Beyond Darkness (1990) User Reviews

Bless this house.

[Hey_Sweden · 5/10 · 16 October 2015]

From the director of "Troll 2" comes this moderately amusing haunted house / exorcism movie. Gene Lebrock ("Metamorphosis") stars as Father Peter, a reverend who moves with his family into a house of horrors. Not surprisingly, terrible things happened on the same grounds many years ago, and Father Peter must team up with the intense Father George (David Brandon) to take on the forces of evil and save his son Martin (who's played by Michael Stephenson, a.k.a. the young hero of "Troll 2").

Flagrantly bad acting combines with director Claudio Fragassos' extravagant efforts to show the audience a good time. Fragasso gives this silly movie as much atmosphere as he possibly can, but the screenplay, which he wrote with Rossella Drudi, is pretty inane. The music score by Carlo Maria Cordio is over the top, which seems like an attempt to distract the audience from the fact that we're not seeing anything particularly interesting or unusual in this movie. The visual effects are variable, the makeup effects not that bad at all.

The hunky Lebrock is very much a stiff, but "Friday the 13th" series fans might enjoy seeing actress Barbara Bingham (Mrs. Van Deusen in "Jason Takes Manhattan") in the role of his wife. Brandon does an awful lot of gnawing on the scenery. One person who looks like they're having fun is Mary Coulson, who plays the gnarly old crone Bette.

One of the producers was an uncredited Joe D'Amato; the costume designer was Laura Gemser.

Five out of 10.

So much promise, so little execution

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 15 February 2018]

Who better to take on the La Casa franchise - films that are not sequels and are not connected to one another - than the man who made Troll 2, a movie that is not a sequel and is also not about trolls?

Yep. Claudio Fragasso (Monster Dog, Rats: Night of Terror) is in control of your movie watching experience and he's brought Troll 2 child actor Michael Stephenson along for another ride through the bottom of the movie making barrel.

A priest and his family - right off the bat, you could see that this script has holes you can drive the Landmaster from Damnation Alley through because Catholic priests can't marry - move into a new house. Bad news for them, good news for us - it was built over the graves of twenty dead witches.

Their son gets possessed, along with a radio and a meat cleaver. Oh yeah - there's also the ghost of a female serial killer who wants to eat the souls of children.

And in another of those "they should have known better" moments, this is all filmed in the same building as Fulci's The Beyond!

If you're looking for the madcap moments that Troll 2 has, you won't find them here. This is a more linear and controlled film, except for the crazed performance by David Brandon as Father George, an alcoholic priest whose contact with a demon has made him question his faith. You'll marvel as he wanders down real city streets with real people - not extras - ranting like a maniac! But what do you expect? He watched a serial killer orgasm in the electric chair surrounded by the trapped spirits of her victims!

boring and incoherent

[FieCrier · 3/10 · 12 August 2008]

There's a reason why this claims to be a part of a series it's not: no one would watch it otherwise!

A collared priest enters a prison to give last rites to a middle aged female serial killer. Somehow she's stolen a number of stout children's souls, and the priest can see them. He's somehow affected by her evil holy book, which has a picture of Satan and a house in it that look much more recent than all the other pages. He turns into an alcoholic who staggers around town. Apparently he is possessed and also having a crisis of faith.

Anyway, another collared priest moves into the house from the book because an older priest gave it to him for him and his family of four. There's a strange giant black swan rocker in the children's room they assume was a gift for the kids. One of the doors has a poorly- bricked and stuccoed wall behind it with a slit that glows. Obviously supernatural bad stuff starts happening soon, but the family for some reason stays. Turns out the older priest knew that the entire family would be in danger, but he thought it would be a good idea anyway for some reason.

The movie is filled with terrible editing, terrible dialogue, and terrible plotting. The special effects aren't so good, mainly the house being full of smoke and red light as the cast has sweaty faces. There's a bunch of somewhat spooky zombie witches. A mixture of witches and innocent women had been burned at the stake on the site years ago. What the connection is to the serial killer is anyone's guess.

It's a poor mix of The Amityville Horror (haunted house), The Exorcist (exorcists, possession and crisis of faith), and Poltergeist (child taken into other world, stuff flying around). Don't bother! Who would actually believe this as a sequel to Evil Dead?

