Celebrity Nooz: From Beyond

From Beyond (1986)

Movie Title: From Beyond

Year Released: 1986

Rated: Unrated

Runtime: 1h 25min

Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi

Director: Stuart Gordon

Writer: Dennis Paoli (based on the short story by H.P. Lovecraft)

Starring: Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Ted Sorel, Ken Foree, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Bunny Summers, Bruce McGuire

Review: Scientist see and feel more than they bargained for when they fire up the Resonator. It's a machine that accesses the sixth sense through the pineal gland in the brain and makes us aware of things beyond our reality. And when it kills Dr. Edward Pretorius (Ted Sorel), his associate (Jeffrey Combs), a brilliant psychologist (Barbara Crampton), and a detective (Ken Foree) must figure out if the cause was... From Beyond!

According to Newsweek, From Beyond is "a grisly amalgam of sex, shock, and satire." I would have to concur wholeheartedly. This movie is bananas! It truly has to be seen to be believed. And it's from the same creative team that brought us another over-the-top cult classic Re-Animator, so that should tell you all you need to know.

Director Stuart Gordon and screenwriter Dennis Paoli take H.P. Lovecraft's short story and craft their own visionary tale of unlocking the deepest fears, fantasies, and freaky slime monsters. I really want to keep a tight lid on this one because I think it's better if you go in cold and experience all of the shock, surprise and sensory overload that make From Beyond one of the most unique, original, and entertaining movies ever made. If you love Re-Animator then you'll love From Beyond. But if you aren't a fan of that sort of gratuitous gore, nudity, sex, and violence, then steer clear - you've been warned!

Fresh off the Re-Animator, Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton play completely different roles than in their previous collaboration with Gordon and Paoli. Combs plays it pitch perfect here, but it's Crampton that steals the show. She has so much to do as the lead of movie. She's wonderful to watch and really owns the role with her go for broke performance.

And if you like kinky sex and the slimiest monsters imaginable in your '80s horror, sci-fi, cult classics then strap in, switch on the Resonator and prepare to experience a movie like none other - it's From Beyond. Don't believe me? Check out the trailer at the top of the page. The entire movie is like that just turned up to eleven!

Stars (out of 4):

Fun Fact: The Resonator sound effects were later sampled in the song "Intergalactic" by the Beastie Boys.

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