E tu vivrai nel terrore! L'aldilà AKA, The Beyond

This movie screams Satan!

E Tu Vivrai nel terrore! L'Aldila (And you will live in terror: The Beyond) AKA The Beyond is a 1981 slasher made by the always versatile, Italian maestro Lucio Fulci. In the late  60's & 70's he gave birth to an interesting collection of films in the likes of the Giallo genre but, once he felt he was done with it, he embraced is darkest most creative side by filming some of the most disgusting, bloody horror flicks of all time. In The Beyond, and I'm sure fans will agree, Fulci goes full slasher with a story that is so well written and acted, you'll believe the seven gates of hell are real! 

Unofficially, fans place The Beyond as the second movie in the seven gates of hell trilogy which began with 1980's City of the Living Dead, followed by today's entry and concluded in The House by the Cemetery. However, each of the three films are standalone features that neither work as prequels nor as sequels, the thing is, hardcore fans, see these films as a part of a bigger universe because they have similar plots pertaining to the "seven gates of hell" concept.

a mysterious satanic book (I want one!)

a gorgeous blind bombshell & her best friend.

The 80's spawned a lot of horror films featuring graphic brutality, the special effects that were once state of the art production, today may seem blatantly dated but, still there is a sense of disgust that remains when watching this flicks despite noticing the falseness of the rather crude and modest molds used to emulate people dying. Watching these kind of films today, diminish the author's intention due to the massive CGI overload of recent years in cinema but, only an idiot would watch a movie just because of the special effects. Nevertheless, The make up effects are very good. Despite the low budget, Giannetto De Rossi's work delivers. The effects are done with flair and pizazz. Giannetto De Rossi did his best when working with Fulci.

The cinematography is spliced with atmosphere and style. Sergio Salvalti contributes to the film's gothic flavour. The cinematography contains a dreamish flow that makes the film beautiful. The score is one of my favourites for a horror film. The score fits perfectly with the scenes in the film. As good as anything done for Argento by Goblin. Actually, I dare to say, the music within the film is the best work you can listen to in a horror movie. The dark baritone voices with the synthesizers deliver true Satanic sounds that are nowhere near being your typical horror film score. The music message in this film is a celebration of the darkness, a tribute to satanic rites and Satan himself. I'd definitely say the soundtrack is a close contender to that heard in the Omen's trilogy (why we haven't reviewed those classic films yet is beyond our understanding) 

"Hush little girl, you're dead anyways"

it's time for the dead to rise!

The Beyond according to Fulci himself, is "a movie with all the horrors in the world. Its a plotless film, there's no logic to it, just a succession of images". He also said, "In Italy we make films based on pure themes, without a plot and The Beyond like Inferno refuses conventions...people who blame The Beyond for its lack of story don't understand that it's a film of images, which must be received without any reflection" and that's exactly what makes this film a fantastic one hour and thirty minutes thrill ride through the gates of hell, I mean, do you not like the fact that you're watching a film that is an allegory of evils, demons & satanic rites? this is a fucking masterpiece! Nevertheless, there is a plot within. 

Blond New Yorker Liza Merrill (Catriona MacColl, a usual collaborator of the Fulci's universe)  inherits a defunct hotel in Lousiana and plans to bring it back to life in order to make some money out of it. As soon as she sets foot in the hotel, people begin to die for the most awkward reasons. Later, she meets Emily (Cinzia Monreale, my god! so beautiful! why are all Italian actresses so beautiful!) a blind girl who seems to know what's behind the mysterious deaths in the hotel. Obviously, some time must pass until Liza realizes the awful truth: the hotel is one of the seven gates to hell, and everyone that stays in it long enough, will suffer a brutal death in the hands of Satan's minions just because!
And what could be more evil than pure evil for no reason? Well, nothing!

I can feel your presence you demonic schizo!

Liza, you have to get out of the hotel before it's too late.

Chilling Italian terror flick full of screams, chills, thrills and lots of blood and guts. Gory, gruesome , pretty repellent , and ghastly gore feast in which the stumbling stiff dead are reanimated and committing astonishing murders . This is a classic excruciatingly splatter film in which the intrigue,tension, suspense appears threatening and lurking in every room, corridors , cellar , hospital , morgue and many other places . 

Reviewers are divided over both the morals and talents of Fulci, who sometimes directed under the alias ¨Louis Fuller¨. For some critics many of his movies are cruel and shockingly violent, yet their gory surface often conceals religious, social commentaries or intelligent issues. Usually, film makers instead of telling in your face what they think about the current state of the world, rely on other cinematic and artistic elements to state their personal beliefs on a big chunk of human issues. 

Don't worry, these fuckers can eat lead anytime now!

My god! that acid you gave me sure was powerful!

Now, let's take a look at some of the trivia for The Beyond:

-'The Book Of Eibon', featured prominently throughout the film, is the creation of American pulp fiction author, poet and fine artist Clark Ashton Smith and is a recurring text associated with the so-called "Cthulhu Mythos" cycle of literature. The book, which deals with various arcane subjects including the resurrection of the dead, demonic magic, parallel dimensions and other black magic subjects is alleged to have been imparted to the infamous necromancer Eibon by the ancient devil-god Tsathoggua in a remote prehistoric epoch. 

 
-Swedish shitty glam rock band Europe based the song 'Seven Doors Hotel' from their first album on this film. The lyrics are a basic retelling of the plot of the film. The song became a big hit in Japan, and is still a popular track at their live shows.  

-This film was never seen in America in its uncut form until 1998, when Grindhouse Releasing tracked down the original master and restored the film, playing it at midnight shows at selected cities. Quentin Tarantino's Rolling Thunder Pictures released the restored DVD.

Gorgeous Cinzia Monreale.

Beauty in the nude.

Overall, The Beyond, is one of those must watch films for any serious horror/giallo/Italian fan. Watching the film today, 34 years after it's original release, will take you back to the time horror films were meant to scare and disgust at the same time. The man-made special effects give the film a crude vibe that works for the better despite the dated techniques. Go watch it now, and be careful! next time you may be spending a night at one of the seven gates of hell!

Here's the movie trailer:

And here's the brutally good "Voci Dal Nulla" theme: