The following disc is available January 21st from Blue Underground (www.blue-underground.com – https://www.facebook.com/BlueUndergroundFilms/) as a 3-Disc Limited Edition/4K Restoration Blu-ray.
The late 1970s and early 1980s were a great time for fans of horror features. They were being produced and released at such a rapid rate it was difficult to keep up with them all. At this time, many enthusiasts found Hollywood horror fare becoming a bit too familiar and started checking out films from around the globe. Italian producers certainly leapt on the genre trend and produced a number of scary, bizarre and sometimes campy flicks that have amassed a huge cult following. One of the filmmaking legends during this era was Lucio Fulci. This week, Blue Underground are releasing a Blu-ray of The House by the Cemetery, which arrived during the gore-maestro’s most prolific period. This 3-disc Limited Edition Blu-ray is absolutely phenomenal and will please any genre fan.
The House by the Cemetery is a curious amalgam of many popular trends in horror at the time. It certainly has haunted house elements similar to The Shining, The Amityville Horror and The Changeling, as well as a staggering, undead maniac with rotting flesh reminiscent of Dawn of the Dead and Fulci’s own Zombie, City of the Living Dead and The Beyond. Of course, the inspirations were all filtered through the director’s very unique perspective. That means the film includes nonsensical story elements, copious amounts of bloodshed and gore, as well as impressive camera tricks including wild zooms and close-ups of eyes. The results aren’t high art, but the movie is stylish and gives horror fans a lot to appreciate.
In comparison with other Fulci works, the story is a bit more retrained and relies more on atmosphere… well, between its incredibly graphic and exaggerated killings. In New York, researcher Norman Boyle (Paolo Marco) receives word that a university associate has murdered their spouse and committed suicide. When asked to wrap up the doctor’s research by moving his family into the Boston-area home where the deceased prof lived, Norman agrees without hesitation. His wife Lucy (Catriona MacColl) and son Bob (Giovanni Frezza) become uneasy soon after arriving. Perhaps it has something to do with the odd behavior of their babysitter, the cemetery on their property, their boarded-up basement, or a grave marker located within the house. Or maybe the fact that an undead Victorian surgeon Dr. Freudstein (Giovanni De Nava) still resides there, stalking and murdering anyone he can get his hands on.
As mentioned in the opening paragraphs, these filmmakers were following trends, and the extraordinary gore on display was a means of these smaller Italian productions finding a way to stand out and compete with their Hollywood competitors. There is nothing subtle about the feature, which means that while there are some eye-rolling clichés, a great many grotesque and horrifyingly shocking things do occur.
Viewers just have to be willing to accept that a lot of the behavior on display is completely irrational given the events occurring. Actually, the oddness of it actually adds to the fun, as some of their poor decisions are amusingly silly to witness and, in some respects, lighten the mood. Additionally, while the resolution and details of the ending aren’t clear, it isn’t a detriment to the film. One could argue that the vagueness adds something interpretive about all that has occurred and what it all might mean.
And speaking of the weird characters, the dubbing job on the young Bob is odd, with an adult-sounding, piercing voice added in. This is all due to the fact that most European movies were not shot with sync-sound and most of the dialogue was placed in later. Children’s voices were often recorded by female actresses (the practice is still frequently used to this day), who were considered to have a closer timbre to that of a child than an adult male.
At least on a technical level, the film is exceptional. It’s beautifully shot in widescreen on impressively designed sets that include colorful stained-glass window backdrops. These contrast the shadowy, cobweb-covered basement housing a very disfigured resident. The new 4K transfer is superb and stunning to take in. My memories of these films have always been of grainy and fuzzy images; this new picture looks so crisp and striking that it makes one appreciate the photography more than ever.
And the murder set pieces are elaborate and disturbing, with incredible prosthetic and mechanical effects. Some grisly moments include a knife being plunged through a victim’s skull and out their mouth, a poker piercing the jugular vein of another victim (causing blood to spray from the wound like a sprinkler) and a throat being ripped out by the hand of the undead monster. In the end, horror fans should find it easy to overlook some of the Italian production eccentricities and enjoy the movie for what it is – a bloody good time that will make viewers squirm.
The Blu-ray offers a whole lot of extra material for fans to digest. All the goods from a previous release nearly a decade ago have been ported over and cleaned up. This includes publicity materials and interviews with all of the main cast members who offer their stories about the shoot. Just about all mention Fulci’s reputation for being gruff and blunt, but still describe him as a professional and tell amusing tales about working with him. Of course, some stories will raise eyebrows, as the cast had to perform stunts involving axes and other unpleasantries that sound potentially dangerous. Talks with the screenwriters are also included, who describe how they ended up working for Fulci. Some of their ideas of who came up with what story elements are contradictory, but it’s all entertaining to hear.
There’s also a wonderful feature with the cinematographer and make-up effects personnel. The director of photography talks about how the international off-balance framing techniques were used to create a palpable sense of unease. It’s also remarkable to hear about how the make-up crew designed and created the effects for those jarring murder scenes. In particular, a mouth piece a performer wore in their mouth that projected the end of a knife-blade coming out.
If that wasn’t enough, you’ll also get some incredible new add-ons. The movie arrives with a recently recorded film historian commentary. There’s a lot of fascinating information relayed about the director’s odd working methods and Italian horror films of the period. The speaker also really wants you to know that he doesn’t consider the antagonist, Dr. Freudstein, to be a zombie. This reviewer disagrees, although concedes that the monster isn’t a traditional, Romero-esque ghoul. Still, the rotting figure shuffles like one of the undead, has lost all semblance of humanity, has no working organs (when he’s cut open, he’s filled with maggots and partially liquified entrails). He isn’t exactly conducting any experiments in that basement either, only stabbing people or tearing them apart with a blank expression. I suppose the debate will continue on and viewers can define Dr. Freudstein as whatever they prefer.
The set also includes over an hour of new featurettes. One includes an interview with another of the writers who details their experiences with the filmmaker. There’s a great discussion with Stephen Thrower, the author of a book on the movies of Lucio Fulci. This segment is packed with information about this particular period in the director’s career and how the film differs slightly from his other features. Also exceptional is a Q&A with star Catriona MacColl. The actress answers excellent questions about her work experiences with Fulci. She also discusses her initial reaction to the three films she starred in for the director, when her feelings about the pictures started to change from negative to positive, and her appreciation for a continually growing fanbase.
Also included in the set is a fun extra in the form of a CD presenting the film’s complete score. The music is quite enjoyable to listen to (in fact, I’ve had it on as I have been writing this review). It’d make a great disc to play in one’s residence over Halloween, or as trick-or-treaters arrive at the door. These kinds of special bonuses are most welcome and appreciated.
Yes, The Beyond is probably still my personal favorite Lucio Fulci effort. However, after re-watching The House by the Cemetery, this title does make an impression as a very entertaining film with plenty of atmosphere. In fact, it actually stands among the very best pictures in his filmography. The Blue Underground Blu-ray is absolutely incredible and is a must-own for fans of the filmmaker, or those with a deep appreciation of Italian horror. Check it out – you won’t be disappointed.