twist of fait accomplis

The Beyond, 1981
Director: Lucio Fulci
Availability: Medium (on special edition DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment)

Considered by many to be Fulci's greatest work, The Beyond is the quintessential example of Italian horror. While Italian splatter films of the late 70s and early 80s were often considered "rip-offs" of standard American themes, Fulci always managed to bring something brand new to the table. Even Zombie, which many believe was a copy of Dawn of the Dead actually bears very little resemblance to the Romero film from the year before. The Beyond stands out, though, as a perfect example of a zombie movie that captures the feeling of true feelings dread and horror that one feels when death is closing in. With some astonishing visuals (like a blind girl with hazed-over eyes walking down a long, deserted highway with only her guide dog), great gore, and even some unintentional humor in the form of pipe cleaner tarantulas, this zombie epic delivers on every level.

Though it was always a staple of true horror fans' catalogs via bootleg videos, it wasn't until Quinten Tarrantino's Rolling Thunder Pictures teamed with Grindhouse Releasing that the film got its deserved notice in the United States. Anchor Bay came through with an incredible DVD release of the movie with a wonderful transfer and a commentary track with stars Catriona MacColl and the late David Warbeck.