"Beyond The Darkness" is easily the best Joe D'Amato film, though his low budget, technical novice style is quite the acquired taste. A young taxidermist, Frank, (Kieran Canter)is distraught by the death of his beloved girlfriend, Anna (Cinzia Monreale, in a dual role as Anna and her still living sister). He doesn't realize this was caused by a voodoo spell cast by his jealous housekeeper (Franca Stoppi) who later wins her way into his good graces by helping him keep Anna's body in the house (which he stole and embalmed himself)and also by helping to dispose of the poor murder victims that are piling up after Frank slowly descends into madness.
D'Amato manages to avoid the pitfalls of most of his films (confusing plots and way past awful dialog)by keeping damn near all of the film silent (aside from a funky little theatrical score by Goblin)and fully showing every bit of shock value gore and mania (the embalming process, disposal of another body by acid bath and butcher knife, a feast fit only for a cannibal at the breakfast table, the Oedipal connection between Frank and Iris the housekeeper).
There's still nothing remarkable here for genre aficionados in terms of plot, effects, gore or perversity, but unlike most of his films it's watchable enough to kill an hour and a half or a video store free rental coupon.
D'Amato manages to avoid the pitfalls of most of his films (confusing plots and way past awful dialog)by keeping damn near all of the film silent (aside from a funky little theatrical score by Goblin)and fully showing every bit of shock value gore and mania (the embalming process, disposal of another body by acid bath and butcher knife, a feast fit only for a cannibal at the breakfast table, the Oedipal connection between Frank and Iris the housekeeper).
There's still nothing remarkable here for genre aficionados in terms of plot, effects, gore or perversity, but unlike most of his films it's watchable enough to kill an hour and a half or a video store free rental coupon.