L'aldila (1981)

Country of Origin: Italy
Year of Production: 1981
Running Times: 86m (UK), 87m (USA), 88m (Italy)
Format:
Format: 35mm
Format: Eastmancolor, Technicolor
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound:

DIRECTION

Directed by: Lucio Fulci (Lewis (or Louis) Fuller on US prints)

CREW

PRODUCTION
Copyright not given
Produced by: Fabrizio de Angelis for Fulvia Films

SCRIPT
Screenplay: Dardano Sachetti, Giorgio Mariuzzo, Lucio Fulci
Story: Dardano Sachetti

DIRECTION
Assistant Director: Roberto Giandalia
Continuity: Rita Agostini

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Sergio Salvati
Cameraman: Franco Bruni
Assistant Cameraman: Maurizio Lucchini
Chief Electrician: Alfredo Fedeli
Key Grip: Lamberto Del Bene
Cameras and Equipment: Cinenoleggio
Stills: Alberto Cocchi

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Film Editor: Vincenzo Tomassi
Assistant Editors: Pietro Tomassi, Armando Pace
Negatives: Eastmancolor
Film Laboratory: Technicolor

MUSIC
Music by: Fabio Frizzi
US Version Music: Mitch Tuspeh, Ira Tuspeh
Music Copyright: Deaf Music

SOUND
Sound Engineer: Ugo Celani
Boom Operator: Eros Giustini
Sound Studios: N.C.
Mixage: Bruno Moreal
Special Sound Effects: Enzo Di Liberto, Studio Sound

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Costumes: Massimo Lentini
Costumes: S.A.F.A.S.
Make-up Artist: Maurizio Trani
Hairstylist: Luciana Palombi
Wigs: Rocchetti Carboni

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Effects and Make-up Created by: Giannetto De Rossi

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Germano Natali

VISUAL EFFECTS
Titles and Visual Effects: Penta Studio

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Design: Massimo Lentini
Assistant Designer: Claudia Giammona
Property Master: Rodolfo Ruzza
Property Assistant: Franco Rinaldi
Set Furnishings: G.R.P.
Set Dressings: Alfredo D'Angelo

OTHER CREW
Production Secretary: Fabrizio De Martino
Transportation: Romana Trasporti Cinematografica

LOCATIONS
Filmed on location in Louisiana [New Orleans] and at In.ci.r-De Paolis Studios Rome
Unit Manager: Tullio Lullo

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The production wishes to thank The Louisiana Film Commission for their kind collaboration

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Nazzareno Cardinali

CAST

Katherine McColl (Liza Merrill)
David Warbeck (Dr John McCabe)

with
Sarah Keller (rn: Cinzia Monreale) (Emily)
Antoine Saint Jean (Schweik)

and with
Veronica Lazar (Martha)

also appearing
Anthony Flees (Larry)
Giovanni de Nava (Joe)
Al Cliver (Doctor Harris)
Michele Mirabella (Martin Avery)
Giampaolo Saccarola (Arthur)
Maria Pia Marsale (Jill)
Laura De Marchi (Mary Ann)

UNCREDITED CAST

Lucio Fulci (librarian)

A young woman inherits an old hotel in New Orleans, not realising that the building is standing on one of the gateways to Hell itself. People soon start dying in grisly ways and before long, the local hospital is soon full of zombies.

One of Fulci's best film, L'aldila may not make an awful lot of sense but it is beautifully made and comes as close as any film to capturing that much discussed sense of watching someone else's dream. The visuals are some of the best Fulci ever shot and hallucinatory ambience serves only to underscore the moments of visceral horror.

