Aquella casa en las afueras

Eugenio Martin has made two of the most remarkable Spanish horror films of the Seventies: The Spanish-British co-production "Horror Express" (1972) starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, plus the astonishingly subversive "Una Vela Para el Diablo" (1973). "Aquella Casa en las Afueras" is also quite remarkable, if not as catching as the two aforementioned films.

The film tells the story of a pregnant young woman whose husband rent a beautiful house in the outskirts of Madrid for the time until she gives birth to the child. Unfortunately, the house was used as an illegal abortion clinic until a few years ago, and the now pregnant woman had an abortion there five years ago (she never told her husband), when she was 17 years old. Soon, she gets haunted by her memories. Worse still, the lover of the then aborting doctor still lives in the house - and she's schizophrenic.

Even though the movie is slow moving at times, it boosts a gloomy atmosphere and tells its story in a pleasantly Gothic way. There is not much gore in the film (not as one may expect from a Euro horror film from 1979), but there are some details in the film grisly enough even for today's standards. The plot itself undoubtedly is partly influenced by the cult-Giallo "Cosa Avete Fatto a Solange?", which also had abortion as a motive in its story. Alida Valli gives a tremendous performance as the schizophrenic, and her character sometimes reminds of Sheila Keith's frenzy portrayal of madness in Pete Walker's "Frightmare".

All in all, "Aquella Casa en las Fueras" is a dark Gothic thriller with some typical Seventies-style shocks and some subversive elements often found in European films of that decade. Rating: 7 out of 10.

In horror movies, it's wise to steer clear of certain houses: those by the edge of a lake or a cemetery; those on Dead End Street; the last one on the left; and houses by the edge of a park or on Sorority Row. In The House on the Outskirts, it's a rental property in the suburbs that proves an unwise move for the protagonists.

Joaquin (Javier Escrivá) surprises his beautiful, young, pregnant wife Nieves (Silvia Aguilar) by renting a house on the outskirts of Madrid; unfortunately, it's the same house where, five years earlier, Nieves secretly had an abortion as a teenager. Nieves is afraid that her husband has discovered her secret and is trying to make her confess, but that's the least of her problems: Isabel (Alida Valli), the old lady who owns the house, is actually Lourdes, the nurse who performed the surgical procedure, but now she's schizophrenic and homicidal and intends to punish the young woman for her sins.

Director Eugenio Martin, who gave us the entertaining Horror Express, fails to inject life into this tedious horror/thriller with an uneventful slow-burn approach that might have been worth persevering with had the final act built to an exciting climax; sadly, the ending is just as lame as the stuff that precedes it. There's just the one disappointing murder along the way (which is too quick and too dark), very little in the way of scares, and the finale is extremely lacklustre, with crazy Isabel stopped in her tracks by being tripped down the stairs.

4/10.

Spain will be remembered by many film fans for a lot of very good horror movies and thrillers; but unfortunately many Spanish directors go overboard with the idea of 'slow burn' and tedium becomes the end result - and that unfortunately is the case with this film. That House in the Outskirts takes slow burn to the extreme and essentially nothing happens for the entire running time. The script is the main problem as it's trite and doesn't do much at all in the way of progressing the story or providing dialogue with enough about it to make any of the characters interesting. The story focuses on a husband and wife who rent an old isolated house outside of Madrid so the wife can relax while she is pregnant. However, luck would have it that the house they rent just happens to be the same house that was once a private clinic where the wife went for an illegal abortion years earlier. Naturally, the house brings back bad memories, and the upstairs neighbour just happens to have been the abortionist's assistant...

The plot does not sound particularly interesting on its own; but the idea of pregnancy and abortion has lead to horrifying films before (most recently with French horror 'Inside') and I was hoping that might create some interest. It really doesn't. The film can't even be called a thriller as it doesn't 'thrill' in any way, shape or form and fails at being anything other than a cure for insomnia. It has to be said that it is rather well made; director Eugenio Martín lays the atmosphere on thick and the acting is rather good; but it means nothing when the film is so painful to sit through. Alida Valli (whom cult fans will recognise as Suspiria's Miss Tanner) is the pick of the performers and actually provides the film with one of its only plus points. It soon becomes clear that the ending is not going to provide anything of interest; and indeed that is the case. I can only imagine the high ratings this film has received is down to the fact that it's an arty and obscure; but don't be taken in by it. That House in the Outskirts is definitely not worth the trouble of tracking it down!

Joachin (Javier Escriva) surprises his young wife Nieves (Silvia Aguilar) by renting out the titular location for her to carry out her pregnancy. It isn't a pleasant surprise for her because, prior to being a rental home, the location was an abortion clinic that she visited when she was 17. Naturally, she is troubled by this and suspects her husband is trying to get her to confess to her past. Caught between the two is Isabel (Alida Valli), the homeowner who has stuck around to help the pregnant wife. This is a moody Spanish horror film from Eugenio Martin (HORROR EXPRESS, CANDLE FOR THE DEVIL). It does manage to have a few effective scare scenes, but could have been a lot scarier. Plus, the film's entire plot revolves around two characters not remembering having met 5 years previous. The end also happens way too quickly when the opportunity for prolonging the suspense was definitely there.

A young woman's husband : Javier Escriva rents a house in the skirts of Madrid to spend the last months before the birth their child . However , just they arrive in the mansion she realizes this place was where had secretly had an illegal abortion five years ago . At home they have been received by the land lady : Alida Valli who also lives there . Things go awry when the pregnant wife uncovers terrible happenings .

This is a thrilling film chills , tension , intrigue , plot twists and suspenseful . It is an acceptable thriller with intriguing events , twists, turns and terror moments . The creepy and eerie events abound and mostly located at the ghastly house just outside of Madrid . It failed in the Spanish box office , being a real flop , may be due to complete starring a pregnant woman when in the early 80s predominated the nudism or "Destape" with movies full naked and bomb-shell girls . Trio of protagonists are acceptable with decent acting from Javier Escriba , Silvia Aguilar and Alda Valli . They are well accompanied by brief intervention of some secondaries as Mara Goyanes , Laura Cepeda , Gabriel Llopart and nowadays very famous Carmen Maura .

It packs a mysterious and gloomy musical score by Carmelo Bernaola . As well as functional cinematography by Manuel Rojas , though a perfect remastering being really necessary . This dark gothic motion picture was well directed by Eugenio Martin , though it has some flaws , gaps and failures . This notorious artisan Eugenio Martin us a good artisan displaying an important career in the Sixties and Seventies . As he directed all kinds of genres , such as Spaguetti/Paella Western Requiem for a Gringo, Pancho Villa , The Ugly ones , Bad Man's River . Comedy : Tengamos la Guerra en Paz, Una Señora Estupenda . Musical : La Vida Sigue Igual, Las Leandras . Adventures : Corsarios del Caribe , Duelo en el Amazonas . And terror movies : Hypnosis , A Candle for the Devil, Sobrenatural, The Fourh Mrs Anderson and the classic : Horror Express . This obscure film "Aquella Casa En Las Afueras" 1980 has rating 6/10 .