The Beyond: The Composers Cut is a live re-score of the Lucio Fulci film by Fabio Frizzi. I had the extreme pleasure of seeing this show in Jacksonville, FL 12/18/2019. It was a fantastic experience. The Sun-Ray Cinema is a little old theater in historic 5 Points, Riverside in Jacksonville.
The Composer’s Cut is a re-score of The Beyond in which Frizzi resurrected a said 55 unused themes and motifs. Taking cues from the original notes taken by Fulci and himself, he recomposed a score for the film. Recorded and released by Cadabra Records and followed by a 29 city U.S. tour. Jacksonville was the 26th stop on the tour.
5 Points is the historic district of Riverside in Jacksonville. Most of the early to mid 20th century buildings are occupied by restaurants, cafés, biergartens, clothiers, and various other hip hot spots. The Sun-Ray Cinema’s marque is the centerpiece of Park St in 5 Points. The cinema hosted the show in it’s main theater. A big, old space with semi-ornate ceilings and a nice, big screen. There was plenty of room for the band without obstructing the screen. The live score was phenomenal.
The film was presented nicely and the live score was engaging. Each sequence of music was met with applause culminating in a standing ovation after the credits rolled. The cinema was also equipped with a small, but accommodating kitchen and a full bar. Seasonal draft beer and a kimchi/kraut hot dog were very enjoyable.
The encore was a live performance of Frizzi 2 Fulci. A selection of themes from Frizzi’s collaboration with Lucio Fulci. Originally performed and recorded in 2012 and released by Death Waltz Records. Through Cat in the Brain, City of the Living Dead, Zombi 2 (Flesh Eaters) the band was cheered on into a medley of Frizzi 2 Fulci.
The merch table was sponsored and run by Cadabra Records. It was full of t-shirts, records, and posters. Mostly pre-signed and many tour exclusives. New music Frizzi wrote to accompany spoken word records of stories by H.P Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe. A small set of 7″ singles of select themes from The Beyond Composer’s Cut. Unfortunately the tour exclusive LP for The Composer’s Cut had sold out previous to our show.
And to top off the night Frizzi, himself, came out to greet those of us still in the theater. He was very personable, engaging with all the fans and signing merchandise, including a copy of Frizzi 2 Fulci I brought with me. It was truly a pleasure meeting the man, even if for only a few minutes.
It couldn’t have been more pleasing to see such a fun and amazing piece of cinema presented in this manner. A true joy in every sense of the word. And an experience I am eternally grateful to have had.
