Day 7 The Gate & The Gate 2

Oh my childhood feels.

I remember our cousins renting this movie the same day our mom took me and my sister to Toys R Us and we both got awesome stuff to play with, I had this 'only in the 80's' dino tar pit toy.

You planted dino bones all over and filled the thing up with this unholy black sludge straight from some unknown level of hell. Seriously the 80's kids toys back then were largely slime based and none of us knew where the slime came from. We just knew it was amazing, and got everywhere. Also I got to watch a movie about unleashing demons, dead parents and decaying dogs, so lets discuss!The Gate!I remembered the poster for this, like most movies growing up, from seeing it on display in the video shop near our house. Always thought it looked cool, and I really wanted to see it.

Didn't understand any of it as a kid. So revisited later and made a bit more sense. Then watched it again and loved it fully. It's an odd movie for sure, but a fun one.The story goes as thus: local weirdo kid with heavy metal friend decide to explore a hole in the ground they discover after a tree removal service decides to rip out a perfectly fine dead tree.

Their parents are flying to swingers island for a weekend of lubricated fun and kids free bonding time so no one cares much to stop this. His older sister, driven by hormones is far too busy planning and plotting a party of her own to be held at the parentless house. So the boys discover in their tree hole a nifty geode. Which they then crack open because it's what you did in the 80's. Find a hell hole in the ground, crack open weird rocks, and unleash a doorway to hell complete with a dead doggo and stop motion clay demons. As one does, naturally.So of course this doesn't bode well. The heavy metal friend of weirdo is the one initiating most of the unholy hell that comes raining down on them.

I mean what's the point of listening to heavy metal if you DON'T read mass printed evil words from an LP over a hell pit without the intent of something cool, like summoning demons. So the two boys decide they did a bad thing and go tell sister, who's scared shitless being chased by shadow men and little clay demons. They all begin having nightmare visions, like their parents die in a plane crash coming back from swingers island, creepy rotting corpse men coming to date his sister, and a giant demon hole in the middle of their parents massive castle of a home.

Seriously watch this movie, look at their home and tell me a 'normal' home has a room that freaking wide open and huge that ISN'T meant for demon entrances.

DO IT!! Please?

So it's a fun 80's romper we all grew up with where you have a kid who's a hero, which we kids like watching and saying "Hey I could do that! That could be me!" But being the 80's meant, yes Kid hero, but in extremely screwed up situation, blood, demons, friend and sister swollowing, parents dying, DOG dying, growing an eye in the palm of your hand! Yeah, take that and toss in Secret of Nimh and you get why some of us had shattered minds growing up.

So suffice to say the movie was a weird trip, but a fun trip. So why would they ever make a sequel? HOW could they ever make a sequel?! Well, they did. It even got shown in theaters. Which was weird because I never thought the Gate was that big of a movie.

But back then a LOT of things got theater releases.

Is the Gate 2 good? That's subjective.Is it insane like the first movie? In an odd waySo how does it surpass the original?! It doesn't, but it holds it's own rather nicely.So the sequel brings us to Heavy Metal kid now in High School/who knows. Dealing with PTSD and bad memories of everything that happened from the first film, but he's deeply buried himself in demons, demon lore, studying the gate, the little demons they summoned that night and, he has a plan. His own life, even going back to the original was pretty messed up. His dad was/is an alcoholic and lost his pilot license. His life was going to crap and he was in a not so happy place. So after discovering the friendly little clay demons from the first film could, if summoned, bound, and commanded, grant wishes. So he decides alright. Let's do this. Because what could go wrong opening a portal to hell and purposely summoning a minion to correct your father's life? Well surprisingly a lot. Actually.For starters two dickheads from his school decide it's totes cool for them to 'stumble' onto heavy metal boy's evil gate opening party and.....join in.

They don't crash it perse.

They don't even bully the guy. They just decide that.....summoning demons is a cool weekend thing so why not. Yolo and all that.

So with a side girl in tow, because heavy metal boy needs boner fodder, these dumbo's open a portal to hell. Which is hilarious because of their reaction after the fact.So here's a scenario for you. You stumble around with a drink or two. Discover some local weirdo has set up some laser lights, is dressed for a Dungeons and Dragons session, and explains they are going to summon a demon. So you decide let's do it! You hear and see loud wind and flashes, things are going insane! Suddenly you are transported. physically transported to a nightmare dreamscape, a giant pillar where you could fall and die if you take one step. Then just as quickly as it happened WHAM!!!

You are back on earth in a run down building. Then ANOTHER shock! You SEE a clay demon!! one of your friends pulls out a gun and kills it though the wizard weirdo who initiated all this screams at you not to do so. So my question is, how do you react to this?If your reaction is to scream your eyes out of your skull as your sanity melts away at the realization hell exist and there are terrors that live and breath within your reality. You'd be sane to react as such and forever be changed.Not these dildos!Even after a series of blasting winds, exploding equipment, BEING TRANSPORTED TO FREAKIN ACTUAL FACTUAL HELL!! SEEING A FREAKING DEMON!

They shove weirdo heavy metal kid and tell him this was lame and a bunch of dumb stuff, then take off laughing at him. Because it's always wise to mock someone who opened a portal to hell by reading books from the library. Knowledge is the devils tools.So side girl feels bad for ruining his demon night and visits him. Only to discover he kept the dead demons body and.....it's alive!! So he explains to her how he planned to make a wish, save his dads life and make things right. She's totes cool with this, but also tells him 'why don't we like, wish for more stuff too Tee Hee" So he's like you know, that's not right, but I do like your boobs, let's do it!So the two go on a shopping spree. Wishing for a fast awesome car,

The girl, being a girl goes and buys lots of expensive clothes and jewelry. Because why not. All is fun when you have a wish demon, until the two still unaffected by what they saw and visiting hell guys see these two riding fancy and rich. Then they decide hey! That's not fair. We need to get this wish demon and make our own wishes! So they kindly punch the boy in the stomach, remind him he's crap and take off with their price. So what do you do once you have a wish granting demon? Why you blow pot smoke in its face, bully and punch it around, then act suprised when it gets free and attacks you. Until you pull a gun on it and begin actually making wishes.

How could things turn to shit for anyone you ask?!Well they do, literally. It's hilarious. Every single thing these people wished for turns.....to shit. Not even solid shit but chunky runny crap. Also one of the bad boys got a monkey bite from the demon, Infact both do. This also is very bad. Like really bad. How bad? Bad enough one starts turning into.....a giant claymation demon. So needless to say things will work out in the end for our heroes.

They always do right?

Right?!

We will have to wait and see.But yes, the sequel works and holds up well to the crazy what am I watching of the first film. In fact? The sequel actually works well on its own too. You can watch it without needing to see the first. But it works better seeing both. The movie stays simple, much like the first, and follows through without bogging itself down in side stories and unneeded backstory. It's quick, it's clean, and it's pure. Madness and insanity run through both films and it's like watching a kids version of a Lovecraft story. Complete with childhood shattering scenes of madness.Check it out if you can, I know they're old but hey. It's still good.