by Bone Jawnson
In my ever-growing journey through the world of horror, I stumbled across the 1987 movie, "The Gate," while conducting my weekly search on the Tubi TV app. I am partial to movies made in the 1980s, so I decided that "The Gate" fits the bill of genre and year of production. The logline, or short summary, of the movie, roped me in, and I began it immediately!
To me, the premise of the movie was very 80s. A hole develops in the ground in a suburban backyard, and teenage kids start messing with the rocks they find in it releasing some otherworld demons, and then chaos ensues. While reading the credits, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this was Stephen Dorff’s first starting role. In my opinion, there is something to be said about these 80s and 90s movies with child ensembles that have to find their way out of danger. I love the fact that the storylines do not feature the use of instant technology and that the main characters solve chaotic, deathly problems using wit, strength, and pure energy. The cast in "The Gate" was no exception. They had to battle their way through demonic forces without using smartphones, text messaging, or even phone calls. They had to work as a team to solve problems and they came out on top.
Overall, this is a fun watch. I may become a "I don't know what else to watch, so I'm going to watch this" type of film. In the end, it turns into a feel-good movie when children overcome powerful forces. I didn't even realize it was the kid ensemble that was driving the film until it was almost over, that's how impressed I was. So, carve out an hour and a half on a weekend and visit or revisit "The Gate" and let me know what you think!