Believe it or not, until today, I’d never seen a Stuart Gordon film.
I’m not sure how I managed to make it this long without seeing any of his works, especially given how much praise has been heaped on “Re-Animator” over the years, but, actually, I’m less embarrassed by not having seen that film as I am by the fact that I have Gordon’s film adaptation of the David Mamet play, “Edmond,” sitting right on my DVD shelf and have never managed to put it into the player. I stand chagrined.
Oh, well, as long as I’m just standing around being chagrined, I might as well discuss “From Beyond,” Gordon’s 1986 adaptation of another H.P. Lovecraft short story (“Re-Animator” was based on one as well), was pretty damned good. And creepy. And downright disturbing at times. I’ve never read the original Lovecraft tale, but I’m led to understand that Gordon’s film – written by the same trio who wrote “Re-Animator”: Gordon, William Norris, and Dennis Paoli – essentially adapts the story for the first part of the film, then continues along its own path for the remainder. Whatever the case, it’s fascinating. And complicated. And almost impossible to really wrap your head around. But still fascinating.
Dr. Edward Pretorius (Ted Sorel) and Dr. Crawford Tillinghast (Jeffrey Combs) are a pair of scientists with really awesome last names who are trying to stimulate the human pineal gland and bring forth the so-called “sixth sense” abilities inherent in every person; as part of their experiments, they’ve built a machine called The Resonator. When The Resonator is turned on, it causes the pineal drives of everyone in its vicinity to go hog wild, which results in them being able to see into a parallel dimension which is apparently inhabited by creatures which resemble eels and jellyfish; unfortunately, it works both ways, and as soon as the scientists make a move, the creatures attack. Tillinghast gets bitten on the cheek, and Pretorious…well, he kind of loses his head. (Later, after the police have come to the scene, we see the headless chalk outline, which can’t help but stir laughter.) Freaking out, Tillinghast destroys the machine and narrowly escapes from Pretorious’s house, where they’ve been doing the experiments, but no-one believes poor Tillinghast when he tries to explain what’s happened, and he’s arrested and put in an insane asylum. Dr. Katherine McMichaels (Barbara Crampton) is fascinated by Tillinghast’s claims, and she takes him back to the house – along with police escort Buford ‘Bubba’ Brownlee (Ken Foree) – in order to determine the truth of the situation. She manages to get the machine working again, but the result is that Pretorious re-appears, having been possessed by the creatures from the other dimension, and wants the others to join him.
The film is a unique mish-mosh of scientific mumbo-jumbo, special effects, gore, sexuality, and humor, and it’s enthralling. And, hey, the sexuality isn’t even forced: turns out that when the pineal gland is in overdrive (and you know when it is, because you can see their foreheads pulsating), the scientists find that their libidos are pumping away as well, which results in Dr. McMichaels putting on a black leather dominatrix outfit at one point. Good times. The creature special effects are right up there with John Carpenter’s “The Thing” for truly mind-bending transformations, and there’s at least one gory moment which will have you squirming in your seat.
It’s a shame there’s never been a “From Beyond 2,” given how much territory is left unexplored with this concept, but, then, maybe that’s why this film works as well as it does: because it’s over before it’s outstayed its welcome.
Damn. Now I need to go rent “Re-Animator.”
