the plot: In the attic of a stately old mansion, Dr. Edward Pretorious (Sorel) and his assistant Crawford Tillinghast (Combs) have invented a resonator that stimulates the pineal gland. As Pretorious soon reveals to Tillinghast, using the resonator to activate the pineal gland allows humans to peer into another dimension—and allows the creatures that dwell in that dimension to see humans. Something unspeakable emerges from the mysterious dimension and snaps off Pretorious’ head, a mishap that leaves Tillinghast insane and facing a murder charge. The only person who believes Tillinghast’s story is Dr. Katherine McMichaels (Crampton), who plucks the slightly psychotic scientist from the loony bin and convinces him to recreate Pretorious’ experiment. Bubba Buford (Foree), a former cop, accompanies Tillinghast and McMichaels to the cursed mansion. But the new experiments yield a terrifying result: Pretorious is still alive and has returned from beyond as something more terrible than Tillinghast can imagine.

why it’s good: What do you get when you combine goopy, Cronenbergian horror with bondage gear and an extremely loose adaptation of a lesser-known H.P. Lovecraft story? You get “From Beyond,” director Stuart Gordon’s follow-up to his slapstick splatter-fest “Re-Animator.” Starring “Re-Animator” alums Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton, “From Beyond” is all about the excess, with massive goo-dripping monsters, the comely Crampton in a leather bustier, Ken Foree (Peter from the original “Dawn of the Dead”) in a little red Speedo and phalluses protruding from foreheads. You’d think, with all that, “From Beyond” would be awesome; but, sadly, the parts are greater than the whole. Lacking a solid plot and interesting (or even likable) characters, “From Beyond” doesn’t really get rolling until well into the second half of the film, but that’s only after Combs’ character is depilated by a giant worm creature with a vaguely vaginal mouth. “Re-Animator” fans looking for more of the same magic will be disappointed with “From Beyond”—it lacks the black humor and compelling characters that made “Re-Animator” so awesome. But, for gore hounds, “From Beyond” is perfectly passable.

why you should own it: “From Beyond” is worth a rent, but unless you’re a Stuart Gordon aficionado, you don’t need to own the film. MGM’s newly released DVD features an uncut version of the film, with all the gore and naked Barbara Crampton goodness in tact.