Explanation

[aenigma-1 · 2/10 · 3 June 2003]

Explanation for this title. Evil Dead was La Casa in Italy. Then, Evil Dead II was La Casa 2. But, Ghosthouse, from Umberto Lenzi, was La Casa 3. Witchery, from Fabrizio Laurenti was La Casa 4. And this, the fifth.

Amateurish, but a must for Amityville fans!

[orsonwelles-1941 · 23 March 2003]

Without a doubt, this low-budget haunted house thriller pales in comparison to genre classics such as Poltergeist due to horrendous acting and a pervading student film feel. However, if you enjoyed the Amityville Horror movie and book (especially the book) you might want to give Beyond Darkness a try. Many of the most terrifying aspects of the Amityville book are an integral part of this movie including hooded entities lunging at the cast out of nowhere, doorways to hell, and some unforgettable scenes of inanimate objects like an antique radio becoming possessed by the dark forces in the house. Yes it's true that the portrayal of the family is perhaps too clean cut (I know for a fact that pastors' kids can sometimes be brattier than other people's!) and that the actress playing the executed serial killer is more than a little wan. However, if you don't expect Oscar winning performances in horror films, then you will find Beyond Darkness a creepy treat to watch alone on a stormy night. And before inserting the tape, you might want to turn off the radio first.

Beyond Belief...

[rickmacnamara · 3/10 · 14 February 2022]

...that they made this movie. PROS: had a satisfyingly creepy feel right from the opening prison execution scene; it was fun to see the kid from Troll 2; as a vintage radio collector, it was fun for me to see the possessed radio scene, even tho that particular radio was a reproduction CONS: not nearly as funny as Troll 2; the story was confusing; some of the demon makeup looked as though they just rubbed oatmeal over their faces and let's face it, oatmeal is not very terrifying.

This was made in 1990, at the tail end of two decades that featured some of the best modern horror classics and this movie either paid homage to many of them or just unashamedly ripped them off. I failed to find even one original idea. You have exorcism of a child, a creepy closet that is a portal to Hell, clueless parents who should have reacted sooner to obvious dangers, and the aforementioned oatmeal-slathered demons. You've seen all of this before, done much better.

I am a fan of Fragasso's Troll 2 so I watched it all the way through. If you've never seen a Fragasso film, watch Troll 2 instead.

Pretty bad Italian horror.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 4/10 · 12 December 2003]

"La Casa 5"/"Beyond Darkness" is another lamentable horror film from Claudio Fragasso,the man behind incredibly awful "Troll 2"(1990).The plot is simple:a priest(Gene Le Brock)and his family move into new house.Unfortunately the house was built over the place where twenty witches were burnt at the stake.Soon the terror begins..."La Casa 5" is a typical Italian possessed house horror which owes a lot to "The Amityville Horror"(1979).The script is mediocre,the acting is horrible and there is absolutely no gore.The special effects are also pretty bad including a possessed radio and flying cleaver.The film is not as painful as "Troll 2",but it's close.Skip it.My rating:4 out of 10.

Not Even Bob Villa Could Fix This House!

[Zantara Xenophobe · 2/10 · 7 June 2001]

This review contains some minor SPOILERS, so do not read it if you do not wish to have some points revealed to you.

If you came across this title on this site and were like me, you were probably left scratching your head as to how `Beyond Darkness' could be subtitles `House 5.' This movie was made in 1990 and `House IV' was made in 1992. Well, it seems like someone just slapped the `House' label on to try and hide the fact that nothing else about it is interesting. This is nothing like the other `House' movies (though none of them are alike in any way either) and should not be thought of as part of the series. Instead, think of it as just another boring horror movie that you need to avoid. It was, after all, made by the same writer/director that brought us the universally panned `Troll 2.' To be fair, I believe that this movie has positive intentions. But good intentions do not necessarily make a good movie.

