Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Through the Fire Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 30, 2021

Co-writer/director Gary Marcum wanted to be a film director in the 1980s, and one of the few ways in for those without connections was the world of horror, offering instant marketplace appeal for any project looking to provide some frights. 1988’s “Through the Fire” certainly resembles an effort to play into a trend, though Marcum doesn’t have much of an imagination for creepy events, generally preferring to make a sluggish detective story instead. So much for genre thrills, leaving “Through the Fire” a tepid exploration of satanic doom and survivor panic, as Marcum doesn’t aim high with the endeavor, more determined to complete the movie than work on its freak-out potential, missing a chance to do something alert with evil events and demonic stalking.

Marilyn has gone missing, and her sister, Sandra (Tamara Hext), is beginning to worry. It’s been five weeks since anyone has heard from her sibling, leaving her frustrated when she can’t locate reliable help to find Marilyn and bring her home. When Sandra meets Nick (Tom Campitelli), a local police officer, hope is found, begging the reluctant cop to help her with her case, which grows complicated after the discovery of a special medallion that belonged to Marilyn, which is connected to a biblical evil knows as the Moloch. Following clues concerning the disappearance, Nick and Sandra come across evidence of black magic in the neighborhood. Across town, a collection of curious men have made a critical error in judgment, bringing a demonic force to life through their tinkering with the other side, unsure how to stop a malevolent spirit they’ve personally welcomed into the world, much to the dismay of their disapproving oracle.

The screenplay for “Through the Fire” isn’t cohesive, working to bring together two different subplots concerning the rise of Moloch, or whatever biblical fury is floating in the air. One side of the feature details Sandra’s battle to get someone to take her seriously, meeting Nick while being tossed out of a bar, quickly taking his professionalism as a sign of luck, talking the cop into helping her find Marilyn. The rest of “Through the Fire” remains in a small room with a group of amateur cult members who don’t have a decent handle on their conjuring skills, summoning a demon who’s not one to make friends, with the guys growing worried evil will soon hunt them. They have a mother figure in a cranky oracle who can’t believe she’s connected to these clowns, and the group spends most of the picture discussing how they’re going to fix this death sentence.

“Through the Fire” doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but Marcum marches forward with the picture, trying to give it some significance with the medallion and the story of Moloch. There are a few attack sequences as well, including two climbers in the wild who can’t get away from the evil presence. Another moment studies a mother trying to disprove scary business going on in a garage for her child, ending up slaughtered during a sleepover. Horror events are present, but they aren’t effective, as Marcum is clearly more interested in Nick and Sandra’s quest for answers, interviewing suspects and chasing leads, eventually finding their way to Professor P.J. (Billie Carroll), who tries to sell impossible answers to pressing questions, offering a theory concerning satanic power. “Through the Fire” doesn’t offer a pressurized viewing experience, more comfortable with conversations and extended tours of hallways and rooms, with Marcum mistaking real estate walkthroughs for suspense.

Through the Fire Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from a 2K of the 35mm internegative. The original cinematography favors a low- budget softness, which is preserved here, also offering heavier grain that's film-like. Fine detail reaches as far as possible, though the technical scope of the movie is limited, exploring facial surfaces and drab interiors, keeping decoration on display. Ghoulish makeup additions are open for inspection. Colors are respectfully refreshed, adding some primary power to outfits. Greenery is exact. Delineation is satisfactory. Source is in good condition.

Through the Fire Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix isn't working with a slick production, finding sound quality limited at times, fighting equipment issues and age. Unintelligibility isn't a problem, but fullness in the dialogue exchanges is sometimes difficult to be found. Scoring cues are acceptable, with a milder synth presence. Sound effects are passable.

Through the Fire Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Alternate Cut: "The Gates of Hell Part II: Dead Awakening" (87:32, SD) is a reworked version of "Through the Fire." It's sourced from a videotape, and features commentary from co-writer/director Gary Marcum, co-writer/associate producer Brad Potter, and editor Jay Helton.

• "Through the Fire" Commentary features co-writer/director Gary Marcum.

• "Lighting the Spark" (19:09, HD) is an interview with co-writer/director Gary Marcum and co-writer Brad Potter, who actually met in elementary school, taking their friendship all the way into independent filmmaking. "Through the Fire" was inspired by the success of "Halloween," with Marcus looking to replicate the low budget magic of the John Carpenter hit, also working to give the material some basis in religious reality, combining biblical passages with satanic panic news of the mid-1980s. Distribution didn't go as planned, with Marcum not even aware the movie made it to the VHS market in America, having no involvement in its reworking and retitling to make it seem like a sequel to "The Gates of Hell." Production demands are recalled, inspiring tremendous fatigue and strange workspaces, including editing, which was accomplished in a warehouse office. While Marcus had concerns about "Through the Fire," it played well during its premiere, offering him some relief. He also identifies the directorial achievement as part of a childhood plan to accomplish three dreams.

• "A Labor of Love" (16:37, HD) is an interview with special makeup effects artist Gregor Punchatz, who details his early work and initial hiring for "Through the Fire," coming to the project after completing creations for "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2." Suggesting a monster transformation to director Marcum, Punchatz was handed $6,000 and freedom to do what he liked, showing off some design work and a demon hand he's kept since production ended. The interviewee shares a story about an accident that occurred while inflating facial effects, and recalls the eeriness of the hotel location, which was filled with bats. Premiere memories are offered, and Punchatz offers a career overview since "Through the Fire," following industry trends into digital work.

• Special Effects Footage (4:22, SD) is a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the feature's primary monster.

• A Trailer has not been included.

Through the Fire Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Through the Fire" has a few pops of monster-ific interests, most contained to the final ten minutes, where the production gets to show off practical effects and some makeup work. However, there's not much else here that holds attention, and even the characters have no reaction to the ultraviolence they encounter, offering silence to evidence of demonic events. Marcum has ideas with "Through the Fire," but he doesn't have a film, presenting various ideas on dark power with a blind hope that something consistent will emerge. It doesn't, but horror hounds are sure to find something likeable in this low-budget endeavor.