The Beyond...WTF?
04-24-04, 05:27 PM
#1
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The Beyond...WTF?
So thought I would get into some gore...it's been a while. I love Bava, so I thought I would check out some later famed Italian horror. So I rented The Beyond.
WTF? This is as good as it gets? I don't know where to start to bash the movie. It makes Halloween 3 look like the Exorcist.
WTF? This is as good as it gets? I don't know where to start to bash the movie. It makes Halloween 3 look like the Exorcist.
04-24-04, 05:44 PM
#2
Banned by request
Scot, I think you and I were born to clash. First Master and Commander, and now this. I love The Beyond. I think it's one of the best horror films ever made. Amazing visuals, incredible makeup, fantastic atmosphere. The ending is perfect. It's one of the few films that has actually managed to scare me. I need to go watch it again.
Edit: Also, I find Bava to be laborious. I find Fulci a lot more interesting. His eye for composition is fantastic. Have you seen any Argento?
Edit: Also, I find Bava to be laborious. I find Fulci a lot more interesting. His eye for composition is fantastic. Have you seen any Argento?
04-24-04, 06:10 PM
#3
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Originally posted by Suprmallet
Scot, I think you and I were born to clash. First Master and Commander, and now this. I love The Beyond. I think it's one of the best horror films ever made. Amazing visuals, incredible makeup, fantastic atmosphere. The ending is perfect. It's one of the few films that has actually managed to scare me. I need to go watch it again.
Edit: Also, I find Bava to be laborious. I find Fulci a lot more interesting. His eye for composition is fantastic. Have you seen any Argento?
Scot, I think you and I were born to clash. First Master and Commander, and now this. I love The Beyond. I think it's one of the best horror films ever made. Amazing visuals, incredible makeup, fantastic atmosphere. The ending is perfect. It's one of the few films that has actually managed to scare me. I need to go watch it again.
Edit: Also, I find Bava to be laborious. I find Fulci a lot more interesting. His eye for composition is fantastic. Have you seen any Argento?
I'll give you the ending was kind of cool, but that is it. The rest was like something you see on MST3000.
Take Planet of Vampires, an early Bava. It's fun to watch, the visuals, the scenes are a treat. This one..well it seemed all it had going for it was gore. (which was some of the worse SFX I've ever seen.)
I have some Argento in my que..what do you suggest?
04-24-04, 06:13 PM
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Originally posted by Scot1458
I think you mean Scot1548 for Master and Commander, I have'nt even seen the film. We are two different people.
I think you mean Scot1548 for Master and Commander, I have'nt even seen the film. We are two different people.
04-24-04, 06:17 PM
#5
Banned by request
Originally posted by Scot1458
I think you mean Scot1548 for Master and Commander, I don't remember commenting on the film. We are two different people.
I think you mean Scot1548 for Master and Commander, I don't remember commenting on the film. We are two different people.
I'll give you the ending was kind of cool, but that is it. The rest was like something you see on MST3000.
Take Planet of Vampires, an early Bava. It's fun to watch, the visuals, the scenes are a treat. This one..well it seemed all it had going for it was gore. (which was some of the worse SFX I've ever seen.)
I have some Argento in my que..what do you suggest?
Take Planet of Vampires, an early Bava. It's fun to watch, the visuals, the scenes are a treat. This one..well it seemed all it had going for it was gore. (which was some of the worse SFX I've ever seen.)
I have some Argento in my que..what do you suggest?
Spoiler:
Bava just never did it for me.
For Argento, I cannot suggest Deep Red highly enough. Simply one of the best murder mysteries ever put on film. Also, Suspiria is the acknowledged classic.
04-24-04, 06:20 PM
#6
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Originally posted by Suprmallet
I thought the SFX was outstanding, and the atmosphere gave me chills. The scene where
really freaked me out.
Bava just never did it for me.
For Argento, I cannot suggest Deep Red highly enough. Simply one of the best murder mysteries ever put on film. Also, Suspiria is the acknowledged classic.
I thought the SFX was outstanding, and the atmosphere gave me chills. The scene where
Spoiler:
Bava just never did it for me.
For Argento, I cannot suggest Deep Red highly enough. Simply one of the best murder mysteries ever put on film. Also, Suspiria is the acknowledged classic.
Suspiria is not offerend (damn you netflix) but I know Deep Red is. I'll give that a try.
And for Bava, dont' forget he is old school, and have you seen Black Sabbath? I don't know how anybody can not like that film.
04-24-04, 06:30 PM
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Italian horror ****ing rocks!!!!
The Beyond is a masterpiece, the atmosphere can't be beat, the score is fantastic and i love the ending. Fulci knows how to make them.
Mario Bava is great too, Black Sabbath, Blood And Black Lace and Black Sunday are all great works.
My personal favorite is Argento, his films are fantastic. Deep Red, Suspiria, Phenomena, Tenebre, Opera, etc.. are all worth watching. Great stuff!
The Beyond is a masterpiece, the atmosphere can't be beat, the score is fantastic and i love the ending. Fulci knows how to make them.
Mario Bava is great too, Black Sabbath, Blood And Black Lace and Black Sunday are all great works.
My personal favorite is Argento, his films are fantastic. Deep Red, Suspiria, Phenomena, Tenebre, Opera, etc.. are all worth watching. Great stuff!
04-24-04, 11:46 PM
#8
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Italian horror is very much an acquired taste.
04-25-04, 05:39 AM
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I like a lot of Argento's work, and Bava's "Kill, Baby, Kill" and "Lisa and the Devil" are genuinely good, but I just can't understand why Fulci is held in such high regard by many horror fans.
True, he has something of an eye for composition, but his storytelling skills are consistently pathetic. Where Argento may often deliberately throw logic out of the window, Fulci doesn't seem to even understand the meaning of the word. Consequently, his films are lazy and underwritten where Argento's best ones (like Suspiria) achieve a kind of surrealist lyricism with a somewhat similar style-over-content approach. I guess the difference lies in Fulci's misapprehension that poor scenes don't detract from the effectiveness of good ones and in his confusing "impatient waiting" with "anticipation".
I really wanted to like The Beyond, but very early on I became extremely frustrated by its idiocy, which effectively killed the mood of all but every scene. Fulci generally seems to try to mask his inability to direct active horror scenes by stretching simple images (a body rising from a pool of mud, spiders crawling across the floor) to cover a five-minute sequence, and then throwing in repetitious, overdone music for good measure. In The Beyond, this seemed to be his primary modus operandi, and I found the results laughable most of the time.
Very soon after starting to work my way through the b-horror epics of yesteryear I gave up any attempt to be scared by them. But I do expect to be entertained by a work heralded as a schlock-horror masterpiece. To me, Fulci's "style" of halting the narrative to concoct long-winded sequences involving the mere appearance of an unnatural being (a rotting corpse, mostly) just doesn't work. He can create atmosphere of dread, to be sure, but doesn't have a clue what to do with it.
PS. To be fair, I didn't hate Fulci's "Zombi 2". It exhibits the same flaws as his other works, but at least it had some coherence and didn't fall apart at the seams.
True, he has something of an eye for composition, but his storytelling skills are consistently pathetic. Where Argento may often deliberately throw logic out of the window, Fulci doesn't seem to even understand the meaning of the word. Consequently, his films are lazy and underwritten where Argento's best ones (like Suspiria) achieve a kind of surrealist lyricism with a somewhat similar style-over-content approach. I guess the difference lies in Fulci's misapprehension that poor scenes don't detract from the effectiveness of good ones and in his confusing "impatient waiting" with "anticipation".
I really wanted to like The Beyond, but very early on I became extremely frustrated by its idiocy, which effectively killed the mood of all but every scene. Fulci generally seems to try to mask his inability to direct active horror scenes by stretching simple images (a body rising from a pool of mud, spiders crawling across the floor) to cover a five-minute sequence, and then throwing in repetitious, overdone music for good measure. In The Beyond, this seemed to be his primary modus operandi, and I found the results laughable most of the time.
Very soon after starting to work my way through the b-horror epics of yesteryear I gave up any attempt to be scared by them. But I do expect to be entertained by a work heralded as a schlock-horror masterpiece. To me, Fulci's "style" of halting the narrative to concoct long-winded sequences involving the mere appearance of an unnatural being (a rotting corpse, mostly) just doesn't work. He can create atmosphere of dread, to be sure, but doesn't have a clue what to do with it.
PS. To be fair, I didn't hate Fulci's "Zombi 2". It exhibits the same flaws as his other works, but at least it had some coherence and didn't fall apart at the seams.
04-25-04, 12:20 PM
#10
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Scott 1458 & Suprmallet - you got me interested in this beyond flick but you both completey go in opposite directions.
I want to check it out and it seems like the kind of movie I would like (just by reading your posts).
Scott1458 - It's obvious you would rather use this movie as a coaster so I won't ask you for any other views on it - but it's cool that you were more than dead honest about it.
Suprmallet - can you compare this movie to any others? How does it compare to movies like the original TCM?? And what kind of horror movies are you into?
I want to check it out and it seems like the kind of movie I would like (just by reading your posts).
Scott1458 - It's obvious you would rather use this movie as a coaster so I won't ask you for any other views on it - but it's cool that you were more than dead honest about it.
Suprmallet - can you compare this movie to any others? How does it compare to movies like the original TCM?? And what kind of horror movies are you into?
04-25-04, 12:57 PM
#11
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Thread Starter
Originally posted by Tyler_Durden
I
I really wanted to like The Beyond, but very early on I became extremely frustrated by its idiocy, which effectively killed the mood of all but every scene. Fulci generally seems to try to mask his inability to direct active horror scenes by stretching simple images (a body rising from a pool of mud, spiders crawling across the floor) to cover a five-minute sequence, and then throwing in repetitious, overdone music for good measure. In The Beyond, this seemed to be his primary modus operandi, and I found the results laughable most of the time.
Very soon after starting to work my way through the b-horror epics of yesteryear I gave up any attempt to be scared by them. But I do expect to be entertained by a work heralded as a schlock-horror masterpiece. To me, Fulci's "style" of halting the narrative to concoct long-winded sequences involving the mere appearance of an unnatural being (a rotting corpse, mostly) just doesn't work. He can create atmosphere of dread, to be sure, but doesn't have a clue what to do with it.
I
I really wanted to like The Beyond, but very early on I became extremely frustrated by its idiocy, which effectively killed the mood of all but every scene. Fulci generally seems to try to mask his inability to direct active horror scenes by stretching simple images (a body rising from a pool of mud, spiders crawling across the floor) to cover a five-minute sequence, and then throwing in repetitious, overdone music for good measure. In The Beyond, this seemed to be his primary modus operandi, and I found the results laughable most of the time.
Very soon after starting to work my way through the b-horror epics of yesteryear I gave up any attempt to be scared by them. But I do expect to be entertained by a work heralded as a schlock-horror masterpiece. To me, Fulci's "style" of halting the narrative to concoct long-winded sequences involving the mere appearance of an unnatural being (a rotting corpse, mostly) just doesn't work. He can create atmosphere of dread, to be sure, but doesn't have a clue what to do with it.
That is supposed to be horror? You mention logic...and boy there isn't any of it. We leave a charcter for 40 minutes (the maid at the house) only to pick her up in time for her death....where she just appears out of nowhere. Huh?
I don't see how you can compare Bava to Fulci at all. All Fulci has going for him is showing a geletin eye getting pierced.
I'll keep going with some other directors and see how their movies are. I was just amazed at Bava's Black Sabbath, Bloody Sunday and Planet of Vampires, and thought Italian Horror must be great!
Then I watched the Beyond. Again, it makes the Friday the 13th films look good.
04-25-04, 01:38 PM
#12
Banned by request
Originally posted by Rival11
Suprmallet - can you compare this movie to any others? How does it compare to movies like the original TCM?? And what kind of horror movies are you into?
Suprmallet - can you compare this movie to any others? How does it compare to movies like the original TCM?? And what kind of horror movies are you into?
Some people might flame me for this, but to me the closest comparable horror film is The Shining. Both films have hotels, and hauntings, and the pace is slow in both. I'm sure some of The Beyond's detractors will jump on me and say "How dare you compare Fulci to Kubrick" or something, but that's the film that comes closest to The Beyond.
As for other horror films I enjoy, as I mentioned above, I love Deep Red and Suspiria, Romero's dead trilogy (and Martin), tons of Japanese horror (The Ring, Evil Dead Trap, Cure, Kairo), A Nightmare On Elm St., Rosemary's Baby, Carrie, The Silence of the Lambs, and on and on. I love horror films.
04-25-04, 01:45 PM
#13
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally posted by Suprmallet
The Beyond is in no way like The Texas Chainsaw massacre (I haven't even seen the remake so I'm not going to preface the title with "original"). TCM is, to me, like Halloween. A bit of a build-up of tension at the beginning, and then when the killing starts, it becomes a roller coaster.