The movie begins with a priest hoping to hear a woman about to be executed give her soul to God. This woman, who murdered a bunch of children in a house, is either possessed or is simply crazy. It is hard to make that out. She tries to tempt the priest by telling him to repent his religion to learn more about her evil Satanic ideas. He almost does it, and is thus haunted throughout the rest of the film by this guilt. When the woman is put in the electric chair, the priest sets out for the house in question faster than you can say "The Horror Show." Apparently, the house is on the site of some ancient place where witches were once burned at the stake. While he is on his way there, a second priest is moving into the house with his family, and he was given the house by the local head priest, who knows of the evil and deliberately sends the priest and his family there to stop the evil. Huh? Well, they move in and are visited by evil spirits faster than you can say "Amityville Horror." After the first few spooky happenings, one of which would really freak you out if it happened to you (but doesn't freak you out here), you would think the family would take the hint and get out of there faster than you can say "Poltergeist." But no. Then your conflict, when the ghost of the executed woman and her laughable spirit helpers kidnap the priest's son, would not exist. When the first priest arrives, the two holy men join forces and set about to rid the house of evil faster than you can say "The Exorcist." Yada yada yada.

There's plenty more other than a standard plot that makes `Beyond Darkness' a lousy movie. First, the special effects are bad. I tend not to stress this sort of thing, but when a script calls for something that a budget just can't handle, it's time to either change the script or not do the movie at all. Most of the effects here are done in smoke-filled rooms to mask their low quality. This, however, just gets really bothersome. And boring. Another annoyance is the abundance of stereotypes. The entire family is so pious that you see right through their one-dimensional characters. And their acting of these stereotypes is really bad. Rarely do filmmakers find good child actors, and here they scraped the bottom of the desperation barrel. The boy playing the son is so horrid that you really hope the witch goes through with the sacrifice. But the worst thing about the film is how slow it all moves. Not once does the pace ever pick up, especially when the priests are battling the evil. I kid you not, I watched the scenes where the priests are walking through the house in fast forward and they were still moving like snails. Thus the only things that this movie has to offer are good intentions. I can get those from watching `House II,' which, unlike this movie, is fun to watch and in no need of renovation. Zantara's score: 2 out of 10.

Hip Priest!

[Bezenby · 5/10 · 31 August 2014]

For the three hundredth Italian haunted house horror I've watched in a row, Claudio Fragrasso, director of Troll 2 and part time amok killer robot, brings us an Italian haunted house horror with a bit of the Exorcist thrown in, plus a bit of Poltergiest for good measure.

Priest George (David Brandon from Stagefright) loses his faith after attending the execution of a devil worshipping child killer, so you've got your Father Damien there. Later, a family move into what I think was Priest George's house, the father of which is also a priest. This priest is played by the guy out of Metamorphisis and his kid is the kid out of Troll 2! Nice one.

Things start going wrong right away, what with toys moving on their own and a door to nowhere attracting the kid's attention, and before you know it, one of the kids has been pulled into another dimension by some vengeful witches and that chick who got the chair at the beginning of the film.

What bogged this film down for me and made my mind wander awfully was the amount of screen time devoted to all the priests talking about losing their faith and keeping their faith and so on. It kind of goes on endlessly as they all argue with each other. There's also an awful lot of wandering around the house and a certain scene where a wall melts almost had me nodding off.

When the film did decide to do the haunted house bit things were fine, as was some of the make up jobs on the witches and those that get possessed. Some of the acting by the kids was worth a laugh too, but this film is more fog machine heavy than anything Fulci made. You can give this one a miss if you want.

Is it just me or was there exactly one synth in Italy for composers to score soundtracks with? Every single soundtrack on these films sounds the same.

Next: Cat in the Brain!

I Devoured Their Souls

[pelhamc · 6/10 · 7 November 2016]

Beyond Darkness is a b horror picture about a haunted house. It's Poltergeist meets The Exorcist.

A reverend and his unsuspecting family move into a house with mysterious supernatural symptoms. Even more mysterious was why a married Protestant minister was a part of the Catholic Church, but these are details, just a minor technicality! The creepy ambient music was doled out with a heavy hand and it worked. The special effects were on point, and the tone was camp-free.

