The House by the Cemetery Blu-ray

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(aka "Quella villa accanto al cimitero" )

directed by Lucio Fulci
Italy 1981

Norman Boyle (Paolo Malco, THE SCORPION WITH TWO TAILS), along with his wife Lucy (Catriona MacColl, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD) and son Bob (Giovanni Frezza, A BLADE IN THE DARK), leaves New York for the sleepy New England town of New Whitby to continue the research of a colleague who murdered his mistress and then hanged himself. They have rented the creaky Oaks Mansion, with its mysterious locked basement, a tombstone in he middle of the living room floor, and a slinky babysitter (Ania Pieroni, INFERNO) who job description also includes mopping up puddles of blood and making coffee. Norman discovers his late colleague's research took a tangential turn into the life of the house's previous resident, one Dr. Jacob Tess Freudstein who was expelled from the medical community for his experiments in cell regeneration. Hmm, could this have anything to do with the tendency of visitors to the house to mysterious disappear (and die gory onscreen deaths)? Lucy's hearing noises and little Bob has a seemingly imaginary friend Mae (Silvia Collatina, MURDER ROCK) who keeps warning him that he and his parents should leave the house. Dagmar Lassander (BLACK EMANUELLE 2) is the estate agent, and CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD's Carlo de Mejo and Daniela Doria (gorily mistreated as usual for her Fulci work) also pop up again. A few years later, fellow Italian horror director Umberto Lenzi and Joe D'Amato's Filmirage crew hoofed it to New England to shoot GHOSTHOUSE in the same striking haunted house location (and utilized more of the real interiors).

Eric Cotenas

Posters

Theatrical Release: 1 March 1984 (USA)

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Comparison:

Anchor Bay Entertainment (The Lucio Fulci Collection) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Blue Underground - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas and Gary Tooze for the Screen Caps!

1) Anchor Bay Entertainment (The Lucio Fulci Collection) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Blu Underground - Region FREE - Blu-ray - MIDDLE

3) Arrow - Region FREE Blu-ray - RIGHT

Box Covers
Distribution	Anchor Bay Entertainment Region 1 - NTSC	Blue Underground Region FREE - Blu-ray	Arrow Video Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:26:18	1:26:22.218	1:26:22.177
Video	2.38:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.69 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 47,159,029,171 bytes Feature: 24,130,725,888 bytes Codec: MPEG4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 32.99 Mbps	1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 30,122,402,436 bytes Feature: 15,565,080,576 bytes Codec: MPEG4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 18.46 Mbps
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Anchor Bay Entertainment (The Lucio Fulci Collection)
Bitrate: Blue Underground Blu-ray
Bitrate: Arrow Blu-ray
Audio	English Dolby Digital 2.0 surround	DTS-HD Master Audio English 2050 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2050 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Dolby Digital Audio Italian 256 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 256 kbps / DN -4dBo	LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit LPCM Audio Italian 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit * Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / DN -4dB * Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / DN -4dB * Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / DN -4dB * Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / DN -4dB
Subtitles	none	English SDH, French, Spanish, none	English SDH, English, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.38:1 Edition Details: • U.S. Theatrical Trailer (16:9; 1:47) • International Theatrical Trailer (16:9; 3:22) • TV spot (4:3; 0:31) • Still Gallery • Filmographies • Easter Egg: Deleted Scene (1:02) DVD Release Date: 22 May 2001 Amaray Chapters 25	Release Information: Studio: Blue Underground 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 47,159,029,171 bytes Feature: 24,130,725,888 bytes Codec: MPEG4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 32.99 Mbps Edition Details: • Meet the Boyles - Interviews with Stars Catriona MacColl and Paolo Malco (14:11) • Children of the Night - Interviews with Stars Giovanni Frezza and Silvia Collatina (12:13) • Tales of Laura Gittleson - Interview with Star Dagmar Lassander (8:51) • My Time With Terror - Interview with Star Carlo De Mejo (9:16) • A Haunted House Story - Interviews with Co-Writers Dardano Sacchetti and Elisa Briganti (14:02) • To Build a Better Death Trap - Interviews with cinematographer Sergio Salvati, special make-up • effects artist Maurizio Trani, special effects artist Gino De Rossi, and actor Giovanni De Nava (21:32) • Deleted Scene: Bar Attack Aftermath (1:01) • International Trailer (3:24) • U.S. Theatrical Trailer (1:48) • TV Spot (:32) • Poster & Still Gallery Blu-ray Release Date: October 24th, 2011 Standard Blu-ray case Chapters 18	Release Information: Studio: Arrow 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 30,122,402,436 bytes Feature: 15,565,080,576 bytes Codec: MPEG4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 18.46 Mbps Edition Details: • Reversible sleeve with 3 original poster artworks and newly commissioned artwork cover • Double-sided fold-out artwork poster • Collector s booklet featuring writing on the film by author Calum Waddell BLU-RAY DISC 1 SPECIAL FEATURES: • Audio commentary with star Catriona MacColl, moderated by Calum Waddell • Audio commentary with co-star Silvia Collatina, moderated by Mike Baronas of Paura Productions • Introduction to the film by star Giovanni Frezza • Back to the Cellar: Interview with star Giovanni Frezza (15:09) • Cemetery Woman: Interview with star Catriona MacColl (29:21) • Freudstein's Follies: Interview with special effects artist Giannetto De Rossi (10:41) • Wax Mask Finishing the Final Fulci: Interview with Sergio Stivaletti about his completion of Wax Mask after Fulci s passing (8:25) • Women of Italian Horror: Featuring Silvia Collatina (The House by the Cemetery), Stefania Casini (Suspiria/ Bloodstained Shadow) and Barbara Magnolfi (Suspiria/ The Sister Of Ursula) (24:05) • Easter Eggs DVD DISC 2 SPECIAL FEATURES: • House by the Cemetery Onstage Q&A Cast Reunion: Live from the Horrorhound convention, Indianapolis, March 2011: Featuring Catriona MacColl, Giovanni Frezza, Silvia Collatina, Carlo DeMejo and Dagmar Lassander • Italian Trailer Compilation: Twenty cult trailers from the golden age of Italian cult cinema including several rare previews from the resume of the late, great Lucio Fulci each prefigured by a written introduction • Deleted scene • Original House by the Cemetery Trailers and TV Spot Blu-ray Release Date: May 31st, 2012 Custom Blu-ray case Chapters 12

