…OK, then.
This next beauty on the lot…just know will appeal to one’s embraced nostalgic
fervor…yes indeed, my fine folks, we have this finely restored ‘80’s model…very
unconventional looking, though absolutely perfect, for one who appreciates that
which suggests a measure of weathered, low-brow independent sylye…as opposed to
slick, polished and princely…and not-totally-abandoned-nor-forgotten obscurity,
once having meandered in a bygone age of excess. Why, just look at that wildly
imaginative, albeit random array of curves, corners and points…that varied and
eclectic pallet of bleached, though still madly vibrant and contrasting colors,
shades & hues. There’s no mistaking it…absolutely screams ‘80’s, doesn’t
it?? Hell, yes…feel free to kick the tires…really, aren’t they oh-so
uncompromising…so unyielding, and yet, measurably restrictive and reserved, in
the sense that they know very well what they are and aren’t capable of. Oh, and
by all means, please…feel free to step inside, and take a seat. Yes, take a
deep and elating whiff of that interior…that distinctly familiar and
provocative air of a time when opportune and spontaneous chances taken…were
daring, unconventional, and oh-so imaginatively pretentious…
…it may not
be an actual 80’s original, but in pulling out all of our trump cards,…dammit to all hell...uh, quite literally, that is...we’re gonna convince you that it is…
…and so,
considering all that…uh, do we have a deal…Hmmmmm!!! (…with widened fiery eyes,
and gnarled hands wringing…over, and over, and over again…); oh yes, please think
about it…
…and yes,
folks...we are going someplace with this, be rest assured...heh, heh, heh...
…an
estrangement-laden reunion ensues…thick with an awkward, sardonic air of discomfort...between
two brothers, John and Gordon, as they reluctantly get together, after years
apart, to close and pack up their father’s dank and dusty old video rental
store, strewn with an endless library of tapes…having long become remnant of technological
past. Barring the long unfortunate phase-out of the VHS technology…giving all
the more cause to close shop…it seems that the brothers’ father has not so much
passed on, but rather, has mysteriously disappeared, without a trace…and as
such, left the video store abandoned, unkempt and unclaimed…
…some time
before this unfortunate and mysterious revelation which invariably drew the
brothers together…after so many years, John had long since become a sort of
tethered and tattered, cynical, going-nowhere-but-devil-may-care ‘drifter’
staple of the town…taking odd jobs, here and there…boarding himself with
whomever he associated with, about town…despicable types, mostly. In contrast,
a much more reserved and meekish Gordon had afforded himself the opportunity to
bate a hasty retreat from the town, early on, in an effort to find his nitch in
life, and invariably face his personal demons. He now returns to his
hometown…determined to the cause at hand, though shielding underlining scars of
personal defeat…and at the same time, wholly exasperated at how his brother,
John, appears to have wasted his life. Accompanying Gordon on this
excursion…his devotedly empathetic girlfriend, Margot…
…a couple
days into packing up the video store, and having chance stumbled upon a key, John
and Gordon finally afford themselves access to one of the shop’s locked-away
back office storage rooms; a flick of a light switch reveals a small and
sparsely furnished room, with creaky wall shelves, displaying dusty old boxes,
clunky-old VCR units (…oh yes, those premiere top-loader models, which were
heavy enough to induce a hernia)…and a countless number of what appear to be
board game boxes…
…one
particular game box…a familiar, albeit old and crusty 80’s VCR board game
(…yeah, one of those where a VHS tape is played, in conjunction with the game
taking place on the respective gaming board, to facilitate a more imaginative,
if not more unconventional gaming experience) called…yes, folks, “Beyond the
Gates”, catches their attention and curiosity…even more so when they see that
the specific VHS tape for the game is sitting in the carriage of the nearest VCR machine
within reach…
…and after
Gordon and John, with a shoulder shrug, push the tape into the machine…a
creepy, though alluring pre-game intro by a rather smoking hot and sexy-looking,
though grim and deadly-serious mannered ‘host’, flickers on the TV screen…and
immediately after…a strange and unearthly flash of light, which the brothers
again shoulder-shrug as weird, but ‘eh, so what’. However, in the days that
follow…with the strangest progression of dreams and visions…enticing further,
though cautious examination of the game, which oddly enough, becomes more and
more familiar & personal with the brothers…John and Gordon begin to
realize, with growing horror and dread, that they just might have inadvertently
set something terrifying and other-worldly into motion…something that may not
only explain the mysterious fate of their father…but also something that
affords them no choice whatsoever, but to play the game to it’s invariable and
death-defying finish…fearfully resigning themselves to a most harrowing and terrifying
inevitability, that to lose the game, may well suggest that they lose their
very souls…
…ya’ know??
There’s something distinctly unique about what the 80’s had to offer, as far as
horror cinema…something that, unless one is a seasoned veteran of that era,
either behind the camera, in front of the camera, or just a mere appreciative
and knowledgeable study…which may well be seen as hard-pressed to be imitated
by those who have since marched forward, or those who were not even born in
that nostalgic era, but still have that gleam of appreciation of the era. The
best of what the ‘80’s had to offer…even the more obscure and under-appreciated
stuff…wore a creepy mist of unconventional intrigue and mystery over it’s
well-wrought standard of shock and horror. The air itself, in many of these
films, appeared thick with a subtle haze, which accented the overall creepiness
of whatever horrors are taking place, or about to take place (...yes, we're looking back at you, "The Boogens", "The Godsend", "The Hearse", "The Unseen", "The Incubus", and (...ugh) even "Boarding House", just to name a meager few)…
…character-wise,
one was never really sure how any of the singularly eclectic and individual
roles would play out in the ghastly proceedings of these films; varying across
a pretty broad spectrum, initially-seen-as-weak characters, often times find an
almost indomitable inner strength, given whatever circumstances laid before
them…strong characters, those hero types, thinking themselves beyond fear, were
often times complacent, arrogant and self-centered (…nope, no help there). And just
about anyone had the potential…as well as a sneaky, underlining motive,
depending how the film events unfolded…to be the killer. And everyone in
between…well, for the most part, we’re talking mere fodder for the blade…
…and why
exactly are we exhaustingly peeling away the layers of 80’s horror genre films,
in a roundabout journey of getting to the ‘meat’…the actual review of the film
in question, herein…given the suggestive and clearly inspired title, “Beyond
the Gates”?? Well, it seems that first-time director Jackson Stewart clearly
loves the ‘80’s brand of horror film, as suggested in having eagerly viewed “…Gates”. Not the
slick, higher profile, big-big money stuff, mind you...but the more obscure, subtle, hazy, tarnished,
slightly color-faded, and wholly under-appreciated independently produced
‘jewels’ of that era…so much so in fact, that with “Beyond the Gates”, it
almost seems that he’s quite literally tapped into feel, and gradual ‘under the
skin’ creepiness of some of those bygone classics. The film itself doesn’t even
come across as some kind of copycat homage or knock-off of 80’s horror films;
rather, as cleverly conceived, written and executed, it lovingly captures the subtle
creepiness and eerie atmosphere of that decade’s indie horror offerings…so
well, in fact, that it to play out more like some sort of tarnished ‘lost
and forgotten’ 80’s horror gem…one that might have been seen by few, ‘back in
it’s day’, then inexplicably ‘suppressed & lost’…for whatever reason…and
only recently ‘re-discovered’…
…the varied
characters in the film are minimal…as minimal as might be expected, especially
in knowing that each of them have a sinister, albeit respectably narrative and designated role in the mysterious and macabre game, which said characters directly
and indirectly engage themselves in, during the course of the film. Considering
this, even the minor characters manage to stand out, and prove more integral to
the film’s sinister proceedings, rather than being outright forgettable…with
Brea Grant (…of Rob Zombie’s ‘Halloween II’) as Gordon’s hapless, confused,
though supportive girlfriend, who sort of doubles as an objective mediator and
empathetic optimist between the two estranged brothers…Matt Mercer (…best
recalled from 2013’s horror offering, “Contracted”) as one of Gordon &
John’s friends from youth, and now a somewhat narrow-minded and disbelieving
law enforcement officer in the town, who gets caught up in the nightmarish
proceedings…Justin Welborn (…a standout in the 2010 remake of “The Crazies”),
as a brash, combative, bullying and punkish friend of John…Jesse Merlin, as a
rather grim and sinister, almost stereotypical antique shop curator, who when
queried, seems to know more about the tainted board game, than he’s willing to
tell, outright…
…in a
strikingly awesome, albeit diabolical turn, veteran scream queen Barbara
Crampton…who adorns herself with two ‘hats’ in these proceedings…one, as
producer of “…Gates”…is deliciously dark and creepy, in a most captivating way,
as the game’s harrowing ‘host’, as seen through the game’s accompanying VHS
component…a host who, during the enigmatic
and other-worldly game play...well, tends to get way too personal, in a creepy ‘under
the skin’ manner, and demands a precise regiment of the game rules, even though
cryptically rendered…for, to not follow the rules…well, let’s just say that her
ensuing stern facial expression, is clearly one to be denied, and not easily shaken from the mind…
…but as
unconventionally integral, stand-out and non-throw-away that the supporting
cast of characters is, in “Beyond the Gates’…well, the film’s focus, being the
main protagonists, are the two estranged brothers…and the grating differences
between the two…physically, behavior-wise, and attitude-wise…are wonderfully
rendered and volleyed. Genre actor Chase Williamson…a standout in the horror
genre, despite a minimal filmography, having made a greatly marked
introduction, in 2012’s “John Dies in the End”…is John, the more roguish,
