Mario Bava's Beyond the Door II (1977) Review

I have been patiently waiting for a delivery of Italian films over the past few weeks but they are late. So in search of something to watch I dug out my copy of Mario Bava's Beyond The Door II which is a recent purchase from a local second hand DVD shop. Beyond The Door II, or Shock, is a trippy effort from Bava. It is a supernatural horror.



The film tells the story of Dora who is going slowly insane while her son exhibits all the signs of supernatural possession. Haunted by guilt over her past and what appears to be the ghost of her first husband who channels via her son. It is a sort of a ghostly revenge movie.

The film is pretty stylish in a 70s way and while it takes a bit of time to get interesting the conclusion is one that proves to be worth the wait. Daria Nicolodi is great in this as Dora as is David Colin Jr who plays her son Marco even if he did have the occasional bout of the Peter Barks. The score by Libra/Goblin is pretty cool too and gives the whole feature a golden age of VHS feel.



To be honest this not a film that I went out of my way to buy, I saw it at a bargain price so I picked it up. I'd didn't really have any expectations either way for this but it turned out to be an enjoyable 90 minutes.



Recommended for those who like creepy kid movies such as The Omen or The Shining or those who like supernatural films in the mould of The Changeling or Don't Look Now.

DVD: Hollywood DVD
Running Time: 90 mins
Extras: Trailer and Scene Selection.