The Resurrected starring Chris Sarandon and John Terry (the older one, Jack’s father on LOST), one of the best Lovecraft films, to get a release on Blu-ray.This 1991 film, directed by Dan 0’Bannon, is a wonderful modern take on The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, with Chris Sarandon playing the roll of Charles Dexter Ward and Joseph Curwen. Yes, a Lovecraft film that isn’t from Stuart Gordon, and coming in August from Shout Factory.
This film has languished for years only on VHS. Yes, it is not perfect. John Terry is a private investigator, hired to investigate what’s wrong with Charles Dexter Ward by Ward’s wife Claire. So sadly, no Doctor Willett, the family doctor of the Ward family that investigates on behalf of Ward’s father.
On the other hand, John Terry is a believable, smart and non-comedic private detective who plumbs the mystery. John Terry is one of those actors that makes it into sometimes very well known movies but never gets the lead. Much like he did in LOST though, you can see what a great actor he is (but much younger than in LOST).
This was never a blockbuster production, so some of the special effects work, while others don’t. Also, some scenes will never quite escape the late 80’s / early 90’s of the time frame of this movie. But despite this, it has very good pacing as the investigation unfolds. It isn’t the dark comedy of Reanimator, nor is it the ‘as true as we can make it on an indie budget’ of The H P Lovecraft Historical Society.
