As part of a 1989 Italian television project called The Houses of Doom, six films were commissioned to be directed by Lucio Fulci (The Beyond), Umberto Lenzi (Cannibal Ferox) and Lamberto Bava (Demons). However, with both Bava, and his replacement, dropping out, only 4 films were completed. Deemed far too violent and gory for t.v. (and given the contributors’ collective track records, was anyone really surprised?) the project was shelved for years, before finally seeing the light of day in the early 2000’s via Shriek Show DVDs. The fine folks at Caudron Films recently gave all four films the restoration treatment and released them in a collector’s box set. If you weren’t among the lucky few to get your hands on one of the limited sets, rejoice! All four films are now available on standalone Blu-ray releases!
Given the genre fan consensus that the two Fulci entries are the superior films (and the maestro himself said they were among his favorites) I decided to take a look at these first. I went into these mostly “blind” as I had never seen The Sweet House of Horrors and, while I’ve owned the DVD of The House of Clocks for years, I couldn’t recall any details about it.
The House of Clocks
Synopsis
“Three lowlife punks are trapped in a posh villa while trying to rob it and become at the mercy of the murderous owners whom have the power to stop and reverse time via their mystical clocks.”
The House of Clocks was the first Fulci lensed film, chronologically speaking, for The Houses of Doom. Immediately the viewer gets a real sense that this was made for t.v. with the look of the film as we are introduced to House Corsini. The inhabitants, Vittorio (Paolo Paoloni; Cannibal Holocaust), and Sara (Bettine Milne; The Avengers) an elderly couple, just want to be left alone in their spacious abode, that does, in fact, contain an inordinate amount of timepieces.
When their maid Maria (Carla Cassola; The Sect) discovers the lovingly cared for corpses of the couple’s nephew and his spouse in the cellar, she is soon dispatched and buried. The return to bliss in only temporary though, as a scheming gang of robbers: Paul (Peter Hintz; Zone Troopers), Diana (Karina Huff; The Black Cat) and Tony (Keith Van Hoven; Black Demons) set upon the house with the oldsters protected only by their roving handyman Peter (Al Cliver; Zombie) and their clock collection (which is way more formidable than it sounds)…
True to form, Fulci lets you know from the start what you’re in for with a “bird meets cane, bird feeds cat” scene (another cat, later in film, is even less lucky) along with brutality and mean spirited characters front and center. An atmospheric, gothic feel juxtaposed with the contemporary production value seems to work well without delving too far into the surrealism that Fulci sometimes injected into his films. This certainly ain’t The Beyond!
Fulci sometimes sacrificed a film’s narrative for trippy set pieces, and fortunately, that isn’t the case here. The plot and pace are both coherent, even with the dubious supernatural elements, and move along at a quick entertaining pace. The omnipresent gore is served up via: shotguns, chainsaws, hatchets and even a pointy stick or two. Fun, smart and satisfying, The House of Clocks is 83 minutes well spent!
The Sweet House of Horrors
Synopsis
“A murdered couple return from the beyond to care for their two young children, as well as seek revenge against their killer, accept their children’s step parents, and try to prevent their house from being sold.”
Judging from the plot synopsis above, what are you thinking? Beetlejuice on crack? Coming out a year earlier, in 1988, who knows? It may have been an influence…
A wealthy couple is dispatched by a masked home invader, leaving their two children, Marco (Guiliano Gensini; The Justice Game) and Sarah (Ilary Blasi; Sentiments, and who also grew up to be a ridiculously gorgeous and successful model and t.v. host in her native Italy) orphans. Enter their Aunt Marcia (Cinzia Monreale; The Beyond) and Uncle Carlo (Jean-Christophe Bretigniere; Rats: Night of Terror) who are charged with settling the estate and helping the kids move on from the tragedy.
Ghostly visions, weird (and badly done) flame apparitions, killer toy flies, and a bizarre confession from Guido the gardener (Lino Salemme; Demons) are the order of the day as this “Ghost Story meets The Amityville Horror” spaghetti splatter mish-mash begins to cook towards it’s kooky conclusion!
Opening with some inspired Fulci eye trauma via what appears to be a hamburger press, The Sweet House of Horrors grabs your attention right away! Fulci must have saved his “batshit” for his second entry because, wow, does this film skirt the rails of crazy in a relentless fashion! The ghostly parents pull out all the stops to thwart the people trying to break up their otherworldly familiar unit. Liberal use of wind, fog, and straight up heat, coupled with the two semi-evil kiddos make for some WTF? moments throughout (especially the kids’ overdubbed voices that give House By The Cemetery a run for it’s money in the “annoying as Hell” department…), and by the conclusion, the viewer is left with a strange feeling of “what’d I just watch?”.
Definitely showcasing the two, distinct, sides of Fulci’s style, both The House of Clocks and The Sweet House of Horrors are worth a watch. Presented here, from Cauldron Films in super sharp transfers, with even sound levels, both films are a joy to view. Special features on both discs include: commentaries and interviews (both with the aptly named effects artist Elio Terribili!) and are in standard clear snapcases with vibrant new artwork.
Gory, violent, cheesy, and sometimes surreal, The House of Clocks and The Sweet House of Horror both feature elements of everything we all love about Fulci films. Are they among his best as he himself had suggested? I’ll leave that for you to decide. I, for one, loved them both, for very different reasons.
The House of Clocks and The Sweet House of Horrors are available now from Cauldron Films at fine retailers everywhere.