Comments

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray - June 2012': I don't know that I can add much more than all the details and screen captures provide. The Blue Underground has the more robust video transfer looking marginally crisper, richer colors and with superior contrast - approaching double the bitrate of the UK 1080P. Both have subtitles. The Arrow offers the original Italian in lossless (linear PCM), uses the Italian title (see above) and has the commentaries and extensive extras, including DVD, in their bountiful package. Fulci fans should be ecstatic with either. Those sensitive to have the Italian track in lossless and the superior supplements can go for the Arrow. The Blue Underground give a fabulous presentation and the cost is significantly more reasonable. Enjoy!

***

ADDITION: Blue Underground - Region FREE - Blu-ray - October 11': Significant improvement of Blue Underground 1080P transfer over the Anchor Bay DVD. It shows more information in the frame on all 4 edges, much more detail, tighter, brighter colors and a far more film-like appearance. Skin tones take a quantum leap to more accurate flesh tones, there is depth - it is really a world of difference - a totally fresh film experience. Bravo!

Blue Underground have given the English track a lossless 2.0 channel stereo treatment via a DTS- HD Master at a healthy 200 kbps. The DUB is a shade over-the-top at times but adds to the Giallo flavor. It sounds quite intense at times - capable depth and Walter Rizzati's score is heavy and impacting through the uncompressed mix. Blue Underground also include the Italian track (untested) - also stereo - in a standard Dolby rendering.

Extras are un-ending with a slew of passionate Blue Underground produced interview featurettes including Meet the Boyles - a chat with stars Catriona MacColl and, seperately, Paolo Malco for just shy of 15-minutes. There is also Children of the Night which is an interview with stars Giovanni Frezza and Silvia Collatina for about a dozen minutes, Tales of Laura Gittleson an interview with Star Dagmar Lassander for 9-minutes, My Time With Terror talking with Star Carlo De Mejo, A Haunted House Story -more interviews - this time with Co-Writers Dardano Sacchetti and Elisa Briganti for just short of 15-minuites and To Build a Better Death Trap rapping with cinematographer Sergio Salvati, special make-up effects artist Maurizio Trani, special effects artist Gino De Rossi, and actor Giovanni De Nava for more than 20-minutes. There is also a short deleted scene (Bar Attack Aftermath), trailers, a TV spot and a poster & still gallery.

Wow - quite the gore-fest - WOW! - but I see the appeal. I began to have a good time with House by the Cemetery despite my reservations on the child-usage. This stands out as a quintessential Giallo that I would certainly find it a valuable representative of the genre as far s I am concerned. I can't see horror, of this ilk, being much more impressively made. There is a lot to like here and Blue Underground have done it again with a dynamic and near-perfect package that we can very easily recommend!

- Gary W. Tooze

***

ON THE DVD: First released in the US in a painfully cropped VHS transfer by Vestron Video (the US prints featured an abbreviated opening title sequence and a different music cue over the sequence), HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY saw its first widescreen DVD release through the budget bin label Diamond Entertainment in a non-anamorphic transfer culled from the import EC Entertainment laserdisc (this transfer is still making the rounds on PD labels). Anchor Bay's 2001 progressive, single-layer DVD featured the first anamorphic transfer an an effective but not overdone Dolby 2.0 Surround track. Extras are limited to the film's international trailer, US trailer and TV spot (featuring narration by Brother Theodore), a stills gallery, and a deleted scene (without sound) extension of the bat attack. EC Entertainment released an Ultrabit transfer, but the boosted image compared poorly to the Anchor Bay transfer.

Blue Underground is also releasing a standard definition DVD (HERE) featuring the new HD mastered film and the new extras. Blue Underground's 2007 edition (HERE) is a direct port of the Anchor Bay transfer, menus and extras. In the UK, Arrow have released the film on SD DVD and are planning a Blu-Ray edition of their own with different extras, so Fulci fans may want to pick up both.

- Eric Cotenas

Menus

Anchor Bay Entertainment (The Lucio Fulci Collection) - Region 1 - NTSC

Blue Underground - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Arrow - Region FREE Blu-ray

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1) Blue Underground - Region FREE - Blu-ray - TOP

2) Arrow - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM