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Review: The Beyond (Grindhouse Releasing Blu-ray)

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Arguably Lucio Fulci’s greatest film and for plenty of good reasons, The Beyond is a frightening and majestic blend of the supernatural and gore. Grindhouse Releasing has just released the film on Blu-ray in a hi-definition digital; transfer with plenty of bonus features (and other goodies to boot). I won’t even give the false suspense and ask if it’s worth it, because The Beyond is such a good film that it should be in every horror fan’s collection and even if you only could own one Fulci film, this should be the one.

Lucio Fulci regular Catriona MacColl (credited in this film as Katherine MacColl) plays New York City girl Liza who just inherited an old hotel in Louisiana. The hotel has been defunct since 1927 and for a good reason; it serves as one of the seven gateways to Hell (one of the alternate titles for an edited version of the film is 7 Doors of Death)! It doesn’t take long before “accidents” begin to happen. Literally, just as she is starting to get the place cleaned up, a painter falls off a scaffolding and the plumber Joe… poor Joe, he has his eyeball plucked out, which oddly nobody finds the least bit weird.

But there is an explanation to the horrific happenings around the hotel; you see, back in 1927, a warlock who knew of the gateway was trying to protect the locals and was mistaken for bringing Hell and so he was nailed to the wall in his room, which was room #36, beaten with chains and had some sort of corrosive acid thrown all over him. Lynch mobs in Louisiana don’t kid around!

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A blind woman named Emily, who has a connection to the deceased warlock, appears suddenly and mysteriously (and in a very beautiful shot) to warn Liza of the dangers that lurk in the hotel, cautioning her to never enter room 36. But the room’s buzzer goes off for no reason and in typical ghost house fashion, the door slowly creeps open, inviting Liza inside. Curiosity gets the best of her and she enters the room, finding the Book of Eibon inside which details the seven gateways to Hell and she discovers what she has truly inherited.

Along with the local Dr. McCabe (David Warbeck), they begin to realize that as more gruesome deaths occur, they are related to whatever is going on at the hotel. A town seemingly begins to vanish and corpses begin to rise from the dead. Is there any way to stop it? Watch it and find out in a beautifully shot finale that may leave some of you scratching your head, but is still fitting and gorgeous to look at.

The Beyond is just as much of an ominous haunting film as much as it is a gory monster flick and it plays both angles very well. Zombies are even thrown into the mix, because at the time they were a hot selling point for international markets and at a quick glance, you can see how they normally wouldn’t make sense in this film as they are just thrown into the mix, but Fulci makes them work. They aren’t given a detailed explanation as to why they are there, but you can assume they are part of the many dangers that Hell has unleashed. The dead coming back to life works in a biblical sense, just read anything about the apocalypse. Speaking of, this is the second film in Fulci’s unofficial “Gates of Hell Trilogy,” along with The House by the Cemetery and City of the Living Dead. Of the three films, The Beyond has the most coherent story and is often seen as the strongest of the three and shares more of the ghost zombie/Hell connection with City of the Living Dead.

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And you can’t have a Fulci film without gore! For those of you familiar with Fulci’s fetishes, you know how much you loves grotesque eyeball mutilation scenes. Look at the splinter through the eye in Zombie or the razor blade scene in The New York Ripper. This film has not one, not two, but three eyeball mutilation scenes and for a person who that happens to be the one thing that makes me squeamish… yeesh. It’s a tough sit. Of course people vomit up all kinds of fun, rainbow colored entrails and the ending is a shooting gallery with quite possibly one of the most shocking child getting shot scenes since Assault on Precinct 13, one up’d ala headshot. It’s a film dripping with more than blood, like atmosphere and mood. And I should mention that all of the gore and scares look pretty clean thanks to this transfer.

It’s not a 4K or even a 2K transfer, but a hi-definition digital transfer, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t look pretty. You can really get an appreciation of both film restoration and the cinematography of this film in Grindhouse Releasing’s latest offering. Of course some grain still exists, most notably in the darker backlit scenes, but the image is still pretty crisp and you’ll be too distracted by how haunting the scene looks. Other than that, at times the shot seems to be out of focus, but there is nothing that can really be done about that and it only adds to that grindhouse cinema charm. As for the sound, some people will be pleased with the 5.1 mix, making it seem like the forces of Hell are trying make their way into your living room, but I’m an old school-ish kind of guy and I prefer older movies in mono or in some cases 2.0 or 2.1 stereo. Either way, everything sounds great and if you have trouble with the sound, subtitles are offered. There is even an audio commentary (from the previous release, before David Warbeck’s passing) that is pretty charming and at times, humorous.

Grindhouse Releasing even packed a second disc full of extras, some from the previous release, such as archival interviews with director Lucio Fulci and star David Warbeck, the lost German pre-credit sequence in color, still gallery and theatrical trailer, but some new stuff includes interviews with stars Catriona MacColl, Cinzia Monreale and even make-up artist Giannetto De Rossi (and I only named a few). Perhaps one of the coolest extras is a third disc, a CD soundtrack by Fabio Frizzi, completely remastered. It’s an amazing soundtrack to put on whether you are cooking, drawing or writing (at least for me) and it’s among one of my favorite soundtracks from a Fulci movie. But perhaps my favorite extra, or should I say gimmick, is the glow in the dark box included. Now I can see it staring at me, even in the dark.

