Rejuvenatrix

Dr. Gregory Ashton (John MacKay) and his assistant, Dr. Stella Stone (Katell Pleven), are on the verge of finding a serum extracted from dead human brains that will restore youth. However, the envious and arrogant director Dr. Germaine (Marcus Powell) wants to jeopardize his research. The wealthy sponsor Ruth Warren (Jessica Dublin) is the main donor of the research fund that supports Dr. Aston's experiments. Ruth is an aging actress that wants to return to her glorious days and forces Dr. Ashton to use her as human guinea pig of his experiments. Dr. Ashton exposes that it would be unethical and dangerous to her since his trials are limited to rats and is not concluded, but Ruthe threats to call off her donations. Ruth's operation is successful and she rejuvenates, becoming a beautiful young woman. She names herself Elizabeth Warren (Vivian Lanko), who would be Ruth's niece, and rejoices to party every night. Dr. Ashton has not synthetized his serum yet and needs more cadavers to extract the fluid from the brain to inject Elizabeth. But soon there are side effects, and Elizabeth needs more and more serum when she turns into a monster. But soon she has the lust for human brains and begins a crime spree to get the brains.

"Rejuvenatrix", a.k.a. "The Rejuvenator" (1988), is a great horror B-movie about the side effects of a research to find the fountain of youth. The screenplay is well written and, despite the low-budget, has great make-up and special effects. Dr. Ashton is hurried in his experiment by the lead donor of his funds and is forced to test his serum in her, despite his warnings. The conclusion is gore and gruesome, with a hook for a sequence. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Rejuvenator"

So many 80's horror films that were made mostly for the video market have been unfairly thrown aside in the 30+ years since they were released and many of them have a lot of creativity that deserves to be seen by a new audience. The Rejuvenator is one of those lost films that still has the capacity to entertain.

A doctor has been working on an anti-aging serum forever, but he hasn't been working fast enough to please one of his biggest financial benefactors - an aging actress whose career could use a refreshing. Even though he's nervous about it, he agrees to shoot her up with the serum, telling her all the risks and that she'll need multiple doses of the serum or else the entire thing will reverse. The only problem is that he needs human brain tissue to make more serum and he's running out of cadavers.

The special makeup effects are top notch, the performances are spirited with just enough camp appeal given the subject matter, and the script is smarter and better written that other films of this type and budget. This is a film that could benefit from a new Blu-Ray release.

"The Rejuvenator" is a pleasantly old-fashioned horror film, while still integrating today's requisite dose of elaborate makeup effects and gore. It is variously known as "Rejuvenatrix" (title displayed on print) and for foreign markets, "Juvenatrix".

Premise is the old reliable use of a woman seeking to regain her youth: former movie star Ruth Warren (Jessica Dublin), who funds the research of Dr. Gregory Ashton (John MacKay). He discovers the part of the brain controlling aging, and via lab experiments with rats, comes up with a serum to reverse the aging process.

Warren eagerly volunteers to act as a human guinea pig and is turned into her younger self (actress Vivian Lanko taking over the role in second reel), dubbing herself Elizabeth Warren, her own fictitious niece. Problem is that she turns into a hideous monster, requiring increasing dosages of the serum to be brought back to normal youth.

Ashton breaks the law to acquire numerous cadavers to prepare the serum, derived from human brains. In her monstrous state, Warren takes to killing innocents in order to survive, ultimately discovering how to get the same rejuvenation effect directly from a victim's brain (for lunch) without resorting to the doc's serum. He eventually develops a synthetic serum but by then it is too late.

Low-budgeter works because it is played absolutely straight, with campy elements, such as the obvious references to "Sunset Blvd." (Warren even has a Stroheim-like butler from the old days), allowed to blossom unforced. Adroit casting has Jessica Dublin and Vivian Lanko physically matched in the central role, each playing it in an appropriately florid and meanie manner. John MacKay and the Sandy Dennis-like Katell Pleven as his assistant are utterly earnest and believable as the scientists, while James Hogue plays Warren's butler/former lover with panache.

Highlight of the production is Edward French's elaborate makeup effects, moving from the routine expanding bladders under the skin to an original design of Medusa-like proportions as her head expands to monster scale. Tightly directed by Brian Thomas Jones, pic is designed to appeal to B-movie connoisseurs who can tolerate the explicit violence of contemporary horror efforts.

A rich actress who has gotten too old for leading roles employs a scientist who is working on a formula for eternal youth. The formula involves withdrawing certain fluids from the human brain. She takes the serum, but its unforseen side effects turn her into a murderous monster. Brian Thomas Jone's "The rejuvenator" is a surprisingly gory and ambitious horror outing, with a ambitious plot and some excellent make-up effects. Granted, it lacked down-to-Earth characters, but if you liked films like "Society" and "Re-animator", the The Rejuvenator may be up your alley. The final transformation sequence is astounding!

"Rejuvenator" is a fresh spin on the immortality theme. Aging actress, Vivian Lanko, puts the squeeze on a doctor, John McKay, who's rejuvenation experiments she is funding. Pressed to use the youth serum he is developing before it is perfected, he injects Lanko with disastrous results. This fountain of youth story flows nicely, the script includes interesting characters, and touches of dark humor. The make up effects are especially interesting, and the whole production has class not usually associated with the horror genre. Fans of "Re-Animator" should seek out this impressive, similar film. .............. - MERK