Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Funeral Home Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 30, 2024

A Canadian production from 1981, “Funeral Home” (a.k.a. “Cries in the Night,” which is the title on the Blu-ray presentation) dares to enter the then red-hot horror marketplace with a picture that contains extraordinarily little scary business. A few kills are present, and there’s a black cat marching around the location, but screenwriter Ida Nelson and director William Fruet offer surprisingly little in the way of frights with the endeavor. “Funeral Home” is more of a missing persons mystery blended with a few drops of “Psycho,” with the production focused on the investigative potential of the material instead of building a level of suspense. More of a T.V. movie than a chiller, the effort is capably performed by its cast, but there’s lifelessness here that’s bewildering, making for a tough sit.

Heather (Lesleh Donaldson) has arrived in the small town of Northhampton for the summer, reuniting with her grandmother, Maude (Kay Hawtry), with plans to help her transform her dwelling, which was once a funeral home, into a proper “tourist home.” Maude is a God-fearing woman still mourning the mysterious loss of her husband, James, and she barely tolerates the activities of her guests, preferring to deal with her flower-making business. Heather is befriended by Rick (Dean Garbett), a local who’s happy to show off the community, with the pair growing close, soon curious about what’s going on in Maude’s forbidden, locked cellar. When more disappearances arrive in town, cop Joe (Alf Humphreys) is on the case, trying to make sense of the crimes. Davis (Barry Morse), a guest at Maude’s house, is also interested in the weird happenings in Northhampton. As everyone hunts for clues, a shadowy killer emerges to make sure no one finds the answers they’re looking for.

“Funeral Home” has a community of characters to establish in the opening act, with Heather introduced to a variety of locals and visitors while setting up her summer plans with Maude. Rick’s the good guy, trying to be helpful and available for the new girl in town, and there’s his brother, Joe, a cop recognizing that something isn’t right in Northhampton, starting to tie together all the disappearances in town. There’s Billy, the developmentally disabled cemetery caretaker, and guests include Harry (Harvey Atkin) and his mistress, Florie (Peggy Mahon), with the latter delighting in teasing Billy with a show of sexuality that can only be described as “Canadian.”

People are missing, including James, with Maude trying to carry on without her domineering husband, offering a short temper with almost everyone around her. “Funeral Home” is basically a mild mystery for most of the run time, with Joe looking for clues, while Heather and Rick are tempted to check out the cellar, which was once a working area for the funeral home. In terms of scares, there are none, unless the black cat counts, with Heather terrified of the feline. Murder takes its time to show up in “Funeral Home,” with a car pushed over the edge of a quarry counting as the first kill. Blood doesn’t arrive until 65 minutes into the feature, with most of the viewing experience devoted to characters asking questions and delving into the history of Maude’s house. In fact, there’s very little cursing, no nudity, and violence is fairly tame, making one wonder how the picture secured an R-rating.

Funeral Home Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) doesn't have a source listed on any press materials or the packaging. What's here appears to have extended damage Shout Factory tried to manage, but issues remain, including a flashing-like effect with color, which pulses up and down throughout most of the viewing experience. It's distracting but remains mostly mild, flaring up periodically. Detail is softer, dealing with the cinematographic limitations of the production. Some sense of skin particulars remain, and housing interiors are open for inspection, retaining decorative additions, including the creepy ways of the cellar. Exteriors retain mild depth as quarry and small-town events are presented. Delineation is acceptable. Grain is passably resolved. Brief posterization is encountered.

Funeral Home Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix also deals with the technical limitations of the production, but age is also apparent, resulting in a muddy listening event for "Funeral Home." Dialogue is often muffled, occasionally making it difficult to understand exchanges (the subtitles give up at times too). Sound seems processed, fighting to preserve what's available on whatever source Shout was working with. Scoring cues are equally muted, lacking clarity, only appreciable in a blunt manner.

Funeral Home Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features film historians Jason Pichonsky and Paul Corupe.

• Commentary #2 features isolated score and interview with music historian Douglass Fake.

• Commentary #3 features audio interviews with actor Lesleh Donaldson, first assistant director Ray Sager, and production assistant Shelley Allen.

• "Dead & Breakfast" (13:39, HD) is an interview with art director Susan Longmire and set assistant Elinor Galbraith. The pair share information about their early careers, and their eventual connection to "Funeral Home." Memories of director William Fruet are provided, with Longmire describing him as "one of the greats." The women offer memories of creative challenges during the shoot, trying to create a proper genre picture without much experience, making mistakes along the way.

• "Family Owned & Operated" (12:34, HD) is a look at producer Barry Allen and his industry legacy, featuring an interview with Brian Allen, president of Premiere Operating, LTD. Sensing an opportunity, Barry Allen took his film exhibition business into production, with "Funeral Home" a family affair, also employing Brian's sisters. Brian shares his memories from a set visit, and recalls Barry's nervousness when called on to cameo in the picture. American distribution woes are also identified.

• "Secrets & Shadows" (15:46, HD) is an interview with cinematographer Mark Irwin, who discusses the many cinematic influences in "Funeral Home," making up a "Cuisinart" style of storytelling. The interviewee discusses the production experience, working with director William Fruet to find a look for the picture in strange locations. Casting is explored, finding Kay Hawtry locking horns with Fruet, and Lesleh Donaldson had to deal with rotting vegetables in the film's finale. The interviewee also had to work with a cat, praising his feline star.

• Filming Locations (6:34, HD) returns to the shooting areas for "Funeral Home," with audio information provided by Michael Felsher.

• Image Gallery (4:53) collects BTS snaps, film stills, lobby cards, poster and VHS art, and promotional materials.

• Radio Spots (2:18) are offered.

• T.V. Spots (1:05, SD) provide two commercials for "Cries in the Night."

• And a Video Trailer (1:44, SD) and a Theatrical Trailer (1:50, SD) are included.

Funeral Home Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Funeral Home" finally gets something more physical going in its final 15 minutes, but the journey there is filled with banal conversations and long takes of characters walking around the house, with Fruet trying to sell it all as premiere suspense. It's really not, and the conclusion of the tale is too derivative of other, much better chillers. The cast hopes to inject some life into the endeavor with broad performances, but Fruet and Nelson don't provide much to work with in "Funeral Home," which is too tame to be a horror experience, and too plodding to deliver an appealing dramatic event.