Welcome to one of the main features of 'Castle Dracula,' the movie reviews section.
The reviews placed here are from all around the world, from the USA to the UK Japan
and everything inbetween. The formats reviewed are video and DVD. I have included the
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also notice that there are some DVD-R reviews. These are not 'bootlegs' or 'copies'
but official screeners that I have been sent containing an as yet unreleased film to
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New reviews are normally placed here once a week, check my front page for under 'Castle
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- The Beyond - Limited Edition US Metal Boxset DVD -
'The Beyond' or as it's also commonly known as 'Seven Doors Of Death,' is seen
by many to not only be Lucio Fulci's masterpiece but probably his most goriest
film. Well I will definitely not argue with that. It has been released many times
under different names and running times due to the various cuts it has had to
endure. However, we now finally get the full uncut version, how it was originally
meant to be seen, in all it's bloody gory, under the title of 'The Beyond.'
The plot is simple. The film opens in 1927 New Orleans. An angry mob bursts into
a hotel, heading straight for room number 36 where after accusing the occupant
of being a Warlock, they proceed to drag him down to the basement. Once there
they beat him with chains then proceed to crucify him. Finally finishing by pouring
some form of plaster onto his face which melts off the flesh. Intercut in all of
this madness, a young woman reads an ancient looking book entitled "Eibon." She
explains (via voice-over) that the book is a collection of the prophecies of "Eibon."
It details the seven doors to Hell scattered across the world. One of which the
hotel is built upon. This whole prologue is shown in a sepia tone which works
brilliantly. Now we jump forward to 1981 where a young woman called 'Liza Merril'
has inherited the hotel and has plans to remodel it. This is where the problems
start. A blind girl named 'Emily' arrives upon the scene and warns 'Liza' to
walk away and never return because all the work she is doing is going to reawaken
the evil that sleeps beneath the hotel. Obviously 'Liza' ignores 'Emily's' warnings
and it's not long before some extremely gory deaths begin to occur left, right
and center. For starters, while trying to discover the source of why the basement
is flooded, the Plumber breaks through a wall into the hidden chamber where the
'Warlock' was crucified and has his eyeball gouged out. The plumber and the crucified
corpse are then taken to the local hospital where a 'Dr' decides for some reason
to hook the 'Warlock's' corpse upto an ECG to register brain activity. As soon as
he leaves the room, the dormant signal suddenly begins to show activity. From hereon
in things get really weird, 'Emily' seems to be the double of the girl reading from
the book of "Eibon." Emily invites 'Liza' to see her at a house that turns out to
have been abandoned for fifty years. The 'Dr' finds the book of "Eibon" at the
house. Visions of the dead 'Warlock' are seen in room number 36. Eventually, all
hell breaks loose, literally. So 'Liza' and the 'Dr' flee to the hospital to take
refuge. When they arrive though, they find that all the "dead" patients that were
in the hospital morgue are walking around and killing anybody foolish enough to
get close. Then their troubles really begin....
Anchor Bay Entertainment has made 'The Beyond' available on DVD in an astounding
wide screen edition that fully restores the film’s 2.35:1 framing, as well as being
enhanced for playback on 16:9 displays. It is no secret that most, if not all,
Italian horror movies are shot as cheaply as possible, which unfortunately can
result in grainy pictures on DVD. However 'The Beyond' looks remarkably clear
and sharp, especially for it's age. The film has also been given a brand new
Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix that really makes a difference. The audio also comes
in English Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound, the original English Dolby Digital
Mono for purists and Italian Dolby Digital Mono. English subtitles are also included.
The extras consist of an audio commentary with actors Catriona MacColl and David
Warbeck. Warbeck sadly died just a couple of weeks after he did this commentary.
There is also 'on the set' interview footage with the late Lucio Fulci, as well as
interview footage of Catriona MacColl and David Warbeck during a convention
appearance. There are three theatrical trailers, the first for the international
release, the second for the German release and the third for the U.S. re-release.
There's a music video from a Death Metal band called "Necrophagia" entitled "And You
Will Live In Terror." The German version of the prologue has been included as an
extra because it was shown in colour, although nice to compare which beginning colour
tone you prefer, I opt for the sepia tone, it fits the age the prologue is set in
perfectly. There is also an extensive stills gallery and finally some "easter eggs."
Apart from that, inside the tin is a 48 page full-color booklet featuring rare photos,
a biography of Lucio Fulci and liner notes and six International poster replicas.
Unfortunately, this tin set, being limited edition run of 20,000, has run it's course
and is no longer available, however you can still buy the DVD as a stand alone disc
without the tin, booklet or poster replicas. It does contain all the above features
however and is fully uncut. Anchor Bay have out done themselves with this and this
classic deserves it's place in every horror film fans collection.
Reviewed By Dracula
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