The gate - la fissure

A classic in the eighties genre of horror. It features goofy heavy metal music and demons. Stephen Dorff plays young Glen, who discovers a hole in his backyard is a doorway for demons. After his friend Terry plays his metal album backwords and they coincidently bury the family pet(you always need a sacrifice) in a hole in the backyard, they awaken demonic spirits which destroy the home and try to kill them. A funny take(even if not meant to be) on back masking and the influence of rock music on children. This film features some classic stop motion in the lines of Jason and the Argonauts. They are attacked by reanimating dead, droves of tiny demons and a head demon the size of a bus, which bares a strong resemblance to a Clash of Titans creature. This all stemming from a movie that would normally be a dud given the time period. It shouldn't be taken too seriously, but will amuse you for about 85 minutes. This is yet another underrated, hardly seen eighties gem.

I have such fond memories of 'The Gate'. Thankfully, I enjoyed it just as much as an adult as I did way back then.

Hungarian director Tibor Takacs brought us the unforgettable horror thriller 'The Gate'. I'm not sure whether to call it a classic, but it certainly is a memorable film. It is a very well made film in the time before CGI. Sure, most of the visual effects doesn't hold so well by today's standards, but whenever I watch an old movie, I view it for what it is and envision it for what it must have been back in the day. In the 80s they had to rely on practical effects - real film making as opposed to doing everything on computer in post production nowadays! They also made use of stop-motion photography, as you'll clearly notice when the giant demon makes its appearance.

The acting is very good, and the little demons especially are well made (in a time before CGI, that is). Some of the practical effects are truly amazing and its wonderful how total chaos ensues during the final act. The film also delivered a few really funny moments, without the humor being out of place or being slapstick. Then there's also the more serious moments, like Glen (Dorff) dealing with the loss of the family dog. These were emotional moments I'm certain everyone who has had to bid farewell to a furry family member can relate to. I enjoyed the characters and the character development. Interesting to see a very, very young Stephen Dorff here...

I absolutely love 'The Gate' and will easily rate this among my many favorite 80s horror films. A real gem of a movie.

The Gate is a bit of fun for adults and pre-teen kids alike.

Its a nice adventure story that draws you in, keeping you entertained throughout.

The effects are pretty cool, low budget but effective.

Far from award winning but even further away from terrible, The Gate will give you a giggle and keep the kids hiding under the bed :)

Overall, I liked The Gate because of it's weirdness. Plus, the special effects were eye-catching. Especially when the handyman tumbles over then transforms into tiny demons that scatter about. My favorite scene is when the parents return home late at night and Glen's father says "You've been baaaaaad!" and tries to strangle him while slime drips out of his face. Weird stuff. My only complaint is how it ended. But I won't give it away. I recommend seeing this one but keep in mind that those dwarf demons are "older than the Bible".

If you are ever in the mood of seeing a funny and thrilling 80's horror movie, please watch The Gate! Don't trust IMDb with the 5 rating it's much better than that! I love the opening scene, the monsters and the thrilling scenes it contains.

The movie is about a Gate to hell or something which lies in a young boy and his sisters garden. Suddenly when it's dark, monsters emerge from the gate and attack the boy and the girl. The monsters are small latex beasts which also like incredible good and monster like. And there are some scenes with a zombie dude which are totally outstanding! I'm not going to spoil the end because this is a special effect extravaganza! Must see!