Director – Sharron Miller (Knightwatch, The Outsiders)
Starring – John Ericson (Murder, She Wrote, Bedknobs and Broomsticks), Ivor Francis (Dark Shadows, Nero Wolf), and Judith Novgrod (Bare Knuckles, Nightwing)
Release Date – 1978
Rating – 3/5
Blu Release – 3/5
Tagline – “Don’t you dare go in there”
My 70s and 80s horror and exploitation kick is still going strong. After taking a break to watch a few movies starring Ellie Church I decided to dive right back into it. This time I decided to go back to some Vinegar Syndrome blus that I’ve been needing to review. As I looked over the stack one caught my eye and I went ahead and tossed it in. This was the 1978 horror anthology The House of the Dead which was originally released under the title Alien Zone. The movie looked interesting but I have to admit that neither title interested me though The House of the Dead is more fitting. Thank you Vin Syn for sending this one my way.
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows a man who is having an affair with a married woman. He leaves her hotel to return to his own but the cab drops him off on the wrong street in the middle of a downpour. He seeks refuge in a building nearby and learns that it is a mortuary and the mortician lets him in. He insists that he shows the man around and takes him to the parlor with several caskets on display. The man tries to leave but the mortician refuses. Instead, he forces him to hear the stories of how these people got here.
One followed a school teacher that hated children. One day after school she is terrorized by children in Halloween masks but when the masks are removed they are not the innocent children one would expect. The second casket belongs to a photographer who has an obsession with bring attractive women to his home and recording himself killing them. The third casket is centered around the tale of the world’s best detectives. One is from Scotland Yard and the other is in the U.S. There is animosity between the two but they try to remain professionals but when one of them received a mysterious letter prompting an investigation he learns more about his rival than he really wanted to.
The next to last coffin belongs to a business man who was greedy and refused to help the homeless. This comes back to bite him in the ass after a series of unfortunate events befall him and he is trapped in a building where he suffers several injuries. When he exits he finds himself looking homeless and being neglected by those walking the streets. The last coffin is then revealed to the man’s which forces him to flee the mortuary. In the alley he in then confronted by the man whose wife he has been sleeping with.**Spoiler Alert**
I had no idea what I was going to expect when I tossed in a movie that was originally titled Alien Zone but it was quickly apparent that the title did not match the film. However, that doesn’t make this a bad movie. I rather enjoyed it for the most part but when you expect some 70s alien action and don’t get it you can be a little disappointed.
The acting in this one is solid and very consistent throughout. Every story has a great cast that works very well with each other. They make the stories very enjoyable and hold the viewer’s attention. The stories for these are cheesy but fun. Several of them are very predictable but the predictability doesn’t ruin the film. With that being said, one story really held its own in the film and had my full attention. The two detectives story was nothing short of amazing. Hands down the best segment in the entire film.
Finally, this is not a bloody horror film. We get a little blood here or there but nothing that really stands out. The movie focuses mostly on the characters involved more so than the horror aspects. Overall, The House of the Blood is actually a pretty enjoyable film that is not exempt from it’s own flaws. It does struggle in several of the stories and a few of them are just cut short. It still offers up some very enjoyable moments and it is definitely worth a watch. Check it out now on blu from Vinegar Syndrome.
Special Features:
Newly scanned and restored in 2k from 35mm camera negative
Audio interview with director Sharron Miller
Audio interview with writer David O’Malley
Reversible ALIEN ZONE cover artwork
English SDH subtitles
