HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY

Unless you have been living under a ‘damned tombstone’ you will already have experienced the surreal genius of Lucio Fulci. One of the titles widely regarded as a classic is the third and final instalment to his supposed ‘Zombie trilogy’, House by the Cemetery. With ‘The Beyond’ and ‘City of the Living Dead’ already making the transition to high definition, how does Fulci’s 1981 creepy house yarn fare?

As is customary with Arrow releases, an optional introduction by one of the cast is included. In this case it is the actor who plays Bob in the movie. Giovanni Frezza does the honours by using his 18 seconds or so to issue the first of many apologies regarding his dubbed voice!

Given the movie has already made its high definition debut via Blue Underground’s release, and my assumption that SGM readers have already seen it, I have only provided a truncated synopsis in order to cover the bonus material in more depth.

Our narrative concerns the fate of the Boyle family consisting of Norman (Paolo Marco), his wife Lucy, (Catriona MacColl) and their young son Bob (Giovanni Frezza). Norman has taken on the research of his late partner and as such is moving his family from New York to New Whitby, Boston.

Although Bob almost immediately forms a mysterious friendship with a young girl called Mae Silvia Collatina), their new rural abode, comes with some menacing secrets. Norman’s research averts him toward the real reason of his partner’s suicide, which in turn is ominously linked to the House by the Cemetery...

HbtC is often cited as the scariest of Fulci’s Zombie trilogy. I feel this is largely down to the slower build-up of the plot allowing for more suspense and tension. It is also unusual for a Fulci movie to focus on a traditional family unit and be grounded in the setting of a solitary house. Even with these factors, it is a testament to Sergio Salvati’s exquisite cinematography, that the movie is such an atmospheric piece of cinema.

The Blu Ray from Arrow is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and with the picture being sourced from the original uncut negative, it means not only are there no censorship issues, but the high definition representation is a far crisper way to view the movie then on its previous DVD outings.

The dual effort of Salvati bringing Fulci’s twisted visions to fruition simply excels at showcasing the gore on that is liberally spread across the movie. There is an opulent richness to the blood when it flows at regular intervals. The sharpness, combined with the polarity of colours, reproduces the most delicate glistening, spurts of blood with aplomb which is especially impressive given the grimy basement setting.

Moving onto the sound and the English 2.0 stereo enhances the atmosphere further. The calamitous and melancholic blend of Walter Rizzati’s haunting score adds depth to the viewing experience and I struggled to find any fault with the audio. Maybe the use of stereo could have stretched some of the eerie sound effects a little more but it was solid and consistent audio throughout.

Now I mentioned Giovanni Frezza’s regrets regarding his characters dubbed voice. Unless you are Bart Simpson, it tends to be futile for an adult female to attempt to add credence to a 6 year old boy’s intonation! Over the years this element of the movie has divided fans to the point that some people detest his character. Ok, so Bob speaks in a high pitched squeal, but for me, it was one of the unique aspects that made the movie more memorable. But if you fall into the aforementioned group of people, the Italian, uncompressed LCPM mono track at least gives Bob a more realistic (albeit still dubbed) voice. I did however note that Lucy’s dubbed voice in Italian was a lot harsher and at odds with her neurotic and vulnerable persona in the movie.

Arrow Video bizarrely have attracted some , in my mind, unfair criticism regarding some of their releases but one area they undoubtedly excel at is that of Extras. With this release, Arrow in conjunction with High Rising Productions, simply blow the Blue Underground disc out of the water, or should that be soil?!

This is accentuated by the mere fact a classic movie HbtC has been screaming out for a commentary track for years. At last, like that elusive London bus, two come along together!

The first features Catriona MacColl (who seems to have this uncanny knack of infusing an element of class into her contributions to these special editions), her commentary is a pleasant mix of recollections from filming the movie along with her own thoughts concerning Fulci Philosophy. Her commentary also address’s a couple of the films imperfections. Lucy’s ludicrous disregard to the blood stain on the kitchen floor being hastily cleaned by Ann, the suspicious babysitter, has often been flagged up as being unexplainable. This anomaly being pondered on by the actress with such genuine interest was heart warming in itself.

The other commentary comes from actress Silvia Collatina, who played the enigmatic, Mae in the film. She chats with Mike Baronas of Paura Productions. Collatina, being the tender age of 9 when the movie was in production, explains her parent’s role in relation to her involvement with filming such a terrifying movie. But what I found really uplifting was her intimate examination of some of the movies subplots and character traits. Her passionate discourse really proved what a fan of the horror genre she is. There is an apparent trend in special features of Fulci classics to discuss the late director’s alleged misogyny. It’s a little hackneyed, in my humble view, but both commentary tracks address this issue. MacColl’s bold suggestion that perhaps some of these ‘victims’ were themselves not totally committed or professional was refreshing, but her comments were upstaged by her compatriots’ answer!

When faced with the ‘misogyny issue’ Collatina is evidently sidetracked by Dagma Lassanders ultraviolent fate. Rather then answer a bemused Mike, she excitedly exclaims "I love this part!" as the estate agent is brutally jabbed and punctured in a particularly gory set piece. Your place in Horror movie folklore is secured - Silvia Collatina, we salute you!

The Extras are completed on the HD disc with some interview segments, each with a lovingly crafted animated introduction. MacColl balances Fulci’s differing sides, while Sergio Stivaletti clears up the whole ‘Wax Mask" subject. Giovanni apologies (again!) for his dubbed voice, but it was the 9 or so minutes spent listening to special effects guru Giannetto De Rossi that was most intriguing. He revealed the secrets behind his superb illusions with modest simplicity. Over thirty years old the movie may be, but the scarlet soaked set pieces are shockingly effective, even when under scrutiny of an ultra-crisp high definition print.

There is a bonus DVD included which includes a trailer reel of Italian cult classics. The intro screen before each clip with information about the movie, and a nugget of trivia, was a nice touch.

But it was the 30th anniversary reunion of the cast being captured that brought the festival experience into your own home. The wonderful 42 minute onstage Q and A session at the HORRORHOUND convention in Indianapolis back in March 2011, makes for cheery viewing. Especially amusing was Frezza’s interpretation of the movies climax and how it accounted for his tongue in cheek label as the ‘Peter Pan’ of Italian cinema.

Arrow Video has, yet again, assembled a truly fantastic special edition of a true classic. The packaging, again, surpasses its peers with the customary reversible sleeve (3 original poster artworks and newly commissioned artwork cover); a double-sided fold-out poster and a collector’s booklet.

My attempts to compare the picture quality of the Blue Undergrounds disc with Arrows proved inconclusive. I admit I have a budget home cinema set up but I personally couldn’t tell the discs apart in regards to the picture or sound quality.

There was a glaring difference between the two and that was the opening credit sequence. The Arrow disc features the original Italian language opening credit sequence along with the Henry James quote at the end of the movie also being in Italian. There’s your reason for owning both if you needed one!!

All in all, the House by the Cemetery Blu Ray is a truly essential purchase from the good folk at Arrow.

Review by Marc Lissenburg