‘Evil… from beyond’
The Resonator: Miskatonic U is a 2021 American science fiction horror film about a talented student who builds a multi-dimensional machine.
Written and directed by William Butler (Dead Voices; Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver; Demonic Toys: Personal Demons; Madhouse).
The Full Moon Features production stars Amanda Wyss (Hunter’s Moon; Big Legend; The Id; A Nightmare on Elm Street), Michael Paré (Triassic Hunt; Mayday; The Shelter; Amphibious), Jeffrey Byron (The Dungeonmaster), Dane Oliver (Exceptional Beings; Creatures of Necessity; Mission Overlord) and Amanda Jones (Deathboy).
Plot:
Talented student Crawford Tillinghast (Dane Oliver) builds a machine known as the “Resonator”. The machine allows one to experience multiple dimensions while navigating the unsavoury beasts that dwell within them…
However, things become complicated when Tillinghast realizes that the prototype of his creation has not only released murderous and deadly creatures into his world but also has affected his own reality…
Reviews:
“The visual FX are pretty low-rent, and even the 1986 practical FX seem more sophisticated. But Oliver, even though he’s a muscular redhead and looks nothing like Combs, still manages to channel Combs’s persona (even if it’s closer to the character Combs played in Re-Animator).” Combustible Celluloid
“There’s clear expertise in the way The Resonator unfolds; all the pertinent information is laid out in an entertaining fashion that should please both Lovecraft enthusiasts and devotees of From Beyond alike; story-wise it serves as both an extension and a remake of the movie, and as Crawford, Oliver turns in a more notably nuanced interpretation of the character than Combs’ barely restrained megalomaniac.” Critical Blast
“While not perfect, there is enough in the pilot episode of The Resonator: Miskatonic U to lure audience members back each week. The cast is good, the effects are great, the music is terrific, and the whole affair is quite creepy. It’s vintage Charles Band with a modern Full Moon twist, which makes the show worth it all on its own.” Film Threat
“Hopefully, Gordon (to whom Resonator is dedicated) would have been pretty much okay with it. It clearly knows its Lovecraft and checks most of the boxes. It is eccentric and amusing, in a macabre way. Recommended for fans…” J.B. Spins
“If you’re flipping on The Resonator in hopes of something that captures even a fourth of the captivating wonder of From Beyond, you ought to check your expectations at the goo-covered door. But if you’re a fan of modern Full Moon movies who likes your characters dumb and your monsters with nipples, Butler has delivered a fun, campy, bargain bin version of From Beyond.” Killer Horror Critic
“It’s no classic but it isn’t boring or insultingly brain dead either […] The resonator itself is a cool-looking device, but the effects it creates do leave a bit to be desired. The opening decapitation is done with bottom of the barrel CGI. The interdimensional beings are also CGI […] Given The Resonator: Miskatonic U’s cheesy nature, they actually work better than more realistic effects would have.” Voices from the Balcony
Release:
The Resonator: Miskatonic U was released in two parts on February 26th 2021, premiering exclusively on FullMoonFeatures.com and via their Amazon channel. It has also been released on Blu-ray as a single feature.
Cast and characters:
Amanda Wyss … Professor McMichaels
Michael Paré … Professor Wallace
Jeffrey Byron … Professor Tillinghast
Dane Oliver … Crawford Tillinghast
Amanda Jones … Carrie Mitchel
Thomas Shevela … Brian Hemingway
Christina Hélène Braa … Mara Esteban
Austin Woods … Brandon
Josh Cole … Herbert West
Michael Deak … Bar Patron
Hannah Hueston … Female Entity
Alex Keener … Bear Johnson
Brooks Davis … Bar Patron
Kyle Carrion … Bartender
Darius Reed … Miskatonic Student
Chris Zulch … Miskatonic Student
Brynn Sicard … Miskatonic Student
Official trailer:
Featurette:
