The Gate (1987)

Kids, left home alone, accidentally unleash a horde of malevolent demons from a mysterious hole in their suburban backyard.

Director:

Tibor Takács (as Tibor Takacs)

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

Two young boys 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 two kids struggle to overcome a nightmarish hell that literally begins to take over the Earth.

---

Plot Keywords:

child protagonist | friendship between boys | boy | monster | supernatural power | 

---

Taglines:

They have opened The Gate. Pray it's not too late.

---

Genres:

Fantasy | Horror

---

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 USA:

$13,539,458

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Century Entertainment Corporation, The Vista Organisation, Alliance Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The fictional The Dark Book album that Terry shows to Glen features the logo for Canadian thrash metal band Sacrifice.

---

Goofs

Neither geodes nor thundereggs form in lightning strikes. Both are of volcanic origin. Technically, a geode is not the same as a thunderegg, which is a filled nodule. The actual residue of molten ground in lightning strikes is called a fulgurite, which is lengthy, with branches. It can indeed be very valuable.

---

Quotes

Terrence 'Terry' Chandler: We accidently summoned demons who used to rule the universe to come and take over the world.
Glen: Yeah, we found out about it from, uh, one of Terry's albums.

---

Connections

References Romper Room and Friends (1953)

---

Soundtracks

EVERYBODY'S RUNNING
By Vince Carlucci and Sandy MacFayden

User Reviews

Cult Appeal

Overall, I liked The Gate because of it's weirdness. Plus, the special effects were eye-catching. Especially when the handyman tumbles over then transforms into tiny demons that scatter about. My favorite scene is when the parents return home late at night and Glen's father says "You've been baaaaaad!" and tries to strangle him while slime drips out of his face. Weird stuff. My only complaint is how it ended. But I won't give it away. I recommend seeing this one but keep in mind that those dwarf demons are "older than the Bible".