Just so...so bad

Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

An action-packed slog

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

This would usually be the kind of film I like, as I tend to love demons and monsters and things whatever film they're in. However this turned out to be a distinctly average, politically correct, teen-orientated horror film and boredom quickly sets in as we are treated to an insight of this boy and his family's life. The film seems a lot similar to POLTERGEIST in this respect. Is there anything more annoying than whining American children? I don't think so. Especially when they're in the form of a young Stephen Dorff (later going on to play the bad guy in BLADE), an incredibly bad child actor who at least grew up to exhibit some acting abilities.However the boredom is relieved by some good special effects in the form of a number of small demons, who generally try to drag some people into the gate. Things actually get good when a big, tentacled Lovecraftian monster rises out of the hallway and the film becomes entertaining. Unfortunately, as it's a film made for children nothing very scary happens, and there's a real let down at the end when all the people we thought were dead (even the dog) come back to life and live happily ever after. That's right, nobody dies. There's no blood either. Couldn't the film-makers just leave them dead? The acting is nondescript, and the only parts worth watching are those with the monsters in which do make up for the rest of the mundane story. It's just a shame that these good monsters are stuck in such a lame film. If they had been in a real Lovecraftian film, something starring Jeffrey Combs perhaps, or something involving Brian Yuzna, then it all could have been so much better. Oh well. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, as they say...

I'm not sure if I would have liked it when I was a kid or teenager, fact is now being in my thirties I liked it a lot. Kids going on some kind of adventure has always been an interest of mine but there really aren't that much who do it in a way that can hold my interest for very long. "The Goonies" for example started out interesting but very soon became silly and pointless. This one captivated me from the start with a nice premise, very likable child actors who also work very well together. Of course there is the obligatory annoying teenage friends of the big sister who don't like the younger kids but that is only a minor distraction. Actually big sister is very likable and caring towards her little brother and his friend. Without giving too much away the story is basic with a well worked out "demon" legend behind it in the style of "Don't be Afraid of the Dark". The kids bundle forces and are eventually able to overcome the evil working well together and caring for each other. That the monsters didn't look really scary didn't bother me that much as the creativity of the events blew me away a few times.

This was almost a regular in my movie rotation when I was a kid but, out of nowhere, I forgot about it for a long time until a friend reminded me of it recently and I pulled it out of storage—and by storage, I mean I put it on my Netflix queue (pay me money for dropping your name, Netflix).As a kid, I was genuinely creeped out by those little demons that chased a young, pre-E-cig selling Stephen Dorff but, watching it now, I can't help but think I was a weakling and just an all-around stupid kid for finding them terrifying even in the least. However, the fact I was easily scared as a child and have now grown into an impossible to scare adult (I have no middle ground in my life), I really enjoy "The Gate" and it was nice to watch it again."The Gate" may not be one of those quintessential 80s movies that instantly comes to mind when you think about an era that gave us the drink of the Gods (Ecto-Cooler) and where MTV was less about pregnant teens and more about music but it's still a decently entertaining and fun film. The practical effects still hold up and the story is fairly entertaining. Overall, not a bad movie that is still watchable today and doesn't feel dated.Howdy! The name is Rev. Ron and if you wanna read a more in-depth review of this film and many other films that don't contain the guy who would one day go on to be in "Blade" and sell E-cigs, you can head on over to my blog; revronmovies.blogspot.com. Or maybe you're busy with demons in your backyard and don't have time for that…that's cool, too.

Nice kid Glen (a fine Stephen Dorff in his film debut) and his amiable heavy metal music nerd best friend Terry (a solid and likable performance by Louis Tripp) inadvertently release a powerful supernatural force from another dimension through a mysterious hole in Gleen's backyard. If the boys don't figure out a way to close said gate right away, these lethal demonic beings will bring about hell on earth. Director Tibor Takacs and writer Michael Nankin eschew the usual graphic gore and cheap nasty scares found in a majority of 80's slasher fare that was trendy at the time in order to put a welcome and refreshing emphasis on eerie mood and nerve-jangling suspense. The gradual build-up in the opening half leads to a delightfully surreal and nightmarish second half which culminates in a lively and exciting climax. Moreover, the main characters are well developed and genuinely appealing: Dorff and Tripp make for engaging leads while Christa Denton brings an endearingly spunky charm to her role as Glen's sweet older sister Al. Jennifer Irwin and Deborah Grove are amusing as the vapid Lee sisters. Nankin's screenplay boasts several cool offbeat touches: Terry learns about the gate by listening to a hard rock album from an obscure band, the telephone melts, a shambling zombie workman bursts out of the walls, and Glen winds up with an eyeball in the palm of his hand. Kudos are also in order for the dazzling array of excellent and impressive special effects: The giant stop-motion animation beast seen towards the end is truly gnarly while the diminutive demonic minions are quite creepy and funky. Takacs and Nankin bring a positively infectious go-for-it enthusiasm to the material that's impossible to either dislike or resist. Tomas Vanes' slick cinematography and the spirited shuddery score by Michael Hoenig and J. Peter Robinson are both up to par as well. Best of all, there's even an upbeat central message about how the power of pure love can effectively conquer evil. An incredibly fun and worthwhile 80's creature feature winner.