners
Dir. Peter Jackson / USA-New Zealand / 1996 / 110 min / 35mm

Peter Jackson’s gonzo horror comedy The Frighteners features Michael J. Fox as Frank Bannister, a psychic conman whose ability to speak with the dead helps him grift people who believe he has exorcised their “haunted” houses. Soon, though, Frank must use his powers to stop what seems to be a supernatural serial killer. While the film also features supporting roles from cult favorites like Dee Wallace and John Astin, it is the unhinged performance of Jeffrey Combs as psychotic FBI agent Milton Dammers that truly steals the show.

Doctor Mordrid
Dir. Albert and Charles Band / USA / 1992 / 74 min / Digital

The direct-to-video studio Full Moon Features produced some of the most popular small screen genre films of the 1990s. Directors Albert and Charles Band gave Jeffrey Combs one of his biggest starring roles in Doctor Mordrid, a sci-fi/fantasy mash-up that seems to take inspiration from Marvel Comics heroes like “Doctor Strange.” The story centers on Dr. Anton Mordrid (Combs), a mysterious occultist who secretly protects Earth from supernatural threats. When an evil sorcerer threatens to unleash chaos, Mordrid must use his mystical powers to save humanity from destruction.

Bride of Re-Animator
Dir. Brian Yuzna / USA / 1990 / 96 min / 35mm

The final feature of the festival is a rare 35mm screening of director Brian Yuzna’s personal print of Bride of Re-Animator. This squicky sequel brings back original stars Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, and David Gale in an expansion of the original Re-Animator’s grotesqueries. Following the carnage at Miskatonic University, medical students Herbert West (Combs) and Dan Cain (Abbott) embark on a morbid new mission: re-animating a “Frankensteinian” female assembled from assorted body parts to serve as a vessel for the heart of Cain’s deceased fiance. Bride of Re-Animator ups the ante in terms of gross-out special effects, but still retains much of the original’s warped wit.

Featuring film introductions and Q & A with Jeffrey Comb