Les forces de l'au-delà

Genre favorites John Saxon and Lynda Day George star as a couple who move to the Philippines where they purchase a grand colonial mansion. Life seems great, but it turns out the house was built by a husband and wife who killed one another. The wife was an occultist, and she still happens to be looking for a living vessel to inhabit.

This kitschy supernatural horror movie takes cues from "The Exorcist" and a spat of other similar films, and predates "Mausoleum," which has a similar tone and premise. The good is that it has some nice cinematography, and there are a few moments throughout that evoke a sense of creepiness; Saxon and George are awoken in the middle of the night to odd voices; he finds her idly meditating over a fire in the fireplace; she sees the ghost of the deceased female occultist trying to possess her. The cinematography is also top-notch, especially for a low-budget feature.

The bad? The screenplay is rote in its procession. Saxon's character goes back and forth from his architect job, while George's character experiences increasingly odd supernatural experiences. A subplot involving a medicine man who lives next-door is woven in, and he is a source of all the knowledge regarding possession and the evil spirit in the couple's mansion. These events play out in a manner that is rather dull and predictable, and there isn't enough connective tissue to bind them together. The performances from Saxon and George do help amplify the proceedings, and both give admirable efforts in a screenplay that gives them limited options.

In the end, "Beyond Evil" is a slightly amusing genre picture (several reviewers have commented on the dated special effects, which are actually not all that terrible in comparison to other films of this ilk), but it does feel largely underwhelming. The horror scenes, when present, are well-executed, but the rote unspooling of the story leaves the film feeling by-the-numbers. There are no real surprises to be had here, but if you are willing to accept that, it is a notch above the standard television horror flick of its era. 5/10.

This is a fabulous low-budget chiller that features a great collection of energetic and enthusiastic actors--there are literally no bad performances anywhere--and showcases steady, focused direction of the kind that movies with ten times the budget are often lacking.

On the downside, the film features some rather laughable visible effects. In most cases, the filmmakers seemed to be aware that their budget limited what they could do--and they got by quite effectively with creative lighting, fog machines, jump-cuts, and other inexpensive movie gimmicks--but then they also decided to do some animation effects. These were passable when all they were used for were to illustrate whenever the ghost was up to something evil, but when they started showing laser beams shooting from the eyes of the possessed Barbara, the animation went from cheap-looking to ridiculous.

Despite the occasional special effects missteps, "Beyond Evil" is mostly a competently executed haunted house/possession flick. It sags a bit in the middle--where the voodoo queen flexes her supernatural muscle and things get a bit repetitive as Larry tries to convince the increasingly strange Barbara to seek medical help--but for the most part it remains an engrossing little movie that's worth a look.

I first noticed the lovely "Linda Day George" in "Pieces" where she made bad-horror-movie history by screaming "BASTARRRRDS!" three times in a row to riotous effect. She's not as overtly hilarious here (in fact, it appears she was probably a decent actor, generally) but she's really the only reason I could recommend this relatively average flick. She rolls her eyes, runs around with an over-sized finger (don't ask!) and, while possessed, does some seductive things. I knew it would be a fun movie during a scene early on where she walked around her apartment, anxious about the rain outside, then finally threw her things down and yelled, "DAMN!" with what seemed like every emotive power she ever learned in acting school! Strassberg would've been proud. And I can't look away! Linda had some great moments later too, but that single moment was the most (unintentionally) funny.

Another nice surprise, during the opening credits I heard this overwrought, sweeping score with lots of strings and lots of starts-and-stops...I thought, "My this sounds like Pino Donaggio!" And it turned out it was! Another satisfying score from the almost-always dependable Pino, who appears to be the busiest composer in history. Most of his usual touches are here--great chase music, an achingly beautiful "love theme" and a finale that leaves you feeling somehow sentimental even if the movie was total crap.

