Review of The Gate (1987) by Rob C — 01 Mar 2011

Glen (Stephen Dorff) and his friend Terry (Louis Tripp) uncover a large hole in his backyard, immediately contacting a splinter and leaving a little blood behind, setting off a series of demonic events. The Gate, with it's creepy atmospheric screenplay, was maybe one of the better horror films to surface in the late-eighties. It's theme mixed up realistic surburban-style settings and added an original storyline to heighten it's horror factor.

The makeup effects were morbid in it's design, coupled with some creepy computer-generated creatures. What made The Gate more frightening, was that the plot let you envision it all in your mind, allowing you to imagine your own kind of demon before they surfaced. The youthful Dorff gives an incredible performance, considering his age on production, showcasing his skills early on as an actor. The Gate felt way ahead of it's time and is a lot better than the majority of horror films nowadays that proclaim to be "eerie, jolting and unsettling".

A remake of the film is currently undergoing production with Alex Winters (Bill; Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey) behind the directors seat. It should see the light of day in August of this year.