Chad

ViewAskewbian

I watched this one for the first time last year. It was one of those horror flicks that fall under the catagory of "weird gore". It was hard to watch it, though, and not think or Jeffrey Combs' character from Re-Animator. Did the name of H.P. Lovecraft sell movies in the 80s?

cysiam

I was pleasantly surprised by this. I hadn't heard much about in the way of praise, but it's a worthy follow up to Re-Animator. The effects remind me a bit of Carpenter's The Thing.

orlmac

This was a great movie to use to start off the 31 Films Subset. This is the last film that I had on my DVR from the old Monsters HD channel and it was the perfect example of why I was so sad when it was pulled by Dish. This was the director's cut and the gore was pretty intense. I've always thought that Jeffrey Combs was a good actor and I love Stuart Gordon's movies so I was thrilled to see this on the list. I also love Barbara Crampton and she also did a great job here.

notkevinbacon

I still have my old VHS copy of this one and was thrilled when the DVD came out a bit back. This actually is my favorite Gordon film... I love Re-Animator, King of the Ants, parts of Dagon are great... I just dig Stuart Gordon.

The casting is perfect, the pacing is superb, the effects are gross and imaginative and the whole thing is really eerie and mind-bending. The atmosphere of this film is so bizarre and uncomfortable, yet totally seductive... I can't help but just get sucked into this one whenever it's on. It just really feels like a well realized little flick, I can't lie... I adore it.

Great to see that it's starting off the challenge. One of these years I am going to participate in this, I always get bummed when it passes me by and I don't get in on it.

SethDLH

I love this movie, and just about everything I've seen from Stuart Gordon. It would be amazing to see what he could do with a real budget haha.

Undeadcow

I will not tolerate this thread continuing without a picture of Barbara Crampton in bondage apparel...


This movie is excellent, really nightmarish and otherworldly but at times it goes too far into being hockey. I understand the bizarre sexual bondage material was essential but pivoting the plot to get there seemed ackward.

I know Lovecraft movies have become more trendy but I really think his stuff could be effectively utilized more. I'm looking forward to Guillermo Del Toto's At the Mountain of Madness (AtMoM) and the landslide of Lovecraft adaptations that will likely follow suit if AtMoM is successful.

SterlingBen

Re-Animator meets Society meets that episode from The Next Generation where Barkley sees those inter-dimensional worms in the transporter field.

Oh and what is up with this DVD cover? Why didn't they just use the VHS one?

kd5

I remember renting this on VHS in the late 80's and loving it. This movie appealed to my bizarre taste in creeped out horror movies at the time and the movie really stuck with me. I'm fairly certain I rented it more than once too...

I was glad when they released a Director's Cut on DVD, as soon as I found out about it I bought it. Watching it again reminded me of why I enjoyed it as much as I'd remembered, it's one of my favorite bizarre and creepy horror flicks. That's the first time I've seen that cover art though. -kd5-

coyoteblue

Saw it a few days ago at Fantastic Fest with Gordon and Combs introducing the film and taking questions afterwards. They talked about filming in Rome at the De Laurentiis studio.

Jeffrey loved the pasta and remembers scaring a bunch of young children (working at the same studio) senseless when he walked into a hall while he had his bald/gland make-up on.

Stuart told a story about how Italian films aren't filmed with sound so all the stage hands are used to working while films are being shot and one day one guy was banging away with a hammer doing a shot. Stuart asked him to not hammer while they were shooting and the man said that Fellini always let him work while shooting. Stuart said he wasn't Fellini and please stop. The crewman agreed that he was no Fellini (he stopped hammering anyway).

Seeing it on a big screen with a appreciative crowd was a treat. I liked little details like the Pretorious' Foundation address was 666 Benevolent and that the sole survivor is quite mad. Most of the effects still hold up too, except for the "gland vision". Gordon's wife (Dr. Bloch) cooked the stew w/dumplings; the Italians insisted on adding red sauce to it.

Trevor

I guess I'll be the first (only?) dissenting opinion. It wasn't awful, and any film with Barbara Crampton is worth watching for me (I'll buy it on BD if given the chance), but it was lacking something for me. I think it was because it felt too similar to Re-Animator, which is obvious I guess, given the director, cast, and source material are basically the same. But while Re-Animator totally engages me from start to finish with a sort of frenetic energy, this film was much more ho-hum at times, with silly diversions and slight missteps. Interesting visually and quite fun at times, and awesome for me eye candy, but it was too similar to Re-Animator while not surpassing it in any way.

takingchase

It's so great to see all the love for this movie in here. While Re-Animator is known quite well not as many know of or have seen From Beyond.

SterlingBen

Thats pretty much how I felt as well. I did like how Combs' character was from Miskatonic University

Melmoth

Just finished watching it for the first time, thought it was a good enough film. Nice solid cast of horror regulars, gross monsters, bondage . Like a couple others in here, didn't think it reached the level of greatness that is Re-Animator. Similar, but lacking the level of humor that made Re-Animator the fine black horror comedy it is. Had it gone in that direction I feel it could have been better. Aside from that, kept me entertained the whole time and always like watching Combs.

