As Seen on Sleazy’s Pictures After Dark!!! Nothin like startin out in a smoky daylight cemetery and a priest contemplating the strength of certain branches. Why? TO OPEN THE GATES OF HELL!!!! Well, I don’t think he exactly realizes that, but when you in the town of Dunwich, weird shit seems to happen. A lot.
After getting through that smoky cemetery and a Priest who obviously didn’t read the rulebook on such matters, we see some a psychic peeking in on the matter. Then there’s a slightly-dorkier-and-taller Roger Moore reporter guy looking into a strange death in NYC. After the cold shoulder from the cops, he does his own little investigatins into the dead seer, he finds her...maybe not quite dead yet? She is pretty adamant about Gates of Hell and Portals of the Dead and maybe something about a Chucky Cheese Palace, but it’s all a little fuzzy given she’s technically not a card-carrying psychic. But shit, what do dues matter anyhows, especially in this day and age? There’s also a psychologist guy who has suspect sessions and odd relationships with his clients, but totally not in a creepy way. It makes for a rather odd progression.
Fulci obviously settin this one up for basically two more of either an intentional or unintentional ‘Gates of Hell’ trilogy, with The Beyond following and garnering a bit higher than average cult viewership. Shit, when you in the groove, you roll with it. Not anything too amazing here besides the drill shot and a shitload of maggots, but I guess it’s paced ok as the demented dead are unleashed upon the land of unsuspecting (living) masses. And the few that are not unsuspecting? Yeah, it doesn’t go well for them either. Is the ending pure ludicrousness? Of course it is!
