The Gate (1987)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Tibor Takács

Writer:

Michael Nankin (written by)

Release Date:

15 May 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

... pray it's not too late!

Plot:

Three young children accidentally release a horde of nasty, pint-sized demons from a hole in a suburban backyard...

Plot Keywords:

Hole | Backyard | House | Demon | Dog

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

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

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-15 (uncut) (2002) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1988) | Australia:M | Norway:15 (video premiere) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:16

Company:

Alliance Entertainment

Trivia:

Stephen Dorff's debut film role.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Just before Glen stabs the eye in his hand, he is wearing a noticeable latex thumb which is much larger than his thumb in the previous shot.

Quotes:

Al: What the hell was that?
Glen: It's the Workman... it got Terry! He just made it up but it got him! It took him into the wall!

Movie Connections:

Features La guerre du feu (1981)

Soundtrack:

MODERN PERSONALITY

Underrated Cult-Movie

The boy Glen (Stephen Dorff) and his best fried Terry (Louis Tripp) accidentally open a gate to hell when a rotten tree is removed from the backyard of Glen's house. When his dog die and a friend of Glen's sister, the teenager Alexandra (Christa Denton), buries the animal in the hole, demons from an ancient civilization are released, seeking for two human sacrifices to dominate the world. Glen, Al and Terry, who are spending the weekend alone in the house, fight to save their lives and close the hole.

I do not recall how many times I have seen "The Gate" on VHS and now on DVD. The funny story has a terrible conclusion, but the special effects were amazing in 1987. This cult-movie is very underrated inclusive in IMDb but who cares? I still love this little gem of the fantastic cinema. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Portão" (VHS) / "O Portal" (DVD) ("The Gate")