Never read the short story, interested to give it a go.

J. Farley

Never much cared for this one, though I'll admit it's due for a rewatch. Seeing it years after my initial Re-Animator viewing certainly didn't help, as my expectations were likely set a little too high. It was cool seeing the team of Foree, Combs and Crampton though.

rabidgoatboy

I've always loved From Beyond. I'll definately be watching it at some point this month, but I usually try to follow the theme nights that are posted every year so there's no arguing between my friends and I about what we will be watching that night. Have you guys ever thought of making the movie-of-the-day coincide with the themes?

takingchase

I'm pretty sure that was a topic of discussion this year and Chad tried to match up most of the subsets with theme nights.

Dick Laurent

I also loved this. I thought it was a great compliment to Re-Animator. My biggest problem I believe stems from the fact that only about 8% is the Lovecraft story. But they did a good job filling in the gap, but this is where the Gordon/Yuzna style/personality really comes through. Which explains its similarities.

What bugs me the most is, why did the flashlight scare the bugs away, but then the bugs had no problem flying into the light right afterword?

Darkgod

I love this film, but think it doesn't hold a candle to Reanimator. And that is no fault of anyones, just the fact that Reanimator is amazing and this is not as amazing. At times, it is a bit goofy... " he bit his head off like a gingerbread man". All in all I think it necesity to watch if you claim to be a horror fan.
6/10

obscurelabel

I saw this in a theater when it was first released and at the time, loved it. Seeing the DVD recently (knowing that it had some extended scenes), I noticed several of the changed or added shots. Most particularly, when Tillinghast is his reading of "These are delicious!" (which I recalled as being hilarious) seemed much different, and not as funny. I can't be sure that it's different at the remove of 20+ years - can anyone confirm?

Also, the shot of Tillinghast I thought it was much more effective when it cut before that and you had to use your imagination

Overall, this has some nice creepy atmosphere and good makeup effects. I was somewhat disappointed on seeing it again that it dragged quite a bit and all of the resonater scenes started to get repetitive. Even at 86 minutes it felt too long.

rbrown498

I'll fall on the dissenting side of the fence as well. From Beyond just doesn't do it for me. I didn't particularly like it the first time I saw it (on Vestron's VHS tape when it first came out in the mid-80s), and I liked it even less this time around. While the special effects work is effectively icky, the film's lack of a narrative thrust makes it eventually sink under its own weight. The second half of the film reminds me somewhat of shampoo directions: lather, rinse, repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. Turn on Resonator, see yucky things, get in danger, get out of danger with injuries. Turn on Resonator, see yucky things, get in danger, get out of danger with injuries. And again. And again. Blow up Resonator. Fade to credits. (And, by the way, where'd Barbara Crampton's character get the bomb?)

Spiderbite

I remember the cover of the VHS quite well as a teen but for some reason I have never watched this movie. Watched it last night and after a dull first 30 minutes, the movie kicks into high gear and stays that way. Most of it was kinda silly and the plot nonsensical at times but I loved, loved the make-up work. The effects were truly fantastic for it day and time and lack of budget.

Lots of laugh out loud parts but nothing that really makes me want to rush out an buy the movie. All in all, good fun but not great.

My rating: ***1/2 out of *****

cproaps

Lovecraft and the 80s. Need I say more? How Lovecraft has translated into so many cult classics on film and King's horror novels usually turn out as poop on film is worthy of a research paper. From Beyond, Re-Animator, and Videodrome are some of the best of the wacky and weird that worked so well in the 80s.

Easily my favorite Jeffrey Combs movie outside the Re-Animator series, though my favorite character of his is probably on Enterprise.

Undeadcow

It might be worth considering a "based on H.P. Lovecraft material" addition to the checklist next go-round.

I would they would release Necronomicon: Book of the Dead (1993) on DVD. Not that is was a great film but I had fun with it when I was younger.

dcrw6

I watched this fully for the first time a few years ago when the dvd came out and really enjoyed it. I'd go so far as to say I enjoy it more than Re-animator. The first Re-animator always dragged a little too much for me at times, even though I still enjoy it immensely. With Beyond, I didn't notice such dragging which is why I give it the edge, since the tone of the two are so similar. I also love the hell out of the lighting in this one. Something about purple lighting always gives me a kick. I thought the opening scene was spot on and serves as a great adaptation of the original story and managed to creep me out a bit. I actually felt really sorry for Jeffrey Combs in this, compared to Herbert West. He was just a guy in a shitty situation and is treated like crap by Crampton and Foree for a lot of the movie. It's also nice seeing Ken Foree again before being relegated to check-for-hire status after Zombie's Devil's Rejects. From Beyond? I love it.

If you have an all-region player, there was a German release a few years ago that's supposed to be decent quality. I've owned it for years but haven't gotten around to seeing the disc myself yet. My wife actually watched it while I was at work once and I came home to find her telling me she really enjoyed the German Lovecraft flick. It took me a while to figure out what the hell she was talking about until I realized that she had put in Necronomicon and just hit play and watched the whole thing in German, not realizing that it defaults to the German audio track even though it was an English made movie. I still give her crap for that.