Everybody knows director Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator; his horror classic is so
well-known that it’s even been referenced in the Oscar-winning film American
Beauty. Yet a year after Re-Animator, Gordon re-teams with writer Dennis Paoli,
producer Brian Yuzna, and actors Jeffery Combs and Barbra Crampton to make From Beyond, another off the wall horror film based on the
works of noted horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. Crampton plays Katherine McMichaels, a
psychiatrist called in by the District Attorney’s office to examine Crawford
Tillinghast (Jeffery Combs). Crawford is confined at the local mental institution after having been
arrested for killing Edward Pretorius, a research scientist who was
investigating the human pineal gland by use of a device of his own invention,
the Resonator.
Pretorius’ death was particularly grisly, with his’ head having
been ripped off. Dr. Bloch, the resident psychiatrist at the hospital, is
convinced that Crawford is insane. But after interviewing Crawford--who insists
that Pretorius was killed by strange, outer worldly
creatures that appeared when the Resonator was in use--Katherine isn't so sure. Playing a hunch,
Katherine has Crawford undergo a CAT scan, and is stunned to see that Crawford’s
pineal gland is larger than usual. This gives her the impetus to find out what
exactly happened in the laboratory the night Pretorius was killed. Kathrine returns to
the scene of the crime with Crawford and a police escort, Sgt. Buford Brownlee (Ken Foree, from
Romero's Dawn Of The Dead). She’s seeking to recreate the conditions of the night of the
murder by setting up the Resonator to work once more. And while Katherine
achieves great success in proving Crawford was right all along, she also winds
up inadvertently unleashing something…from beyond.
This is the very first time that From Beyond has been released on DVD, and it’s
also the first time I’ve seen this film since it’s original release on video. I’ve
got to say that it holds up very well…possibly more so than Re-Animator, in many
ways. Although it’s not without its own sly doses of humor, From Beyond is
basically more of a straight-forward horror film, eschewing the over the top
camp while still pushing the envelope
in the same manner that Re-Animator did. It may be hard to match the climatic
scene with a naked Crampton being menaced by a live severed head in Re-Animator, but From
Beyond also has its own gleefully twisted side. The entire cast is very good,
and Gordon, working from a literate and witty script, keeps things moving at a brisk pace
while also managing to keep the viewer on edge throughout.
The DVD is unrated, thanks to newly inserted footage (such as a brain-eating scene)
that originally had to be trimmed to
satisfy the MPAA, and the result is a horror movie that’s definitely not for the
kiddies (nor is it recommended for adults with weak stomachs). But it's a fun,
wild ride. The film is
presented in its original widescreen, and the print looks great. Special
features include a very funny commentary featuring Gordon, Yunza, Combs and Crampton; featurettes dealing with
Gordon’s perspective, and the re-inserting of the missing footage, as well as an
interview with composer Richard Band (all of which have closed captioning).
There’s also a series of storyboard-to-film comparisons, making this a really
fun DVD for horror buffs. So leave the kiddies with a sitter, fire up the old
resonator, and take a ride to the dark side with From Beyond.
--SF
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