Cries in the Night (1980)

Directed by William Fruet [Other horror films: Death Weekend (1976), Spasms (1983), Killer Party (1986), Blue Monkey (1987)]

Though the print I possess is of dubious quality, I’ve consistently found this Canadian movie pretty decent. Sure, the print is rough, but the atmosphere is on point, and while elements may not be the most original, Cries in the Night is worth seeing.

Of course, you probably won’t see it under the name Cries in the Night, as it was retitled Funeral Home (which I tend to think is a better name). The print I own (from Mill Creeks 50-disc set Creepy Classics) is rough – the audio is occasionally a bit garbled, and visually, some scenes can be dim, others blurry. In a way, it’s a testament of my feelings on the film that despite this, I’ve watched the film twice, and had fun each time.

It’s largely the story, revolving around a young woman staying at her grandmother’s bed-and-breakfast inn (which was previously – you guessed it – a funeral home), that helps the film out. Guests seem to disappear without warning, voices tend to come from the cellar (which is kept locked), and the mystery around her grandfather’s departure is still unsolved. Funeral Home can be quite atmospheric, and the big old house helps with that vibe.

Another thing I rather liked is the use of flashbacks – three different flackbacks pop up throughout the film, all of which add a little something (one that involved two boys sneaking around the funeral home was pretty solid stuff). The movie isn’t really that emotionally-charged, and I sometimes wonder if they were going for a more somber vibe, but it’s still quite nice.

All of the central performances, I thought, were solid. Lesleh Donaldson (Curtains) felt a little weak as the lead at times, but I enjoyed her character well enough. Kay Hawtrey did quite well as a grandmother potentially hiding some secrets. Stephen E. Miller impressed me, Alf Humphreys (Howard from My Bloody Valentine) amused me, Barry Morse intrigued me, and Harvey Atkin also amused me. Dean Garbett was decent, and for extra points, we got Jack Van Evera in a flashback (who played Happy the bartender in My Bloody Valentine).

There’s no gore here, at least not in the version I’ve seen. Someone gets stabbed in the back with some funeral home implement, and a couple had their car shoved into a lake, but for the most part, the film’s not overly violent. In fact, some people may feel the movie is slow, as the body count is quite low. Even so, I can say that while that’s true, I personally never reached the point where the story disengaged me.

I wouldn’t mind seeing a higher quality print of Funeral Home, but even if the only print I see is the one I own, that’s fine, because the movie is still pretty solid. It has a great atmosphere, and though I don’t think it’s an unsung classic, I’ve always personally enjoyed it.

7.5/10