Movie Review- The House by the Cemetery

Originally written 12/28/15

            The House by the Cemetery is best when it is indulging in ethereal ambiance. The titular house is eerie and shadowy and nicely photographed. It reminds me of Phantasm and Let's Scare Jessica to Death; they all have an ominous, foreboding dreamlike atmosphere. Unfortunately, the dreamy, haunting visuals are offset by a weak story, weak acting, and gratuitous violence. This is a visuals-first movie, so the story is not treated with much importance, but the brief attempts at a plot are nonsensical. There are ghosts and also a mad scientist who eats people to live forever or something. The screenwriter clearly did not give a damn, and it is best to share that attitude to enjoy the film. As is typical with old Italian horror movies, the dubbing is awkward at best. In particular, the dubbing for the child actors in the film is hilariously atrocious.

            I know this is a Lucio Fulci film, but the violence here is truly gratuitous. He revels in gory visuals for far too long. After a while, it stops being shocking and becomes plainly disgusting. Had he chosen some restraint and cut away from the carnage at times, perhaps the violence would have had more impact than a shameless display of corn syrup blood and fake body parts.

            If you are familiar with exploitation movies and their various shortcomings, there is some value to be had in The House by the Cemetery. The visuals are truly creepy, and there are some genuinely suspenseful scenes throughout. There are also a number of campy elements in the film, such as the ridiculously cheesy bat attack scene, that are definitely amusing if you enjoy that sort of thing.  There are parts of a good movie buried within the walls of the house if you're willing to look for them.