Gate II is, unsurprisingly, the sequel to the 1986 teen horror hit The Gate. The original film was a bit of a surprise hit, being little heralded before it’s release, but ultimately doing strong business. And film being just that, a business, a sequel was almost guaranteed. And in 1990 it finally arrived. But is it actually any good? Or is it another film destined to join the long list of “why did they bother” follow ups to a successful original? Well, read on to find out…
Synopsis:
It’s been five years since Terry’s friend Glen discovered The Gate to hell in his backyard. Glen has now moved away and Terry begins practising rituals in Glen’s old house and eventually bringing back demons through The Gate and leading to demoniac possession and near world domination.
So, that’s the film in a nutshell. Gate II follows on from the events of the first film, albeit with just one of the original leads returning. Now, you would think that after the events of the original, our hero Terry would know better than to indulge in demon summoning rituals. But his home life sucks, and he finds himself the victim of bullies at school. So he naturally turns to demon summoning once more.
Of course, we all know what happens when a demon is summoned. Things end up out of control. And they really do. However, this time, we pass through the titular Gate onto the other side for the final confrontation.
Analysis:
Like many sequels, Gate II has more ambition than the original. There is a serious attempt to expand the mythology behind the demons. And much like many sequels, this increased ambition is matched by a smaller budget. Because business. However, despite this, the film does a damn good job of expanding on the original. Louis Tripp returns as Terry, and he anchors the film quite well. The way his character has changed feels natural given 5 years is supposed to have passed (and pretty much had in reality).
Visually, the film looks quite appealing. A lot of forced perspective trick shots are used for the tiny demon brought forth this time. And it is quite hard to see the “joins”, as it were. A lot of thought clearly went into the angles and shots to maintain the illusion as brilliantly as it does. Most films of the time would have relied on stop-motion for the miniature demon, but the “man in a suit” (or in this case woman) works really well, and gives the creature an added weight and realism. And the cinematography overall is really rather good for a low budget horror movie. It certainly belies it’s low budget origins, hats for sure.
Plotwise, the film is nothing to really write home about. Bullied teen, demon summoning, etc. Fairly basic stuff. But it handles it really well, especially he characters. You want to like our lead couple. And in a twist, you actually enjoy them finally getting together. Yes, I know that the “nerd gets the girl” trope is strong here. But in this film it doesn’t feel forced for a change.
Gate II: The Disc:
So, the disc I’m reviewing here is the German release by MGM/Wicked Vision. Despite being German, the film and Most of the extras play in English audio as well. The extras are as follows:
- “Return To The Nightmare: A Look Back At Gate II” 2018 documentary (27:21, in English with optional English and German subtitles)
- “From The Depths” 2018 interview with make-up effects artist Craig Reardon (14:46, in English with optional English and German subtitles)
- Vintage German Theatrical Trainer (2:08)
- 2018 Recut German Theatrical Trailer (2:08)
- Vintage English Theatrical Trailer (1:10, in English with optional English and German subtitles)
- 2018 Recut English Theatrical Trailer (1:11, in English with optional English and German subtitles)
- U.S. Video Promo (1:41, in English with optional English and German subtitles)
- Video Store Contest Promo (2:10)
- “The Gate” German Theatrical Trailer (1:37)
- Photo Gallery (4:37)
So, that is a pretty decent selection overall. The film is also available from Shout Factory in the US, but obviously misses out on the German specific extras.
The Verdict:
Gate II is an enjoyable teen horror that never takes itself too seriously. As a sequel to the original it more than justifies it’s existence, and is a worthy low budget horror on it’s own merits.
4/5 Fiends. Really rather good.
Buy Gate II: AMAZON UK
Gate II Gallery:
(Click to enlarge)
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