The House of Witchcraft Blu Ray Review (Cauldron Films)

The House of Witchcraft (aKa La Casa Del Sortilegio and Ghosthouse 4) is a 1989 Italian horror television film written and directed by Umberto Lenzi (Cannibal Ferox, Eaten Alive!, Nightmare City, Ironmaster, House of Lost Souls, Black Demons, Hitcher in the Dark, Nightmare Beach, Spasmo, Eyeball, Almost Human, Man from the Deep River, and Ghosthouse). The story is from Gianfranco Clerici (Cannibal Holocaust) and Daniele Stroppa (The House of Clocks). It’s from the Houses of Doom series. An over-worked journalist Luke Palmer (played by: Andy J. Forest from Ready to Kill, Naked Rage, Bridge to Hell, and The Kiss of the Cobra) is recovering from a nervous breakdown, he has been suffering from bizarre nightmares. To help ease all of his struggles, his wife Martha (played by: Sonia Petrovna from Indian Summer, Monique, and The Fatal Image) takes him to an idyllic country home for the weekend to get away from reality for a little bit. Nightmares soon turn to gruesome reality as the dark truth about the doomed house threatens to undo all who dare stay the night!!!! The Houses of Doom franchise were all based on haunted houses and their unlucky guests. This horror series includes a variety of Italian horror television movies. Legendary director Umberto Lenzi was behind the camera for two of them. The House of Witchcraft definitely stands out on it’s own from the 4 films. It has an excellent atmosphere with a haunting score from Goblin’s Claudio Simonetti (Dawn of the Dead, Demons, Tenebrae, Opera, and Suspiria). The two leads here are solid, both Andy J. Forest and Sonia Petrovna make it more interesting with their presence. The rest of the supporting cast includes Susanna Martinková (The Good Thief), Marina Giulia Cavalli (Alien from the Deep), Paul Muller (Lady Frankenstein), and Maria Cumani Quasimodo (Caligula). Lenzi delivers gore, nudity, and suspense for The House of Witchcraft. The special fx are a little dated now but they were very solid for the 80’s and it adds to it’s charm. It keeps you on your toes with some twists especially the ending . The replay value is pretty strong considering how crazy this one is. I’ve always loved that Italian television could get away with so much more with their films compared to the states. It deserves more attention so hopefully this home video release helps with that. I’m glad this one got resurrected from obscurity, RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from Cauldron Films! This 1080p (1.66:1) unrated transfer is from a brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative. This is a major improvement compared to all it’s past versions. It has a few different audio options which includes English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono and Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono tracks on the disc. The score really shines when it comes to the audio for this. It adds so much more suspense and tension to it. All of the dialogue is very clean, the haunting is elevated, and the music has a killer boost to it. It has English and English SDH subtitles. It has an “Audio Commentary” with Eugenio Ercolani, Nathaniel Thompson, and Troy Howarth. It has the “Artisan of Mayhem”. It’s a little over 19 minute interview with FX artist Elio Terribili. He chats about some of his experiences doing special fx. He talks about the important relationship with vast and crew while doing his work. He goes over some of the dangerous stuff that he’s done in cinema. He brings up some of his favorite people that he worked with over the years. He chats about working with Lenzi on this project. He has a few great stories here. It’s in Italian with English subtitles. It has “The House of Professionals”. It’s an almost 19 minute interview with cinematographer Nino Celeste. He talks about some of the earlier films that he worked during his start. He chats about the different jobs that he has and how he ended learning his craft. He goes over his experiences working with Lucio Fulci on some productions including The Houses of Doom films. He brings up his working relationship with Lenzi on a variety of features. It’s in Italian with English subtitles. It was originally apart of the out of print “The Houses of Doom” from Cauldron Films. Luckily, they re-released all of the films with their own home video release. It’s available everywhere right now including DiabolikDVD.com, CHECK IT OUT!!!!