Beyond Darkness (1990)

Beyond Darkness Aka “Horror House II” is an Italian horror film directed by Claudio Fragasso and produced by the legendary Joe D’Amato. Beyond Darkness is also a sequel to the Italian gem “Ghosthouse”. In this film Father Peter (Gene Lebrock) is given a satanic bible from a crazed woman on death row. The crazed woman claimed she is a witch and was imprisoned for eating children for their souls.  The crazed woman placed a death curse on him before dying in the electric chair. Father Peter, his wife and two children move into an old house, with no knowledge that it was built at a location where a coven of witches were burned at the stake. Shortly after, strange and paranormal things start to happen as peter begins peaking in tongues and rants on with strange incantations which seem to disrupt and awaken the evil further within the house. Suddenly, upon moving into the home, the film becomes very similar to Evil Dead as inanimate objects begin to take a life of their own. Now fully aware of their haunted house, Peter attempts to compel the evil spirits to leave. When he brings up the strange occurrences taking place at the home to his superior, who appears to be aware of what happened at that location decades before he insists that Peters faith will send it away. Once again the superior suggests that Peter can subdue the evil with the strength of his faith. Quickly things progress and his son Martin (Michael Stephenson) become trapped in another dimension behind the wall and with his help from a good friend Father George (David Brandon) Beyond Darkness has its moments of being very similar to “Poltergeist” and “The Exorcist”, as well this time to travel to the realm Beyond, Darkness. When a simple haunting turns into full bodied burned witches, Beyond Darkness is an excellent film that refreshes the haunted house subgenre in a whole new way. Newly released on BluRay as a double feature by Scream! Factory, Beyond Darkness is not a film to pass up on especially if you loved the first film to this sequel “Ghosthouse” It can be purchased on Amazon or directly from Scream! Factory packaged as a double feature with a sci-fi horror, “Metamorphosis”. Italian director Joe D’Amato’s work on this film is spectacular as with the hundreds of other excellent horror films he released in the past.

Killer Party (1986)

Killer Party is a classic retro 80’s horror film directed by William Fruet. The story begins with three best friends, Vivia (Sherry Willis-Burch), Jennifer (Joanna Johnson), and Phoebe (Elaine Wilkes) as they pledge to a sorority. Vivia previously played a prank on the sorority and she finds out that is why the three were accepted. Now it is April fool’s Day and the sorority throws a party for a fraternity to be held at an old abandon house where Alan, a fraternity pledge, was killed twenty-two years before during a hazing prank. At the party someone or something does not want them in the house and the haunting begins with an unseen figure. Is it the ghost of Allen? Or is it something more demonic? Joining the girls at the fraternity party are Blake (Martin Hewitt) and Martin (Ralph Seymour) when eventually things take a turn for the worse and Jennifer ends up possessed by a demon and hunts down Vivia and Phoebe with a trident. The chase pursues as the film takes a thrilling turn when the demon attempts to possess each of the girls and tries to kill everyone. Killer Party reminds me of the classic Night of the Demons which will definitely be reviewed soon as this too is one not to miss out on. Killer Party is available on DVD and Streaming on Amazon Prime.