THE BEYOND

A young girl tries to restore a semi-destroyed hotel she has inherited. But the hotel is built on one of the seven gates of hell, and the forces of evil begin to unleash... Considered by many to be the masterpiece of the "poet of the macabre" Fulci, it is certainly one of the best horror films by the director, although somewhat overrated. Excellent special effects and splatter scenes, the acting is unusually good (the actress "favorite" of Fulci, Catherine McColl, is once again the protagonist of the film), the film has the flaw of having a sometimes confusing plot and an ending a bit too enigmatic, almost hermetic. Of course, anyone who loves horror cannot but be fascinated by the visionary ability of the director, by the catalog of atrocities staged and by the perfect special effects, once again by Gianetto De Rossi. Curiosity: the original screenplay of the film did not at all foresee that zombies would be part of the story. The German financiers of the film demanded that Fulci include them, almost by force, given the enormous success that the zombie subgenre had at the time; so, with the help of screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti, the "poor" Fulci tried, as best he could, to insert some scenes involving the appearance of the undead. Given the little time and the scarce resources available, it can be said that better could not be done.