The Beyond has everything that every vintage Italian horror movie has; horrible audio, poorly dubbed voices, messy scenes, strange music provided by some Italian art group, and a really intriguing story. Lucio Fulci brings us yet another Giallo splatter-fest. If you know me, you know that gore is the quickest way to my heart. And this movie has gore everywhere. It's really quite impressive.
An angry mob murders a warlock back in the twenties in the cellar of an old hotel. This event opens a door to a dimension full of gruesome zombies. Liza Merril, a young woman, inherits the hotel and wants to renovate it. However, while doing so, she falls victim to some horrible events. Some rather unpleasant and horrific events.
This movie is brash and violent. Some of the scenes are really brutal but effective in the horror sense. They really like the face melting element. They use it a lot. They do really well with it too. They get really detailed. Fulci gets right up into the thick-of-it with his masterful use of the zoom. The zombies featured are really bloody too. This movie is gore from beginning to end.
Some people may look at this movie in a negative light. It might not hold up to other, modern horror movies of our times. However, this movie shocked audiences in it's day. Lucio Fulci brought hyper brutality and mixed it with hyper sexuality. He, as well as others, created this sub-genre of horror that fits perfectly in the Grindhouse theaters of yesteryear. I recommend this movie to those that are a little more experienced with Italian horror. Perhaps, start with something like Zombie 2 or City of the Living Dead. Nevertheless, keep a pin in this one. It's worth it.
Director: Lucio Fulci
Country: Italy
Style: Giallo Horror
Did ya know...
This movie is also known as The Seven Doors of Death. During the final scene in the Beyond's abyss, the sand-covered bodies lying on the ground were actually stark naked street derelicts, who were "paid" in alcohol.
Comments