Movies like Beyond The Gates don’t come around very often. In our current, nostalgia-obsessed culture, with the likes of Stranger Things storming the boards, it can be easy to forget that paying homage is actually a skill unto itself.
Jackson Stewart’s debut feature is one of those flicks you just know will become part of your regular rotation before too long. It feels lived in, considered, and like it’s nodding to a million different things we all, as horror fans, can recognise. But, crucially, the movie is modern and of its time, too.
Two estranged brothers reunite at their missing father’s video store to liquidate the property and sell off his assets. As they dig through the store, they find a VCR board game dubbed ‘Beyond The Gates’ that holds a connection to their father’s disappearance and deadly consequences for anyone who plays it
Starring alongside talented up-and-comer Graham Skipper in Beyond The Gates are genre stalwarts Chase Williamson, Brea Grant and even Barbara Crampton herself. Stewart co-wrote the script with Stephen Scarlata, while Crampton also has a producer credit.
Wicked Horror caught up with Stewart at Frightfest 2016 to discuss his hugely impressive debut feature, its myriad of great influences and, of course, Barbara Crampton.
Stay tuned to Wicked Horror for the latest horror news and more must-watch interviews from Frightfest 2016, along with reviews of some of this year’s most anticipated movies.
Interview conducted by: Joey Keogh
Camera: Mark Vessey
Editing: Richard Waters
