From Beyond (1986)
Director: Stuart Gordon
Cast: Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Ken Foree
MGM / Color / NTSC R1 / Unrated / Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) / Dolby Digital Surround / English / Subtitles: English, Spanish, French / 86 mins / Purchase from DIABOLIKDVD.COM
Mad Scientist, Dr. Pretorius and his assistant, Dr. Tillinghast (Combs) have invented a machine called the Resonator. The machine creates vibrations that stimulate the pineal gland. The gland grows to abnormal size and gives you a sixth sense that allows sight into another dimension (as well as making you a horny bastard) and the creatures and monsters that inhabit it. But they can also see you and they aren’t very nice.
Pretorious gets killed by one of the creatures but isn’t exactly dead as his head (and brain) are eaten by the thing and therefore his essence lives inside the horrible inter-dimensional monster. Tillinghast is arrested for the murder and confined to a mental hospital where psychologist Dr. McMichaels (Crampton) takes him into her custody to evaluate him after she hears his outrageous account of the murder. With the help of Bubba (Foree), a police officer assigned to the case, she takes him back to the scene of the crime to reenact it.
After many warnings from Tillighast not to do it, he finally gives in and shows the two onlookers what he saw before by turning the machine back on. Of course they see the wonders the machine has to offer as well as meeting the Pretorious creature. They escape only to be seduced by the power of the Resonator. McMichaels gives in and turns the machine on by herself and is viciously attacked by Pretorious. They try to destroy the machine by ripping out the wiring, but the monster is too powerful and comes back from beyond!
This classic sci-fi/horror based on H.P. Lovecraft‘s story of the same name is a reunion of the people who brought you, the also classic, Re-Animator. The trio of Gordon, Combs and Crampton has to be one of the best of all-time. Gordon, the master storyteller. Combs, the manic over-actor. And Crampton, the damn sexy scream queen. They work so well together it’s frightening. Pun intended.
Hot! Hot! Hot!
The gore and effects are incredible especially when you think about it being done in the mid-’80s. The make-up effects, particularly the animated pineal gland, are disturbingly good. And the Pretorious monster was hideously fantastic. I wish horror today would go back to using make-up effects for most of their movies and only use CGI when needed. The make-up and animatronics just gave it a much more grassroots feeling. This movie made an impression on me when I saw it as a kid. The sight of that snake-like pineal gland crawling out of Jeffrey Combs’ forehead will forever be etched into my psyche.
This movie KICKS ASS! Okay, so it’s not as polished as “Re-Animator”. It is still a great body-mutation film, which has been scarce since the ’80′s. I love the Lovecraft/Cronenberg vibe the film has. “From Beyond” is a good Lovecraft interpretation, a great gore film (sucking a woman’s eyeball out, anyone?), and the best DVD release of a body-horror type film in years!