The Gate (1987 film)
Two boys open a gateway to hell in their backyard.
The Gate, a 1987 supernatural horror movie directed by Tibor Takács, marked Stephen Dorff's first film role. In the story, two boys accidentally open a demon-filled pit in their backyard. A joint Canadian-American production, it developed a devoted fanbase and spawned a 1990 sequel, The Gate II: Trespassers.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Tibor Takács
- Producer
- John Kemeny
- Writer
- Michael Nankin
- Starring
- Stephen Dorff
- Louis Tripp
- Christa Denton
- Music
- Michael Hoenig, J. Peter Robinson
- Cinematography
- Thomas Vámos
- Editing
- Rit Wallis
- Studio
- Alliance Entertainment
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Twelve-year-old Glen dreams of finding his home empty and his tree-house struck by lightning. Waking, he sees workers have cut down that same tree and uncovered a large geode. Glen and his older friend Terry later examine the geode; Glen gets a splinter, leaving a drop of blood. Glen's parents leave for three days, putting his fifteen-year-old sister Alexandra (Al) in charge. While Al throws a party, Terry and Glen break open the geode after it produces strange writing on a notepad, and read the incantations aloud. Downstairs, a levitation game causes Glen to float. Glen's bedroom wall stretches, and Terry embraces an apparition of his dead mother that becomes Glen's dog Angus, who dies. Terry brings a heavy metal album with lyrics from The Dark Book, believing the hole in the yard is a gateway to evil gods. A friend of Al's dumps Angus's body into the hole, completing a summoning. The boys read a section meant to close the gateway and think they have succeeded. Moths shatter Glen's window; Angus's corpse appears in Terry's bed. Demonic arms try to pull Al under her bed. Outside, Glen and Al's parents are demons in disguise. Al inspects the backyard but sees it swarming with small demons. In the basement, The Dark Book bursts into flames. Terry reads from Psalm 59, and the hole begins to close, but he falls in. Al and Glen pull him out. Terry reads from Genesis and throws the Bible into the hole, causing an explosion that appears to seal it.
Production
Michael Nankin wrote the first draft while unemployed and recently divorced, basing it on the nastiest thoughts from his childhood. In that draft, Glen and Al were more mischievous, and demons spread to the rest of the town, dragging neighbors into the streets. The gigantic demon was originally envisioned as made of bloody entrails. The house used was a real home in Toronto; an exterior exit with bricks, stairs, and a bug zapper was built for production. A fence was erected to block a new housing development beyond the backyard. Demons were created using stop-motion animation and forced perspective with actors in rubber suits. Special effects supervisor Randall William Cook used his hand and eye for the scene where an eyeball appears in Glen's palm.
Release
The Gate opened in the US on May 15, 1987, ranking second in its opening weekend and grossing $4.3 million. It earned a total of $13.5 million by the end of its run. Lionsgate released a special edition DVD on October 6, 2009, with audio commentary from the director and interviews. A Blu-ray version followed on February 28, 2017, via Lionsgate's Vestron Video label, including commentary and featurettes. Rotten Tomatoes reports an approval rating of 36% based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 4.90/10. Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times called it too hopelessly copycat. TV Guide rated it 3/5 stars, calling it surprisingly effective and refreshingly uncynical. Time Out said it could have been a cult film if the filmmakers had abandoned attempts to tie together the bizarre elements. Odie Henderson of Slant Magazine wrote that it is a pleasant diversion if one can get in touch with their inner twelve-year-old. Paul Nicholasi of Dread Central rated the DVD 4.5/5 stars, calling it a must-have for horror fans.
Sequels
A sequel, The Gate II: Trespassers, was released in 1992, directed by Tibor Takács. Louis Tripp reprised his role as Terry, the only original cast member to return. It opened in 350 theaters on February 28, 1992, grossing $2 million. Columbia Tristar Home Video released it on VHS in 1992; Scream Factory released it on Blu-ray in October 2017. In 2009, Alex Winter was developing a 3D remake titled The Gate 3D, but the project has been stuck in development hell. In 2020, Louis Tripp collaborated with Australian musician KidCrusher on a music and video project called Sacrifice, reprising his role as Terry as a tribute to The Gate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who stars in The Gate (1987 film)?
The Gate stars Stephen Dorff, Louis Tripp and Christa Denton.
Who composed the music for The Gate (1987 film)?
The music for The Gate was composed by Michael Hoenig and J. Peter Robinson.
How long is The Gate (1987 film)?
The Gate has a running time of 85 minutes.
Who distributed The Gate (1987 film)?
The Gate was distributed by New Century Entertainment and Vista Organization.
More in Canadian Supernatural Horror Films
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced