Funeral Home (1980)
#145 of the 150 Movies of 1980
Funeral Home (aka. Cries in the Night) is a very slow and very cheap Canadian supernatural horror movie that feels a lot like it was made-for-TV although it wasn't. From director William Fruet, fresh off of his ‘79 thriller Search & Destroy. Comes a horror movie so soft you would have thought it was a thriller itself.
The crew is made up of a lot of first-timers. First time writer, first-time executive producer, etc. Some of the most weight is held by Director of Photography, Mark Irwin. Whose resume is already stacked working on films like The Brood and Fast Company. And really technically speaking the film is pretty sound. Aside from it having the appearance of an early '80s after school special. The film really does have some fine shots. And is definitely one of the better looking films we've seen so far from this year.
With a cast of bit-players from the Great White North, and a fairly inexperienced crew, the film creeps its way through a barely legible narrative. Kay Hawtrey and Lesleh Donaldson take the lead here. Both had a few films under their belt by this time but their work is bland. Veteran actor Barry Morse doesn't get enough screen time, and first-timer Dean Garbett gets more than he should. It's no wonder this ends up being a snoozefest so early on.
The film had a limited release in Canada, hitting theaters on October 3rd, 1984. No doubt disappointing many hosers in lumberjack country.
The plot revolves around a proto-final girl type, a young character named Heather, who arrives at her grandmother Maude's sprawling old mansion, a former funeral home with a dark history and an unsettling atmosphere. Determined to turn the place into a charming bed and breakfast, Heather soon discovers that the house holds more than just cobwebs and dusty furniture. Guests start disappearing, strange noises echo through the halls, and a sense of dread hangs heavy in the air. Heather finds herself caught in a terrifying mystery, where the line between the living and the dead blurs with every passing night.
I love movies that have a slow burn but not movies that come to a screeching halt. Some critics have praised the atmosphere, but I really didn't find it to be that special and it's really all that the film has going for it. The plot is kind of interesting but not interesting enough to really make this something that you need to seek out. And some scenes are a real chore. Watch the first five minutes and see if you still really want to stick with this.
It's a shame that you can see the skeleton of a cult classic here. Maybe it needed a bit more polish or a few rewrites. But as it stands, it's a low-budget, low-effort misfire that earns a single star from RottenPop.
First Screening: October 3rd, 1980
RottenPop Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1 Star): “Garbage day!"
Director: William Fruet | Writers: Ida Nelson
Starring: Kay Hawtrey, Lesleh Donaldson, Barry Morse, and Dean Garbett
Studios: Independent
Country: Canada
Genres: Thrilling Horror
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