AllMovie

This is one of two made-for-TV movies directed by horror legend Lucio Fulci in 1989 but never aired by Reteitalia. It was intended for a series called Le Case del Terrore (along with his La Dolce Casa degli Orrori) after a pair of similar films by Umberto Lenzi of Cannibal Ferox fame had done well for the network in 1986. Fulci's films were rejected because they were too extreme for television, as there is more gore on display than is usual even for Italian TV, but one can't complain about the quality. This film is a credible addition to the director's oeuvre -- sometimes reminiscent of Dolls or Pete Walker's creepy punishment gothics (Frightmare, House of Whipcord, etc.) -- and fans should give it a look. It's a well-done ghost/zombie story, and Fulci gets a lot of mileage out of creaking doors, shadows, and that old horror standby, the jumping cat. Maybe it would have been more effective in a shorter form, perhaps as part of an anthology film, but it is nonetheless entertaining and contains enough of Fulci's signature touches to keep fans interested. One wonders if Fulci ever seriously thought he was going to get this thing on television. More likely, the notoriously crafty old scamp took the money and made his own kind of movie with an eye toward theatrical distribution.