Quella villa accanto al cimitero (1981) Reviews

• One of the better 80s offerings from Italian splattermaster Lucio Fulci.

  capkronos2003-05-12

  Professor Norman Boyle (Paolo Malco) moves his wife Lucy (Catriona MacColl) and "cute" (a-hem!) little blonde son (Giovanni Frezza) from New York City to a cursed three-story Boston house by a cemetery. The digs come complete with creaky floorboards, crying/moaning spirits, loud bangs, a rabid devil bat, bleeding walls, a sexy/weird live-in babysitter (Ania Pieroni), the friendly ghost of a little girl and the murderous rotting, eyeless corpse of the house's former owner Dr. Freudstein (Giovanni De Nari); who hides out in the basement and emerges only to hack people up for their blood. Extremely gory Euro-splatter overdone as only Fulci overdoes it: Why slit someone's throat once when you can do it three times? There's also an impalement (make that three impalements), several decapitations, a knife through the head, a ripped out throat, maggots and other gruesome FX stuff to keep it humming along nicely for spaghetti splatter fans, and it all ends with a Henry James quote! Just be prepared to put up with some choppy editing and bad dubbing. Especially grating is the dub on the little boy... yikes!

• Fulci Hits Another Home Run

  eibon092001-03-29

  Quella Villa Accanto al Cimitero/House by the Cemetery(1981) is the first straight forward film for Fulci since Zombie Flesh Eaters(1979). Gets away from the dreamish themematics of his previous two films. Begins with the idea that this could be the third film in the 7 Gates Trilogy. Although not as violent as Zombie Flesh Eaters, The Gates of Hell, or The Beyond, The film does contain some gory set pieces. A bloody haunted house tale that employs the techniques of Lucio Fulci very well. The story builds toward the pessemistic climax. Quella Villa Accanto al Cimitero's major weakness is the poor dubbing of Bob & Mae. Because they are voiced over by adults, the performances of the two children come out weak. Walter Rizzati performs a main theme that sounds alot like the theme music of Don't Torture a Duckling. One of my favorite film scores from a Fulci picture. Tremendously influenced by the zombie classic, Let Sleeping Corpse Lie(1974). This is one of the few Fulci films from the early 80s that Fabio Frizzi did not work on. The film crew seems at home since having done many films together. I was impressed by the film when I first saw it. House by the Cemetery is helped out by the presence of Catriona MacColl who gives it professional respectability. One thing that annoyed some people is the scene where the babysitter is cleaning up blood with Mrs. Boyle not reacting to this. This was not done purposely but resulted due to budget restraints and time limitations. The House by the Cemetery(1981) was filmed after the editing of The Beyond(1981). Dr. Freudstein is another in a line of monsterous villains that follows Father Thomas and Schweik the painter. He is the only zombie in an otherwise non zombie pic. Even though he is not seen for most of the picture, his presence is still sinisterly felt. His name seems to be a mixture of Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Freud. Dr. Freudstein in my opinion also seems to be inspired by the longevity seeking Dr. Charriere of HP Lovecraft/August Derleth's short story, THE SURVIVOR. Dr. Freudstein is menacing and repulsive. The set designs are eye popping and fantastic. The interiors of the Freudstein house from the past are stunning. Another example of Fulci using great gothic designs for the film. Part of the film was done in Concord, MA. The antique look of the Freudstein house from the past is something out of a Mario Bava movie. The House by the Cemetery(1981) is made special by the sight of gothic architecture in the small New England town. Revolves around the relationship between Bob Boyle and the ghost, Mae Freudstein. They can communicate from far away while understanding each other's thoughts. They are the opposite of Mr. and Mrs. Boyle who are limited in looking beyond what is there. Bob Boyle and Mae are competently played by Giovanni Frezza & Silvia Collatina. Bob Boyle ends up in the same position as Liza and John from The Beyond(1981). Mae's role serves the same purpose as a warner that Emily served in The Beyond(1981). Children play a vital role in Lucio Fulci's top films. In his films, children are the bearers of innocence who are surrounded by a nature of violence. Children are a crucial part in this film because they are the only ones who can sense danger. Dr. Freudstein in my opinion represents the dark half of Norman Boyle. The children in the film are inspired by characters in a Henry James Novella. Its interesting that the doctor lures his victims by crying like a child. Quella Villa Accanto al Cimitero I feel had a profound influence on Clive Barker's Hellraiser(1987). One example is the monster who needs victims to keep himself alive and fresh. Another example is the architecture designs of Hellraiser(1987). Combines the ideas of HP Lovecraft with Henry James and Ambrose Bierce. Giannetto De Rossi produces some effective special effects for a low budget film. Sergio Salvati is one of the key ingredients to this picture because of his fabulous cinematography and camera placement. House by the Cemetery(1981) is comparable to Mario Bava's Shock(1977). Both have families who live in a house with a dark past. Both have a child who talks to someone dead. The two films have female characters who are on the verge of total breakdown. House by the Cemetery & Shock contain a downbeat ending. These two rely on atmosphere and colorful set pieces. There are show stopping highlights in Quella Villa Accanto al Cimitero(1981). One, the murder of the first victim played by Daniela Doria. Two, the murder of Mrs. Gittleson where realistic make up effects are employed. Three, the pix axe scene that is an encore of the "Buried Alive" sequence from City of the Living Dead(1980). The scene where Mae envisions the death of Anne, the babysitter is brilliant. The scene where the camera pans out from a house to a picture of that house is quite good and reminds me of a sequence towards the end of Brazil(1985).

• THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY is a creepy horror film plenty of brutal images and gory events

  ma-cortes2010-01-20

  A family formed by Norman Boyle (Paolo Malco), wife (Katriona MacColl, Fulci's ordinary) and son (Frezza) move an old mansion in New England outside Boston close a graveyard . Norman advised by professor Muller (secondary role by Lucio Fulci) has to investigate a scientific named Patterson who committed suicide by hanging and killed his lover. There they hire a mysterious babysitter (Anna Pieroni). Early rare deeds begin to happen to them, as they start hearing noises, rare characters and tragic murders. The picture terminates telling some lines by Henry James : ¨ No one will ever know whether children are monsters or monsters are children ¨. Chilling Italian terror flick full of screams, chills, thrills and lots of blood and gore. Good make-up and special effects make-up by the maestro Gianetto De Rossi. Produced on a tight budget by Fabrizio De Angelis , Fulci's usual producer and occasionally director. Eerie musical score composed and conducted by Walter Rizzati. The motion picture is realized by one of the most controversial filmmakers of terror movies ,Lucio Fulci in his usual style with flaws and gaps but is professionally made because he is a skilled craftsman . Reviewers are divided over booth the morals and talents of Fulci (1927-1996) who sometimes directed under the alias ¨Louis Fuller¨. For some critics many of his movies are cruel and shockingly violent, yet their gory surface often conceals religious, social commentaries or intelligent issues. Whether he should be viewed as a cheap sensationalist or just a genius Fulci has a loyal fan base and undeniably has an important and unique influence on the terror genre , creating great works on a low budget such as proved in ¨The Beyond¨, ¨Manhattan baby¨, ¨Gates of Hell¨, ¨Island of the living dead¨, ¨New York ripper¨ , among them. This gore-feast that tried to disguised itself under many other titles will appeal to Lucio Fulci aficionados.

• Weakest of Lucio's gates of hell trilogy, but the ending is interesting

  Aaron13752002-05-09

  This film, along with City of the Living Dead and The Beyond, belongs to the gates of hell trilogy by Lucio Fulci. The films are not part of the same story, but rather share similar elements and all three star the great screamer, Catriona MacColl. This one to me is the weakest of the three films. I consider The Beyond to be the strongest as it looks the best and looks like it had a rather sizable budget compared to the other two. City of the Living Dead had some good story elements and was the easiest to understand (except that stupid ending), but it lags here and there. This one tries to be too clever trying to divert your attention here and there and trying to throw a swerve because at times it almost seems like the killer is nothing more than a simple slasher killer that may even have been among the characters you meet during the course of the film. Except the child Bob, who is so annoyingly voiced that he is the one character you want dead more than anyone else featured within. Of the three though, it has the most interesting ending. Sure it is not quite as clear as The Beyond's, let's face it, the two lead characters end up in hell. It also is not a failed ending like in City of the Living Dead where the kid was supposed to have been a zombie, but it never really looked like it. No, the ending in this one is strange, weird and open for interpretation. The story has a family moving into a house in Boston so the father can take up some research which will net him more money or something and really seems strange that someone can make a bundle simply rummaging through a library. The house they choose to live in though has a dark secret. Of course, the father may have a dark secret too as he seems to have been in town before. That babysitter seems to harbor some dark secret of her own as well. Meanwhile, Bob, the couple's son is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but at least he knows coming to this house is a mistake, only because the strange girl who seems to live in a painting has warned him while seeing the head of a mannequin fall off and ooze blood! Then there is the bat attack that prompts the couple to want to leave, but the realty agent gets killed before she can meet them and they seem to forget they want to leave and then the father learns everything about the house by listening to a tape that doesn't really explain everything and by visiting a cemetery. Seriously, the man knows that there is a dead guy living in their basement who sustains himself using blood by a tape that has a man screaming crazily and a trip to a cemetery that really reveals nothing other than Dr. Freudstein is not there! Then in the end you see the horrific Dr. Freudstein who is a shock to see when I saw this in the theater, but doubtful anyone from today would get the same shock as they always feature him on the back of the DVD box. The ending is by far the most interesting aspect of the film as Dr. Freudstein is revealed. He is quite a sight and when the father stabs him, maggots flow out of his body and that gave me nightmares as a child! He then kills the father as the father becomes incapable of taking a few more stabs at the good doctor and then the mother falters too. The boy is seemingly rescued by the strange girl who seems to be a Freudstein herself. The film does not really fit the theme of the gates of hell trilogy as there are no gates of hell opening. However, perhaps the gate to hell in this one is more subtle as Bob is pulled through a crack to seemingly be rescued and then is led off by none other than the creepy girl and her mother who is Dr. Freudstein's wife. So, this one is okay at times, but it does get downright silly too. That bat attack got absurd, too many things suggesting this person or that person was harboring a secret that never got revealed and the downright awful dubbing of the child. However, Dr. Freudstein looks really good and the ending is interesting. Makes me wish he was in the film more as he looks better than any of the zombies or creatures in The Beyond or City of the Living Dead. It is almost a shame that they kept him under wraps until the very end, but it really is a shock when you do not know what is going on. It is such a pity, more people will not know the surprise of seeing a man who is a living corpse, always accompanied by the cries and laughter of children and filled with maggots! Terrifying and quite frankly, it gave me nightmares as a child! This film just needed more work during the rest of the film and a better voice for the child!

• Middle-of-the-road Fulci

  Wizard-82003-12-14

  In some ways, you get a sense Fulci was trying hard to make this more "respectable" than some of his other movies. The camerawork is careful, creating atmosphere as well as a sense of polish. The makeup and gore effects (except for the ridiculous bat scene) are also well-crafted, and the Dr. Freudstein character is fairly creepy to see. Also, there are fewer splatter scenes, and they come more out of the story than any gratuitous attempts to add gore. However, the story (which has shades of THE SHINING) is pretty slow-moving, so after a while you wish Fulci *would* throw in some gratuitous splatter! And like many of Fulci's other movies, a lot of things are simply not explained. (I will admit I got a good laugh at the sudden burst of "explanation" by one character at the end, which comes out of nowhere!) Quite frankly, viewers who have heard about Fulci but not seen any of his other movies will be wondering at the end of the movie why he's received so much fuss. So only for Fulci fans, or people with more than a passing interest in Italian horror movies.