Blu-ray Review: BEYOND THE DARKNESS (1979)

Joe D’Amato was a filmmaker that I only knew (other than his reputation for skin flicks and sleaze) from the one movie of his I had seen, Anthropophagous (1980), aka The Grim Reaper, aka "The One Where The Guy Eats The Baby Fetus." And going by that, I had a lot of trepidation upon opening Severin Films’ brand new Blu of Beyond the Darkness (1979), D’Amato’s exploration of necrophilia, icky maternal obsession, and stuffing the ones we love. I needn’t have worried. Beyond the Darkness, aka Buried Alive, aka Buio Omega, is not only vastly superior to Anthropophagous, it gives me hope that the D’Amato catalogue is filled with further gems to uncover. I mean, they’re not ALL porn, right? Right?

Take pity on poor Frank (Kieran Canter – The Devil in Mr. Holmes). The wealthy, single, orphaned taxidermist’s fiancé Anna (Cinzia Monreale – The Beyond) lies dying in the hospital, and soon twirls off this mortal coil due to a voodoo curse put upon her by Frank’s nanny, Iris (Franca Stoppi – The Other Hell). Devastated, Frank does what any sane person would do and digs up Anna’s corpse, brings her back to the manor, and after taking out all her innards, prepares her for his own private taxidermy collection. (Insert mounting joke here.) Meanwhile, the mysterious Mr. Kale (Sam Modesto) lurks around in the hopes of finding out what exactly Frank and Iris are up to. Here’s a partial list for the curious: dismembering hitchhikers, necrophilic threesomes, nanny handies, and other pastimes of the rich and insane. If that sounds like your bag (and why shouldn’t it? We’re all friends here.), grab a pointy stick, throw on your rubber boots, and wade through some of the finest Italian sleaze Lira can buy.

Now, Beyond the Darkness already comes with a heady reputation; one of decadence and a general lack of decorum, whispered giddily by horror fans and discretely traded through inner trench coat pockets. Or so it seems, anyway; it’s one of those ones, mentioned in the same esteemed sludge hall of fame as The Sinful Dwarf. (Which sadly, I still haven’t seen.) But truth be told, it’s really not that upsetting; in fact, it’s quite the opposite—it’s kind of wonderful, and that has everything to do with the tone in which D’Amato presents the tale.

There’s a grandeur that D’Amato is reaching for here; which isn’t to say he fully grasps it, but certainly hangs on for the duration with a lot of energy, zeal, and commitment to the material. Not only that, but it isn’t lost on him that the story is ludicrous; so instead he has the cast (particularly Stoppi, who’s a total gas as Iris) lean into the performances and accept their fate as puppets in D’Amato’s perversion playhouse. D’Amato holds aside the most shocking element which, of course, would be the necrophilia. Oh, Anna is stuffed and present as Frank has sex with another woman, but she’s on the other bed and isn’t part of the action. (Maybe she needs a couple of drinks to loosen up.) Sure, Iris gives Frank a five-finger tickle as he stares longingly at Anna; I’m assuming her au pair skills really blossomed during his adolescence.

So, if that’s what turns your crank, you may be disappointed. But, the gore should appease everyone looking for an Italian feast, and it is all here—eye gouging, groin gouging (well, it’s a kick that somehow causes him to bleed; don’t ask me, I’m not a rocket surgeon), beheadings, and dismemberment galore, all lovingly displayed up close and personal. But the difference between Beyond the Darkness and other notorious features such as Cannibal Holocaust is that one is a soap opera with body parts, corpse love, cannibalism, and grand gestures, and the other is a fierce social commentary that wallows in depravity to prove a point. Personally, I like my depravity with a little wit and style, and Beyond the Darkness manages to rise above its sordidness with a wink and a smile.

Leave it to Severin Films to pack this beautifully remastered, uncut, HD Blu with Special Features that would even put a smile on Anna’s cold lips. First up is "Joe D’Amato: The Horror Experience," and it’s as encompassing as it sounds. The remarkable interview goes on for over an hour, and it’s as thorough a look at the late director’s career (he passed in 1999) as you’re ever to find. Diving into everything from Porno Holocaust (need to see it), Ator the Invincible (wait! I’ve seen this… nice try, David Hills), to Sexy Nights of the Living Dead (sure, sign me up), D’Amato is disarmingly charming and likeable for a peddler of what many deem the irredeemable. Definitely the highlight of the features, this is a fascinating look at a fascinating figure in Italian horror.

Next are back-to-back interviews with the two lead female actresses, "The Omega Woman" with Stoppi, and "Sick Love" with Monreale. Much shorter than the D’Amato interview, both offer sweet reminiscences of their time on set and offer more insight into the mind of the director. Reprising their funky, burbling synth-rock from the film, we have reformed legends Goblin performing the score live in 2016, proving that music is a vital component to a successful (or notorious) horror film. "Locations Revisited" is exactly that, and while picturesque, could use some commentary for context. The requisite trailer rounds out a typically strong collection of extras because when Severin Films gives you grime, they super-size it.

Thanks to Severin, Beyond the Darkness gets to splash around in the sordid sunlight for collectors and newbies alike. Does it live up to its reputation? Personally, I think it surpasses it, and proves that any topic can be palatable with the right attitude and the proper dead girl.

Movie Score: 4/5,  Disc Score: 4/5

NSFW trailer: