After Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna graced horror fans with the cult classic Re-Animator, they adapted yet another Lovecraftian tale for the screen, 1986’s From Beyond. This is the story of the brilliant, yet sadist scientist Dr. Pretorius who has created a resonator to stimulate the pineal gland, the ultimate pleasure. It is said the pineal gland is an extrasensory organ and lies dormant in humans, yet this resonator allows it to awaken. This reluctantly causes the subject to see the creatures that lie from beyond. Dr. Pretorius doesn’t get far ’a head’ in his research, becoming consumed, merging with the creature, then ghastly shape shifting into an abomination.
Staring Jeffery Combs as the doctor’s assistant, Crawford Tillinghast, and Barbara Crampton as the nerdy yet obsessive Dr. Mc Michaels, we get a glimpse into the horrors that result from man searching beyond what he should. As a horror film, we get an ’eye’ full of grotesque creature transformation effects, squirming monstrosities from beyond, and Jeffrey Combs becoming an eye sucking, brain eating, pineal gland feeding nuisance. What could go wrong with this flick? Not much if you’re looking for an interesting plot that only Lovecraft could come up with, or over the top creature and gore effects reminiscent of Carpenter’s ‘The Thing‘. This raucous ride into the unknown is a must see for any horror sci-fi, Lovecraft, or Re-Animator fan with an open mind. Not too open of a mind though, cause remember, ‘humans are such easy prey.‘
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