Rating: 
Summary: Think you've seen it all? Think you can watch anything?
Review: ... think again. In 1979, Joe D'Amato (Anthropophagous) created a gory, ruthless, disturbing, necro-nightmare that will shock and disgust pretty much anyone who considers themself a fan of extreme horror or violence. Beyond the darkness aka Buio Omega, Buried Alive, and Blue Holocaust makes popular splatter films like the Evil Dead and slasher flicks such as Halloween look like a day at Disney Land. Mean spirited and nastier than 99% of all Euro horror pics, Beyond the Darkness doesn't hold back in the gross out factor or the depraved cruelty dept. Cringe worthy and vomit inducing moments are plentiful, there's a really nasty excavation where entrails are removed, blood and brains are pumped out, etc. Totally gross. In another brutal scene, a girl has her fingernails pulled out, then she is suffocated and the body is hacked up and thrown into an acid bath to destroy the evidence. Flesh and bones melt away and then the remains are dumped into a pit. Amazingly SICK with all the gory details. If that's not enough, another victim is put into an incinerator where she is burned alive. One of the meanest films I've ever seen, definitely not for everyone. It's been a few days since I saw it and I'm still trying to get over it. I was actually expecting a little more at the end after such a promising first 30 minutes. There never is any sex (although plenty of nudity). The plot slows considerably at times, and the ending is too rushed and stupid. I had to take stars away because of that. The acting, sets, direction, plot, and overall feel of this obscure film is good, but could have been better. I always say if you're going to go all out, go all out. Don't let the viewer have time to breath. Still, not bad. The idea of a taxedermist preserving his dead girlfriend's corpse and keeping it in his bed is pretty sick, yet also original. The dvd itself is ok. There are trailers for similar films (like House on the edge of the park) and 2 interviews. I personally prefer Fulci's style over D'Amato's, although for sleaze and horror, D'Amato is hard to beat. If you like such twisted shockers as Aftermath, Nekromantik, Pieces, or the Guinea Pig movies, you will find BTD an entertaining and unique experience. However, I must disagree with the claims that this is one of the most violent and gory movies ever. It simply is not at the level of the over the top carnage on display in Olaf Ittenbach's "Premutos," and "Black Past," Andreas Schnaas' Violent Sh*t trilogy, or Peter Jackson's "Braindead." This is not to say that it isn't extreme, the disemboweling scene is beyond repulsive. It easily rivals Aftermath and Mermaid in a Manhole as the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. The whole tone of the movie is dark, you feel dirty after seeing it. For this reason I can't say it is a personal favorite. No doubt it will quench your thirst for gore, whether you find it fun is something else.
Rating: 
Summary: Finally
Review: Beyond the Darkness (a.k.a. Buio Omega) has been renowned as being one of the most graphic films ever made and with very good reason - blending rank sadism, cannibalism and necrophilia among other things into a startlingly intelligent film. I must confess after watching it on this DVD version, I felt compelled to write - not because of the film which more than speaks for its self, but the sheer quality of the disc. The picture is immaculate, colours vibrant and there's even a trailer, commentary and interview thrown in! Fantastic work for such a difficult and old film. Trust me folks - if you do want to see this film and I strongly urge those interested in extreme cinema to take a look, then this is the only way to watch it outside of a cinema! Finally, a DVD worthy of the film!