The acting was what you would want to see in this type of story. The hag and the Catholic exorcist killed it. The minister and his wife, not so much. The writing didn't make a whole lot of sense. It could have used more development, such as the backstory about the property being built on the sight of a mass witch lynching. The opening scene more than made up for the gaps in the narrative logic. Beyond Darkness is nobody's classic, but it delivers.

Yaaaaaaaawn

[Nightgaunt · 3/10 · 21 February 2002]

Well, I'm not going to talk much about that movie, cause I agree in most point with the comment by Zantara, but I just had another thing concerning the Title. &The original title "La Casa 5" an the american subtitle just can't beat the german title "Horror House 2". I never saw a movie called "Horror House" in any video-tape library or on TV an no german homepage knows the first part. So if you think calling it House 5 is ridiculous, nope, german video producers beat that by far.

house five, a true real story, recognized from the sacred roman church

[massimoperloni · 10/10 · 18 October 2010]

House five, is not the continuation of the other houses. House five, extension for the first time a true fact of property, recognized from the sacred Roman church. The history is draft from the book " the 100 cases of demonic property recognized from the Holy Roman Church of father "Malachia" For the first time in a property film, the splitting of the two children is looked at entirety, l' real spirit and that possessed. An exchange of the two children happens, with the parents and its family goes that mistaking. The child will be saved with exorcism, from a priest who had lost the faith, tormented and scared, from the demon and now, alcoholic victim . This priest will return to the faith, during l' exorcism. It had lost the faith in order to have confessed a modern witch, condemned to the capital punishment on the chair electrical worker, in reality the woman was possessed from a demon between most frightful: Ameth, that it eats the spirits of the children in order to become stronger. (it is in the Bible) to the history appeals to me so much, for the depth. The film is to low cost, but the special effects beautiful because are made as years were made ago, when the computer did not exist. The film is of 1990 and task that would have to be praised who little succeeds with money to make a film that however it scares, thanks to the many ideas of the script and to a good direction. Task is easy to make good films when many money is had. The scene that it has hit to me more, is that of little the child, that it dreams to wake up sluice in a coffin, where, the family sees dead to it, but it is alive, she screams, and she screams, but she feels it to nobody, then encircle it to the witches, making them a magical deceit, in order to steal them spirit. The witches are devout people to Ameth. Much fear and much Gore. The Louisiana still renders more l' atmosphere. To see and to appreciate also for the suspense in the long, from the taste of the past, without those movements of movie-cam, too much fast times and you deprive of sense, within the history and in the turned scene, only used for giving rhythm, to case. The atmospheres thriller the fear, manifest in the waits. For this ballot 10/10. To revalue

In the first 6 minutes:

[lorddrewsus · 6/10 · 29 April 2019]

If you watch this, in the first six minutes you are treated to an eerie death row scene. One in which a satanist eating souls of children is a female psycho-path. Or, genuinely in league with the devil. Some weird and miss-timed camera cut aways that add to the eerie-ness, and a spooky house. If the rest of the movie was boring (it's not) this would be more entertaining than most movies now-a-days. This is classic Italian-made-set-in-America movie stuff. Right era, right setting, right pre-tense. Smart people would find new residence once the damn swan started rocking, just saying. This movie should also serve as a warning to those fallen priests that think they can just buy a trench coat and some booze and wander around saying the devil can just take your soul. Roving schools of ghost children will find you. Also... Just say no to ovens used to burn bad children.

the turkey house

[trashgang · 3/10 · 30 March 2011]

This is the last in the Casa franchise and it surely shows why. this is really a turkey but somehow you keep watching to see what happens next. It's even so worse that the last shot just before the end credits aren't correct, you know what should happen but don't worry, if you wait until the end credits are over your wish will come true. The acting is so over the top, really wooden and normally flicks with haunted children should be scary but here it's just laughable. Nevertheless, all imaginable effects are used. Mostly the very cheap ones, scary, sigh, lights and smoke, an annoying score, bad make-up. Really, a must see to believe but that's the problem, it hasn't had a proper release and is only available on VHS. It was made in 1990 so for the effects available then this is really a turkey. And each time you think, ahaa the end is coming something new happens. And still I'm glad that I have seen it...

Amityville meets Poltergeist

[necro-14599 · 5/10 · 20 March 2020]

Fun little film that seems to combine The Amityville Horror and Poltergeis , tie in a little of The Exorcists and you've got the plot. If you're into a lot of gore then this one probably isn't for you but worth a watch if nothing else is around. 5/10

A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT

[kirbylee70-599-526179 · 3/10 · 9 February 2022]

The Italian film industry at one point made a habit of sequels to movies that had no ties to the original movie either via producers or content. They simply placed the name on a film and released it as a sequel since the copyrights didn't exist in Italy. Because of this the film EVIL DEAD was released as well as the true sequel only to be followed by several sequels that had nothing to do with the film. Instead of being called EVIL DEAD the film was released as CASA. And now CASA 5 has been released by Severin as BEYOND DARKNESS.

The film opens with a priest named George (David Brandon) going to give last rites to a convicted serial killer named Bette (Mary Coulson). She's killed numerous children. As they talk she refuses his rites and tries to convince him that following Ameth as she does is the right path, telling him that she is taking the children's souls with her to hell. As she leaves he thinks he sees the children following her and after the execution he sees them in the viewer's area.

Off we go to New Orleans where a young pastor named Peter (Gene LeBrock) is moving into a new house with his wife Annie (Barbara Bingham) and children Martin (Michael Stephenson) and Carole (Theresa Walker). It's a huge house and they welcome the opportunity. While walking through they come to the children's room where they find a 5' tall black rocking swan left behind.

It isn't long before strange things begin to happen. Carole finds a glowing hole in one of the closets. The swan rocks on its own during the night. An unplugged radio turns itself on and the table it sits on slides across the dining room towards the family. A cleaver flies through the room and imbeds itself in the door. All things that would incline most families to say hey, Motel 6 is open, let's check in. Instead this family stays. Not only that the next day Father Peter goes to talk to his supervisor and leaves them alone at home.

It turns out the house was built on land where 20 witches were burned at the stake. And they're trying to come back, led by Bette. They plan to do so by possessing young Martin and offering everyone else up as sacrifices. But Father George arrives, drinking and still doubting, but there to help.

So let's see. House = Amityville, check. Witches = Argento, check. Possession = The Exorcist, check. You see this film feels like it took bits and pieces of other films and mixed them in a bowl, pouring them out into a screenplay that jumps back and forth nonstop. Some will view it as a typical Italian horror film, some will laugh, some will think it is original and others, like me, will think it's a waste of time.

Director Claudio Fragasso made a name for himself as a writer of films in Italy before he delved into directing. His two biggest films are MONSTER DOG which starred Alice Cooper and TROLL 2 considered a terrible movie by most. He's praised by fans of Italian horror films but I've yet to find a movie I would consider praiseworthy in his list of credit. This one surely is not that.

And yet it will be one that finds its way to the shelves of collectors everywhere. Fans of Italian horror, of Fragasso and of series like this. Severin has done a wonderful job in their presentation. Extras include "Beyond Possession: An Interview with Director/Co-writer Claudio Fragasso", "The Devil in Mrs. Drudi: Interview with Co-Writer Rosella Drudi", "Sign of the Cross: Interview with Actor David Brandon", the trailer for the film and the soundtrack on CD. If you're a fan pick this one up. If not then pass it by.

It's Claudio fragasso...what do you expect

[joshjack-35680 · 1/10 · 26 July 2021]

It's obvious...and by watching some of the extras on some of his poopy re-release films from severin's library and so on...that this director is insanely jealous of American filmmakers such as Francis Ford Coppola. He continuously bashes American filmmakers. Why????? Apocalypse now was one of the best films ever??? And he couldn't bare it??? Get over it. I love classic Italian and European films from the 1940s to the late 1980s. But this amateur and his pesky porker 300lb wife are not in my top 10. Mario bava..Riccardo Freda...Umberto Lenzi..Ruggero Deodato...Federico Fellini...Sergio Martino...are the real filmmakers are legendary icons of Italian cinema.....and even Matteo Garrone gets thrown in the mix...including Carlos Aured...and classic spaghetti western legendary filmmakers such as Sergio corbucci...Sergio sollima...Giulio questi etc.but downing filmmakers from a different continent doesn't make you a respectful filmmaker...considering some of his films are awful and cheap...and cheezy in a very bad way .. I saw (or attempted) to watch some of this man's films and they were so bad I literally gave em away to second hand shops like half price books and the exchange with no expectations of getting a good trade in value...zombie 4 is about the only film I will own from this.mess of a filmmaker. If you disagree with me that's ok..but I stick with my opinion of this atrocious piece of fecal matter. Cheers!!!!!!

