31 Days of Draughts and Darkness: Volume III
From Beyond (1986)
Tonight's feature is a juicy little number that, like
"Reanimator", comes to us from the pen of H.P. Lovecraft and the
director's chair of Stuart Gordon. Jeffery Combs and Barbara Crampton return as
well, though this time with characters that almost swapped from their
previous roles in "Reanimator". Here, Combs is the more innocent,
naive scientist and Crampton the woefully ambitious one who makes matters
worse.
The idea of scientific discovery gone too far, and the
horrific ramifications of delving into matters beyond our understanding, is yet
another shared theme between films.
But "From Beyond" is far more of a straight-faced sci-fi/body horror sort of film than "Reanimator". Whereas
zombies were the name of the game last time, "From Beyond" explores
the interdimensional aspects of fear. The mind-bending sort that blends trippy fever dream and gross-out
anatomical mutation. The monsters that crawl over each frame of this film exist
largely beyond our understanding, only visible at certain moments, and with a
tendency to cause madness in mere mortals.
Yep, sounds like H.P. Lovecraft to me.
The Plot:
In a creepy old mansion, science
is afoot!
Physicist Edward Pretorius and
his assistant Dr. Crawford Tillinghast are on the verge of a major
breakthrough. They're crafted a resonating device that stimulates the brain's
pineal gland. Once activated, the resulting vibrations allow
those within range to see beings from another world, a dimension parallel to our own. This plane is inhabited by strange, ethereal
creatures that resemble sea life. Alien, these beings float around us at all
times, as unaware of our presence as we are of theirs.
But there's something else in the
void, too. Something far more malevolent.
The night Doctor Pretorius and
Tillinghast activate their machine, an unknown entity attacks them, causing
Tillinghast a chunk of his sanity and Pretorius his, uh, head.
Now locked up in an asylum and
charged with the murder Pretorius (claims of interdimensional attack make
for a shaky alibi), Tillinghast assumes the rest of his days will be spent in a padded room. But though shaken, he did manage to destroy the machine
before getting locked up.
Enter Dr. Katherine McMichaels, a
hot-shot psychologist making a name for herself in the field. After listening
to Tillinghast's bizarre account, she prescribes he take a trip to the MRI
machine. His results reveal a pineal gland that's not only growing, but
migrating towards the front of his skull.
Unable to restrain her curiosity
and seeing the potential for discovery, McMichaels makes Tillinghast a deal:
repair the machine, show her that it actually works, and they'll let him go.
With his only chance of freedom resting on reopening the gateway into another
dimension, Tillinghast reluctantly agrees.
The Flavor:
It's no spoiler to inform you that, yes, of course they fix the resonator.
What follows them through the breach,
however, is something I'd like you to discover yourself. "From Beyond" isn't only about the creatures outside, but also those within. The resonator ushers monsters into our world, but it also
acts as a drug. It amplifies the senses, allowing for sensations never before
experienced. The prospect of discovering a new plane of existence, combined
with the mind-altering ecstasy of the resonator, keeps the researchers coming
back until the machine begins to figure out how to turn itself on.
And it's that blend of other-worldly monstrosity and
heightened senses that give "From Beyond" it's edge. Personality
traits from the characters begin to rub off on the creatures, and
(disturbingly) vice versa.
It's here that the effects wizardry comes into play. While not as rife with blood n' guts as "Reanimator", though there's still plenty of each, "From Beyond" goes for the
gross-out factor via some seriously stomach-twisting mutations. Anatomy is made a
mockery of. Shaped, reshaped, sometimes unshaped
to incredible effect. I could almost recommend repeated viewings of "From
Beyond" just because there's so
much freaky imagery on display. It's sometimes hard to tell just what in the hell
you're looking at, but that's kinda the point.
Though the story is intriguing and Combs and Crampton do a
get job in their roles, the makeup artists and effects wizards are just as
pivotal in bringing this film to life. Hailing from the 80's, some of the
effects work in "From Beyond" is a bit dated, but the vast majority
holds up. And it's all entirely practical. It's a nauseating feast for the
eyes.
