Still Watching the Skies: Episode 114 “From Beyond”

By Robert Reineke

Cody, Robert, and Nat discuss Stuart Gordon’s followup to Re-Animator, FROM BEYOND and also H.P. Lovecraft’s original story on this episode.

Lovecraft wrote his tale of breaking down the barriers of perception and perceiving all that might live in the space between atoms, and how that added perception might drive someone insane, in November 1920. It wasn’t published until 1934 and didn’t gain much traction until the 1970s. But, it has more than a certain parallel to going into a dark space to see a fantastical movie and works better than you might imagine.

In a world, where NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET already existed, it plays to some of those same “there are no limits or rules” strengths. And we see a character that starts out as almost a parody of control slowly break down.

In this case, Barbara Crampton gets a major boost of a role as Dr. Catherine McDaniels. All 80s woman at the beginning who gets broken down into a nightgown clad Gothic heroine and an 80s dominatrix by turns. Jeffrey Combs is most strongly associated with Stuart Gordon, but Barbara Crampton gives a very memorable turn in FROM BEYOND and certainly takes on a must like role.

It’s certain that we have a lot to say about FROM BEYOND even if no one regards it as an equal to RE-ANIMATOR. FROM BEYOND is fondly remembered, and films in this vein are still being made as evidenced by SUITABLE FLESH. So feel free to join in a good time.

No need to try to artificially increase your body’s sensory organs. You can give us a play below or Download the episode. Also, feel free to let us know what you think by commenting on our page at Facebook or you can Email Us at skiespocast@gmail.com as we appreciate feedback.

Time tracks:
0:00 – FROM BEYOND Discussion
1:00:27- Next Movie and Outro

Next month, we travel beyond the Iron Curtain for 1958’s INVENTION FOR DESTRUCTION also known as THE FABULOUS WORLD OF JULES VERNE with special guest Michael Lyons of Dis-Order: Every Disney Film and From Pencils to Pixels: TheAnimation Celebration. We hope you’ll join us.

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Robert Reineke

Robert Reineke was born in the dark era before cable television, but somehow survived based on a steady diet of Universal Monsters, Hammer Horror, 1950s science fiction, and Godzilla on his local UHF station. As a college student, he discovered the works of David Lynch and Akira Kurosawa which opened up different vistas for him. When he’s not doing useful things like heading up environmental investigations and cleanups or designing sewers, you can find him watching movies, writing about them, and talking about them. He’s a booster of the Milwaukee Film Festival. Somehow he puts up with young whippersnappers Nat Almiral and Cody Lang on the Still Watching the Skies podcast.