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You can find yourself a copy for usually around $24.99 to $34.99 and even if you have the DVD release, it’s worth a new buy at the right price. Like I said earlier, this is a film all horror fans must own. Easily one of Fulci’s finest works and a perfect example of Italian horror cinema.

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Childhood Memories Collide in New Horror Film ‘Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble’

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It looks like ITN Studious and Jagged Edge Productions are going the Avengers: Infinity War route with their upcoming film Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. From the deranged mind of Rhys Frake-Waterfield (Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey) comes this belligerent mash up of beloved childhood icons.

According to an article out of Variety today, Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble will consist of Winnie the Pooh, Bambi, Tinkerbell, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Tigger, Piglet, The Mad Hatter, and Sleeping Beauty. All of these iconic figured will be warped into nightmarish versions of their former selves. Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble is set to be released upon the world sometime in 2025.

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Actor-producer Scott Chambers (Malevolent) had the following to say about Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. “As horror fans, we would love an Avengers that is all villains. It’d have Freddy Krueger, Jason, ‘Halloween,’ ‘Scream,’ all of those. Obviously that will never happen, but we can make it happen in our own little way, and that’s where this film has been born.”

Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble will be a part of The Twisted Childhood Universe. Just like the MCU, each character will first get a standalone film. After introductions are made, they will be reunited in an Avengers style film. Although they will be killing off the survivors from the previous films, they won’t be working together.

Chambers describes this as an “epic sequences of monster vs. monster.” And I don’t know what more fans could ask of the studio. This fantastical idea is a huge risk but Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble sounds amazing.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Check back here for more updates on Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. If you haven’t already, check out the trailer for Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 below.

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Blumhouse’s ‘The Wolf Man’ Reboot Kicks Off Production with Leigh Whannell at the Helm

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Blumhouse Productions has officially commenced filming its reboot of the Universal Monsters legend, “Wolf Man”. Under the direction of Leigh Whannell, known for his acclaimed work on “The Invisible Man” (2020), the project promises to breathe new life into the iconic tale. The film is slated for a theatrical release on October 25th, marking a new chapter in the storied franchise.

Wolf Man

The journey of a “Wolf Man” reboot began in 2020 when actor Ryan Gosling presented a fresh take on the classic story to Universal. This concept quickly evolved into a screenplay crafted by the talented duo Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, who are known for their work on “Orange Is the New Black,” alongside contributions from Whannell and Corbett Tuck. The narrative is set in contemporary times, drawing inspiration from the atmospheric tension of Jake Gyllenhaal’s “Nightcrawler,” albeit with a distinct supernatural twist.

The film has seen its share of directorial and casting shifts, with Whannell initially signing on to direct in 2020, only to step away and then return to the project after Ryan Gosling and director Derek Cianfrance exited. The lead roles have been filled by Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner, both of whom bring significant talent to the screen. Abbott portrays a man whose family faces the terror of a lethal predator, with Garner likely playing his wife, sharing in the familial peril. The storyline also hints at a daughter named Ginger, adding a layer of depth to the family’s harrowing experience.

Julia Garner and Christopher Abbott

This reboot represents a collaboration between Blumhouse and Motel Movies, with Jason Blum producing. Ryan Gosling remains involved as an executive producer, alongside Ken Kao, Bea Sequeira, Mel Turner, and Whannell himself. The announcement of the film’s production start was made by Jason Blum, who shared an exciting glimpse of Whannell on set, signaling the beginning of what is hoped to be a memorable addition to the horror genre.

As the “Wolf Man” reboot moves forward, fans and newcomers alike are eager to see how this modern interpretation will pay homage to its roots while offering a fresh and thrilling experience. With a talented cast and crew at the helm, the film is poised to reintroduce the timeless tale of transformation and terror to a new generation.

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‘Immaculate’ Stars Reveal Which Horror Villains They Would “F, Marry, Kill”

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Sydney Sweeney is just coming off the success of her rom-com Anyone But You, but she’s ditching the love story for a horror story in her latest film Immaculate.

Sweeney is taking Hollywood by storm, portraying everything from a love-lusting teenager in Euphoria to an accidental superhero in Madame Web. Although the latter got a lot of hate among theater-goers, Immaculate is getting the polar opposite.

The film was screened at SXSW this past week and was well-received. It also gained a reputation for being extremely gory. Derek Smith of Slant says the, “final act contains some of the most twisted, gory violence this particular subgenre of horror has seen in years…”

Thankfully curious horror movie fans won’t have to wait long to see for themselves what Smith is talking about as Immaculate will hit theaters across the United States on March, 22.

Bloody Disgusting says that the movie’s distributor NEON, in a bit of marketing smarts, had stars Sydney Sweeney and Simona Tabasco play a game of “F, Marry, Kill” in which all their choices had to be horror movie villains.

It’s an interesting question, and you might be surprised at their answers. So colorful are their responses that YouTube slapped an age-restricted rating on the video.

Immaculate is a religious horror movie that NEON says stars Sweeney, “as Cecilia, an American nun of devout faith, embarking on a new journey in a remote convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. Cecilia’s warm welcome quickly devolves into a nightmare as it becomes clear her new home harbors a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors.”

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