Chad B. (abrnt1) from CABERY, IL Reviewed on 4/2/2010...
Classic film. Stuart gordon's second adaptation of a H.P. Lovercraft story (for more Gordon Lovecraft check out Castle Freak, Re-Animateor & Dagon).
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
James B. (wandersoul73) from LINDALE, TX Reviewed on 6/18/2009...
You can never go wrong with Jeffrey Combs and Stuart Gordon together.
3 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
The Way Stuart Gordon Intended it to Be.
TastyBabySyndrome | "Daddy Dagon's Daycare" - Proud Sponsor of the Lit | 07/12/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Scientific endeavors to reach the other side work and the results - they leave an enigma splashed all over an upstairs laboratory and a man in the custody of a lovingly cozy straightjacket. Here you have an assistant accused of killing his protégé with an axe, a young researcher that wants to exploit the possibilities of findings that still exist in a house with a now-grizzly past, some muscle to keep Jeffrey Combs from trying to escape while helping arrange this - and while trying to prove to people he isn't crazy, and a host of things that become transparent when an experimental machine is fired up and something "from Beyond" returns. You really have to love the work of Stuart Gordon, and moreso now that it comes complete to you in a form you haven't been allowed to see.
For the longest time this item was only available in the US on VHS, and even then it was available only in chopped up variations that made you want to wince. The same can be said for the versions that appeared on bootlegged DVD - there were qualities issues that abounded, terrible dubbing issues to contend with, and there were also the irregularities that seemed to occur depending on what version you had. This was a sad fate considering this was one of the Gordon "big three," too, and the idea that such a good Combs movie could be overlooked seemed almost impossible. Lately rumors began to surface about a DC of the movie, though, and the suicidegirls did an interview that confirmed that the movie would be coming out. So, it took 21 years for someone to see the point in that, but after 21 years you have a DVD feature of one of Stuart Gordon's better films - and one that he did in the height of HPL remakes and j. Combs stardom.
So, what does it mean to have a director's cut of the movie. Well, according to Gordon, the MPAA castrated his film when it was first rated and made a mess of it. Much like movies that wer ebeing imported at the time and even movies like Evil Dead, the MPAA wanted no part of horror. That meant that they hacked random pieces - a lot of goes and story as well - just to finalize a product they agreed with. Although there were just a few minutes that were added back in, the pieces that were added back took the campy nature of the film and gave it more power. The result - something you should check out because it has been needed for far-too-long. So, if you are a fan of Gordon, are a fan of Combs, or simply want to watch some horror when horror was good THen you need this. I recommend this o so strongly. "
FINALLY, love this movie
Mr. Honesty | MI USA | 06/18/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It is about time they released this gem on DVD, or at least, release a "real" USA version instead of the cheap version from China with the subtitles that would not GO AWAY. The guy selling the german bootlegs on amazon (you might have noticed his posting just above this one when you searched "from beyond") must be crying like a baby. I have searched for this movie for the past five years, like once or twice a month waiting for it to show up, and that german copy has been there for months now with fans like myself paying for a crap version.
Anyway, the point, another H.P. Lovecraft gem staring Jeff Combs and Barbara Crampton, both of which rocked in Re-animator, are back for another cool blood soaked romp. Other dimension worms, exploding heads, brain eating, and the best damn seduction scene ever (love ya barbara). What more could you want. The plot moves fast, the story is interesting, the special effects are cool, especially for the day, and once again Jeff and Barb bring humor, intensity, and a nice dash of naughty to this cult favorite
BUY it. not to be missed"
Finally
N. Durham | Philadelphia, PA | 09/12/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"After years of waiting, Stuart Gordon's From Beyond is finally out on DVD, and be thankful that it is. Undoubtedly one of Gordon's (Re-Animator) best films and one of the best H.P. Lovecraft adaptations ever filmed, From Beyond revolves around survivor Crawford (the great Jeffrey Combs) of an experiment gone hideously awry. A psychiatrist (Barbara Crampton) however wants to continue the experiment, and returns to the house where everything went wrong, along with Crawford and a cop named Bubba (Dawn of the Dead's Ken Foree). Naturally, things don't go very well, but in Gordon's hands, the otherwise predictable story and events are frequently gross, and frequently entertaining. There's plenty of gorey, slimy moments to be had, as From Beyond is finally restored in all it's uncut glory after years of only being able to see it as a butchered, MPAA approved version that floated around on VHS. The DVD itself has some great special features as well, including an insightful commentary from Gordon, and a couple featurettes as well which detail the making of the film as well as it's re-editing for DVD. All in all, it's so great to finally have From Beyond in all it's uncut glory on DVD; and it's needless to say that if you're a real horror fan, this DVD belongs on your shelf."
When is this coming to DVD
Emily R. Jarrell | Newport News, VA United States | 07/17/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I saw this years ago, and it was one of the nastiest, scariest, horrifying pieces of cinema I have ever witnessed. I absolutely respect Stuart Gordon who also did Dolls and The Reanimater, for their time so original and still great fun to watch. I am still waiting for it to be put on DVD format, then I'll be buying it."
Humans are such easy prey...
Draconis Blackthorne | The Haunted Noctuary | 07/06/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Mad scientist" Dr. Edward Pretorius has created a resonator machine which can reveal a parralel dimension by stimulating the pineal gland in the brain which perceives the lurkers beyond who lie in wait. Parasitic creatures swim through the ether attracted by movement and light. It is claimed that the pineal gland in the cerebrum is responsible for sixth sense function, and is essentially the parapsychological bit of grey matter.
When Dr. Katheryn McMichaels discovers Pretorius' assistant Crawford Tillinghast who was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia, incarcerated in a mental hospital, she remands him into her custody to recreate the experiment. Together with cop Buford 'Bubba' Brownlee, the dimension is opened and they are greeted by a nude and subsequently malformed Dr. Pretorius who takes a strong liking to Katherine - both to her horror and ecstasy, for it seems the process also enhances sexual sensitivity as well, and she is awakened to her primal self.
Considering the procedure is largely experimental yet, the scientific method of trial and error is employed to disasterous results, as various creatures who range from eel-like beings to huge worm-like monsters are attracted to the massive electro-magnetic vibrations, and eventually overcome the participants. Pretorius is himself a transmutating beast who attempts to absorb Tillinghast and Katherine, until they eventually barely escape with their lives, though Tillinghast is dramatically effected by this encounter as his pineal stem emerges from his forehead like a "third eye", through which his psychic abilities are amplified, but is also afflicted with an insatiable hunger for brains.
Despite becoming a patient herself scheduled for shock therapy at the hands of a sadistic and resentful rival doctor, Katheryn escapes and returns to the attic of the blighted house to destroy the resonator, but is surprisingly met by Tillinghast who restrains her. He struggles to regain control of his mind, but is eventually ingested by Pretorius, creating a hellish struggle from within the bowels of the creature.
She barely emerges from the nightmare with her life, but at the cost of her own sanity.
For those who enjoy the writings of Lovecraft, From Beyond is both a psychological and horror thriller filled with impressive pyrotechnics and FX creations."