Some people might flame me for this, but to me the closest comparable horror film is The Shining. Both films have hotels, and hauntings, and the pace is slow in both. I'm sure some of The Beyond's detractors will jump on me and say "How dare you compare Fulci to Kubrick" or something, but that's the film that comes closest to The Beyond.
As for other horror films I enjoy, as I mentioned above, I love Deep Red and Suspiria, Romero's dead trilogy (and Martin), tons of Japanese horror (The Ring, Evil Dead Trap, Cure, Kairo), A Nightmare On Elm St., Rosemary's Baby, Carrie, The Silence of the Lambs, and on and on. I love horror films.
The Beyond is in no way like The Texas Chainsaw massacre (I haven't even seen the remake so I'm not going to preface the title with "original"). TCM is, to me, like Halloween. A bit of a build-up of tension at the beginning, and then when the killing starts, it becomes a roller coaster.
Some people might flame me for this, but to me the closest comparable horror film is The Shining. Both films have hotels, and hauntings, and the pace is slow in both. I'm sure some of The Beyond's detractors will jump on me and say "How dare you compare Fulci to Kubrick" or something, but that's the film that comes closest to The Beyond.
As for other horror films I enjoy, as I mentioned above, I love Deep Red and Suspiria, Romero's dead trilogy (and Martin), tons of Japanese horror (The Ring, Evil Dead Trap, Cure, Kairo), A Nightmare On Elm St., Rosemary's Baby, Carrie, The Silence of the Lambs, and on and on. I love horror films.
I'll check out The Beyond for sure now - If you're comparing it to the Shining ...............enough said.
04-25-04, 01:49 PM
#14
Banned by request
Originally posted by Rival11
Well what the hell then? Every movie you said you're into I like as well (with the following exceptions: Cure, Kairo and that's only because I haven't seen them).
I'll check out The Beyond for sure now - If you're comparing it to the Shining ...............enough said.
Well what the hell then? Every movie you said you're into I like as well (with the following exceptions: Cure, Kairo and that's only because I haven't seen them).
I'll check out The Beyond for sure now - If you're comparing it to the Shining ...............enough said.
Glad I could be of help.I think that sound we're hearing now is scot crying.
04-25-04, 02:35 PM
#15
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Ha, yeah but which scot? Scot42589874, Scot3212589, or scotMurderat1600?
04-25-04, 02:54 PM
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The Beyond was ridiculous, yet I really enjoyed it for some reason. That scene with the rubber spiders chewing on the latex head was one of the goofiest things I've ever seen, yet I watched the scene three times. The movie has a strange hold over me.
04-25-04, 04:01 PM
#17
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Originally posted by Suprmallet
Some people might flame me for this, but to me the closest comparable horror film is The Shining. Both films have hotels, and hauntings, and the pace is slow in both. I'm sure some of The Beyond's detractors will jump on me and say "How dare you compare Fulci to Kubrick" or something, but that's the film that comes closest to The Beyond.
Some people might flame me for this, but to me the closest comparable horror film is The Shining. Both films have hotels, and hauntings, and the pace is slow in both. I'm sure some of The Beyond's detractors will jump on me and say "How dare you compare Fulci to Kubrick" or something, but that's the film that comes closest to The Beyond.
And I'm NOT a Kubrick fan either (I think he was slightly better than average, but no master). But come on...comparing the Shining to The Beyond is like comparing The Thing to the Music Man!
Ya know...if you like cheap direct to video horror/sci-fi titles...then the Beyond is for you. Really, that is all it is. Again, less the gore it could have been on MST3000.
Hell, it makes even the last few Hammar films from the 70's look good. Guess we all have different tastes.
04-25-04, 04:03 PM
#18
Banned by request
Originally posted by Suprmallet
Some people might flame me for this, but to me the closest comparable horror film is The Shining.
Some people might flame me for this, but to me the closest comparable horror film is The Shining.
Originally posted by Scot1458
The Shining? Dude, you have lost your mind.
The Shining? Dude, you have lost your mind.
04-25-04, 04:14 PM
#19
DVD Talk Legend
I think the Beyond is great, sure it's a tad cheesy at times (as well as some effects), but I really like the atmosphere it gives, and also Fulci's use of the 'supernatural' kind of zombies, kind of like what he used in City of the Living Dead.
04-25-04, 04:47 PM
#20
Moderator
For those who did like "The Beyond" and don't know this fact, check out the DVD for a hidden alternate 'colour' version of the prologue - it's kind of cool to see it in it's full blown ultra-gory colour incarnation.
04-25-04, 07:58 PM
#21
Banned by request
Originally posted by Giles
For those who did like "The Beyond" and don't know this fact, check out the DVD for a hidden alternate 'colour' version of the prologue - it's kind of cool to see it in it's full blown ultra-gory colour incarnation.
For those who did like "The Beyond" and don't know this fact, check out the DVD for a hidden alternate 'colour' version of the prologue - it's kind of cool to see it in it's full blown ultra-gory colour incarnation.
04-25-04, 10:33 PM
#22
DVD Talk Hero
I liked "The Beyond."
But you can't go into it expecting any kind of plot. The entire movie is more of a linked series of set-pieces than anything else. It follows a kind of nightmare logic, with things happening without rhyme or reason. (In that regard, I found it more successful than Argento's "Inferno," which has a similar set-up and themes.)
But you can't go into it expecting any kind of plot. The entire movie is more of a linked series of set-pieces than anything else. It follows a kind of nightmare logic, with things happening without rhyme or reason. (In that regard, I found it more successful than Argento's "Inferno," which has a similar set-up and themes.)
04-26-04, 01:22 AM
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Originally posted by Rival11
Well what the hell then? Every movie you said you're into I like as well (with the following exceptions: Cure, Kairo and that's only because I haven't seen them).
Well what the hell then? Every movie you said you're into I like as well (with the following exceptions: Cure, Kairo and that's only because I haven't seen them).
Last edited by drjay; 04-26-04 at 01:24 AM.
04-26-04, 01:52 AM
#24
DVD Talk Special Edition
I love Bava but my taste usually run more with the Asian horror than Italian Horror. I guess that is somewhat comparing apples and oranges. I had the tin of "The Beyond" but after one viewing i ebayed it. I just couldn't get into it. I did enjoy some of his less popular films though, like Contraband and another i can't remember the name for, i think House of Clocks or something close to that.But Italian Horror is definitly an acquired taste.
I love Argento's story telling(and i'm looking forward to seeing his new film) and Bava was one of the greats. Plus i guess he is probably the godfather of Slasher Films.
But i will give credit where credit is due, some of the best horror films of all time have been Italian flicks, Black Sunday(mask of Satan), Twitch of the Death Nerve, Suspiria, Bird with a Crystal Plumage, Tenabrae, Demons, New York Ripper and The Church are all some of the greatest i've seen. I just happen to enjoy films like Uzumaki,Ringu, Kairo, and Audition a little more.
I love Argento's story telling(and i'm looking forward to seeing his new film) and Bava was one of the greats. Plus i guess he is probably the godfather of Slasher Films.
But i will give credit where credit is due, some of the best horror films of all time have been Italian flicks, Black Sunday(mask of Satan), Twitch of the Death Nerve, Suspiria, Bird with a Crystal Plumage, Tenabrae, Demons, New York Ripper and The Church are all some of the greatest i've seen. I just happen to enjoy films like Uzumaki,Ringu, Kairo, and Audition a little more.
04-26-04, 04:48 PM
#25
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Man, sorry but I saw this flick last night and I was let down - there were some good scares in there
but all in all - it just wasn't that great of a film.
The music did not fit at all (especially in the beginning, it started off so good and then that damn music kicked in Aghh!!!) there are other spots as well that made me want to cringe.
The acting: well, for it's time it would be considerd decent but it could have been a lot better - even for back then (and I don't want to hear any "It's a horror movie, the acting isn't suppose to be good" crap, I hate that line so much).
The spider scene should have been completely left out and the gore was so over played that it made the movie boring in some parts.
I watched it knowing it would be old school and with that mentality - but It just didn't satisfy me in the end.
Spoiler:
The music did not fit at all (especially in the beginning, it started off so good and then that damn music kicked in Aghh!!!) there are other spots as well that made me want to cringe.
The acting: well, for it's time it would be considerd decent but it could have been a lot better - even for back then (and I don't want to hear any "It's a horror movie, the acting isn't suppose to be good" crap, I hate that line so much).
The spider scene should have been completely left out and the gore was so over played that it made the movie boring in some parts.
I watched it knowing it would be old school and with that mentality - but It just didn't satisfy me in the end.
Last edited by Rival11; 04-26-04 at 05:11 PM.