Thoughts on House by the Cemetery?

[W. E. Sawyer]

I picked this up on DVD for 7 bucks. It's one of those cheap Diamond Entertainment DVDs. I really get a kick out of the back cover of these DVDs where it promotes "Full length feature Film" as one of the DVD features. It's good to know I'll be receiving the entire movie and not just half of it. http://www.joblo.com/ubb/wink.gif

Anyway, it's Lucio Fulci so it must be decent. Opinions on it?

[ParileseMonster]

We bought this one also, and it's a somewhat decent transfer, framed correctly at 2.35:1 with no extras. The bad news is that Anchor Bay just issued this in an even better transfer, with extras, easter eggs, and deleted scenes. Guess it depends on how much you like the movie, for which version you would want. It's about a family that relocates to a house in the country, where the evil Dr. Freudstein once conducted horrible expermiments. He ends up getting resurrected, and wrecking havoc again...it's a cross between Fulci's The Beyond and The Haunting I guess.It's a good film, has some great Fulci gore, but I'll take Zombie and Paura Nella Citta' dei Morti Viventi anyday.

[This message has been edited by ParileseMonster (edited 10-13-2001).]

[misfits859]

I actually picked it up last weekend too and watched it for the first time. Pretty good 80's era horror movie vibe. I was actually pretty disgusted when Freudstein was stabbed and started "bleeding" maggots. Also liked the up close stabbing scene. My local video store has several of these $6.99 DVD horror classics. Good deal but they are very basic.

SO what exactly happened at the end of the movie where the older lady walks off with the two kids? I was on the net while watching the movie and didn't completely follow the plot. Guess I'll have to rewatch it soon.

[W. E. Sawyer]

A while ago I got Eaten Alive DVD by Diamond Entertainment. The transfer was just horrible. But what do you expect for a small amount of money...

[Elgyn]

I LOVE this movie! I didn`t even know it was on DVD. As for the ending with the old lady, I think her and the little girl were ghosts, and the little boy went to live with them. MY question,though, is how come they make it look like the housekeeper was involved witht the 'evil', but then she gets killed?

[misfits859]

You know what gets me about this flick is that the "bad guy" basically wins. He kills the boys father(?) by ripping out his throat and then kills his mother as her and the boy are trying to escape the basement. So I guess that means that Freudstein is still down in that basement........

[DeadByDawn]

Great gore, average plot, good atmosphere, great make-up, overall a good movie, but I still think that it's not from the better end of Fulci's movies...

[uzumaki]

HOUSE BY THE CEMENTARY is a great film. The first time I saw the film, was in the Italian language without subtitles, and I still loved it. This, as well as THE BEYOND, are the most atmospheric of Fulci's films. This came out when Fulci was in his prime and doing his best work. Probably his second-best film, next to the previously mentioned THE BEYOND! Great stuff!!

Oh, and the Anchor Bay disc of this is superb.

[misfits859]

Funny you would mention The Beyond. I picked it up on DVD today and will soon be watching it for the first time!! I'll finally get to see what all the hype is about. Who knows maybe I'll start the billionth thread on the subject.

[Elgyn]

misfits - I know what you mean! I think that`s what makes the movie so damn twisted!

[Headbangerzombie]

I don't know I really did not like this one. I like Fulci a lot, but this is not one his better films.

*1/2 out of ****

[W. E. Sawyer]

Just got done watching it. It was really good! Loved the gore. I was a little confused over the end; as someone else mentioned, why did the old lady walk off with the two kids? Were they the "good ghosts" of the mansion, saving the little kid from the monster? Also what was the meaning of the quote at the end with kids being monsters?

And I think it made it look like the housekeeper (or was she a babysitter) was evil just to throw us off.

[Elgyn]

okay - the old lady AND the little girl were both 'good ghosts'. The girl tried to warn the little boy not to move into the house. And at the end, the old lady and the girl come to take the boy to 'live' with them. Does this mean the boy really died somehow? I don`t know.

[misfits859]

Good point! I think the message may have been that the boy was killed. Maybe we won't know. Why else would he be taken off by ghosts? Once again I really dig the vibe to this movie. Not the best of Fulci, but very good nonetheless.

[W. E. Sawyer]

That old lady ghost was probably Mrs. Freudstein and maybe the little girl their daughther from the 1800's when they lived there.

[misfits859]

I'm pretty sure that was his wife and kid.

[Jewbo]

i think people should warn if ur gonna say what happens at the end of the film. it will ruin it 4 people.

[SplatterMaster5]

I recently picked up the Diamond Entertainment version off of ebay and it says it was released in 2009 on the back cover...was it re-released or something since 2000? The menus also look really cheap, like fanmade almost. I hope I dont have an unofficial release of it, lol, if so I'll have to pick up the Anchorbay version which looks much better anyway.

This is a great movie by the way, the dubbing of the little boy is very annoying/funny but it doesn't ruin the film and the atmosphere is almost dreamlike, partly due to the music score which is one of my favorite horror soundtracks of all time.

[Misery]

I remember thinking it's a decent film with a great ending

[XCoRyX]

The theme music (and soundtrack in general) is SO great...the movie itself has its moments, but you can't deny the vibes and atmosphere being kickass. Of course, the dubbing of the little boys voice is so ridiculous though, can't forget that.

It gets random and slow at times, and it is not Fulci's best (The Beyond)...but its worth the watch.

[Evil Ed]

It's in my top 10 favorite horror movies, and is my favorite Fulci film. Such a classic! The opening, the scene with the axe, the music, the little boys (terribly dubbed) voice, the ending, the surrealness of it all. Excellent.