Beyond Darkness Blu-ray - Barbara Bingham

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(aka "La casa 5" or "Horror House 2" or "Ghosthouse 6" or "Evil Dead 5" or "Beyond Darkness" or "House 5")

Directed by Claudio Fragasso (as Clyde Anderson)
Italy 1990

When a man of God and his loving family move into a new house, they think they've found the perfect home…until they discover that their new digs were once the location where a coven of witches were burned at the stake! It's only a matter of time before the radio starts blaring satanic chants and the cutlery takes on a mind of its own. Will the awakened evil in this house have its final revenge, or can a plucky priest fend off what lurks Beyond Darkness? This tale of terror comes from Claudio Fragasso, the director of Troll 2 (so you KNOW it's good!).

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A priest & his family move into a new house, without knowing that it was built over the place where twenty witches were burnt at the stake. Soon the terror begins, with the house terrorizing its inhabitants with the elements that lie within the construction, like a possessed radio and a flying cleaver.

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Theatrical Release: July 31st, 1990

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Review: 88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: On Blu-ray in the USD from Shout! Factory in a Double Feature with Metamorphosis:
Distribution	88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:32:54.277
Video	1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 37,722,257,635 bytes Feature: 27,443,576,832 bytes Video Bitrate: 31.93 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio English 2030 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2030 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: 88 Films 1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 37,722,257,635 bytes Feature: 27,443,576,832 bytes Video Bitrate: 31.93 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Audio Commentary by Genre Experts, Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson • Hammond and Hair Loss - An Interview with Composer Carlo Maria Cordio (13:35) • Filmirage Memories - An Interview with Alessandra Lenzi, daughter of esteemed Director Umberto Lenzi and Production Executive at Filmirage (27:23) • Original Trailer (1:29) • Reversible Sleeve with Alternate Title [Limited Edition "Soft Touch" Slipcase] [Limited Edition Booklet Notes by Chloe Leigh Taylor] Blu-ray Release Date: June 15th, 2020 Transparent Blu-ray Case inside slipcase Chapters 12

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: 88 Films Blu-ray (June 2020): 88 Films have transferred Claudio Fragasso's Beyond Darkness to Blu-ray. It is on a dual-layered disc with a high bitrate. It still looks like that meager 80's film stock - producing a soft, smeary image. Generally poor image but probably accurate to the original not the 1080P transfer. On the positive, it's fairly consistent and watchable.

On their Blu-ray, 88 Films use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the English language. Effects don't have much depth - but that may be the production. The composer for the film's soundtrack is Carlo Maria Cordio (Witchcraft, Absurd, Body Puzzle, Aenigma, Pieces, Amok Train) - again, it fits into the genre effectively. 88 Films offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The 88 Films Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson. Where would I be lasting through lockdown without these guys? They find some positives about the production and praise the filmmaker (effective sequences) with thumbs up for Night Killer and not-so-much for Monster Dog. They discuss more of the genre, Mattie, Fulci, Lenzi and others... Troll 2 is talked about as well as the subsequent documentary and having a few chuckles about the rip-off that director's denied claiming to be oblivious of the 'original'. There is a 1/4 hour interview with composer Carlo Maria Cordio and a 1/2 hour with Alessandra Lenzi, daughter of esteemed director Umberto Lenzi and Production Executive at Filmirage. There is an original trailer - the package has a reversible sleeve and reversible cover art with a limited edition "Soft-Touch" slipcase and limited edition collector's booklet featuring an essay by Chloe Leigh Taylor.

Claudio Fragasso's Beyond Darkness isn't as bad as some of the others in the later possessed-house La Casa series. And he's a director that you can find hints of auteur positivity. I kinda liked Monster Dog, personally. Beyond Darkness is a film for a narrow niche of genre fans but the 88 Films Blu-ray is the edition to get if you wish to indulge with kudos to the commentary. It's a better horror film than you may expect.

Gary Tooze

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Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

On Blu-ray in the USD from Shout! Factory in a Double Feature with Metamorphosis:

Distribution

88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

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