Despite rarely gaining accolades and praise from contemporary and mainstream film critics, Lucio Fulci is a name that needs little introduction among horror fans and aficionados of cult European cinema. Known for creating images of excessive violence that earned him the nickname the “godfather of gore,” Lucio Fulci spent much of his career pushing the envelope and, in many cases, tearing it completely to shreds.

Among the best-known contributions from the director is his Gates of Hell trilogy, consisting of The Beyond, City of the Living Dead, and The House by the Cemetery. All three took place in the United States and explored some of the horror traditions associated with their accompanying areas. Set in New Orleans, The Beyond embraces the Southern gothic horror tradition, and the City of the Living Dead contains a subtle nod to H.P. Lovecraft, with the film taking place in the town of Dunwich.

The House by the Cemetery, with its exterior shots being filmed in Scituate, Massachusetts, and the film taking place in and around Boston, makes full use of its location to weave a New England horror story influenced by H.P. Lovecraft’s writings. The House by the Cemetery, while featuring many of Fulci’s trademarks that fans of his films instantly recognize, such as quick camera zooms, close-ups of eyes, and depictions of unrestrained violence, is a tale of Victorian evil that exists within the landscapes of New England.

A House Where Pure Evil Dwells

A cornerstone for several stories and films about horror is the haunted house. From The Haunting of Hill House to The Amityville Horror, the fascination with these structures that become sentient beings has always existed. The House by the Cemetery becomes one in a long line of these stories that turns the comfortable family residence into a nightmarish landscape where nothing is as it seems. This is the scenario that the Boyle family finds themselves in when they relocate to Boston from New York to a home referred to as Oak Mansion by some and the Fredustein House by others. A researcher, Norman Boyle (Paolo Malco), will soon find himself and his family at the center of a mystery that defies all logical explanation.

One of the greatest attributes that The House by the Cemetery possesses as a film is its atmospheric tone, which encapsulates the fear of the unknown and the otherworldly aspect that collides with rational deduction. Unlike other films that are commonly associated with hauntings and paranormal activity, The House by the Cemetery makes no pretense as to evil lurking in the shadows. The case becomes one of determining whether there’s a supernatural force or the confines of the physical reality in which the characters exist. Fulci, with his reputation for sensational murder sequences, doesn’t hold back from shocking the audience in ways he dispatches victims at the hands of an unknown assailant. Whether it’s by knife or fireplace poker, victims are lured to their death in a variety of ways that could be attributed to a human killer as much as a supernatural one.

Obscuring the assailant’s true identity until the film’s final act allows Fulci to build on the suspense contained within Oak Mansion. Particularly those involving the Boyles’ child, Bob (Giovanni Frezza), and his newly made friend, Mae (Silvia Collatina), who warns Bob about the dangers of moving into the Oak Mansion. One moment in the film, when Bob insists that he recognizes Mae from a photograph, the seeds of disbelief are planted in both his parents and the audience alike. Is this something that’s occurring or merely the product of a child’s active imagination? Is Mae real, or is she an imaginary playmate? Small details such as these captivate an audience’s attention just as much as the mention of Oak Mansion’s other nickname, The Freudstein House.

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Victorian Evil Ripped from the Pages of Lovecraft
Almi Pictures

Oak Mansion, more than just a location in which much of the film will take place, becomes a sentient being and one that will play a crucial role in establishing the folklore that’s highly reminiscent of Lovecraft’s short story, The Dreams in the Witch House. Lovecraft’s story, which is a part of the overarching self-contained mythology of Cthulhu, also involved a researcher moving into a town in Massachusetts who takes up residence in a home with a deep-rooted history of dormant evil. Walter Gilman moves into the attic of a house that once belonged to Keziah Mason, a witch who was burned in Salem in 1692, and sets the stage for a narrative firmly embedded in New England’s tapestry.

The House by the Cemetery closely follows this example, with Oak Mansion being referred to as “The Freudstein House.” Dr. Freudstein, the enigmatic character who remains obscured from sight for much of the film, is the personification of dormant evil from years gone by, though he’s a product of the Victorian period of New England and not the pre-colonial era. A doctor who once performed illegal experiments, Freudstein has a self-contained mythology that not only exists within the confines of the home but can extend into the subconscious minds of those who dare to delve too deep into the legend.

This is a theme found within the pages of The Dreams in the Witch House and other stories such as The Temple. This facet weaves its way into The House By the Cemetery through a tape recording by Norman’s predecessor, who was researching Freudstein. The recording vividly depicts his descent into madness and possesses a strength all its own. Considering the powerful influence that Lovecraft’s writing has on The House by the Cemetery, the vocal recording of the researcher going insane forces the audience to form a mental image of what’s occurring, similar to anyone who opens a book by Lovecraft and has to rely on the faculties of their imagination as they lose themselves in the text.

Related Stuart Gordon’s Lovecraft Adaptations: A History and Analysis It wasn’t just Re-Animator and From Beyond – Stuart Gordon was the master of H.P. Lovecraft movies.

Real Horror Is What You Don’t See
Almi Pictures

While some have been far too critical of Lucio Fulci’s films, especially The House by the Cemetery, there’s always much more to take in and consider than just what’s on the surface. At its very core, real horror was, is, and will always be what one doesn’t see or know. Forcing the imagination to draw conclusions and construct mental images makes for a narrative that should be praised rather than nitpicked by those who want everything explained to them.

The House by the Cemetery thrives on this aspect. With so much that’s obscured from sight and presented in an atmosphere of dread, Lucio Fulci proved that there was much more to his talents than simply providing us with blood-soaked images on celluloid. By delving into the mysteries and wonder that were prominent in the writings of H.P. Lovecraft and placing them within the confines of a narrative that his audiences would naturally gravitate towards, we’re left with a film that thrives on horror in its purest form — the unknown. Stream for free on Tubi.