Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The House by the Cemetery Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 14, 2012

Lucio Fulci 's "Quella villa accanto al cimitero" a.k.a. "The House by the Cemetery" (1981) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Films. The supplemental features on this release include an introduction to the film and an exclusive video interview by actor Giovanni Frezza; video interview with actress Catriona MacColl; video interview with special effects artist and director Sergio Stivaletti; video interview with special effects and make up artist Giannetto De Rossi; audio commentary with Catriona MacColl and Calum Waddell; second audio commentary with Silvia Collatina and Mike Baronas; Q&A session with actors Giovanni Frezza, Silvia Collatina, Catriona MacColl, Carlo De Mejo, and Dagmar Lassander, filmed at HorrorHound in Indianapolis; original trailer, deleted scene; twenty cult trailers from the golden age of Italian cult cinema; and a lot more. The release also comes with reversible sleeve with original poster artwork and newly commissioned artwork cover, plus a collector's booklet featuring writing on the film by author Calum Waddell. In Italian or English, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Caught

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 its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Lucio Fulci's The House by the Cemetery arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Films.

Note: Arrow Films are offering standard Dual Format and Limited Edition Blu-ray releases of The House by the Cemetery.

The high-definition transfer appears to have been sourced from the same master Blue Underground's high-definition transfer was sourced for the U.S. Blu-ray release of The House by the Cemetery. However, the two are not identical. The Blue Underground high-definition transfer is slightly windowboxed and in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, while the Arrow Video high-definition transfer is in the original 2.39:1 aspect aspect ratio and it isn't windowboxed.
The only issue here is, again, the presence of light scanner noise. It is not as harsh and distracting as that found on Blue Underrground's Django, but it is certainly noticeable during select sequences. To be clear, viewers with very large screens, for example 100'+, will more than likely notice its presence during the daylight scenes (see screencapture #10), while viewers with 50'-55' screens are less likely to see it in motion. Aside form the light scanner noise, the high-definition transfer is very good. Detail is notably improved, clarity very good, especially during sequences where light is restricted, and contrast levels stabilized. Brightness levels are slightly elevated but never problematic. Lastly, there isn't even a whiff of edge-enhancement to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

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

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0 and Italian LPCM 2.0. For the record, Arrow Films have provided optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

There is a very noticeable difference in quality between the English LPCM 2.0 track and the Italian LCPM 2.0 track. With the former the dialog is well rounded, stable, clear and most importantly crisp. With the latter, the dialog comes off too soft, and occasionally there is also light background hiss. However, there are no serious dynamic fluctuations. I personally prefer how Walter Rizzati's atmospheric score sounds on the English LPCM 2.0 track, and since the majority of the actors in the film spoke English, the English LPCM 2.0 track is clearly preferable. For the record, there are no audio dropouts to report in this review.

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

Note: All of the supplemental features on the Blu-ray disc are perfectly playable on North American Blu-ray players, including the PS3. However, the supplemental features on the DVD are encoded in PAL. Therefore, you must have a Region-Free Blu-ray or DVD player to be able to view them.

Blu-ray

• Introduction - a very short introduction to the film by actor Giovanni Frezza. In English, not subtitled. (1 min, 1080p).

• Back To The Cellar - An Interview With Giovanni Frezza - in this video interview, actor Giovanni Frezza recalls how he became involved with The House by the Cemetery and how specific sequences were filmed, and shares his impressions of director Lucio Fulci. In English, not subtitled. (16 min, 1080p).

• Cemetery Woman - An Interview With Catriona MacColl - in this video interview, actress Catriona MacColl discusses her collaboration with director Lucio Fulci, his work before and after The House by the Cemetery, work ethic, her career, etc. In English, not subtitled. (30 min, 1080p).

• Finishing The Final Fulci - An Interview With Sergio Stivaletti - in this interview, special effects artist and director Sergio Stivaletti discusses The Wax Mask, a film based on a story by Dario Argento which Lucio Fulci was supposed to direct in 1996. A few weeks before shooting began, the Italian director unexpectedly died. In Italian, with imposed English subtitles. (9 min, 1080p).

