FILM · 1987 · CANADA
The Gate
21 archived facts 2 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (21)
- #001
The logo on the back of Terry's jacket is that of Killer Dwarfs, a heavy metal band from the Toronto, Ontario area known for their offbeat sense of humor.
- #002
The small demonic minions are played by performers in rubber suits and filmed using forced perspective.
- #003
It was actor Stephen Dorff's first film role.
- #004
The back patch Terry wears when he is first seen was for the band Venom, who released the song "The Seven Gates of Hell" in 1984 as the B-side of their "Warhead" single.
- #005
In 2009 there were plans for a remake by Alex Winter (himself an iconic star of 1980s films, including Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and The Lost Boys). The remake has since remained in development hell.
- #006
Writer Michael Nankin initially also planned to direct the film.
- #007
Louis Tripp reprised the role of Terry in the 2020 music video for Australian musician KidCrusher's "Sacrifice."
- #008
The film was part of the 1980s "satanic panic." Fears that music played backwards concealed messages, and a general fear of heavy metal, frightened many parents.
- #009
To heighten the illusion of the minions' size, they were filmed at a slow rate of about 12 frames per second. "We slowed the film speed down to a level where I thought physics would look correct - 12 frames per second. Even though the characters are a quarter scale and the speed is only twice as fast, it worked dramatically. Of course, that meant the actors playing the normal-sized people had to be trained to move at half speed. This was usually not much of a problem because the actors normally only had to do simple movements during the perspective shots. We knew from the start that there would be no time for reshoots. The schedule was very tight. We had to get our shots the first time, because whatever we encountered the first time, we had to live with. So all our 'tests' show up in the film; we never had a chance to try one of the forced-perspective setups beforehand because we didn't have the time."
- #010
The Bible passage the Lee brothers chose was drawn from different parts of verses 59:1 through 59:9 of Psalms.
- #011
None of the minion demon costumes had elaborate mechanisms. Mechanical heads were built but did not work as intended, something the filmmakers came to appreciate in hindsight. Reardon explained: "We had plans for three working heads. Two of them were radio-controlled and one was supposed to be our 'hero' head, but none of them worked very well. Fortunately, it really wasn't necessary. Without any movement, the creatures had a kind of charming, stupid fish look. I liked the design because they looked like the slaves of some overlord, since they had a kind of mechanical expression, as if they were incapable of any independent thought or action. And so fortunately it allowed us the freedom not to give their faces too much animation - I don't believe that hurt the effect in any way, because the charm and interest of these creatures lies in their closeness, like pale, plucked chickens, as they run around the children's feet."
- #012
Among the oversized set elements created for the minion scenes were 4:1 stones and, for the scene in which Terry falls into the hole, an oversized leg that had to line up with the actor playing Terry. One of the most complex scenes to film, however, was the one in which the 'Dead Worker' falls in front of the children and turns into a swarm of Minions. Cook said: "It was something no one had seen before, except maybe a Tex Avery cartoon. It was the typical cartoon gag where a character hits a wall, hundreds of little versions of himself run around in confusion, and then they come back together and move on to the next joke. I thought it would be something visually memorable in live action. We always timed it to stay one step ahead of the audience and resolve their confusion."
- #013
Joshua John Miller was also considered for the role of Glen.
- #014
The trailer is narrated by Percy Rodrigues.
- #015
For the scene in which Glen kills the Demon Lord with a rocket charged with positive energy, a rubber replica of the Demon Lord's chest was used along with the propeller rocket. "Incidentally," said Randall William Cook, "that shot was a deliberate lift from the giant octopus in Harryhausen's It Came from Beneath the Sea, which is hit by a torpedo."
- #016
Glen repeatedly says that Angus is 97 in dog years. Setting aside the misconception that dogs age 7 years for every 1 human year, this means he is 13.8 years old. Incidentally, although Glen was planned to be younger, this was also Stephen Dorff's age during filming.
- #017
It was shown on October 27, 1986.
- #018
At about 28:15, Terry plays a record with that famous backwards voice. The voice says: "Go! Go! You're ugly! Filthy, unspeakable! Go! Go! Go. You're ugly. Filthy, unspeakable."
- #019
Al was played by Christa Denton, and her on-screen father was played by Scot Denton. However, they do not appear to be related.
- #020
The film features the song "No pleasure" by Eva Everything.
- #021
Glen gets in trouble for making a hole in the roof. He saves the world by making a hole in the demon.
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