Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases


The Gate (1986)

Director: Tibor Takacs

Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Glenn (Dorff), a Canadian in his early teens, has a thing about rockets, a 16-year-old sister who cares, an HM-loving demonologist buddy, and parents who make untimely decisions to go away for the weekend. As such, this spunky, diminutive Everyman is clearly well equipped to deal with the Forces of Darkness when, for no apparent reason, they come steaming out of a hole in his back garden. After an eventful but soporific first half, the plot, as full of holes as the Albert Hall, takes off into surreal nonsense that is almost delightful: inappropriately cute and beautifully animated SFX monsters thrown up from Hell; a hand stigmatised with a functionless eye; and a dead workman who never existed in the first place arriving zombie-like to wreak revenge for nothing in particular. The lunacy on view is strangely dreamlike, and no bad thing. It's only a pity the film actually tries to make sense. More abandon all round, and the result could have been a Z-grade cult classic.

Author: GA

Time Out Film Guide


What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields





Top Stories

Ben Drew aka Plan B interview

Ben Drew aka Plan B interview

The singer, rapper and now film director discusses his debut film 'Ill Manors'

Cannes Film Festival 2012: final round-up

Cannes Film Festival 2012: final round-up

Dave Calhoun draws the curtain on the world's greatest film festival

Béla Tarr interview

Béla Tarr interview

The Hungarian auteur tells Time Out why he's quitting

The Palme d'Or effect

The Palme d'Or effect

We explore the fortunes of the past decade’s Palme d'Or winners

Ridley Scott interview

Ridley Scott interview

Director Ridley Scott tells Cath Clarke why he's making a science fiction comeback

Open-air movies in London

Open-air movies in London

Cath Clarke rounds up this summer's crop of outdoor film screenings

Ken Loach interview

Ken Loach interview

Ken Loach talks to us about his Cannes Film Festival entry 'The Angels' Share'