BEYOND THE DARKNESS [1979]

In Joe D’Amato’s BEYOND THE DARKNESS, true love dies, but it’s preserved. Frank’s admiration for his beautiful, delicate fiancé knows no bounds. Iris, Frank’s desperate housekeeper, is extremely envious of Anna. Since Iris wishes for nothing more than to be Frank’s main affection, she has a curse placed upon Anna using a voodoo doll. Gradually, Anna’s health declines, and she deteriorates in a hospital bed until her heart stops beating once and for all. Naturally, Frank is destroyed by the passing of his other half, and he knows he absolutely cannot live his life without her presence. The night following the funeral, Frank returns to the cemetery to dig up her frail, porcelain-white body. Back home, Frank drains the fluids from Anna’s corpse and decides to keep it in his room. Iris willingly, but begrudgingly, teams up with Frank to care for the cadaver. Frank quickly develops a lust for killing any woman who could uncover the dead one in his bed, and Iris loyally stands behind him to tidy up the mess.

BEYOND THE DARKNESS is a complicated, chaotic blend of romantic, horrifying, and repulsive. The morbid film moves a bit slowly in the beginning; it is driven by emotion and grief as opposed to blood and guts. The element of sorrow, though, provides a foundation for the movie as a whole. We observe a twisted young man suffering the loss of his universe and resorting to necrophilia to fill the void. Meanwhile, his manipulative maid is forced to cope with her unrequited love for him. Despite the vast difference in the portrayal of Frank’s love for Anna and Iris’ for Frank, it is evident that their emotions are nearly parallel to one another. Both Frank and Iris are willing to get their hands dirty (or bloody, rather) to assure their undying passion is conveyed as strongly as possible. Of course, that calls for plenty of insanely gruesome fun, including cannibalism, torture, and a most-relaxing acid bath. Goblin fans can look forward to the added flavor of the band’s anxiety-inducing music. [8/10]

Rating: 8/10
Director: Joe D’Amato [EMANUELLE IN AMERICA]

Cast: Kieran Canter, Cinzia Monreale, Franca Stoppi
Country: Italy