From Beyond (1986)

A group of scientists have developed the Resonator, a machine which allows whoever is within range to see beyond normal perceptible reality. But when the experiment succeeds, they are immediately attacked by terrible life forms.

Director:

Stuart Gordon

Writers:

H.P. Lovecraft (short story), Brian Yuzna (adaptation)

Stars:

Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Ted Sorel

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jeffrey Combs	...	Crawford Tillinghast
Barbara Crampton	...	Dr. Katherine McMichaels
Ted Sorel	...	Dr. Edward Pretorius
Ken Foree	...	Bubba Brownlee
Carolyn Purdy-Gordon	...	Dr. Bloch
Bunny Summers	...	Neighbor Lady
Bruce McGuire	...	Jordan Fields
Del Russel	...	Ambulance Driver
Dale Wyatt	...	Paramedic
Karen Christenfeld	...	Nurse
Andy Miller	...	Patient - Strait Jacket
John Leamer	...	Shock Technician
Regina Bleesz	...	Bondage Girl

Storyline

Dr. Edward Pretorius and his assistant, the physician Crawford Tillinghast, have developed the Resonator, a machine to stimulate the sixth sense through the pineal gland. When Crawford activates the apparatus, he sees creatures flying in the air and he summons Dr. Pretorius. The experiment goes out of control and Dr. Pretorius refuses to turn off the Resonator. Meanwhile their neighbor calls the police, and when the police officers arrive, they see Crawford trying to escape from his house and Dr. Pretorius beheaded. Crawford is sent to a mental institution under the supervision of the sadistic Dr. Bloch. However, the prominent psychiatrist Dr. Katherine McMichaels requests the custody of Crawford and Detective Bubba Brownlee that is investigating the case stays with them. Katherine goes with Crawford and Bubba to see the Resonator and turns the machine on. Dr. Pretorius returns in a mutant shape and attacks them, in the beginning of a gore night with weird life forms.

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Plot Keywords:

body horror | cult film | molestation | experiment | based on short story | 

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Taglines:

Humans are such easy prey.

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

H.P. Lovecraft's From Beyond

Filming Locations:

Empire Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,261,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Empire Pictures, Taryn Prov

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Studio executives opposed the casting of Barbara Crampton as Dr. McMichaels because they thought she was "too young to be believable as a psychologist". Stuart Gordon, however, insisted that Crampton be cast, and she was.

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Goofs

You can hear the sound of the light switch flicking before Dr. Katherine McMichaels switches the light switch on and off in the house of Dr. Edward Pretorius.

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Quotes

Dr. Katherine McMichaels: Don't you understand? This is the greatest discovery since van Leeuwenhoek first looked through a microscope and saw an amoeba!
Buford 'Bubba' Brownlee: Yeah, but he wasn't down there *with* the amoebas!

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Connections

Referenced in Book of the Senseless (2015)

User Reviews

Great little horror flick from a very accomplished team of horror film makers.

From the team that brought us the horror classic; Re-Animator comes From Beyond; a tale of a mad scientist and his search for the ultimate pleasure.

Like Re-Animator, From Beyond is based on a story by the fantastic horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. The acting here comes courtesy of two of Re-Animator's best actors; Jeffrey Combs, a man that is well known in the world of B-Movie, and Barbara Crampton; the scream queen that we all remember from the infamous 'head' sequence in Re-Animator. There is also a role in this movie for Ken Foree, whom horror fans will instantly recognize from the classic film, Dawn of the Dead. I didn't know he was in this movie, so it was a nice surprise for me. From Beyond is also brought to the screen by the same team that brought Re-Animator to the screen; Stuart Gordon in the director's chair and Brian Yuzna producing. With a group of people as accomplished in the horror genre as this fine bunch, what could possibly go wrong?

The plot of this movie is good because it very much plunges into the unknown, and as well all know; it is that which makes horror frightening. This movie is also made good by the fact that once the horror starts, it doesn't stop and that's always a good thing for a horror movie as nobody likes waiting for the next horror sequence to turn up. The team of Gordon and Yuzna obviously knows that relentlessness makes a good horror movie as it is evident in all horror movies that they have worked on, together or separately. The idea behind it is also an original one, as ever with H.P. Lovecraft and it leaves a lot open for creativity, which is capitalized upon very well by Stuart Gordon with his interesting and effective creatures that are brought into the film as a result of the scientist's foray into 'the beyond'. The story, it could be said, is unrealistic, which is true of most horror films. However, the way it is brought to life seems realistic and as there is some explanation to the point of the machine and that which it does, so the audience can somewhat believe it; much to the film's credit.

In the 80's, horror reached a new point; gone was the creativity of the 60's and 70's, and a new area of over the top and extremely gory horror was opened up. From Beyond very much capitalizes on this 'new wave', but unlike a lot of the 80's films that did, From Beyond manages to pull it off so it is both interesting and creative and therefore it is a cut above the majority of other 80's films of the same ilk. From Beyond is not a masterpiece, but it is very good and fans of the horror genre will certainly find something to like about it. Recommended.