The House By The Cemetery is essentially an Old Dark House tale, but with Fulci at the helm you know it wont favour the subtle approach of, say, Robert Wises The Haunting (1963). Sure enough, the Italian maestro starts spraying blood in the opening sequence when a young woman (Daniela Doria, who was also a victim in City Of The Living Dead, The Black Cat and New York Ripper) has a knife thrust through the back of her head. The perpetrator is one Dr. Freudstein, a deranged surgeon who lives in the eponymous building cellar, keeping himself alive using the dismembered body parts of his victims. When a New England family move into the house, the body count rises to include a property agent and a babysitter, who loses her head to Freudsteins blade. In another directors hands, this material wouldnt amount to much, but Fulci fashions a movie thats by turns atmospheric, horrifying, and dreamlike, while never forgetting to bring on the gore. He also throws in a nod to H.P. Lovecraft, while Sergio Salvatis expert cinematography and Walter Rizzatis memorable score contribute to the pictures mood.
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
