...E tu vivrai nel terrore! L'aldilà (1981)

Director:

Lucio Fulci

Writers:

Dardano Sacchetti (story)
Dardano Sacchetti (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

March 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Behind this doorway lie the terrifying and unspeakable secrets of hell. No one who sees it lives to describe it. And you shall live in darkness for all eternity.

Plot:

A young woman inherits an old hotel in Louisiana where after a series of supernatural 'accidents', she learns that the building was built over one of the entrances to Hell.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Hell | Painter | Doctor | Plumber

Cast

Catriona MacColl	...	Liza Merril (as Katherine MacColl)
David Warbeck	...	Dr. John McCabe
Cinzia Monreale	...	Emily (as Sarah Keller)
Antoine Saint-John	...	Schweick
Veronica Lazar	...	Martha
Anthony Flees	...	Larry
Giovanni De Nava	...	Joe the Plumber
Al Cliver	...	Dr. Harris
Michele Mirabella	...	Martin Avery
Gianpaolo Saccarola	...	Arthur (as Giampaolo Saccarola)
Maria Pia Marsala	...	Jill
Laura De Marchi	...	Mary-Ann
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cicely Browne	...	Martha (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Roberto Dell'Acqua	...	Glass-Smashing Zombie (uncredited)
Lucio Fulci	...	Town Clerk (uncredited)
Gilberto Galimberti	...	Zombie (uncredited)
Dardano Sacchetti	...	Mob Member (uncredited)
Sergio Salvati	...	Mob Member (uncredited)

Directed by
Lucio Fulci

Writing credits
Dardano Sacchetti		(story)
Dardano Sacchetti		(screenplay) &
Giorgio Mariuzzo		(screenplay) &
Lucio Fulci		(screenplay)

Produced by
Fabrizio De Angelis	....	producer

Original Music by
Fabio Frizzi
Walter E. Sear		(U.S. version)

Cinematography by
Sergio Salvati

Film Editing by
Vincenzo Tomassi

Production Design by
Massimo Lentini

Costume Design by
Massimo Lentini

Makeup Department
Giannetto De Rossi	....	makeup artist
Luciana Palombi	....	hair stylist
Maurizio Trani	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Tullio Lullo	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roberto Giandalia	....	assistant director

Art Department
Alfredo D'Angelo	....	set dresser
Claudia Giammona	....	assistant designer
Franco Rinaldi	....	property assistant
Rodolfo Ruzza	....	property master

Sound Department
Ugo Celani	....	sound engineer
Enzo Diliberto	....	special sound effects
Eros Giustini	....	boom operator
Bruno Moreal	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Germano Natali	....	special effects

Stunts
Nazzareno Cardinali	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Franco Bruni	....	camera operator
Alberto Corchi	....	still photographer (as Alberto Cocchi)
Lamberto Del Bene	....	key grip
Alfredo Fedeli	....	chief electrician
Maurizio Lucchini	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
Armando Pace	....	assistant editor
Pietro Tomassi	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Maurizio Guarini	....	musician: keyboards
Agostino Marangolo	....	musician: drums

Other crew
Rita Agostini	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Fulvia Film

Distributors

• Alemannia/Arabella Filmverleih GmbH (1981) (Germany) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC) (1981) (France) (theatrical)
• Aquarius Releasing (1983) (USA) (theatrical) (cut version)
• Palace Explosive Video (1985) (Australia) (VHS)
• Thriller Video (1986) (USA) (VHS) (cut version) (as "7 Doors of Death")
• Astro (????) (USA) (theatrical)
• Creative Exposure (1998) (Canada) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Greater Union Organisation (GUO) (????) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Grindhouse Releasing (1998) (USA) (theatrical) (first uncut U.S. release)
• J.F. Films de Distribución S.A. (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Medusa Distribuzione (1981) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Rolling Thunder Pictures (1998) (USA) (theatrical) (second re-release, in collaboration with)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD) (in collaboration with) (as Aquarius Video)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS) (in collaboration with)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Another World Entertainment (2006) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Astro Distribution (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Dado Group ((198?)) (Brazil) (VHS) (as "Terror nas Trevas")
• Diamond Entertainment Group (DEG) (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Firebox (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Grindhouse Releasing (2000) (USA) (DVD) (first uncut DVD release)
• Grindhouse Releasing (2000) (USA) (all media) (first uncut U.S. release)
• KOCH International (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Lamberto Forni Film (LF) (????) (Italy) (VHS)
• Reserva Especial (1998) (Brazil) (VHS) (as "A Casa do Além")
• Siren Visual Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• SlingShot Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• TGG Direct (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Instant Picture Company (VIPCO) (????) (UK) (DVD)
• Video Invest AB (????) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Video for Pleasure (VFP) (198?) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Penta Studio (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Cinenoleggio  cameras and equipment provided by
• G.R.P.  set furnishings
• N.C.  sound studios
• New Orleans Film Commission, The  film commission
• Penta Studio  titles
• Rocchetti e Carboni  wigs
• Romana Trasporti Cinematografici S.r.l.  transportation
• S.A.F.A.S.  costumes
• Studio Sound  special sound effects