At its best when you are drinking and/or smoking

[bflocket · 6/10 · 8 October 2013]

This movie is a little bit stupid. But that is one of its best qualities. Acting ain't great. Special effects even worse (OK, they're better than SOME of the actors).

I couldn't get over David Brandon (Caligula in http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082133/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_152) playing a priest. He may be a drunk, but still a man of the cloth. I still can't make it through Caligula 2: The Untold Story in one sitting. It is not only kind of mean-spirited, but actually gross.

I got this on X-Rated (German video label, not MPAA) DVD in a fat box (große hartbox) and the box/case is actually a whole lot better than the film. Way better, as a matter of fact. It's called "Ghost House 6" on the box. Pretty sure it's called "Beyond Darkness" in the credits.

Enjoyable and cheesy haunted house effort

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 8/10 · 24 November 2019]

After moving into a new house, a priest and his family find themselves terrorized by a series of strange supernatural phenomenon that points to the house being haunted by a malevolent demon seeking human souls to deliver to a Satanic entity and turns to a disgruntled colleague to save his family.

This here wasn't too bad of a haunted house effort. That's one of the most intriguing aspects here as the film wastes no time setting up this facet in the first half. Almost immediately after moving in, the daughters' displays of supernatural happenings give this a great introduction to the kind of wild affair to the later haunting scenes. Not only running through the usual trappings of toying with lights, sudden outbursts of wind blowing through windows or wreaking havoc with electronics and household utensils but also scalding their faces or causing dreams where they appear as demonic brides attempting to lure the family away. That leads nicely into the film's stellar supernatural action scenes. The first encounter with the demonic brides appearing out of the walls and chasing them through the house features several chilling scenes of the mass of creatures through the fog before being driven away, while the later sequence where they return to chase the children eventually taking one of them to their world offers the creepiest moments in the film. The finale, where the two priests come together to battle the main figure, really generates plenty of wild action as the religious confrontations for why they're fighting lead into their non-stop battles. Featuring the exorcism of the son, the battle with the female demon and spectacular burning-down-the-house conclusion, the wildness here comes through nicely while also giving this one the chance for atmospheric touches and some ghastly ghoul make-up on the creatures. These are what hold the film up as there are a few flaws here. Among the biggest issues here are the completely nonsensical ideas that are peppered throughout the film. The whole connection between the executed woman and the events at the house are never given as she's never responsible for what was said to be responsible in the house or why the house was possessed in the first place. It's also quite short on why the family was there as it seemed there was a purpose in them being brought in but as for why nothing was done with the house until they moved in is incredibly strange and confusing. That leads to the other problematic issue here where the film feels somewhat overlong not through pacing but continuous action. The finale is especially guilty of this, ranging from the possession and exorcism of the kid to the temptation of the fallen priest and finally having the older reluctant priest coming into play to stop the demonic entity. Hardly any of these storylines come about with any kind of logical narrative build-up from what's going on before making for a somewhat overlong time here. Along with the films' cheesiness, these are what hold this one down.

Rated Unrated/R: Violence, intense themes of children-in-jeopardy and Language.

Really entertaining "Good vs. Evil" horror flick

[Milo-Jeeder · 7/10 · 27 March 2021]

"Beyond Darkness", also branded as the fifth sequel to the "Evil Dead" franchise, has absolutely nothing to do with said franchise. It could be regarded, however, as part of a quadrilogy, along with "Ghosthouse" (1988), "Witchery" (1988) and "Killing Birds" (1988), all Filmirage productions that were also branded as sequels to "The Evil Dead". Though not connected plot-wise, these flicks offer a somewhat distinctive atmosphere and musical score that brings them together in a way that could link them as "sister movies".

