THE SHUTTERED ROOM (1967). Director: David Greene.
This is an oddball adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story that basically removes the supernatural element! Mike Kelton (Gig Young) brings his young bride Susannah (Carol Lynley) back to the island off New England and the mill house she grew up in and inherited. But there's a sinister lurking presence waiting in the house ... Actually more menace is generated by Oliver Reed and his gang of inbred laughing thugs than by anything else. A scene when they tie up Young, leave him on the roadside, and repeatedly race up to his body in their car and stop just short of smashing him is harrowing and well-executed. Reed gives the most vivid performance, but the others are fine, including Flora Robson as Aunt Agatha. This is one of those movies where if everyone just acted logically there would be no danger and no plot. There are eerie scenes and Greene's direction has its good points -- some people found it "arty" -- but this could not be classified as one of the better or more faithful Lovecraft adaptations were it not for the fact that so many others were much worse. The jazzy background score is no help at all.
Verdict: Despite flaws it holds the attention and has its moments but it's only minimal Lovecraft. **1/2.
Seems like a similar plot to the Lovecraft-inspired Dunwich Horror, which is also very flawed but quite interesting. Have read about this one before but have yet to see it. Love Carol Lynley, Flora Robson and Oliver Reed— How bad can it be?
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The short stories are not that similar, but films of Lovecraft tended to reduce the writer to the same handful of basic elements, although this picture deletes the supernatural altogether!
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