The Gate II: Trespassers

 



Director - Tibor Takacs (The Gate, I, Madman)
Starring - Louis Trip (Dick Francis: Blood Sport, Detroit Rock City), Pamela Adlon (Bob's Burgers, Beavis and Butt-Head), and Simon Reynolds (The Conspiracy, Saw IV)
Release Date - 1990
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "There's only one thing more terrifying than their first visit.  The second"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was growing up I found myself obsessed with horror intended for children.  Movies like Monster Squad, Lady in White, and The Gate along with television shows like Monsters, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and Goosebumps.  These films and shows shaped my tastes in horror and I still enjoy the horror tales that are more light hearted.  When I was younger I watched The Gate a few times and really enjoyed it but I never had a chance to check out the sequel.  My recent Scream Factory marathon gave me a chance to remedy that.  Thank you Scream Factory for sending this one my way!

     The film picks up sometime after the events in the first film.  Glen has moved out of town leaving Terry (Tripp) behind to pick up the pieces as his home life falls apart.  He doesn't think his dad can sink any lower after his mother's death so he attempts to use the magic they used before to get his father's life on track.  His ritual is interrupted by two goons and the beautiful Liz (Adlon).  The decide to stick around for the ritual and things go south when a minion escapes.  They think they kill the creature but Terry knows better.  He takes it home with him and discovers that the ritual actually worked.  His father's life starts looking up but what price did the youngsters pay in order to change fate?
     The Gate is one of those films that people have never seen it or fucking love it.  I can't think of a single person that has seen it and doesn't like it.  The thought of a sequel does excite me but I was hesitant because I never hear horror fans talk about it.  I had seen bootlegs of it at horror cons but there was always dozens of copies which gave me the impression that no one was buying them.  After finally checking it out I can say that it is a solid flick but nowhere near as charming as the first film.  The acting in this one is solid.  The role of Terry is dialed down somewhat.  In the first film Trip delivers an outcast type character almost like Rudy from The Monster Squad.  This is slightly held back with the introduction of the older outcasts that bully Terry and interrupt his ritual.  I wish he was able to portray that particular character instead the one we get but he still does a solid job with what he was given.  The supporting cast does a great job as well.  The characters, outside of Terry, are better written and the cast does a great job with their performance.  The characters are fun and their performances was solid.  The story for this one builds upon what was set in the first film.  The ideology is touched on and then more is set on top of it making for a darker film.   It does move slowly but the scenes are still fun with the character interaction until the last 20 minutes when the action finally kicks in.  I really liked how this one approached the story but it does lack the fun the first film has.  Finally, this one isn't gory but does have some creature effects, some cheesy visual effects, and a little blood.  I really enjoyed the look of this film...even the tacky visual effects.  The film was released in 1990 but looks older and I like that.  Overall, The Gate II: Trespassers is not the classic the first film is but it still deserves a spot in your collection.  Check this one out!