Having heard some wonderful words on Ivan Zuccon's The Shunned House, I was eager to take a peek myself and see what all of the hubbub was. I tried not to get my hopes up too much, because as we all know that's the prime ingredient for a recipe of disaster. The hand I wound up being dealt was that of a largely confusing, yet beautifully photographed and stylish shot on video feature film. The Shunned House is indeed modeled after many a European horror flick from the 70's and 80's and manages to retain a surreal retro quality about it. Of course the fact that it's based on a couple o' H.P. Lovecraft stories doesn't hurt either.

Basically what we have here are three individual stories that all deal with a mysteriously violent house (The Shunned House?) and those who dare to dwell within. The first story (also the wrap around story) involves a writer and his girlfriend in present times. These two brave souls not only spend their quality time roaming the dilapidated building, but they also decide to bunk there as well. As they begin to discover the secrets of the house, we're introduced to two other stories, before long we're unapologetically jumping time periods, as the three stories seem to intertwine and somehow connect to one another.

The second story involves a young math whiz as he prepares his latest "assignment" for geometry class while taking time to pause for a game of chess with a female companion. The third story introduces us to a young writer who becomes fascinated by the violin playing mute who lives nearby. Slowly (VERY SLOWLY) the house begins to reveal its secrets in each time period as we jump from story to story, in a clever and constant non-sequitor kind of way. Well, that's not entirely true, sometimes it's because a character is in a specific room, and we shift to that room at another time, but mostly these shifts are non-related and simply used as a device to jolt the viewer out of a possible slump.

The bulk of The Shunned House is slow and long, not that this is necessarily a bad thing mind you, it almost flows like a visual poem (if THAT makes any sense) but at times I did find myself asking, why? But then I reverted back to some of my favorite European cult films of yesteryear and recall that I was enjoying myself while watching, but found myself also asking, why? This is definitely a case of style over substance, so as long as you go in with this in mind, you're sure to come out pleased and appreciate Zuccon's homage to a genre that he obviously holds a deep rooted affection for.

Despite the fact that The Shunned House was shot on video Zuccon manages to capture some really interesting visuals with light and shadow that I never would've thought possible on the video format. There's no denying the fact that this is a beautifully shot film to look at, but bear in mind that throughout, it still does look like a shot on video feature. The Shunned House may be a lot of things, but it reminded me most of a brief walk through a haunted house on a brisk October evening. This fact is even reinforced by the disclaimer on the back of the cover that states a warning, that this film uses strobe lights, odd.

It wouldn't be a successful homage to European horror if it weren't a mostly violent affair, which it is. It may not be loaded on extra thick, but there are plenty of horrific images here (many quick cuts as well). There was an annoying bit involving a young boy bouncing a white ball down a flight of stairs (how many times will I have to suffer through this reference?) and a not so obvious piece that reminded me mostly of a key moment in Suspiria. You'll find lots of razorblade slashing and most disturbing of all, a moment in which a violinist uses her bow in a really inappropriate manner (and get those sexual thoughts out of your head, because that ain't it!).

The packaging claims that The Shunned House is presented in an anamorphic widescreen transfer and all I have to say is, don't believe everything you read. The transfer is indeed, not anamorphic and thet being said, it does look pretty good all things considered. The image remains quite clear throughout with mostly bold and solid colors. Black levels are on, and there is really no evidence of artifacting. Audio is presented in a Dolby Surround track that is equally as pleasing. Dialogue is a bit low at points while the subdued yet effective surrounds really enhance the experience.

Extras include an "original trailer" and an international trailer along with a few minutes of deleted scenes. There is also a pretty cool still gallery and a couple of text essays (Italian Horror and H.P. Lovecraft) that are really difficult to read because of the font choice along with trailers for The Bunker and The Playgirls and the Vampire(?). Next up is a short film called Blood (clever!) which seems to have it's own section of extras as well! Finally, we're given a music video for a song called White Slave by the gothed out "The Nuns."

In the end, I wound up enjoying The Shunned House, the trick is to know exactly what you're ordering before you hand the menu back to the waiter. The Shunned House is a great throwback and shows a true talent behind the camera, we can only expect even better things from Zuccon in the future, and I'm looking forward to them.

This is a PAL DVD so be sure to check for player compatibility. For THE place for import DVDs including The Shunned House, head on over to xploitedcinema.com and don't forget to tell 'em that The Monsters sent ya!