The Shuttered Room (1967)

A Disappointing Continuation

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

So THIS is where the evil twin trapped in the attic trope originated from.It all begins when Susannah Whately returns to her island home- with her new husband, Mike. After receiving word she has inherited her parent's old mill, following their tragic deaths.The island is filled with a bunch of rapey rednecks, who have nothing better to do, than to try and sexually assault young Susannah.Her aunt warns her to stay away from the old mill...as it harbours the family curse.All of her relatives have met violent ends.But the newlywed couple isn't so easily scared. They plan to clean the place up and make it their summer home.Ominous warnings aside, most of the tension comes from the potential rape of Susannah- at the hands of local thug Ethan (played by Oliver Reed).These scenes are genuinely disturbing, and are where most of the horror in this film is derived.You are kind of led to believe that the person hidden away in the attic is deformed...so it's a surprise when you see it is a female, once the twist rolls around.But, then you realize...hey, this is where The Simpson's got it from! Cool film, with lot's of rapey tension.5.5 out of 10.

As far as Lovecraftian adaptations go, this one isn't bad at all and is a lot better and more subtle than trash like THE DUNWICH HORROR, thanks to the literate script and engaging performances from a varied cast. Filmed in England but set in New England, the scenery is barren but beautiful and good use is made of these locations to convey a loneliness and isolation. While it's not a perfect film (the ending is FAR from perfect), it is certainly more adept at achieving the actual aims of Lovecraft in terms of a creepy, brooding atmosphere than many other so-called adaptations have been.The acting is pretty much great, especially from the two male leads. Gig Young is the ageing, imported American actor who was on the way out but still impresses, while Oliver Reed was the up-and-coming actor who also impresses in his turn as a brooding, rebellious youth with one thing on his mind. Carol Lynley is fine as the typically pretty blonde girl caught up in all the chaos, and Flora Robson puts in a fun frumpy turn. It's also nice to see old faces like Charles Lloyd Pack popping up in a film mainly full of youths.Funnily enough, the actual creature in the room isn't where most of the horror comes from in this film. As a sideline, the plot introduces a gang of male youths who view Lynley as a sexual object and will do anything to get her. Much of the film consists of her narrowly escaping from these men (primarily Reed) before she is finally trapped and cornered and turns the table on them, with predictably fatal results. The action scenes are kind of amusing in an unintentional way as Young uses special karate moves on the bad guys.This film's main flaw is that while it successfully builds up a lot of suspense as it goes along, the payoff is a big disappointment. The thing in the shuttered room doesn't even turn out to be a monster or a mutant, just a normal human being - what a cheat! There are a couple of mildly gory death scenes thrown in there but this film's main obsession is the dark sexual undercurrent. This makes it an interesting, well-shot, well-acted, and watchable little film which deserves to be seen by many more horror fans than it has been, as it seems to have somewhat sunk into obscurity these days.

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

Troubled Susannah Kelton (an excellent and affecting performance by the lovely Carol Lynley) and her wise, sensible husband Mike (splendidly played by Gig Young) inherit a rundown old mill house that's located on an isolated New England island. The Keltons receive a chilly reception from the unfriendly locals and are warned by Susannah's kindly, but formidable Aunt Agatha (a spot-on redoubtable turn by Flora Robson) that the place has a curse on it. Ably directed with stylish aplomb by David Greene, with a deliciously eerie and mysterious brooding Gothic atmosphere that positively drips with dread and menace, an intriguing script by D.B. Ledrov and Nathaniel Tanchuck, evocative use of the verdant countryside locations, crisp and vibrant cinematography by Ken Hodges (the occasional artful use of fades and dissolves is especially striking), colorful characters, a marvelously spooky and offbeat discordant experimental jazz score by Basil Kirchin, witty dialogue, a flavorsome depiction of the remote rural region, and a rousing fiery conclusion, this film really hits the bull's eye as a superior 60's shocker. Young and Lynley make for extremely engaging leads. Moreover, Oliver Reed contributes a delightfully leering and hearty portrayal of unruly no-count trouble-making lout Ethan, who has a most unsavory lascivious interest in poor Susannah. The explanation for what's really going on in the mill house is not only expectedly startling, but also surprisingly poignant. A fun and engrossing fright feature.