Rating: 
Summary: Good Movie, but DVD should've been better
Review: Beyond the Darkness is a genuine Italian horror flick by Joe D'Amato, the director of the Grim Reaper and several porn flicks. Unlike several Italian horror films, this one has a very simple plot. The story centers around a rich spoiled brat named Frank, who on the side is a taxidermist and has a girlfriend named Anna. But unfortunately, Anna has an illness (the illness is not described in the film). One day, the housekeeper named Iris and an old lady practice voodoo, without Frank's knowledge, using pictures of Anna. Suddenly, Anna gets weaker and weaker in her hospital bed, until she dies in Frank's arms during a hospital visit. Since he is so factuated with his girlfriend, Frank steals Anna's body from the grave. In order to preserve her, he removes all her insides in a graphic scene which may not be appropiate for all viewers. (For safe keeping, if you have a weak stomach, do NOT eat a hearty meal before viewing this scene.) Along the way, Frank kills two females (a pot-smoking hitchhiker and an aspiring athlete) and disposes their bodies along with his housekeeper Iris, who turns out has a strange fondness for Frank way beyond a mother-son relationship. Later on, Iris advises Frank to get rid of Anna's body and marry her to fufill the emptiness he has, but he refuses, leaving to a bloody climax that has to be seen. Beyond the Darkness strangely enough is a good movie to deal with the theme of necrophilia (hope that is spelled right). It is surpising well-acted; however, the main problem is the DVD. The images of the movie are very good, but the real problem is the sound. Throughout, you could probably hear hissing. The score by the band Goblin is so brilliant, but unfortunately the Dolby Digital Mono sound brings it down to non-existence. Media Blasters has done a good job brining back forgotten movies from the Italian horror genre (read my reviews for Zombie Holocaust and Burial Ground), but have yet to release a Shriek Show DVD with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Hopefully in the future, they will release feature films with improved audio. Other than the DVD's faults, this is a good movie. Other features include a 10-minute interview with Cinzia Monreale, who plays Anna and is also well know as Emily, the blind zombie from The Beyond; a 30-minute audio interview with the art director of the film; several trailers; and posters and stills of Beyond the Darkness. Also, there is an easter egg (go to scene selections and go to the second set of chapter selections where you can find a symbol of a girl). The extra contains video posters of porno films that Joe D'Amato directed. Don't forget, check out the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Good Movie, but DVD should've been better
Review: Beyond the Darkness is a genuine Italian horror flick by Joe D'Amato, the director of the Grim Reaper and several porn flicks. Unlike several Italian horror films, this one has a very simple plot. The story centers around a rich spoiled brat named Frank, who on the side is a taxidermist and has a girlfriend named Anna. But unfortunately, Anna has an illness (the illness is not described in the film). One day, the housekeeper named Iris and an old lady practice voodoo, without Frank's knowledge, using pictures of Anna. Suddenly, Anna gets weaker and weaker in her hospital bed, until she dies in Frank's arms during a hospital visit. Since he is so factuated with his girlfriend, Frank steals Anna's body from the grave. In order to preserve her, he removes all her insides in a graphic scene which may not be appropiate for all viewers. (For safe keeping, if you have a weak stomach, do NOT eat a hearty meal before viewing this scene.) Along the way, Frank kills two females (a pot-smoking hitchhiker and an aspiring athlete) and disposes their bodies along with his housekeeper Iris, who turns out has a strange fondness for Frank way beyond a mother-son relationship. Later on, Iris advises Frank to get rid of Anna's body and marry her to fufill the emptiness he has, but he refuses, leaving to a bloody climax that has to be seen. Beyond the Darkness strangely enough is a good movie to deal with the theme of necrophilia (hope that is spelled right). It is surpising well-acted; however, the main problem is the DVD. The images of the movie are very good, but the real problem is the sound. Throughout, you could probably hear hissing. The score by the band Goblin is so brilliant, but unfortunately the Dolby Digital Mono sound brings it down to non-existence. Media Blasters has done a good job brining back forgotten movies from the Italian horror genre (read my reviews for Zombie Holocaust and Burial Ground), but have yet to release a Shriek Show DVD with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Hopefully in the future, they will release feature films with improved audio. Other than the DVD's faults, this is a good movie. Other features include a 10-minute interview with Cinzia Monreale, who plays Anna and is also well know as Emily, the blind zombie from The Beyond; a 30-minute audio interview with the art director of the film; several trailers; and posters and stills of Beyond the Darkness. Also, there is an easter egg (go to scene selections and go to the second set of chapter selections where you can find a symbol of a girl). The extra contains video posters of porno films that Joe D'Amato directed. Don't forget, check out the movie.
Rating:
Summary: For strong stomachs only
Review: Beyond the Darkness is a pretty far-out gore movie, and it has attracted a hefty amount of criticism. My first viewing of it left me unimpressed (strangely), but on reflection, I realised...hey-this movie has EVERYTHING, so I sought out the DVD and re-appraised it. Now I think it's one of the quintessential Italian splatter movies of the 1980's, and even by today's standards, it still packs a punch. Be warned, there are scenes in this movie that will definitely make the squeamish want to leave the room. The plot opens with a young man called Frank, distraught over the death of his fiancee, Anna. His way of coping with it? To steal the dead body from the morgue and keep the corpse preserved in his house. Luckily, the young man practises taxidermy, so cue the first long gore scene as he strips, disembowels, drains and rebuilds the corpse of his beloved (played by a very patient and unselfconscious Cinzia Monreale). But things don't go smoothly for the lovelorn hero, most notably because of the constant meddling by his housekeeper/lover, Iris. This bizarre character seems to constantly switch between chiding and helping Frank, most notably doing so when they have to dispose of a hitch-hiker that has stumbled across the hideous secret of Frank's charnel house. Probably topping the embalming scene in terms of repulsive detail, this lengthy sequence lets us watch Frank and Iris as they chop up the body and drop it chunk by chuck into an acid bath, which eventually gets flung into the garden, which show nicely how the body had been reduced to lumps of gristle and the odd bone...mmm.
