Great news for FROM BEYOND fans

[Chris K.]

Apparently, MGM is planning to restore Stuart Gordon's much-mangled film FROM BEYOND to it's original version. In case you didn't know the full story, before FROM BEYOND was slated for it's 1986 theatrical release, Empire Pictures submitted the film to the MPAA for an 'R' rating. Sadly, the MPAA didn't feel the film needed it and felt the 'X' rating would be better. Despite having this similar experience with the Empire flick RE-ANIMATOR, which was a box office success in it's "Unrated" release, Charles Band had FROM BEYOND's "gooey" moments removed so a legal 'R' rating would sufice. When released on home video via Vestron Video, FROM BEYOND was only available in it's 'R' version. In the early 1990's, TransWorld Entertainment tried to revive Empire Pictures due to it's financial issues, but Empire would later fold and TransWorld would follow. The entire Empire and TransWorld film catalouge would be sold to MGM in 1994.

So what's the big news? According to  www.aintitcool.com, it seems MGM is preparing a DVD release of FROM BEYOND in the near future. Apparently, MGM did a little snooping in the old Empire Pictures vaults and they came across the original negative trims of the deleated gore footage! Stuart Gordon claimed that the footage was destroyed by Band, however strange reports of the deleated footage were said to have show up on a British television screening of the film back in the early 1990's! Gordon was invited to MGM to see the footage and he is quite enthusiastic about it. MGM plans to restore FROM BEYOND to it's original version that Gordon intended.

Hopefully this is not a rumor, but if not it's good news to me.

[Chris K.]

Here is the link in case you want to read it yourself:

http://aintitcoolnews.com/display.cgi?id=19063

[Cheecky-Monkey]

Cool flick, great special effects and odd-ball humor, plus a first-rate score.
Glad it's finally getting a region 1 DVD release!

[dudeman]

I was about to buy some expensive import of it, good it's coming out.

[Sugar_Nads]

FINALLY! After all these years!!!! Please forgive my enthusiasim but I love this movie and it's about time they woke up and smelled the coffee.

[JohnL]

I'd always heard that it was some scenes of sex and nudity that were cut, rather than scenes of gore.

[Sugar_Nads]

(insert Homer's voice) Yeah, stupid sex scenes... Who needs'em?

[Chris K.]

JohnL wrote:

> I'd always heard that it was some scenes of sex and nudity that
> were cut, rather than scenes of gore.

From what I heard, there are a few moments of S&M material that was left on the cutting room floor when the MPAA interviened, so expect additional sex material. However, some gore effects were trimmed. According to Gordon, the scene in which Dr. Pretorius transforms into that slimy-clawed-winged creature that almost gets Ken Foree had to be severly cut (and, if you have the old Vestron copy, listen to the music cuts in that transformation scene; the harsh cutting makes it a bit obvious that the scene was much longer). And, the scene in which Carolyn-Purdy Gordon get's her brains eaten by Jeffery Combs was also trimmed, according to Gordon.

All and all, I welcome a nice release of FROM BEYOND. And I do hope that MGM will put some freakin' effort in the extras department. Not only does it need a theatrical trailer, but how about an audio commentary with Stuart Gordon, Brian Yuzna, Jeffrey Combs, Barbrara Crampton, and Ken Foree (comon MGM, these people are still alive!). Maybe a video interview with producer Charles Band discussing the problems he had with the film and Empire Pictures as well.

And while we are at it MGM, how about a PROPER DVD release of the other Empire titles like THE DUNGEONMASTER, THE ALCHEMIST, DOLLS, TRANCERS, ELIMINATORS, ZONE TROOPERS and GHOST WARRIOR! These need to be available pronto!