From Beyond (1986, Dir. Stuart Gordon)

This is the third film I have watched by Stuart Gordon. I loved Re-Animator, I had a blast with Space Truckers, and I enjoyed this fun, gross out horror sci-fi, From Beyond.

The movie is based on an H.P. Lovecraft short story with the same name. Dr. Edward Pretorius and his assistant Dr. Crawford Tillinghast create a device called the Resonator that stimulates the pineal gland and when turned on, allows humans to see beyond normal reality. This heightened reality is like another dimension- the creatures are real. In a mad attempt to feel more than any human ever has, Dr. Pretorius sets the Resonator to the highest degree. A creature from beyond devours his head while the only thing Dr. Tillinghast can do is watch. Before this creature consumes Tillinghast, he runs away and is taken by the police for murder.

While examining his case and his mental sanity, a doctor at a psychiatric ward named Katherine decides to test the reality of his claims. She, along with Tillinghast and Detective Bubba Brownlee, goes to the home of Dr. Pretorius that contains the resonator. They activate the Resonator and horror ensues.

The movie has a very David Cronenburg 1980’s body gore style horror. It is both fun and horrific. When the monster Pretorius kisses Katherine it is graphic, disgusting, cool, and hard to watch. The effects in this movie are particularly good.

The story, however, suffers from gaps in logic. We know why Katherine stays in the home, she is sexually aroused by the stimulation to the pineal gland and wishes to explore what seems to be her repressed sexuality (understood by the way she dressed before and how she dresses after). But why were they able to leave the psych ward with so little protection. Tillinghast is in there for murder after all. And why don’t they get reinforcements. And the biggest why is why do they sleep in that home? These characters are asking for trouble.

The movie introduces the idea that Pretorius is a sexual deviant who only enjoys  sadistic acts. He cannot feel if he does not cause pain. This is very attractive to Katherine and horrifying to Tillinghast. Katherine does explore Pretorius’ sex den, donning one of his fetish leather outfits and tries to rape an unconscious Tillinghast. She is stopped by Brownlee who tries to show her what she has become, but she is so confused with this sexual hunger.

In the end, she does not like all the pain the monster Pretorius inflicts.

I wish this idea were fleshed out more, but the focus of the movie is on the gore effects and as I said above, the gore effects are very well done but the story suffers.

This is a fun movie, but not nearly as good as Re-Animator.