• Freudstein Follies - An Interview With Giannetto De Rossi - in this interview, special effects and make up artist Giannetto De Rossi recalls what it was like to work with director Lucio Fulci and how the Italian critics treated his work. In English, with imposed English subtitles. (11 min, 1080p).

• Ladies of Italian Horror - three video interviews with three popular Italian actresses: Silvia Collatina (The House by the Cemetery), Stefania Casini (Suspiria/ Bloodstained Shadow) and Barbara Magnolfi (Suspiria/ The Sister Of Ursula). The actresses discuss the work of director Lucio Fulci and the state of Italian cinema in the early '70s and '80s. In English, not subtitled. (25 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - an audio commentary with Catriona MacColl and Calum Waddell. This is an outstanding commentary with an abundance of information not only about The House by the Cemetery, but also about The Trilogy (City of the Living Dead, The Beyond, and The House by the Cemetery), Lucio Fulci's filming technique, etc.

• Commentary - an audio commentary with Silvia Collatina and Mike Baronas.

DVD

• The House by the Cemetery Q&A - a Q&A session with actors Giovanni Frezza, Silvia Collatina, Catriona MacColl, Carlo De Mejo, and Dagmar Lassander, filmed at HorrorHound in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2011. In English, not subtitled. (43 min, PAL).

• Trailer Reel - twenty cult trailers from the golden age of Italian cult cinema, including several rare previews from the resume of director Lucio Fulci, each prefigured by a written introduction. In English or Italian, not subtitled. (64 min, PAL).
  
  1. Zombie Flesh-Eaters (1979). Directed by Lucio Fulci.
  2. Lisa and the Devil (1972). Directed by Mario Bava.
  3. Contraband (1980). Directed by Lucio Fulci.
  4. Beatrice Cenci (1969). Directed by Lucio Fulci.
  5. Dr. Butcher M.D. (1979). Directed by Marino Girolami.
  6. Beyond the Door (1974). Directed by Ovidio G. Assonitis.
  7. Four of the Apocalypse (1975). Directed by Lucio Fulci.
  8. Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (1966). Directed by Mario Bava.
  9. The Sect (1991). Directed by Michele Soavi.
  10. Conquest (1983). Directed by Lucio Fulci.
  11. Perversion Story (1969). Directed by Lucio Fulci.
  12. All the Colors of the Dark (1972). Directed by Sergio Martino.
  13. Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals (1977). Directed by Joe D'Amato.
  14. Danger: Diabolik (1968). Directed by Mario Bava.
  15. Nightmare City (1980). Directed by Umberto Lenzi.
  16. Murder Rock (1984). Directed by Lucio Fulci.
  17. Eaten Alive (1980). Directed by Umberto Lenzi.
  18. Slaughter Hotel (1971). Directed by Fernando Di Leo.
  19. Killer Crocodile (1989). Directed by Fabrizio De Angelis.
  20. Seven Doors of Death (1981). Directed by Lucio Fulci.
  

• Trailer - original trailer for The House by the Cemetery. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, PAL).

• TV Spot - TV Spot for The House by the Cemetery. In English, not subtitled. (1 min, PAL).

• Deleted Scene - a rare scene discovered in the original negative of The House by the Cemetery which has never appeared in any known theatrical or video releases of the film. Without sound. (1 min, PAL).

• Artwork and Booklet - reversible sleeve with original poster artwork and newly commissioned artwork cover plus a collector's booklet featuring writing on the film by author Calum Waddell

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

It is very clear that Arrow Films did everything they could to make this Blu-ray release the definitive release of Lucio Fulci's The Last House by the Cemetery. The supplemental features are simply outstanding and a good enough reason to strongly recommend the release. I particularly enjoyed the new video interview and audio commentary with Catriona MacColl as they offer a wealth of fascinating information about the strange world of director Lucio Fulci as well as the various trends in Italian cinema during the '70s and '80s. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.