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 | molestation | based on short story | time bomb | female frontal nudity | 

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Taglines:

Everything is alive... and hungry.

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to producer Brian Yuzna, the production ran out of money before the effects on the finale could be finished.

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Goofs

When Bubba is knocked down and strikes the back of his head, cushioning on the edge of a table (to protect the actor) can be seen in one angle, but not the other.

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Quotes

Dr. Edward Pretorius: It's just the body, but my mind is indivisible.

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Alternate Versions

Prior to the Monsters HD channel airing of the film and the subsequent DVD and Blu-ray releases, the home media releases before 2007 contained the censored R-rated cut which removed the following:

• Katherine being molested a few seconds longer by Pretorius.
• Dr. Bloch taking 14 seconds longer attempting to remove the pineal gland hump from Crawford's forehead.
• A longer scene of Crawford eating the brains in the morgue.
• Additional footage of Crawford sucking out Dr. Bloch's eye and spitting it out onto the floor before then sucking at her socket.
• The ambulance driver's death by three blows to the head instead of just one.
• A brief shot of blood graphically spurting as Katherine bites off Crawford's pineal hump.

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Connections

Referenced in Tales from the Crawlspace with John Vulich (2013)

User Reviews

Classic Eighties Splatter

An eighties minor classic from Stuart Gordon, the cult-king of cinematic Lovecraft. A young physicist, accused of the murder of his research partner, is accompanied back to the scene of the crime by his psychiatrist and a cop. There, they activate The Resonator, allowing terrifying creatures from a hidden dimension access to our world. The movie features the most cutting edge physical special effects of its time, with a half ton of latex, slime, blood, and puppetry being employed in bringing the monsters to life. Twenty five years later, however, it's tough not to laugh. The acting is hammy, and the plot completely nonsensical at times, with a particularly WTF scene that involves Barbara Crampton discovering her inner freak in Dr Pretorius' S&M dungeon. But it's still entertaining, particularly once Jeffrey Combs starts sucking out eyeballs, and well worth watching.

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)

Opening Weekend USA:

$514,417, 26 October 1986

Gross USA:

$1,261,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$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