Director Claudio Fragasso (here credited as Clyde Anderson), who directed a modest number of low budget horror productions under different aliases (including the infamous "Troll 2"), gives us a film that provides a restricted amount of sense and more than a couple of ridiculous moments for the sole purpose of shock value. In the end, however, "Beyond Darkness" sure is fun to watch and more respectable than I initially had hoped for. To enjoy a movie like this, you have to be able to get past the campy moments that are prominently featured in these particular Italian/American horror productions from the 80s (or early 90s, in this case).

In "Beyond Darkness", a family of four moves into a big house, which was given to them by the church, since the man of said family, Peter, is a reverend. As soon as they arrive, bizarre events begin to take place in the house. The children, Carole and Martin, begin to hear sounds and voices coming from a wall, which is, in fact, a portal that leads to a very sinister realm, inhabited by a group of witches that were once burned at the stake. The family members are pit against the forces of evil that dwell within the walls of their home, as the coven of witches want to take both Martin and Carole and offer them to their god.

This movie ticks all the boxes to be a fun "Good vs. Evil" type of horror flick and it succeeds in delivering all the cliches perfectly well. The lazy or inconsistent writing leaves a bunch of ambiguous details hanging and it is up to the viewer to find a rational explanation. Fragasso finds a way to combine elements of "The Exorcist" and "Poltergeist", while also providing the movie with its own distinctive nature. In spite of the lazy writing, the film doesn't feel like a major "what the fudge?" experience and, trust me, this is something very frequent in Italian-American horror productions from the 80s.

In the acting department, "Beyond Darkness" doesn't really disappoint. Gene LeBrock, as Father Peter is not a very interesting character, but he gets the job done. Mary Coulson, on the other hand, does an incredible work playing a deranged and sadistic killer and the leader of the witches. The rest of the main cast is completed with David Brandon, who plays Father George, a former priest and full-time alcoholic who is devoted to fight against the forces of evil. Brandon has a lot of experience in horror flicks, and especially with the Italian company Filmirage, usually playing intense and histrionic roles and in this particular case, both attributes are taken to the extreme, in a way that is consistent with his character.

The score by Carlo Maria Cordio, which is basically a rehash from "Witchery" (1988) and "Killing Birds" (1988), fits this movie perfectly, especially the dramatic pipe organ music that enhances the dark atmosphere considerably. Rehash or not, Cordio really is one talented composers and he has worked in several horror productions, providing strong and distinctive music that really intensifies the dramatic tone.

Claudio Fragasso's ditsy-demonic 'Beyond Darkness' is a bewitchingly bonkers B-Horror

[Weirdling_Wolf · 8/10 · 11 January 2022]

Claudio Fragasso's splatter movie reputation has improved exponentially over the years, not only due to the rabidly infectious, world-wide cult of Nilbog-obsessed 'Troll 2' fans, but the morbidly maggot-strewn mayhem of his splatter happy 'Zombie Flesh Eaters 3' remains a Fragasso highlight! For me, the blood-burnished, B-Movie jewel in maestro Fragasso's sublimely schlocky oeuvre is the demon-possessed, devilishly diabolical 1990s haunted house horror show 'Beyond Darkness'. A genre filmmaker usually disparaged for his rudimentary mise en scene, some trash movie fans may balk at Fragasso's relative cinematic competency as he luridly puts handsome padre (Gene LeBrock), and his young family through their ghastly poltergeist paces!

After they excitedly move into their isolated country abode, ill omened manifestations begin to darkly disrupt their bucolic idyll. Garishly tormented by illuminated netherworld portals, disorientated by spectral, sigil-shrilling radio transmissions, this beleaguered family experiences a terror tumult of legitimately biblical proportions! The goodly, and, perhaps, no longer godly, Father George's (David Brandon) courageous attempts to banish these witchy wraiths concludes in a ghoulishly tempestuous smoke-lashed 80s pop video exorcism! Sympathetically acted by, Gene LeBrock, his fresh-faced amiability is starkly contrasted by the energetically dissipated turn by Euro-cult hero, David Brandon! Last, but by no means least, music maestro, Carlo Maria Cordio provides yet another lively, spine-tinglingly splendid score.