The Shuttered Room is directed by David Greene and written by D.B. Ledrov and Nathaniel Tanchuck. Adapted from a story by August Derleth and H.P. Lovecraft, it stars Gig Young, Carol Lynley, Oliver Reed, Flora Robson and Judith Arthy. Music is by Basil Kirchin and cinematography by Kenneth Hodges.
Returning to her childhood home, an old mill house on the island of Dunwich, Susannah (Lynley) and her older husband Mike (Young) are plagued by local rowdies led by Susana's cousin Ethan (Reed). Not only that but the local elders constantly keep telling them it would be unwise to take up residency in the old mill...
It's funny that some film fans have expressed disappointment with the final revelation of The Shuttered Room, because the secret is revealed from the get go! Something which takes the mystery away and goes someway to explaining why director Greene then fills his film with 90% of narrative based around Oliver's Army being uncouth and seriously detrimental to the sexual well being of poor, confused, traumatised, Susannah.
Here's the problem, even forgiving that it's about as Lovecraftian as a Rob Zombie remake, the film just doesn't have the requisite horror substance to make it viable as frightening. Don't get me wrong, had I watched this as a boy I'm sure I would have been spooked out by the spooky old mill that houses a secret, resplendent with holes in the woodwork where prying eyes watch goings on, and most likely be more terrified by Reed's bonkers over acting and Young's transformation into Bruce Lee than the iffy accents I wouldn't have recognised back then. But really, the shuttered room axis of the story is very much a secondary item, and not even the classy Flora Robson can wring out terror from such clumsy story construction.
Still, on the plus side there's a unique unsettling musical score by Kirchin, a wonderful fusion of prog-jazz and medieval distortional beats, even if it's in the wrong movie! There's laughs to be had, though unintentional, especially with some of the dialogue being served on a dirty cheese board, and Lynley is good value as a troubled cipher. You have to wonder if Sam Peckinpah watched The Shuttered Room and thought he could do better and promptly sought out The Siege of Trencher's Farm novel to turn it into Straw Dogs, sensing that he knew he could make a similar themed film more frightening and controversial. But of course, The Shuttered Room wasn't meant to be a backwoods Gothic movie involving home invasion and the constant threat of rape. Was it? 5/10
Returning to her childhood home, an old mill house on the island of Dunwich, Susannah (Lynley) and her older husband Mike (Young) are plagued by local rowdies led by Susana's cousin Ethan (Reed). Not only that but the local elders constantly keep telling them it would be unwise to take up residency in the old mill...
It's funny that some film fans have expressed disappointment with the final revelation of The Shuttered Room, because the secret is revealed from the get go! Something which takes the mystery away and goes someway to explaining why director Greene then fills his film with 90% of narrative based around Oliver's Army being uncouth and seriously detrimental to the sexual well being of poor, confused, traumatised, Susannah.
Here's the problem, even forgiving that it's about as Lovecraftian as a Rob Zombie remake, the film just doesn't have the requisite horror substance to make it viable as frightening. Don't get me wrong, had I watched this as a boy I'm sure I would have been spooked out by the spooky old mill that houses a secret, resplendent with holes in the woodwork where prying eyes watch goings on, and most likely be more terrified by Reed's bonkers over acting and Young's transformation into Bruce Lee than the iffy accents I wouldn't have recognised back then. But really, the shuttered room axis of the story is very much a secondary item, and not even the classy Flora Robson can wring out terror from such clumsy story construction.
Still, on the plus side there's a unique unsettling musical score by Kirchin, a wonderful fusion of prog-jazz and medieval distortional beats, even if it's in the wrong movie! There's laughs to be had, though unintentional, especially with some of the dialogue being served on a dirty cheese board, and Lynley is good value as a troubled cipher. You have to wonder if Sam Peckinpah watched The Shuttered Room and thought he could do better and promptly sought out The Siege of Trencher's Farm novel to turn it into Straw Dogs, sensing that he knew he could make a similar themed film more frightening and controversial. But of course, The Shuttered Room wasn't meant to be a backwoods Gothic movie involving home invasion and the constant threat of rape. Was it? 5/10