Here at The Horror Syndicate, we are always brainstorming to give you boils and ghouls the best content that we can possibly come up with. So, earlier in my Fulci Top 10 list I talked about how our fearless leader humbly decided to dub the month of February 2017 as ‘Fulci February’. I’m sure you could imagine, I could not contain my excitement, as most of you now already know Lucio Fulci is one of my favorite directors in Horror, of ALL TIME. I have already reviewed a few Fulci films for the Syndicate in the past. The Beyond, A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin, Aenigma and Touch of Death. Some of his best work and some of his most horrendous work.
My first review for Fulci February lies somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of his best and most horrendous. As I have mentioned in a previous review, towards the end of Fulci’s life the Italian film industry began to slowly die as well. Funding was harder than ever to come by. But he still continued to produce decent genre endeavors. The film we are looking at today was one of Fulci’s last films. It was initially slated to be a made for TV film, but was so graphic it was pulled and released as a direct to video (DTV). Let’s dive into 1989’s The House of Clocks.
‘TEMPUS FUGIT’ – Virgil (29 BC)
So, we begin with a trio of college-age delinquents as they travel the countryside wreaking havoc as they see fit. From stealing from a roadside grocery, to terrorizing a poor little kitten. They finally come across a beautiful villa. Feigning car trouble, they make their way into the beautiful abode. The house is completely riddled with clocks, hence the namesake of the film. It is owned by an elderly married couple with a truly dark secret and these delinquents attempt to overtake the wrong house. What is the sinister secret the couple hide and what did these kids get themselves into?
The flick is great horror fare. Once we understand the theme of the film and the role the clocks play, we are left with a really bizarre but interesting story. The acting was pretty dismal, but they got their point across. So, you were definitely pleased with the ending and the antagonists’ fate (karma’s a bitch, if you mistreat a kitten). But on the other side, as with most Fulci horrors, there are some really great gore shots. Which to me, always seals the deal! My favorite death scene involved a crotch impalement, as seen below.
House of Clocks was probably one of Fulci’s last ‘good’ films. I think they are all good in their own way because to me, everything Fulci did was excellent. But to most, some of his work would not be considered ‘good’. This film stands out to me as genuinely good and I believe this is a good entry in the Fulci universe.
IMDB: 5.8/10
ZombiSurvivor: 7.0/10
TRAILER TIME
Happy Fulci February!
As Always, thanks for reading my gibberish. Like and Follow the Syndicate on Facebook and Twitter!
And remember…..
STAY SCARED!
-ZS