Australia
Video Distributor: Palace Explosive

Denmark
Video Distributor: Vipco

France
Video Distributor: South Pacific; MPM; Lumieres/Carrere

Germany
Video Distributor: VMP

Greece
Video Distributor: Videosonic

Netherlands
Video Distributor: Video For Pleasure

Italy
Theatrical Distributor: Medusa Distribuzione
Video Distributor: Avo Film

Sweden
Video Distributor: Video Invest

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Eagle
Video Distributors: Videomedia; Elephant; Vipco

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Aquarius Releasing (as Seven Doors of Death); Rolling Thunder Pictures/Grindhouse Releasing/Cowboy Booking International (as The Beyond)
Video Distributor: ThrillerVideo

Australia
Video version cut to 83 minutes

France
Video version cut to 83 mins55 sec

Germany
Video version cut to 83 mins43 sec and the opening sequence is shown in colour, not in sepia.

Italy
Rating: 18
Video released with the opening sequence missing

Netherlands
Unbelievably, even here, in the land most fabled among British fans for its alledged freedom from censorship, the video version was cut to 83 mins51 sec.

Sweden
Video version cut

UK
Rating: X
Where to begin... The first video release, on Videomedia/Vampix, was the same as the British theatrical version, which clocked in at 81 mins59 sec. That didn't stop it from being banned, though the same running time was clocked for the Elephant release and the subsequent Vipco version seems to have come in at 82 mins16 sec, a staggering 17 seconds longer! Finally, in 2001, the film was given an uncut release in teh UK on both video and DVD.

USA
Rating: R

1980
October
20: Shooting begins

November
Shooting ends

1981
April
29: Italian theatrical release

November
19: UK theatrical release

1998
June
12: US theatrical re-release

Jetzt kommt er... der neueste Zombi-Film!

Au Dela, L' - French title
Beyond, The - UK/US title
...E Tu Vivrai Nel Terrore L'Aldila - publicity title
Geisterstadt der Zombies, Die - German title
Hotel der Verdoemden
Mas Alla, Es - Spanish title
Sete Portas do Inferno, As
Seven Doors of Death - US title
Uber dem Jenseits - German title

PERIODICALS

Cahiers du Cinema 329 (November 1981) p.63

Delirium 4 pp.17-18
review, credits

L'Ecran Fantastique 21 (1981) pp.56-58

Empire November 1998 p.95
review

Fangoria 141 (April 1995) pp.62-68
illustrated article

Fangoria 176 (September 1998) pp.40-43, 76
illustrated interview

Fantasy Film Memory Directed By... 2 pp.9-10, 35
review

Films vol.2 no.3 (February 1982) p.32
review (by Eric Braun)

Films and Filming no.328 (January 1982) pp.37-38
illustrated review (by Julian Petley)

Halls of Horror 27 p.17
video data

Hollywood Reporter vol.279 no.29 (22 November 1983)
review (by Gerry Putzer)

In the Flesh 3 p.6
review

Macabro 1
review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.48 no.575 (December 1981) p.243
credits, synopsis, review (by Tim Pulleine)

Raw Virus 1
review

Screen International no.316 (31 October 1981) p.19
review by Marjorie Bilbow

Screen International no.492 (13 April 1985) p.70
note that The Beyond has been removed from the Director of Public Prosecution's 'video nasties' list

Spaghetti Cinema no.27
review by John Thonen

Spaghetti Cinema no.65 (August 1996) p.42
credits, article (by William Connolly)

Starburst no.40 (1981) pp.12-13
illustrated review (by Alan Jones)

Starburst no.64 p.43
note

Variety 1 July 1981 p.16
review (by Yung)

Variety Italian Production Chart 15 October 1980 p.194
production details

Variety Italian Production Chart 18 March 1981 p.160
production details

BOOKS

Beyond Terror pp.278
credits, review

Creature Features Strikes Again p.342
review

Film Yearbook (Speed) 1983 p.10
review, credits

The Seduction of the Gullible (2nd edition) pp.19-21
review, censorship details

Spaghetti Nightmares p.163
credits

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

acid, afterlife, animals, blindness, books, bookshops, crucifixion, doctors, dogs, eye gouging, gateway to hell, hell, hospitals, hotels, insects, libraries, lynch mobs, morgues, new orleans, spiders, warlocks, zombies

Last Updated: 9 May, 2010