Plot: What’s it about?
In the realm of the living rest supernatural portals, which offer entrance and exit to Hell, if discovered and used in the correct fashion. If the portal is open and unprotected, that means the dead can pass through to the world of the living, which is not good news. One of these portals lies beneath a ramshackle hotel in New Orleans, which was just inherited by a young woman, Liza Merril (Catriona MacColl). She decides to revamp the dive and try to reopen the hotel, in an effort to turn a handsome profit, but she wants the place to look fantastic, as good as new. As the process begins to restore the joint, strange events happen and this seems to be a pattern, to say the least. A painter falls to his death, one of her friends gets a broken neck, and a man disappears, all within a pretty short time span. Can this young woman escape the horrors of what lies beneath this hotel, or is she doomed to become yet another victim?
I love the movies of Lucio Fulci and Euroshock horror on the whole, but if I had to choose a single film from this corner of cinema, it would be The Beyond. As such, I am thrilled to see Anchor Bay release this horror classic in uncut form, complete with a load of extras to boot. If you ask me, this is the finest example of European horror, as it has all the usual elements, but also piles on innovations, which is always welcome. Fulci delivers a film that defies all boundaries and refuses to relent, this one grabs you and never lets go, even after the end credits have rolled. I love the atmosphere created in The Beyond, as it is so eerie and at times, can even be overwhelming in tone. I think horror fans are used to intense atmosphere and visuals, but The Beyond takes these elements to new levels, without a doubt. This is without question the most memorable horror film I’ve ever seen, with scads of gore, amazing visuals, and an atmosphere to raise the hair on your arms. Of course, some will complain about the storyline here, but fans of European horror know that the story is not always the focus and here, it most certainly isn’t. Simply put, this is nothing less than a must see film for anyone with even a casual interest in horror, especially in such a rich edition, like this disc. I recommend you at least give this release a rental, but a purchase would be a wise choice also.
Lucio Fulci directed many memorable films, but The Beyond is his masterpiece and stands as one of the true classics of horror cinema. In this effort, he takes all of his strong points and throws them onto the screen, but then takes them to new levels, with fantastic results. Fulci slathers this movie in blood and gore, but he also scares us with visuals and atmosphere, which means almost all the time, this one is out to keep us on the edge of our seats. Fulci is able to elevate his visual sense to another plane, which creates some spooky and memorable moments, but not just a few of these, as The Beyond is loaded with them. This is required viewing for Fulci fans and horror buffs, but anyone in search of an intense experience should give this a chance. Other films directed by Fulci include Don’t Torture a Duckling, House by the Cemetery, Aenigma, Slashdance, and Zombie. The cast includes David Warbeck (Fatal Frames, The Black Cat), Catriona MacColl (City of the Living Dead, Man Eaters), and Antoine Saint-John (A Fistful of Dynamite, The Old Gun).
Video: How does it look?
The Beyond is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. I had high hopes for this release and while some flaws are evident, Anchor Bay has outdone themselves with this visual presentation. Yes, some grain is present, but this is due to the film stock used and it never becomes too extreme, so no worries there. I was quite stunned by how clean the print was also, with only minor nicks and wear signs to speak of. I found the colors to be vivid and never overly rich, so the film’s intense color scheme is preserved, which is fantastic news. No issues with the contrast either, as black levels look rich and well balanced, so detail is never obscured. I know some will overreact about the inherent flaws, but given the circumstances, I am convinced this is the best possible visual transfer, at least at this point in time.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release has been loaded with audio options, but for the sake of this review, I used the new Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track. I sampled the others however, and in the end, I think this is the best audio option of the lot, to be sure. The surrounds are often used for subtle presence here, but the sparks kick in at times, with more than effective results. I had worried this might sound a little unnatural, but the sound effects and musical score sound superb, so I was all worried about nothing, as it turns out. The vocals emerge in clean form, free from volume or clarity issues of any kind, very impressive indeed. This disc also includes English audio options in 2.0 surround and mono forms, as well as an Italian mono track, just for good measure. You’ll also find optional English subtitles, in case you’ll need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This is the kind of movie you need extras for, so the inclusions here are most welcome, to be sure. The main draw is an audio commentary track with stars David Warbeck and Catriona MacColl, who share their memories of the production, as well as explore other topics. I was quite taken by the discussion of Fulci, whom both seemed to love working with and hold in great respect. Warbeck passed away shortly after this session was recorded, so his comments are priceless and so is this session on the whole, one of the best tracks I’ve heard. You can hear more from these two in a brief interview included on the disc, but the commentary is totally loaded with tidbits of information. The MacColl/Warbeck is found within the Images of The Beyond section, which also contains a wealth of all sorts of still photos, a brief interview with Fulci on the set on Demonia, and some footage of Fulci and Warbeck, I assume at conventions here and there. This disc also includes the “lost” German pre-credit sequence, a music video directed by Jim van Bebber, and three of the film’s theatrical trailers, including two international ones.
