The Gate (1987)

Three young children accidentally release a horde of nasty, pint-sized demons from a hole in a suburban backyard. What follows is a classic battle between good and evil as the three kids ... See full summary »

Director:

Tibor Takács

Writer:

Michael Nankin

Stars:

Stephen Dorff, Christa Denton, Louis Tripp

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Stephen Dorff	...	Glen
Christa Denton	...	Al
Louis Tripp	...	Terrence 'Terry' Chandler
Kelly Rowan	...	Lori Lee
Jennifer Irwin	...	Linda Lee
Deborah Grover	...	Mom
Scot Denton	...	Dad
Ingrid Veninger	...	Paula
Sean Fagan	...	Eric
Linda Goranson	...	Terry's Mom
Carl Kraines	...	Workman
Andrew Gunn	...	Brad

Storyline

Three young children accidentally release a horde of nasty, pint-sized demons from a hole in a suburban backyard. What follows is a classic battle between good and evil as the three kids struggle to overcome a nightmarish hell that is literally taking over the Earth.

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Plot Keywords:

hole | backyard | demon | house | dog | 

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Taglines:

They're Here and They Want to Meet the Neighbors

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 May 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Fenda

Filming Locations:

Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$13,539,458 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Century Entertainment Corporation, Vista Organisation, The, Alliance Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Writer Michael Nankin based the script on specific things from his childhood. For example, Nankin did have a best friend named Terry.

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Goofs

When Glen sees the first Geode that's split apart, he holds one half in his left hand and the other remains on the ground. When he stands, he's holding onto both halves (one in each hand).

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Quotes

Al: You mean you guys were serious about that demon stuff?

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Connections

References Romper Room and Friends (1953)

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Soundtracks

"MODERN PERSONALITY"
By Julia Bourque
Performed by True Confessions
Courtesy of Bomb Records

User Reviews

Protect Our Trees!

Believe it or not, this was much better than I initially anticipated. I expected one of those God-awful, cheesy special effects, mindless eighties horror films - a decade I think was a low ebb for that genre in general. I got to see a 35mm print of The Gate and was impressed with several things. Now before I get out of control here, make no mistake, this is not a great film even in terms of the horror genre, but it is a bona-fide campy, cult favorite from the eighties with good reason. The story is ridiculous about some hole, as a result of an old tree being destroyed in a family's backyard, having demons living down deep in its bowels. A rock band that died tragically also is involved, or at least the record album on hand complete with a huge history of demonology attached. Add a couple more-than-precocious boys, a bunch of teens, looking dreadfully eighties-style, attending a party while the parents are away, and some freaky little demons and you have much of The Gate. The little demons are cute and spooky and the director Tibot Takics actually visualizes them rather nicely - particularly in an era when special effects for horror and science fiction films were quite low in terms of quality. The director was also able to create some suspense and some interesting characters with the 2 small boys in particular. Stephen Dorff and Louis Tripp play Glenn and Terry respectively and give the film some heart. There is not much to recommend as far as the remaining cast is concerned, but The Gate delivers some solid scares, some atmospheric settings and direction, and some surprisingly good special effects. Good campy fun!