Customer Reviews

Seven Doors of Death

5 star:		(77)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(23)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

European Cinema was the first to release THE BEYOND on DVD. Then Anchor Bay put out their version. To compete with the studios that have more money, Diamond Entertainment released THE BEYOND under its old American title, THE SEVEN DOORS OF DEATH. They did NOT use the old, butchered print of DOORS. Diamond used the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio print that European Cinema used, which is the same one Anchor Bay used. I have all 3 of these DVD's and the title and extras are the ONLY difference. There is NO missing footage in any of these releases. Some people post their comments based on old VHS movies they saw years ago. If you want the economy priced version of THE BEYOND, then get SEVEN DOORS OF DEATH. If you want the version with the audio commentary, you'll have to buy Anchor Bay's version of THE BEYOND. I'll say it once again: This version of SEVEN DOORS OF DEATH is exactly the same, scene for scene, as Anchor's release of THE BEYOND, only the titles and extras are different.

(Note: the subject line is taken from the DVD booklet, and is all too true.)

The Beyond (Lucio Fulci, 1981)

Many hardcore fans of Italian horror cinema consider The Beyond to be Lucio Fulci's best film; more than one will likely opine, if you ask, that The Beyond is the finest Italian horror film ever made. While that's probably stretching the case more than a little (I still prefer Fulci's raw, almost unbearably campy Zombie), there's a whole lot to be said for The Beyond as loads of fun. Without doubt, it is one of Fulci's brightest moments. (Note that all description below is from the uncut version on the Anchor Bay limited edition DVD, and as I've never seen the cut version released to theaters, some of what is described below may not sound familiar to those who have already seen the movie, which had a theatrical re-releases in 1998 as Seven Doors of Death.)

The Beyond takes place in the Louisiana bayou country. It opens with a scene in 1927 detailing the brutal lynching of Sweik, an eastern European of some sort who the natives believe has placed a curse on the town. During his lynching, Sweik protests that, in fact, he's the only person keeping the town from falling under the curse. Needless to say, they mob doesn't listen to him, or a very short film we'd have. We then skip to 1981, as our heroine, Liza (Fulci regular Catriona MacColl, seen most recently in the well-received 1998 film A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries), inherits the hotel where Sweik was staying at the time of his unfortunate demise. The place is haunted, especially Room 36, Sweik's room. As well, the basement is constantly flooded, and no one can figure out why. A plumber is dispatched to find the source of the water, and in his attempt he instead finds the source of the hauntings. Complications, as they say, ensue.

The Beyond works in no small part for the same reason that John Carpenter's contemporary film The Fog works--the events are presented with absolutely no context. The filmmaker hands up a plate of hot, steaming horror and raises no questions as to why any of this is happening. This is an important distinction; whether the film itself raises unanswered questions is often the difference between the success and the failure of a venture like this one. Fulci doesn't raise the questions, and The Beyond works. Argento doesn't raise the questions, and Suspiria works. (Argento tried to raise the questions in Inferno, and boy, did it ever not work.) Fulci throws us an extra bone, however, in
allowing one character to raise one question that no one in the film is capable of answering. Very nice touch, that.

Beyond (no pun intended) the film itself, the DVD release falls apart a bit, which is somewhat surprising in any Anchor Bay release, and is especially troubling in such an expensive, limited disc. Most of the extras that come with the release are either soundless (which is quite annoying when the extra is, for example, an interview!) or have a harsh soundtrack overlaid onto them. Might have been nice to use Fabio Frizzi's score for the film, which is up to the usual Frizzi standard and even surpasses it in places.

The film itself is definitely worth watching, both for fans of Italian horror specifically and the more general horror-fan population alike. However, you may want to wait for a non- limited release from Anchor Bay or Elite before picking it up on DVD. **** for the film, ** ½ for this particular release of it, so we'll compromise and say ***.