Which this one pretty much was. John Saxon is great--especially kicking ass and going, "Stay!" to a would be attacker. He's cool and this film didn't hurt him a bit, thankfully. Otherwise there's not much here in this "would-be" giallo: **a crossed-eyed ghost woman with green laser eyes **no sex and minimal gore, although what there is was pleasantly repulsive **terrible effects **slow pace **sloppy editing **plots stolen from "Amityville," "Exorcist," "Beyond The Door" and especially "Suspiria," and **no surprises, really. It DOES have some hilariously bad deaths though, if you're in the mood, which I usually am, and if you can stay awake. The death of a guy in a "posessed" car that's barely moving is not to be missed--especially when he spontaneously explodes into fire, but continues to scream! I don't know who Herb Freed was or why he was making cheap horror movies, but this is not the WORST movie ever. Keep the fast-forward button handy and this is an enjoyable piece of mind-sludge.

Beyond Evil represents an ambitious but ultimately misguided attempt to transplant gothic horror sensibilities to an exotic Filipino island setting. The film follows an architect who suspects his wife is possessed by a former resident of the historic colonial mansion they have just moved into, but what should have been a compelling supernatural thriller instead becomes a textbook example of how good intentions and adequate resources cannot compensate for fundamental storytelling deficiencies. The tropical backdrop provides an interesting visual contrast to traditional haunted house narratives, yet the film consistently undermines its own atmospheric potential through overwrought performances and questionable creative choices.

John Saxon delivers a workmanlike performance as Larry Andrews, the concerned husband who gradually realizes his new bride may be under malevolent influence. Saxon's natural screen presence and professional demeanor help ground the increasingly ridiculous proceedings, though even his considerable skills cannot elevate material that seems determined to veer toward unintentional comedy. Lynda Day George faces the more challenging task of portraying Barbara's transformation from loving wife to vessel for supernatural revenge, and while she commits fully to the role's physical demands, the script provides little psychological foundation for her character's journey.

The film's most significant problem lies in its tonal inconsistency and inability to generate genuine suspense. The supernatural elements, including "green, laser-blasting eyeballs" and other optical effects, often feel more ridiculous than frightening. Freed's direction shows clear influence from Italian gothic horror films of the 1960s, but lacks the visual poetry and atmospheric control that made those works effective. The pacing suffers from extended sequences that feel more like padding than dramatic development, particularly during the middle act when the possession storyline should be building momentum.

The horror elements prove disappointingly light, offering suspense rather than genuine scares, which might have been acceptable if the film had committed to being a psychological thriller instead of promising supernatural terror. The supporting cast, including Michael Dante as the duplicitous business partner Del and David Opatoshu as the mystical Dr. Solomon, provides adequate backup but cannot overcome the script's fundamental weaknesses. Mario Milano as the local contact Albanos brings some authentic regional flavor to the proceedings, though his character serves more as exposition delivery than genuine personality.

The film's production values remain consistently professional, with the Philippine locations providing genuinely beautiful backdrops that the cinematography captures competently. The mansion itself becomes an effective character, its colonial architecture suggesting histories of exploitation and violence that the supernatural elements attempt to literalize. However, the musical score tends toward overwrought melodrama that telegraphs every emotional beat, robbing scenes of subtlety and genuine tension.

Despite these considerable flaws, "Beyond Evil" occasionally succeeds in creating moments of genuine unease, particularly when focusing on the gradual dissolution of Larry and Barbara's relationship under supernatural pressure. The film's exploration of possession as metaphor for loss of identity within marriage shows glimpses of thematic sophistication that a more focused approach might have developed effectively.

A few things about this film should attract cult film aficionados. Firstly, it stars John Saxon and Lynda Day George. It was also released on the infamous video label VIPCO (home of Zombie Flesh Eaters and Shogun Assassin in the early 80's). It's also features some of the cheapest special effects I've ever seen which have aged incredibly badly. In other words, it's great fun and has plenty of things going for it.

A couple move to a tropical island and find a mansion that is so cheap that they have to buy it. But it then becomes apparent that Barbara (George) is showing signs of being possessed by the evil spirit of the wife of the previous owner who was practising the occult before she ended up killing and being killed by her husband.

This is kitsch cult cinema at it's purest- bad effects, bad acting, bad plot. BUT, very enjoyable because of it. This film has, erm, character! This movie would be perfect if you stumbled upon it on an obscure cable channel late at night.