Despite the undoubted talent in front and behind the camera From Beyond was a disappointment to me. Director Stuart Gordon was of course responsible for the earlier Re-Animator, which was also an adaption of an H.P. Lovecraft story. It, therefore, seemed like From Beyond would be a winner, especially when two of the principal actors from that film returned here, namely, Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton; with the welcome addition of Ken Foree of Dawn of the Dead fame. Sadly, for some reason, things just never seem to truly take off and the film never really catches fire.
As I said before it does follow the template of Re-Animator. Even so far as casting Combs as a serious minded scientist dabbling in dangerous science but also in its use of great sticky 80's special effects. They are rather good it does have to be said. I just don't think they were incorporated into an interesting enough narrative. The wicked humour of Re-Animator was for the most part missing here, which I think worked to this movies detriment. The best moment for me was when Barbara Crampton kitted herself out in bondage gear and went slightly nymphomaniac on us. A little bit more of this and I might have been more generous with my final assessment but overall for me From Beyond just never kicks into first gear. It isn't a bad film as such but has to go down as something of a misfire when you consider the personnel involved.
As I said before it does follow the template of Re-Animator. Even so far as casting Combs as a serious minded scientist dabbling in dangerous science but also in its use of great sticky 80's special effects. They are rather good it does have to be said. I just don't think they were incorporated into an interesting enough narrative. The wicked humour of Re-Animator was for the most part missing here, which I think worked to this movies detriment. The best moment for me was when Barbara Crampton kitted herself out in bondage gear and went slightly nymphomaniac on us. A little bit more of this and I might have been more generous with my final assessment but overall for me From Beyond just never kicks into first gear. It isn't a bad film as such but has to go down as something of a misfire when you consider the personnel involved.