The Film

Lucio Fulci's work has often been criticised for being incoherent, inconsistent, and morally abhorrent. His misanthropy and the transgression of his later horror movies, along with a fair degree of duds, have repelled serious critics and relegated the film-maker to the loving bosom of geeks, cult fans, and subcultures. This has resulted in his films being seen as simple gore flicks, misogyny and hack work. In comparison to similar genre film-makers like Argento and Bava, he has been found wanting.

This seems deeply unfair to me. For Fulci shows a passion for very similar themes to Bava - decay, sin and the destruction of beauty - and shares with Argento an almost complete disregard for cogent narrative, replacing it instead with visual images that communicate his meaning with stunning power. Like Argento, Fulci often disturbs the viewer so strongly with what he shows that they are forced to challenge their loyalty to the screen and consider just how sane or moral the director is.In House by the Cemetery, Fulci achieves the above effect by setting up Bob as an innocent about to be violated by evil. Bob is a young kid whose neurotic mother and bookish father decide to move for six months to the Freudstein house so daddy can do some research. Before they leave, Bob is warned not to go and Bob is continually warned to not enter the house. Despite the warnings that he relays, Bob's parents take no heed and all the adults around him start to disappear.

Young, blond, innocent Bob is endangered by the director, who shows that the pretty housekeeper will meet a nasty end, and who delights in the graphic violence which will revolt most viewers. As Fulci builds and builds a sense that something horrible is coming, he then shows something horrible as a payoff and graphic scenes outdo one another to convince you that the beautiful child will fare little better than his elders. Others may offer relief or a greater framework of narrative or morality, Fulci doesn't even try.He could choose to offer a terrible dream from which the viewer wakes up, or play out a fable that punishes the evil and saves the good. Fulci could, but he never does in his best horror films. He even hammers home how beauty or intelligence won't save you, like a chin banging on each step of its failed escape route. Furthermore, he wants you to take his nightmares away and to not feel safe again - at least in the real world.

There are so many discontinuities in House by the Cemetery that you may find yourself scratching your head bloody whilst trying to follow the plot. The story contradicts itself more than once, maguffins fly around, and soundtrack music stops for seemingly no reason at vital moments. The penetrating and destructive murders of the female cast will leave you uneasy in your sexual politics, but nowhere as uneasy as the final reveal of the handiwork hidden in the basement.Still able to shock, House by the Cemetery creeps you out by alternately implying the horror and then by displaying it graphically. The mood created is wonderfully half dream half mundanity, and the shadows and cobwebs that generate the atmosphere prove to be the decoration of the slaughterhouse below. This is one of Fulci's best films, you'll need strong nerves and then a strong stomach to pass through the Freudstein house unscathed.

Transfer and Sound

Not having a copy of the EC release of this film to hand, I chose to compare it with my old Anchor Bay US disc. The two discs seem to use the same print as the framing is the same, and the levels of contrast and the colouring seem to be the same as well. The EC disc is meant to be a lot lighter and colourful but I have to say I was very happy with how the film was presented here. It is sharp, very detailed and black levels are nigh perfect. There may be a few compression artefacts but the first uncut UK release of this film is a fine transfer.


Masters of Giallo disc


Anchor Bay US disc


Masters of Giallo disc


Anchor Bay US disc

The sound comes with a single English dub. Now if you know the film, you will know about the dubbing of Bob which stands out a mile and kinda ruins the effect of innocence that the director was looking for. This is the same for any release of the film I have seen, and this mono track is perfectly serviceable with odd pops and crackling and faithful reproduction. Personally I have never been wild about the various surround mixes on other releases of this film, so a simple clean mono track suits me.

Discs and Special Features

It's a region two encoded disc which just creeps on to a second layer. The reversible sleeves on offer are rather good, and the disc based extras include two trailers, a TV spot and the usual photo gallery of stills and poster art. Included here is a deleted scene, which I haven't caught before, that is an extension of the bat sequence - there is no dialogue track for this unfortunately. Wholly new is an appreciation of the director in the featurette, Fulci in the House. With excerpts from the film and the trailer from Lizard in a Woman's Skin, we get interviews from the likes of Sergio Stivaletti, Joe Dante, and Anthony Timpone. Starting from the point of celebrating the director's films from 1979 to 1981, the zombie movies are praised, his love of Hitchcock mentioned, and his later less succesful years explored. Timpone remembers a frail Fulci visiting a Fangoria convention and being bowled over by the love for his horror movies. This is the best of the new featurettes made by Masters of Giallo and will give newcomers to poor Lucio a neat introduction.

Summary

A strong release and an uncut one. Deleted scenes, a new featurette, and a fine transfer make this an excellent purchase.

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