Also Known As:

"And You Will Live in Terror: The Beyond" - Italy (literal English title)
"L'aldilà" - Italy (short title)
"Seven Doors of Death" - USA (censored version)
"The Beyond" - International (English title)
"L'au-delà" - Canada (French title), France
"Über dem Jenseits" - West Germany
"A Casa do Além" - Brazil (video box title)
"A pokol hét kapuja" - Hungary
"As Sete Portas do Inferno" - Portugal (imdb display title)
"Die Geisterstadt der Zombies" - Germany
"Eibon - Die 7 Tore des Schreckens" - West Germany (video title)
"El más allá" - Spain
"Geisterstadt der Zombies" - West Germany (video box title)
"Hotel der verdoemden" - Netherlands (informal literal title)
"I 7i pyli tis Kolaseos" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"I evdomi pyli tis Kolaseos" - Greece (DVD title)
"Las 7 puertas del infierno" - Mexico (imdb display title)
"Rædslernes hotel" - Denmark (video title)
"Siedem bram piekiel" - Poland (imdb display title)
"Terror nas Trevas" - Brazil

Runtime:

87 min | USA:80 min (R-rated version) | Korea:82 min (cut)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian | English

Color:

Black and White (Sepia) | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (US version) | Mono (original version)

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | UK:18 (re-rating: 1987) (cut) (re-rating: 2001) (uncut) | UK:(Banned) (1984-1987) | UK:X (original rating: 1981) (cut) | USA:R (heavily cut) | USA:Unrated (uncut) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Germany:Not Rated (DVD rating) | Sweden:15 (uncut) | Italy:VM14 (DVD rating) | USA:X (original rating) | Portugal:M/18 | Canada:R (Ontario) | Australia:R | France:-16 | Italy:VM18 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:18 (video rating) | West Germany:(Banned) | Norway:(Banned) (video rating) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Incir De Paolis Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Fulvia Film

Trivia:

The role of the blind girl Emily was originally offered to Stefania Casini who declined it.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the plumber "Joe" is in the basement, he starts to chisel out part of the wall right about forehead level. The next shot "Joe" is crawling into the large hole that he has made but has to duck really low to get through the space.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Narrator:And you will face the sea of darkness, and all therein that may be explored.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005) (V)

The Beyond = Horror.

If someone uses as reference the IMDb rating of L'aldilá he is going to notice something particular. L'aldilá unlike many B-Euro-horror movies of the 80s has almost a 7 points rating with less than 2000 votes. The reason: Many people worship this cult movie. If someone ranks this movie with a 1 on the other side there will be a 10 to compensate. We are speaking about a true cult movie. Acclaimed by a small number of fans worldwide, a movie scorned by critics and the regular viewer. One strange case indeed.

The story is a disturbing mix of elements. In the first minutes during the execution of Schweick , it is clear what kind of tale is L'aldilá. Vengeance beyond the grave, an apocalypse that is unavoidable. Common people trapped in the middle. One of the merits of Sarchetti's script is the character of Katriona Maccoll a real down to earth human being, his partner is a curious but good man. Both of them tried to do things right, but in the end that won't help . The brutality of violence is another great detail, is unexpected, extreme and very, very graphic. And as the final touch, the climatic ending. The assonant music has its logic, this is disturbing terror, it wouldn't be the same with new-age, reggae, or a ballad.

Lucio Fulci was an unique director. With L'aldilá he tried to create an 'artaudian' study of horror. He achieved that. He used less than 90 minutes to mix ominous menaces that are beyond this world waiting their time for return and extremely gory horror. The unavoidable tragedy strikes in the form of hungry zombies. He was a demanding director, he never let that their actors underestimate their roles. His use of zoom-effects are a trademark, the zoom in used in a completely original way. Let's say the zoom is the hand of someone that keep your eyes open in an awful or transcendental sequence, Fulci forces you to pay attention when he wants your attention. Delightful. Nowadays audiences are very comfortable watching horror movies. They expect to see some scares and then laugh with the jokes of some stupid teens avid of rave music and easy sex. Fulci in that aspect was an author beyond his time. He tried to shock people, scare them, revolve their stomachs, those were his methods to gain the public but he NEVER underestimated the audiences, he gave his 100% and made cult classics.

Note for Fulci newcomers: The more interesting works of this director are in the period of middle 70's to 1985. If you see two or three of his movies in this period and you dislike them then don't bother anymore because you will never like his style.