THE
HOUSE OF CLOCKS (1989)Director: Lucio Fulci
Shriek Show
THE
HOUSE OF CLOCKS (1989)Following his brilliant work in
the 1970s and the early 1980s, Italian horror maestro Lucio Fulci fell on some
hard times as the later part of 1980s and 1990s rolled in. His Gothic horror
quartet (ZOMBIE, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE BEYOND, HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY)
were masterpieces of atmosphere and special effects, but after the incredibly
nasty NEW YORK RIPPER in 1982, Fulci's filmography turns rather spotty. Cult
faves such as CONQUEST and MURDEROCK collide with abominations such as DEMONIA
(another Shriek Show release) and CAT IN THE BRAIN. Somewhere in-between, Fulci
contributed two TV films, SWEET HOUSE OF HORRORS and THE HOUSE OF CLOCKS, as
part of a quartet comprising "The House of Doom," a cable TV series
that never saw the light of day (the other two entries, HOUSE OF LOST SOULS
and HOUSE OF WITCHCRAFT, were directed by Umberto Lenzi).
Vittorio and Sarah are an elderly couple who seem harmless enough...that is until their maid Maria discovers the corpses of their niece and nephew in a locked room! Disposing of the maid, the couple are then surprised by a trio of delinquents (one of them suffocates a cat in a plastic bag) who barge into their mansion to rob them, and ultimately end up killing them! And it gets worse once Vittorio's massive clock collection all stop at the exact moment of their master's death....and then begin moving backward....and resurrecting the bodies of all those murdered on the estate!
Sure,
it's no BEYOND, but THE HOUSE OF CLOCKS is a Fulci film worth seeing at least
once. The fact that there are no likable characters doesn't hinder the viewing.
Vittorio's mansion is an impressive locale, swimming with atmosphere and dread.
Despite some slow stretches of dialogue or...nothing, CLOCKS has some great
moments of suspense, tension, and surprise. Logic is thrown completely out of
the window (did you expect different from Fulci?), and some will be cheated
by the out-of-left-field trick ending, but this adds a certain charm to a film
that should by all counts be a boring mess. Don't be steered wrong by the fact
that it's a TV movie, either. Apparently Fulci thought anything could be aired
on TV, because his trademark moist special effects are on-hand here in spades.
Unfortunately, this led to the film never airing on television, instead receiving
a Japan-only release.
Shriek Show's DVD of THE HOUSE OF CLOCKS is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen. The aspect ratio seems questionable, considering that the film was shot for a 1.33:1 TV ratio, but it looks accurate. The mono sound is quite good. Following Shriek Show's superb SOLANGE disc, this is a worthy follow-up. The transfer is typical of an Italian horror film from the 80s. The color pallette is dull and lifeless, and the day scenes look as if they were shot through gauze, but the dark scenes are incredible. No artifacting, no grain or discoloration, they're pinpoint perfect.
Those
expecting little to no extras for a never-aired Fulci TV movie will be pleasantly
surprised by the extras on the disc. Besides the requisite trailer for the Japanese
theatrical release (and trailers for fellow Shriek Show releases ZOMBIE 3, HOUSE
ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK, EATEN ALIVE, SPASMO, and SWEET HOUSE OF HORRORS), there
are two interviews. First up is Paolo Paolini ("Vittorio"), who discusses
working with Fulci and the special effects in the film. More interesting, however,
is Carla Cassola ("Maria"). Despite appearing on-screen for less than
10 minutes, Cassola has vivid memories of her involvement with the film and
has some nasty things to say about Fulci. Inside the cover are two mini-essays.
One is a quick assessment of the film that gives deserved respect rather than
view CLOCKS in a guilty pleasure light. The other is a brief Fulci bio.
THE HOUSE OF CLOCKS is a great package for the Italian horror film fan. Sure, it's not a prime example of the genre, but it's quite entertaining and the disc displays an appreciation of the film it richly deserves. (Casey Scott)