INEPT `GATE II' OFFERS SPECIAL EFFECTS, LITTLE ELSE FOR HORROR-MOVIE FANS

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 29, 1992                   TAG: 9202290255
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
INEPT `GATE II' OFFERS SPECIAL EFFECTS, LITTLE ELSE FOR HORROR-MOVIE FANS
"The Gate" was a low-budget 1987 horror movie that must have been popular enough on videocassette to justify this weak sequel.
For those who missed the original, it was about one of those darned old doorways to another dimension that popped up in the back yard of a typical suburban house, setting free all sorts of demons and such.
Like people who leave their Christmas lights up all year, the folks in this neighborhood haven't done anything about their supernatural nuisance. It's just sitting there so that teen-ager Terrence (Louis Tripp) can sneak over one night to sacrifice a hamster and call up the forces of darkness, or whatever.
That part of the story comes close to being offensive. Any movie that shows teen-age characters involved in animal sacrifice is dealing with dangerous material. This one is so inept and formulaic that it's probably harmless.
What follows is in part pseudo Stephen King, and in part a recasting of "The Monkey's Paw." Some decent special effects from Randall Wilson Cook are about all the film has to offer, and there aren't many of those. Director Tibor Takacs lets the pace lag throughout, and it gets even pokier toward the end.
There's really nothing to recommend the movie. Fans of this kind of material have seen it handled much much better. On tape, "Gate II" would be an acceptable time-waster, but as a theatrical release, it's substandard.

`Gate II': * A Vision International release playing at the Salem Valley 8 (389-0444). 90 min. Rated R for bloody special effects, strong language.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB