A woman from New York finds herself inheriting a house with a dark history located outside of New Orleans. This film represents southern gothic horror and is the second installment in Lucio Fulci’s unofficial trilogy focused on gateways to hell, a series that features Catriona MacColl—credited as Katherine MacColl—in three distinct roles. The initial film was “City of the Living Dead,” released the year before, followed by “The House by the Cemetery” later in the same year. Each movie stands alone. The idea of a gateway to hell situated in the basement seems borrowed from “The Amityville Horror,” which came out two years earlier; however, “The Beyond” doesn’t measure up when viewed alongside it. "The Amityville Horror" was successful for a reason—it took the time needed to develop its characters, not just those within the family, and possessed a sense of warmth with light shining through the darkness. This film is more surreal and unpleasant, much like Fulci’s previous works, “Zombie” and “City of the Living Dead.” His signature depiction of punctured eye sockets is prominent here. Catriona MacColl has an appealing face, but don't anticipate anything beyond that in terms of beauty. David Warbeck costars as a doctor or mortician; he evokes images of Roger Moore from the 1970s and was actually considered for the role of 007 before Moore got the part. He even entered into a confidential agreement to replace Moore should he resign or prove difficult. I appreciated the artistic, unsettling atmosphere of the countryside, which reminded me of “The Shuttered Room,” but it too falls short when compared to that film. Fourteen years later, "The Skeleton Key" explored similar themes—without the portal to hell—and created a more effective movie. While there are some good moments in this picture, making it worthwhile for fans of southern gothic horror and devotees of Fulci who often praise it highly. Its runtime is 1 hour and 27 minutes, and filming took place from October to December 1980 in New Orleans and the surrounding areas north of the city, including Madisonville, where the old boarding house is situated. The causeway featured is the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, recognized as the longest continuous bridge over water globally (24 miles). Studio work was completed in Rome. GRADE: C

Source on TMDB