Best Paired With:
Those easily grossed out, adverse to gore, or squeamish will
have a rough time ahead. "From Beyond" has a story and ideas that hook you
from the get-go, as essentially anything can show up once the resonator is
activated. It's just that what does show up is often horrific in grotesque,
albeit inventive ways.
Of course, if you're a fan of all things horror/sci-fi with
a bloody twist, the above paragraph probably sold you all the more. You'll have
a great time.
Brew:
Though based on another story by Lovecraft, I had to find a place for this on-theme brew.
Name:
Innsmouth Olde Ale
Brewery:
Narragansett
Where
Brewed: Providence, RI and Rochester, NY
ABV:
7.0%
Style:
Olde English Ale
Color: When held up
to the light, Innsmouth Olde Ale casts a deep, dark crimson hue. When looking
at the brew with ambient lighting, you'll take it for almost a brown ale at
first. The true color is just at that tipping point between an amber ale and
brown ale. Think a burnt copper. The brew also creates quite the frothy
cream-colored head as you pour.
Aroma: Heavy on malty-goodness, Olde Ale gives off scents of
rich caramel and singed sugar. Fitting for the season, these early scents
remind me of those you'd find in a German Marzen. A toasty vibe to the malts is forefront. In
addition, the sharper note of higher alcohol plays out on the nose in a
way that nicely complements the toasted malts.
Taste: The nose never lies, as your first sip of Olde Ale
brings a wave of caramel-malt flavor to the tongue. Once the brew hits the
center of your mouth, a large burst of toasty flavor swirls around the taste
buds. A solid dose of sweetness backs up
the malt, but isn't overpowering. The slightly-sharp kick helps give depth to
the caramel tones. As I sip, I'm reminded almost of a brandy, just without the
vanilla and other spices.
A final note on taste: Although the scent component of
Innsmouth Olde Ale reminds me of a Marzen, there's a different focus on the
taste. Octoberfests and Marzen's tend to have a slighty nutty twist to
their flavor, perhaps a combo of the toasted malts and tangy sweetness of
German yeast. The result is a beer that's equal parts sweet, malty, nutty, and
yet strangely complex in how all these potent flavors are balanced.
Innsmouth Olde Ale goes for the throat with a bold kick of
malt and a direct sweetness. The focus isn't on an interplay of flavors, but
rather a spotlight for the malt presence. Much like how West-Coast style IPA's
earned the nick-name 'hop-bombs' through their aggressive stance on hoppiness,
so too does Innsmouth Olde Ale assert its mighty 'malt-bomb' presence.
If you're a malt-fanatic like I am, this is quite the lovely
thing.
Aftertaste: Unsurprisingly, all this hard-hitting malt carries over long after each sip. The center of the tongue becomes
almost a epicenter of flavor, as you're left with a malty presence whole
minutes after making your way through a pint.
After each sip, the sharply sweet character of the higher
alcohol lingers for a short time. As it begins to fade, the malts go from bold
to mellow. Still there on the palate, but now less "POW!" and more
"Ah...", if that makes any
sense.
Body: With all the
flavor on display, I expected this brew to coat the mouth like honey. Though
the flavors do indeed stick around, the beer is also shocking easy to drink.
The body is what I'd call a medium on the heaviness scale, but there's a creamy
quality to the beer that makes each sip go down smoothly. At 7% ABV,
Innsmouth Olde Ale has the potential to pack a wallop if you're not careful.
Pair: If you're a malt-fiend, I'd recommend enjoying
Innsmouth Olde Ale all by its lonesome. That way, you can soak up all the
taste without muddling things up with other flavors. But if you must pair this
brew up with chow, I'd recommend something that'd benefit from the malts. Fall
fare, fortunately, is ripe with such options. Any pumpkin or squash dish would
blend beautifully with this brew, as would hearty stews.
If you crack a tallboy of Innsmouth Olde Ale, take a moment
to admire the artwork. Note the strange fishy creature craved into the tavern
sign. The rain beats down heavily. All appears wet, cold, and ominous. Now
imagine those conditions were applied to the current weather outside your home.
What sort of dinner would you want in that moment? That's the thing to pair up
with this beer, at the least if you're going for style-points.
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