THE NIGHTLY STORYTELLER CHRONICLEThe Gate (1987): Something’s Crawling Through


The Storyteller Speaks: Some Gates Should Stay Shut
I used to think the worst things were the ones you invited in—the slow temptations, the cursed objects, the things that whispered sweet promises in dusty corners of flea markets.

But now I know better.

Some evils don’t need an invitation. They just need a crack. A hole. A weakness.
And sometimes… you are the gate.

Last night I had another spell—blacking out after a surge of energy, waking up barefoot in the backyard with dirt under my nails and blood on my cuticles. I don’t remember digging. I don’t remember screaming. But my neighbor swears she heard something—me or something else—chanting in a language she couldn’t recognize around 3:33 a.m.

I tell myself it was a dream. I hope it was a dream.
But then I found this…

A VHS copy of The Gate—still sealed, still warm.

🎥 THE GATE (1987) – Suburbia’s Demons, Childhood’s End
Speaking of things that want out, let's talk about a classic that perfectly captures the terror of unleashing the unknown.

“Demons aren’t made. They’re discovered.”
—Terry, after reading the “Heavy Metal” album insert

Directed by Tibor Takács and released in 1987, The Gate is a strange, underrated gem of '80s horror that mixes creature-feature thrills with surprisingly emotional character arcs. It's a reminder that some gates, once opened, can never truly close.

🪦 The Plot:
When best friends Glen and Terry accidentally open a portal to Hell in Glen’s backyard (as one does, apparently, with a giant hole and an occult-themed heavy metal record), strange things start happening. Dead dogs rise, terrifying hallucinations abound, and stop-motion demons crawl out to play.

The boys, with Glen’s older sister Al reluctantly joining the fray, must battle these evil forces using nothing but household tools, DIY rituals, and—most importantly—their friendship. It's a true test of suburban fortitude against the infernal.

🎸 Why It Still Hits:

  • Practical effects goldmine: The demonic minions (affectionately dubbed The L’il Demons) are an absolute showcase of practical effects brilliance—achieved using forced perspective, costumes, and puppetry. They look gooey, weird, and real. In an age of CGI saturation, The Gate reminds us why practical effects often deliver a more visceral, enduring horror.

  • Emotional weight: The death of Terry’s mother and Glen’s fear of abandonment hit harder than you’d expect for a "kids vs. demons" flick. It has surprising emotional nuance, grounding the supernatural chaos in genuine childhood anxieties.

  • Kids as real characters: The film treats its young protagonists as authentic individuals, not just stand-ins for audience surrogates. They mess up. They argue. They grow. There’s something truly endearing about watching them fumble their way through a demonic invasion, reminding us that even in the face of pure evil, childhood innocence still has a fighting chance.

🧠 Did You Know?

  • The heavy metal record that gives the boys their demon-banishing knowledge? It’s a fantastic parody of real bands like Venom and Slayer, and the insert is based on the liner notes fans in the '80s believed held actual occult power.
  • Stephen Dorff (Glen) made his debut here—and somehow survived long enough to star in Blade years later, proving his longevity in the supernatural realm.
  • The film had an official sequel (The Gate II) that followed Terry and leaned more into dark fantasy than horror. It’s… a choice. But definitely worth checking out if you’re into weird continuations.
  • The stop-motion effects for the floor-melting scene were so intricate that the studio almost cut it entirely due to time constraints. Thankfully, they didn’t—it’s now one of the movie’s most iconic and unsettling sequences.

🪬 Reflections from the Storyteller
Watching The Gate again felt like finding an old journal. One that somehow knew what was coming.
It’s a story about thresholds—physical, emotional, spiritual.
About growing up in a world full of cracks… and wondering what might crawl out if you stare too long.

The ground in my yard is soft again. Too soft.
And last night, something knocked back.

Shelf of Secrets Update:
Inside the VHS case was a fragment of broken obsidian, sharp and unnaturally cold. Wrapped in faded denim stitched with black thread. It smells faintly of soil and copper. I didn’t put it there. But it’s mine now.
It joins the Shelf.

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 And if you dare… drop a comment and tell me your favorite scary movie, urban legend, or horror memory.
We’re just getting started—and things are about to get dark.
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