I saw this on the big screen a few summers ago thanks to Quentin and Rolling Thunder Pictures who restored and re-released it. I stood in line for 2 hours to be one of twenty to get a "Beyond Eerie Eyeball." Damn, it was well worth it! This wasn't the only treat. Before the movie they played old trailers: Deep Red, Evil Dead, Murder Mafia Style, Cannibal Ferox, and Blood Feast! Now, if they would only have midnight showings of these as well.

There are seven gateways to hell and if opened, the dead will walk the earth. One such door is located in Louisiana's Schweik Seven Door Hotel. In 1927 a Satanist opened one of the seven gateways before an angry mob of townsfolk crucified him and proceeded to do unspeakable acts to him. The townsfolk were too late. The door was left open.

1982. A young woman, Eliza shows up in Louisiana to collect her inheritance, the Schweik Seven Door Hotel. Of course strange things begin to happen. People are mysteriously ding from eye eating tarantulas, impalement, eye gouging, acid, etc. Then the freshly dead at the morgue decide to get up and walk. While all this is going on Eliza befriends John, a local doctor, and tells him about a mysterious blind girl. According to John the girl has been dead for many years. While trying to settle their curiosity, the two search the Hotel and examine a book of Eibon that they found. The book explains the seven doorways to hell. Now they must try and close this gate to hell or become trapped within.

It's better than it sounds. The gore is fantastic. I have never seen so much eye gouging in all my days. Were would a Fulci movie be with out it?

I don't like to nit-pick films but what's up with the tarantulas looking like they were made out of pipe cleaners?

The end is ball breaking. It's very climatic with zombie shooting and a little girl's head being blown apart. I hate happy endings and this is far from happy.

The Beyond flat-out rules! God Bless Lucio Fulci for making this over-the-top zombie gore fest. Never have I seen such an excellent DVD for a horror film before. The story about one of the seven gates to hell being opened, and its contents unleashed in our world is Lucio Fulci's masterpiece. This Limited Edition tin-case set is amazing! The case itself contains a HUGE 48 page booklet with rare photos and a biography of Lucio Fulci. Also included in the case are 6 international poster replicas(which are awesome). The tin is also serialy numbered out of 20,000. Then there is the DVD itself. The picture is pretty good and is presented in anamorphic widescreen, the sound is also good with Dolby 2.0 and 5.1. The disc is loaded with features, including: a rare on-set interview with Fulci, international trailer, German trailer, US re-release trailer, a music video, audio commentary from David Warbeck and Catriona MacCall, a lost German pre-credit sequence and main titles, still galleries, and much much more. If you like horror, and like Lucio Fulci, stop reading this review and go buy it now!

Previously available in a butchered version titled THE 7 DOORS OF DEATH(with a completely new synthesizer score), Fulci's THE BEYOND can finally be enjoyed in its uncut, widescreen entirety. Though once again Fulci throws logic out the door, the film functions nicely as a nightmarish descent into Hell. Catriona MacColl and David Warbeck both give solid performances(this despite the dubbing) which allows the viewer to sympathize with them as their world is brought crashing down around them and they are plunged into a waking nightmare where the dead walk. Fulci uses odd camera work, strange color schemes and bizarree music(Fabio Frizzi'a very Goblin-esque score) to create an atmosphere of mounting terror that doesn't let up until the very end. Anchor Bay has done an excellent job(as usual!) on this film. It looks and sounds absolutely fantastic(many times better than the pan-and-scanned, faded 7 DOORS). Kudos to them for allowing classic Italian horror to be seen in the US the way that it should be. If you like your horror on the offbeat and gory side then look no further than THE BEYOND.

I have been a big fan of Lucio Fulci for quite a while now, and still my Fav Mr Fulci film is 'Don't Torture a Duckling' but this movie would have to be a close second. I am from England and from the country that has very strange censorship laws (BBFC, mentioning no names! ) and I am always on the lookout for uncut versions abroad. My work takes me to Los Angeles and while there I pick them up, first on video and now on DVD. This picture had everything, a good story (although drops a little in the middle) great special effects for the time, creepy atmosphere and the acting was good (not great, a little corny but acceptable) The transistion to DVD was okay, being a fairly low budget pic anyway the picture was a little shaky and a couple of times the colour was a little drab, but all in all they have done a good job. I do wish that they would have added a few extra features with it but the movie really speaks for itself. This film is definatly not for the faint hearted, yes it is very gory, yes it is quite explicit but anyone who is aware of Mr Fulci's work knows exactly what they are in for and as for any fan who will see this they will not be disappointed. A real Horror flick that beats any Scream10 , I know What you did Last week, month year etc. Watch and learn! Enjoy.

Yes! A classic Fulci zombie film now on DVD and just look at those extras! I don't even have a DVD player yet and I've got this one ordered.

I saw this in the theater when it was re-released by Quentin and Rolling Thunder Pictures. I stood in line for 2 hours to be one of twenty to get a "Beyond Eerie Eyeball." Damn, it was well worth it! This wasn't the only treat. Before the movie they played old trailers: Deep Red, Evil Dead, Murder Mafia Style, Cannibal Ferox, and Blood Feast! Now, if they would only have midnight showings of these as well.

There are seven gateways to hell and if opened, the dead will walk the earth. One such door is located in Louisiana's Schweik Seven Door Hotel. In 1927 a Satanist opened one of the seven gateways before an angry mob of townsfolk crucified him and proceeded to do unspeakable acts to him. The townsfolk were too late. The door was left open. 1982. A young woman, Eliza shows up in Louisiana to collect her inheritance, the Schweik Seven Door Hotel. Of course strange things begin to happen. People are mysteriously Ding from eye eating tarantulas, impalement, eye gouging, acid, etc. Then the freshly dead at the morgue decide to get up and walk. While all this is going on Eliza befriends John, a local doctor, and tells him about a mysterious blind girl. According to John the girl has been dead for many years. While trying to settle their curiosity, the two search the Hotel and examine a book of Eibon that they found. The book explains the seven doorways to hell. Now they must try and close this gate to hell or become trapped within.

It's better than it sounds. The gore is fantastic. I have never seen so much eye gouging in all my days. Were would a Fulci movie be with out it?

I'm not one to nitpick a film but what's up with the tarantulas looking like they were made out of pipe cleaners? Come on!

The end is ball breaking. It's very climatic with zombie shooting and a little girl's head being blown apart. I hate happy endings and this is far from happy.

If you like flicks like Blood Sucking Freaks, Necromatik, Sinful Dwarf, May, Devil's Rejects, zombie movies, or other goodies of this nature then you'll love this film. This movie shows everything, every bit of gore, with tons of attention paid to detail of the violence. Most of the really intense scenes (there are lots of them) come out of nowhere, and are well worth it when they do. Made by the same guy who made the Italian movie Zombie, but this film blows that one away. Not for the mild horror fan, this one's for us serious disturbing-movie-loving freaks only. If you're a sick and twisted horror fan, don't pass this one up, it will not disappoint. This movie is awesome.

This Movie is great. Its dosen't have a great story the characters are poorly developed. The movie is just a bunch of random images. It is poobably the goriest movie I have ever seen. Its great just to see some guys eye get popped out and a girls head get shot off GREAT! Your can't teach that. Get this movie if you want to see some cool gore.

Ok. We've got gore up the wazoo. We've got a confusing, awkward plot filled with disjointed scenes. We've got meager acting. This could be about any random gore film. We've got three cases of ocular destruction. Oh, must be a Fulci flick.

Most people probably won't like this movie. They'll complain about the story, the acting, the gore.

I dunno. There's just something about this movie. I like it, and not in a "IT'S SO BAD IT'S GOOD!" way. I like the style. And, of course the gore.

The infamous spider scene wasn't exactly what I was hoping it would be. The spiders were extremely fake. But other than that, I really liked the gore. Best part for me is the woman getting smashed against the wall with the nail poking out and having her eye jammed out by it.

Classic.

If you like Italian horror, you'll definitely like this. If not...you'll probably whine about it.