Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

The House by the Cemetery Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 11, 2020

Lucio Fulci's "The House by the Cemetery" (1981) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground. The supplemental features on the disc include numerous vintage promotional materials for the film; archival interviews with cast and crew members; exclusive new audio commentary by author and critic Troy Howarth; and a lot more. The release also arrives with a 20-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Gingold and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Norman Boyle (Paolo Malco) and his wife Lucy (Catriona MacColl) are getting ready to move from their New York apartment to a small town in New England. While they pack their belongings, their little boy, Bob (Giovanni Frezza), communicates with a friendly girl who resides in a photograph of a crumbling old house. The girl warns him not to go there.

But Bob’s parents move to New England and rent an old and isolated house that looks exactly like the one from the photograph. Lucy isn’t thrilled with it, but Norman quickly convinces her that their stay will be worth it – in six months, after he completes the research of his suicidal former college, he will get a raise that will allow them to refurnish their apartment in New York.

Soon after, the girl from the photograph reappears, and strange things begin to happen – Norman hears unusual sounds in the house that drive him crazy, Bob has visions of a beautiful mannequin that gets beheaded, and Anne (Ania Pieroni), the family’s new babysitter, becomes paranoid. Lucy also discovers a tombstone in the living room.

Lucio Fluci’s The Last House by the Cemetery is a film of two halves. The first is slightly more coherent and focused on maintaining a strong atmosphere. It is loaded with familiar genre tricks that essentially compensate for the lack of originality in the script. There is a touch of Gothic horror here but also a degree of seriousness that effectively counters its artificiality.

The second half is drastically different. It is firmly grounded in the bizarro world that Fulci’s best films are known for. Unsurprisingly, there is good dose of kitsch, but the action is not over the top. Even the most explicit scenes here are not as disturbing as those regularly seen in some of his earlier films. Clearly, there is a desire to maintain some balance in the film.

The film’s most distinctive feature is its sound design. There are long sequences where the audio effects are far more important and far more appealing than the action. This is not to imply that these are advanced audio effects that break new boundaries, rather that they are carefully interspersed throughout the film and have very specific roles.

The cast is decent. MacColl is clearly a step above the rest of her colleagues, but as the film progresses there is little she does to have the viewer’s attention (her lines could have been a lot better). Malco looks credible as the ambitious doctor who slowly begins to realize that he is following the steps of his late colleague.

Cinematographer Sergio Salvati’s (City of the Living Dead, The Beyond) lensing is very good, especially during the second half of the film where the main characters enter the dark basement. The unique use of light, shadow, and color enhance the film’s atmosphere quite well.

Massimo Lentini’s costumes and masks look great. The mask Dr. Freudstein wears – which can be seen on the covers of many early DVD releases of Fulci’s film – in particular is excellent. With Blu-ray’s superb resolution, during close-ups it is very easy to see that a tremendous amount of work must have gone into it.

*In 1983, The House by the Cemetery was nominated for International Fantasy Film Award for Best Film at Fantasporto.

The House by the Cemetery Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The House by the Cemetery arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K restoration that introduces a number of significant improvements in various areas that we address in our reviews. I will highlight them below.

The surface of the visuals is a lot -- and I mean a lot -- healthier, and on a larger screen delineation looks vastly superior. This improvement is noticeable throughout the entire film, so close-ups, wider panoramic shots, and darker areas with plenty of nuances now look better. Because grain is better exposed and resolved density is superior as well. As a result, the new presentation eliminates the sporadic flatness that is noticeable on the older master, which is a byproduct of the scanner noise that is retained on it. (Blue Underground and Arrow Video utilized the same master to produce the previous releases of The House by the Cemetery in 2011 and 2012, respectively). Quite predictably, fluidity is much better, so once again, if you view your films on a larger screen this also makes a substantial difference. Furthermore, the new restoration has a brand new color scheme that introduces wider ranges of nuances. In fact, a direct comparison between the older master and the new restored master suggests that on the former some primaries and plenty of nuances are capped, meaning that they are not expanded enough, which provides it with a more neutral appearance. On the new master the whites alone have a more diverse range of hues that make a rather substantial difference. (Compare screencaptures #3 and 4). Image stability is terrific. There are no distracting debris, damage marks, cuts, stains, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The House by the Cemetery Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono. Optional yellow English SDH, French, Spanish, and English (for the Italian audio) subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The previous Region-B release of The House by the Cemetery that I reviewed did not have a 5.1 track, so obviously this new track is a bonus for fans of the film. The difference between the 1.0 and 5.1 tracks? The 5.1 track is mixed really well and actually introduces some meaningful improvements in terms of balance. (On the other hand, this is a common native limitation on various English soundtracks that were done for Italian genre films). However, I am also going to speculate that the 1.0 track is redone because I am hearing other smaller improvements in the mid- range which is now fuller. If I am wrong, then there is something different in the way it is encoded.

The House by the Cemetery Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Trailers -
  
  1. International Trailer. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080p).
  2. U.S. Trailer. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• TV Spot - a vintage TV spot for the film. In English, not subtitled. (1 min, 480/60i).

• Deleted Scene - this short deleted scene is titled "Bat Attack Aftermath". In English, not subtitled. (1 min, 480/60i).

• Commentary - if you tend to pick up a lot of genre films on Blu-ray then there is an excellent chance that you have already listened to a few audio commentaries by Troy Howarth, who specializes in European genre cinema. In this exclusive new commentary, Mr. Howarth shares a lot of interesting information about the production of The House by the Cemetery and its 'poetic' style, the directing preferences and legacy of its creator, the various actors that made the film and their careers, etc. It is a really nice commentary.

• Promotional Materials - two big galleries of vintage promotional materials for The House by the Cemetery from around the world, some of which are quite rare. (1080p).

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• Meet the Boyles - in this program, stars Catriona MacColl and Paolo Malco recall their collaboration on The House by the Cemetery and how they approached their characters, and discuss their working relationship with Lucio Fulci. In English and Italian, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (15 min, 1080p).

• Children of the Night - in this program, stars Giovanni Frezza and Silvia Collatina recall how they were cast to play their characters in The House by the Cemetery and what it was like to be around and work work with Lucio Fulci. In English, not subtitled. (13 min, 1080p).

• Tales of Laura Gittleson - in this interview, star Dagmar Lassander explains how she entered the film business, and discusses her work in Italy (and specifically with Mario Bava) where she appeared in a number of genre films as well as he contribution to The House by the Cemetery. Also, there are some very intersecting comments about the way(s) in which American audiences perceive and appreciate violent genre films. In English, not subtitled. (9 min, 1080p).

• My Time with Terror - in this interview, star Carlo De Mejo son of the famous Italian actress Alida Valli (Il Grido), discusses his background and career as well his involvement with The House by the Cemetery. Also, there are some very interesting comments about Lucio Fulci's working methods, particularly with female actors. In English, not subtitled. (10 min, 1080p).

• A Haunted House Story - in this interview, co-writers Dardano Sacchetti and Elisa Briganti discuss the conception of The House by the Cemetery as well as some of the key themes that define its narrative. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (15 min, 1080p).

• To Build a Better Death Trap - in this archival program, cinematographer Sergio Salvati, special make-up effects artist Maurizio Trani, special effects artist Gino De Rossi, and actor Giovanni De Nava discuss the specific work -- from special effects to lighting choices -- that was done to create the visual style and atmosphere of The House by the Cemetery. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (22 min, 1080p).

• House Quake - in this new video interview, co-writer Giorgio Mariuzzo discusses his professional relationship with Lucio Fulci and the director's working preferences and methods. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (15 min, 1080p).

• Catriona MacColl Q&A (2014) - presented here is an archival Q&A session with actress Catriona MacColl from the Spaghetti Cinema Festival where she addresses a number of different topics, from the forced change of her name to her contribution to various genre films. The session is moderate by Calum Waddell. In English, with some subtitles. (30 min, 1080p).

• Calling Dr. Freudstein - in this new video interview, Stephen Thrower, author of Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci, discusses the conception of The House by the Cemetery, its place in Lucio Fulci's body of work, as well the evolution of the director's style. In English, not subtitled.(20 min, 1080p).

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

• Soundtrack - the original soundtrack for The House by the Cemetery placed on a separate CD. A total of 31 tracks.

• Booklet - 20-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Gingold and technical credits.

• Cover - 3D lenticular slipcover, plus reversible cover with vintage poster art.

The House by the Cemetery Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Younger collectors that were not around during the LD and VHS eras, and even more recently during the DVD era, will never truly grasp how good they have it now. I always knew that Blu-ray will be a game-changer because it was easy to foresee that it would force the majors to begin upgrading their libraries the right way, but now that so many boutique labels are investing in 4K remasters collectors have the opportunity to own some absolutely stunning releases of their favorite films. Some of these releases, like the ones that the folks at Blue Underground have been producing, are the definitive packages that collectors once only fantasized about -- top-notch technical presentations, massive supplemental features, original soundtracks on separate CDs, lavish booklets, it is all there. Anyhow, this upcoming three-disc set is another all-around winner, so if you enjoy Lucio Fulci's The House by the Cemetery, place your order now. I guarantee your expectations will be met. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.