DVD Corner

The Gate Blu-ray Steelbook Review

“The Gate” is a “Poltergeist” knockoff.  

Written by Michael Nankin, 1987’s “The Gate” is basically a tame version of “Poltergeist” in that it’s more of a children’s horror movie. As someone who advocates for more horror stories for the youth, I’m happy this movie exists. I only wish it was as cool as the original poster.

The story revolves around a rocket and space loving suburban kid (Glen). After having a nightmare, he awakens to find the tree/treehouse in the backyard has fallen over and left a rather large hole in the ground. A series of accidents leads to a gateway to something hellish opening up which leaves Glen, his sister Alex, and his best friend Terry fighting for their lives amid encounters with demons, nightmarish illusions, and all manner of weird occurrences. 

Directed by Tibor Takacs, “The Gate” has become a cult favorite over the years. It’s easy to see why as I’m sure many horror fans were nostalgic about it as a child. There are some notable aspects here including the lead performance by a very young Stephen Dorff as Glen and, of course, the creature/make-up effects and special effects work by Craig Reardon and Randall William Cook (the little demons and the giant demon are nifty practical creations). Outside of that, the slow going horror film definitely suffers from budget constraints, a dopey happy ending, and a story that never takes advantage of its premise. The entire movie feels like one big tease as the audience barely gets any material about the gateway itself. Most of the action merely takes place inside Glen’s house and in the backyard with random weird stuff happening throughout. Sometimes less is more, but in the case of this film, it is not.

Note: This Vestron disc is a Wal-Mart exclusive.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 1080p. How does it look? There is noticeable print damage, but this is still a nice crisp print.

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? A satisfactory 2.0 track all around.

Extras:
* Digital copy
* Isolated score and audio interview with composers Michael Hoenig and J. Peter Robinson.
* 2 commentary tracks. One by director Tibor Takacs, writer Michael Nankin and special effects designer/supervisor Randall William Cook. The 2nd track features Randall William Cook, special make-up effects artists Craig Reardon and Frank Carere and matte photographer Bill Taylor.
* “Making Of The Gate” featurette.
* Separate interviews with Craig Reardon (“Minion Maker”), Carl Kraines (“The Workman Speaks!”), Andras Hamori (“From Hell it Came”), Michael Nankin (“The Gatekeepers”).
* Teaser trailer, TV spot, storyboard gallery and behind the scenes gallery.
* “The Gate: Unlocked”- A retrospective extra with crew interviews.
* “Made In Toronto” is all about the Toronto location shooting.
* “From Hell: The Creatures And Demons of The Gate” creature effects featurette

May 6, 2024 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | 80's Horror, Stephen Dorff, The Gate, The Gate Blu-ray Steelbook Review