9. Beyond the Darkness (1979)
This film is directed by a certain Joe D'Amato, and Italian trash connoisseurs among you will be rubbing your hands in glee at the prospect of a D'Amato pic - the man behind Emanuelle in America and Erotic Nights of the Living Dead (on the contrary, probably the least erotic nights ever spent). Beyond the Darkness (Buio Omega) is even less erotic, dealing as it does with themes of necrophilia - one of the last great taboo subjects of cinema. When a young taxidermist's fiancee dies thanks to the jealous voodoo shenanigans of his housekeeper, he does a spot of grave robbing and puts his skills to the test in the quest to preserve her forever (the embalming scenes are quite nauseating in their realism). A series of young girls happen to come Frank's (the taxidermist) way and he can't resist torturing them - cutting off digits, biting and eating chunks out of the neck before killing them. Just to be extra kinky, he has sex with them in the same bed as his embalmed, dead as Lenin, fiancee. The housekeeper has helped Frank cover up his crimes and believes she should be his new sweetheart, but Frank spurns her and at the end of the film, he gets his comeuppance with a big shiny knife - and not before time. Beyond The Darkness is open to all kinds of accusations of misogyny, sexual deviance, sleaziness, gratuitous violence and torture. Some of the scenes look incredibly realistic. This is one for Euro Trash and D'Amato fans - if you like Italian horror movies you will be in seventh heaven. It does boast a cool Goblin soundtrack on the plus side, but that is a pretty tenuous plus. I wonder if the censors will ever release this one?... I wonder...