The Beyond 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

The 4K UHD Blu-ray presentation of The Beyond is derived from a meticulous scan of the original 35mm 2-perf Techniscope camera negative, carried out by L’Immagine Ritrovata, with digital restoration and grading completed at Fotokem. This transfer includes both Dolby Vision and HDR10 grades, ensuring compatibility and optimal color and contrast across modern displays. The film opens with the iconic sepia-toned prologue—faithful to Sergio Salvati and Lucio Fulci’s intent—before shifting to a vividly restored palette. The transfer honors Salvati’s vision, with warmly saturated exteriors contrasted against interiors rendered in colder, ominous hues, providing visual dynamism throughout.

This new 4K restoration offers excellent image clarity with notably increased sharpness and detail over previous home video editions. The HDR grading enhances shadow detail and elevates contrast, crucial for the film’s gothic visual style marked by thick shadows and the saturated, deep reds of its infamous gore effects. Occasional minor blemishes—such as faint scratches or blips—are present, but they are inconsequential compared to the overall restoration quality, especially given the original’s age and modest budget. While comparisons between the 4K and the bundled Blu-ray reveal only incremental differences (with the UHD benefiting most in terms of sharpness and dynamic range), this presentation delivers a reference-quality viewing experience that showcases The Beyond at its best.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray release of The Beyond offers a comprehensive suite of audio options: the theatrical cut is presented in English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio remixes, alongside the original theatrical mono mix in both English and Italian 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. These remixes, originally designed by Paul Ottosson, provide an expansive soundstage with immersive multi-channel effects, especially notable in atmospheric sequences where surround channels and lower frequencies are leveraged to enhance tension and mood. Noteworthy is the increased depth in the low end and the spatial placement of effects, such as thunder during the prologue and an overall more enveloping presentation that benefits from the modern sound mixing techniques.

For audio purists, the preservation of the original mono mixes in both English and Italian is a significant strength. These tracks retain the punch and character of the film’s original audio design, particularly highlighting Fabio Frizzi’s iconic score and the film’s visceral, practical effects. Both the remixes and mono tracks deliver clear dialogue throughout—even as scenes escalate in intensity, intelligibility remains uncompromised. Ultimately, whether choosing the dynamic immersion of the Ottosson remixes or the authenticity of the mono presentations, listeners are given high-quality, thoughtfully curated audio experiences that suit a wide range of preferences.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "The Beyond" delivers an exceptionally comprehensive extras package, offering a near-definitive deep dive into the film's production, legacy, and broader context. With an exhaustive array of interviews, commentaries, archival features, and special versions—such as Fabio Frizzi’s Composer’s Cut, which replaces the original score with new music and presents the prologue in full color—viewers can engage with multiple perspectives from cast, crew, scholars, and fans alike. The supplements span modern retrospectives to vintage content, covering technical artistry, thematic analysis, and personal reminiscences. This collection ensures that both newcomers and aficionados will come away with an unparalleled understanding of Lucio Fulci’s cult classic.

Extras included in this disc:

• Audio Commentaries: In-depth discussions by David Warbeck & Catriona MacColl, Sergio Salvati, and Giannetto De Rossi.
• Catriona MacColl's Introduction: Brief contextual intro from the film’s star.
• Fabio Frizzi's Introduction for the Composer’s Cut: The composer introduces his new score version of the film.
• Fabio Frizzi’s Cut: Composer’s Cut featuring a revised score and colorized prologue.
• Beyond The Beyond – Simone Scafidi: Lengthy documentary exploring the film’s impact and legacy.
• Cast & Crew Interviews: Extended conversations with Catriona MacColl, David Warbeck, Cinzia Monreale, Al Cliver, Michele Mirabella, Dardano Sacchetti, Giorgio Mariuzzo, Ottaviano Dell'Acqua & Massimo Vanni, Ugo Celani, Pino Colizzi, Michele Romagnoli, Emanuele Taglietti.
• Archival Featurettes: Retrospectives such as "Looking Back: The Creation of The Beyond" and “The New Orleans Connection.”
• Filmmaker Interviews: Segments with Lucio Fulci and festival appearances.
• Still Galleries
• Trailers
• The Beyond in the Age of Aquarius: Feature on the film’s U.S. release under "7 Doors of Death."

Lucio Fulci’s “The Beyond” is an exemplar of Italian surrealist horror where narrative logic is sacrificed in favor of pure, nightmarish atmosphere. The film begins with a 1927 prologue set in New Orleans, where a mystical artist is savagely attacked by townspeople and entombed within the walls of the Seven Doors Hotel. This sequence, steeped in occult imagery and grisly violence, sets the tone for what follows—a barrage of unsettling, often incoherent visions that prioritize emotional and psychological disturbance over cohesive storytelling. Time shifts forward to the present as Liza Merril inherits and renovates the cursed hotel, only to become inexorably ensnared by supernatural forces. Fulci’s elliptical structure, filled with non-sequiturs and dream logic, creates a sustained sense of dread.

What distinguishes “The Beyond” is not its conventional narrative or character development—in fact, both are deliberately muted—but the relentless accumulation of macabre set-pieces. Fulci’s preoccupation with graphic violence is on full display, with prolonged sequences of eye-gouging, face-melting acid deaths, and even tarantula assaults that defy rational explanation. These acts are executed in unflinching detail, contributing to an otherworldly terror rooted in the grotesque. The film's Grand Guignol aesthetic welcomes any idea, no matter how bizarre or excessive, rendering the viewer trapped in a communal nightmare orchestrated by Fulci’s sadistic imagination. Its power lies in its ability to unsettle long after the credits roll, making “The Beyond” a defining work for both the director’s oeuvre and fans of surreal horror cinema.

Grindhouse Releasing’s 4K UHD Blu-ray of Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond stands as a remarkably comprehensive and meticulously crafted physical media edition. The new 4K presentation delivers a pristine transfer that honors the film’s distinct visual style, offering rich detail, deep contrast, and accurate color grading that enhances the nightmarish atmosphere for which Fulci is renowned. The high standard of the A/V presentation extends to the audio tracks, maintaining the integrity of the film’s original sound design while catering to contemporary expectations for clarity and dynamic range.

What sets this release apart is its exhaustive slate of bonus content, amounting to over 20 hours of archival material. This includes extensive interviews and documentaries featuring a broad spectrum of participants involved in the film’s production. The supplements serve not only as entertainment but as a valuable resource for film historians and genre enthusiasts alike, making this release a significant archival achievement. Grindhouse Releasing’s attention to detail across all aspects of this package—from restoration to supplementary materials—is exemplary.

In conclusion, The Beyond on 4K UHD is an outstanding release that elevates one of Fulci’s seminal works to new heights. It is a definitive edition, offering near-complete immersion into the film and its legacy, and stands as an essential acquisition for collectors and fans of Italian horror cinema. For those passionate about the genre or seeking a deluxe home video experience, this edition represents both a technical triumph and a celebration of cult filmmaking.