Those are just the highlights, there's a whole catalogue of smaller atrocities on display as the mis-matched pair attempt to live normal (!) lives with the corpse of Anna upstairs in the spare bed. If this kind of thing is what you want from a horror film, then be assured, you don't get short changed in Beyond The Darkness. Sadly the script, photography, direction and acting are pretty under-whelming, plus the dubbing is awful (you'll be reaching for earplugs each time the doomed hitch-hiker opens her mouth - she has a hideous "Dick Van Dyke" style cockney accent), but lets face it, this is splatter cinema, not Orson Welles. Its definitely one for the gore market, and it ambles along well enough with enough, even throwing in a surprise ending of sorts. This DVD presentation is the definitive way to see the movie, uncut and vividly coloured. It's most certainly for a niche market audience, but if you want to have something seriously notorious in your DVD collection to shock your friends with, you will be wanting this.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Italian Exploitation
Review: Buio Omega is one of my all time favorite films. An Italian shocker about a man named Frank who cant cope with the loss of his grilfriend. He decides to unearth her corpse, remove its intestines and preserve it, so he can continue to love her. At this Maniacal state, Frank (with the help of Iris) kills whoever will come in between him and his obsession. Full of visceral images such as decapitation and dismemberment, discetion, acid baths and throat rippings, Buio Omega is one hell of a movie. Joe D'amata is a man who knows how to shock.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic Euro-horror
Review: Despite it's difficult themes, I must confess I really quite like this film. This is truly one of the most transgressive horror films ever made and, surprisingly, I found it to be a far more coherent and intelligent film than I had ever imagined. The DVD transfer is excellent, and I find myself constantly impressed by American DVD companies, who go out of their way to find relevant interviews and extras to go with the movie. My opinion of Joe D'Amato has increased immeasurably after watching this film. Italian cinema in the late seventies/early eighties left no taboo untouched and Buio Omega is a fine example of this creative freedom.
Rating: 
Summary: disturbing! ...
Review: dont get me wrong
i am a horror fan and own many horror movies
but do not go buy and watch this movie
cus you will not want to eat food anymore after watching it(although you may want to eat apples)
it is so disturbing and if you like it then you are messed up cus its [BAD]
Rating:
Summary: As Good as It Gets
Review: First of all, let me clear something up: THIS DVD IS PRESENTED IN ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN! Whoever wrote that review saying it's not should learn how to set-up his DVD player properly. Okay, on to the review: This is Joe D'Amato's classic film. Sure to gross-out and sicken, it's required viewing if you're a fan of Euro-Horror. This is extreme horror; definitely not for the kiddies. I LOVE IT!! Media Blasters did a fantastic job on this DVD. An interview with one of the cast members & the art director, trailers for the film and other upcoming releases, poster & lobby card gallery, and even a secret hidden gallery of D'Amato's porn video covers!! All in all, if you're a die-hard gore hound, then this dvd is a must have. It truly is the be all, end all of Beyond the Darkness dvds(there is a PAL dvd out there -- this blows it away).
Rating:
Summary: Love and its Potential Derragements
Review: Have you ever fallen hopelessly in love and found that fate wasn't with you? Well, Francesco, the focal point of this movie, finds himself in that boat. Instead of the atypical relationship woes, however, his beloved dies, leaving him alone to try and quench love's eternal flames. He finds this hard to do, though, and decides that he needs his wife with his forever. So, after exhuming her body, Francesco decides to use some well-placed taxidermy skills to keep love by his side (or in his bed, hidden in a closet, etc.). Unfortunately for him - or maybe for them, some people don't seem to take kindly to finding out his secret obsession and oftentimes panic at the sight of his paler-than-normal bride. This, of course, leads to wonderful fingernail-removing dilemmas, plus more "moving" scenes forged in the fires of love.
I would have to say that this movie is really good, but I also have to go on the record as saying that it wasn't really as "insane" as people had stated. In fact, after reading some of the reviews here, I was severely disappointed in what I found. Being a fan of "shock cinema," I was looking forward to insinuated necrophilia, oceans of gore, the horror aspects, plus all the other "holy grails" this movie seemingly offered. Instead, I should have listened to the disclaimer on the movie that stated a bit fewer depictions of graphic yumminess. In truth, I thought the movie was a little gory, a little violent, entertaining, but ultimately a bit tame. That said, the movie is worth watching and horror buffs will still enjoy themselves.
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