sarcastic and rebellious of the two brothers, herein…left behind to ‘hold the
fort’, when his brother bate a hasty retreat from town, and moved away…never
really having the respect of loving, caring patriarchy…despite having to watch
that patriarchy inexplicably degradate and waste away, up to the point where
John’s father disappeared altogether…and now, the derelict ‘handyman’ of the
town…going from place to place…from job to job…
…in
contrast, there’s Graham…looking like a troubled cross between the bespectacled
Herbert West character from 1985’s ‘Re-Animator’, and the retro-‘90’s Toby
Radloff ‘nerdy’ persona…who indeed ‘escapes’ the confines of his hometown…an
opportunist’s move, in seeking that much desired nitch in life, away from the
shanty town he grew up in. However, when we first meet Graham…having returned to
assist his brother in boxing up and closing their dad’s shop, as well as trying
to figure out what happened to him…he appears to be hiding a broken and
tortured self behind a slightly jittery, though defensive standoff persona…the
success he thought he’d found and embraced, having faltered to the point where
Graham, like his father, embroiled himself to substance addiction, having
almost lost his loving and supportive girlfriend, in the process…
…now, given
the passionate ‘80’s vibe to the film, as well as the exceptional performances
from all…well, let’s just say that it would be quite outright remiss, inexcusable
and unforgivable if, with regards to the macabre visuals and special effects,
the filmmakers contradict themselves, and inject even the most substandard of
CGI. In that, my friends, the film…well, not necessarily excels per say, but
more so satisfies, as for the most part…probably thanks to the overall economy
of the film…the effects are of the more practical and directly material-rendered meld. The
lighting, smoke, opticals and overall visuals, though quite well executed, seem
more akin to what one might find in a well-constructed haunted house
attraction. The more striking and unnerving effects come about through the more
gorier moments, as might be expected in…yes, an ‘80’s flavored horror film; in
the case of “…Gates”, these moments are few and far between…but well worth the
shock factor inflicted, when they do occur…
…even the oh-so
deliciously subtle, albeit shuddering soundtrack...rendered here, by the talented Wojciech Golczewski…a nicely adapted melding of John
Carpenter-like riffs, and the similarly haunting synthesizer tonals of Fred
Myrow & Malcolm Seagrave (…yes, those very under-appreciated fellows who
exquisitely concocted the ‘Phantasm’ themes)…perfectly accents further the overall
nostalgic ‘80’s atmosphere of the film…even in the most remote and seemingly
trivial of moments. For instance, the underlining and barely audible melodic
creepiness of seeing one of the brothers, slowing saunter amidst the dark and
dusty, wall-to-wall, floor-to ceiling shelves of old videotapes…aisles and
aisles of them…definitely recalls the first ‘Phantasm’, and the film’s early
mausoleum scenes…
…ya’ know
something?? It would be so damn easy to dismiss this exquisitely creepy and
horrific genre entry as merely ‘a horror version of ‘Jumanji’ (…and damn!! I
promised myself, throughout this exhaustingly extensive, albeit passionately
endearing overview, that I wouldn’t bring up that obvious comparison); however,
this tried and true ‘gimmick’ is so cleverly incorporated, and written into “Beyond
the Gates”, that it almost seems fresh, in a way…like perhaps, suggesting as
was mentioned before, that “…Gates” feels like a forgotten and lost ‘80’s horror
entry, rather than just a homage. Could it be that, in an alternate light…an
askewed timeline…a reversed exposition and exchange of ideas…that “Beyond the
Gates” itself, inspired “Jumanji”?? Really not that far-fetched, if one
considers the notion…
…at any
rate…oh hell, enough already!! Long story short (…too late), “Beyond the Gates”…an
irresistibly tasty, flavorful and atmospheric love letter to classic ‘80’s
horror…yes, that brand of obscure, edgy & unconventional, independent
cinema of dark fantasy, the bygone dissidents of which, even to this day, cry
out for re-discovery, re-examination and rightful embrace…"...Gates" itself equally cries out for
immediate and most highly recommended viewing…the kind of film which will
invariably take one back to a cherished and nostalgic time, when writers/filmmakers
were considerably more imaginative in their scribe, were daring risk-takers, and…well, had a
lot of guts, in one splashy form or another…
...and a final shout-out to director Jackson Stewart, for his ideal choice of locales for his film...in particular, one of the last oasis' of the home video rental market...a stylishly nostalgic place that has just about anything and everything (...and if they don't have it...by reputation, they will find it!!), and a famous landmark staple of the greater Los Angeles area, for both local average viewers, as well as countless celebrities abound. We're talking Eddie Brandt's Saturday Matinee video store, located in the heart of North Hollywood. For this privileged reviewer, having been born and raised in the greater Southern California area...been to Eddie Brandt's dozens of times, over the past few decades...and as such, it is a most recommended, must-see prerequisite stop, should anyone happen to be in the area...
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