Le porte del silenzio

Door to Silence (1991)

** (out of 4)

Even though he was turning out one gore film after another, director Lucio Fulci ended his career with this psychological drama, which doesn't feature a drop of the red stuff. In the film, John Savage (THE DEER HUNTER) plays a man leaving New Orleans where he went to visit his father's grave. On the way home he keeps running into closed roads, a mysterious woman (Sandi Schultz) and a strange hearse. Back in the day fans got excited when they learned Fulci was returning to the same grounds as his THE BEYOND but if anyone expects the same type of film then they're going to be very disappointed. This film here plays out like an episode of The Twilight Zone and I'm sure that show was the main influence on the director here. The biggest problem is that the movie runs nearly 90-minutes and the screenplay isn't smart enough to keep everything working. The biggest problem is that we get the same stuff over and over. Savage will run into the woman then see the hearse and then run into a closed road. These thing happen at least eight or more times and we even get some stuff that's the same shot over and over. There are also several goofs in the film or things that simply don't make sense. Savage is in a hurry to get home but when his car breaks down the mechanic tells him it will be fifteen-minutes to fix it but what does Savage do since he's in a hurry? He checks into a motel. There are other, what I believe to be, goofs including a country hitchhiker wanting a ride to Memphis for a country music festival. I'm guessing it was meant to be Nashville but the dubbing director didn't do any homework. Savage actually turns in a fairly decent performance, although he doesn't have too much to do. Schultz is also easy on the eyes and makes for a good mystery. The rest of the cast are decent at best but that's what you expect in a movie like this. Again, this isn't your typical Fulci film and I do take my hat off to him for trying something new and getting away from the gore. His direction is quite nice here as he handles everything pretty well but the screenplay just really kills anything he has going. Laura Gemser is credited as Costume Designer.

Door to Silence was the last film from the Godfather of Gore Lucio Fulci, and like most of his latter day output; it's not among the great Italian director's best films. It would seem that after he made the uber-gory Cat in the Brain, Fulci lost the appetite for the red stuff that made him famous, as this film and the earlier Voices From Beyond are more along the lines of a supernatural drama, and while this one isn't as bad as the other - neither are as great as Fulci's best work. The plot is of the slow build variety and indeed, it takes a long time for it to get anywhere. We focus on Melvin Devereux, a man who drives around in his car. Apparently he's driving aimlessly around Louisiana after the death of his father. Then strange things start happening to him - he meets a strange woman who keeps following him, but more ominously, there's a strange hearse driving around too. As he gradually starts to lose his mind, Melvin soon begins to realise that these omens may be pointing towards something.

The main problem with this film is that there is very little to keep your interest. Fulci implants a number of set pieces, but the best of them - a scene that sees Melvin pick up a hitch hiker who wants $50 for sex - isn't even relevant to the central plot. I have to be honest and say that I didn't really care about what the problem with the central character was either. The film is lead by John Savage and the problems with the film are nothing to with his performance. He's good in the lead role, even if he doesn't really impress all that much. Fulci manages to create an almost hallucinogenic road atmosphere which benefits the mysterious plot well. The supporting characters don't really add much, however. A movie like this really should see the star meeting diverse and interesting people; but that doesn't really happen. I doubt many will be too affected by anything by the time the film ends; I couldn't really care less by then. As you would probably expect, I can't recommend this film. Fulci has done worse (Manhattan Baby, Voices From Beyond), but this film is still down there. Skip it!

