Directed by Lucio Fulci
Screenplay by Dardano Sacchetti
1981, Italy
Sometimes labeled “Fulci’s masterpiece”, The Beyond is loaded with more than enough graphic gore to please the most jaded genre enthusiast: We’re talking acid face-lifts, killer tarantulas. There is even a scene reminiscent of Suspiria (1977), in where a blind girl has her ear ripped off when attacked by her seeing-eye dog. But The gore here is splattered about in high style, the camera work is excellent and Fulci amps up a distinct uneasy atmospheric tale of terror with the gothic locales, foggy environments, dark shadows, terrific visuals, well-executed jump-shocks, and with the Italian prog-rock soundtrack (one of the best of all the Italian horror films). The Beyond is so littered with Fulci’s iconic imagery, alternating between genuine frightening moments of gore and shocks and unintentionally funny and awkward interactions between the cast of odd characters, that despite its discernible lines of logic, one can’t help but be entertained.
– Ricky D
Trivia:
The film has been mentioned by Quentin Tarantino as a key influence and so Tarantino’s company, Rolling Thunder Pictures, in association with Grindhouse Releasing, tracked down the original master and restored the film, screening it at midnight shows across the US and eventually releasing it on home video.
