Beyond the Door (1974)

09 Feb 2024

Rating: 2.5/5

Cult Movie Challenge 2016 | 18/52 | Splatter

A woman surrounded by candles. A vision of a nude woman on a glowing table — Dimitri’s face merges with hers. The woman escapes or something.

Satan admonishes Dimitri for letting her escape. Satan gives Dimitri one last chance before he dies to deliver the antichrist into the world. And he will do it through Jessica, his ex.

Jessica tells her husband, Robert, that she is pregnant. He silently questions it but ultimately welcomes the development.

The pregnancy is weird, though. Jessica vomits blood and goes to the doctor. The doctor tells her that the pregnancy is moving at an alarming rate. The baby inside her is already three months along.

— No doctor can explain her pregnancy  — What do you mean? — Her pregnancy is unexplainable

Jessica begins to have violent mood swings. She lashes out, then comes to, unaware of what she did.

In a moment of clarity, she goes in for an abortion. Dimitri speaks through her and declares this baby must be born, no matter what.

If this sounds rad, it kind of is. But between this action is scene after scene of dudes talking about Jessica. So boring!

The movie fumbles along in its Rosemary’s Baby plot for an hour before it pivots to its Exorcist plot, which is a little more fun but still way too much talking and not enough pea soup vomiting.

The soundtrack rules — Robert is a record producer and records a song with a band about making a deal with the devil that is a jam. The score is peak Italian horror.

The movie had so much potential! Watch the “sequels” — in classic Italian fashion, none of the sequels have anything to do with this. Beyond the Door III is stellar.

** Stray Thoughts / Spoilers **


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