Joe D'Amato approached Lucio Fulci and asked him to make a movie based on short story "Porte del nulla" Fulci himself wrote. Fulci made the movie and Joe D'Amato then added some footage and edited and "Le porte del silenzio" or "Door to Silence" was finally finished. It's basically Fulci's attempt at making a psychological horror. Problem is, anyone with a little bit of functioning brain can understand what the idea of the movie is relatively quickly and after that we are left with mostly silent protagonist who drives a lot through the countryside encountering various problems that slow down his journey or make him confused and afraid. One would think that all those silent scenes are perfect for the main character to have many monologues or maybe think about what's happening to him and we as an audience can hear those thougts, you know, so the character gets at least a little bit character development, but no. Melvin is, simply put, a boring and unlikable main character. He's rich, arrogant and prone to getting himself into danger. He tries to cheat on his wife two times during the movie and he's just not interesting at all. And then, when you realize that you understood the whole point (or plot twist, if you will) of the movie (which isn't very original) before it even ended and that the main character is boring and that there aren't any hallmarks of Fulci's work like gore and nudity at least to give you something to look at, you conclude that the movie isn't really good. If anything the best thing in the movie are the nature shown and (sometimes) the music. Don't get me wrong, this is not the worst movie ever and it's functional. It's refreshing to not receive the same thing from Fulci from time to time. But in the end, the movie is boring and I see no reason for you to watch it if you are not a Fulci fan. 5/10! I don't recommend it...

To me, personally, Lucio Fulci is (a) God. Regardless of what the haters may say, Fulci – the one and only Godfather of Gore – wrote & directed some of the most brilliantly entertaining, revolutionary and provocative horror movies ever made. He was one of the busiest men amongst the Italian cinema fanatics, with nearly 60 titles directed in a span of more or less 30 years. Almost typical for devoted directors, Lucio Fulci also didn't know when to stop, or just didn't want to stop. Perhaps it was best for him to retire after the insanely gory and brilliant (and semi-biographical) "Cat in the Brain" or even sooner, but Fulci didn't retire and made three more movies of which "Door into Silence" was his very last. This is a very atypical Fulci and – admittedly – far from his greatest work, but I'm nevertheless proud and content that I saw this obscure gem, in spite of all its little shortcomings.

For his swan song Fulci returns to Louisiana, previously already the setting of his ultimate masterpiece "The Beyond". After visiting his father's grave at the cemetery, real estate agent Melvin Devereux attempts to get home to his wife, but road works, detours and engine trouble prevent him from doing so. His seemingly endless journey takes him further and deeper in the bayou, where Melvin repeatedly encounters a mysterious beauty and a sinister hearse that won't let him pass. Melvin becomes increasingly paranoid, especially when he suddenly suspects that the cadaver inside the hearse might be someone very dear to him. Who had thought that Lucio Fulci would end his rich and controversial career with a genuine attempt at an intelligent, supernaturally themed thriller? As a die-hard fan, I really wished that our director would have succeeded in astounding both his admirers and his opponents, but sadly this isn't the case. "Door into Silence" contains too many dull scenes of John Savage aimlessly driving around remote areas in his filthy Buick, with monotonous jazz music playing in the background and pointless encounters left and right. The denouement, predictable for attentive viewers, is similar to quite a few other classic and less classic films in the genre. Of course, I can't list the titles of these films as I would also reveal the whole twist ending by doing so. John Savage does his best to add mystery through his adequate performance and Fulci definitely picked out some of the nicest filming locations in all of Louisiana, but it just isn't enough. Like a few other reviewers already stated, "Door into Silence" would have been more effective as a short episode in a series like "Twilight Zone" or as a separate story in a horror anthology. Still, the fact that it's a final and gore-free Fulci effort with a handful of atmospheric moments, makes it worth a recommendation.

Well,due to the complex Man that Lucio Fulci was,I think that this Movie wasn't so bad that certain people want it to be.I think that since it was his last movie,He Went Out in Style! I Mean: Look at it's Budget! He proved he could make a Movie nearly without a Budget at all! No,not his greatest achievement,but He Went Out In Style! A complex and a Superb Film Maker! No one can come close.Fulci is purely FULCI! Enjoy or Die!(not even trying).Fulci was responsible for(or known for)the Splatter/Zombie movie "Zombi 2" in Italy(an unofficial follow up to George A.Romero's "Dawn Of The Dead"),but he made Movies far more better than that one.Just take a look at his "Don't Torture a Duckling" where he proved himself as a Superb Film maker! He made several Movies as well,which is as good as well.It's just a matter of taste! Long Live The master Of Italian "Grand Guignol".