La Maison de la terreur

Les personnages mènent des dialogues comme s'ils avaient un QI de 80 et le doublage en anglais déshonore même les performances des acteurs (qui ne sont déjà pas extraordinaires en soi). Techniquement, cependant, le film fonctionne. La partie visuelle n'est pas aussi élaborée que celle de Dario Argento (même pas en format large), mais en combinaison avec une musique impressionnante et un rythme narratif lent, cela crée une tension agréable et mystérieuse qui maintient votre attention et vous emmène par moments jusqu'à l'extase. Un peu stupide, mais techniquement très bien réalisé, ce thriller giallo possède tout ce dont ce genre a besoin. (08/05/2004)

The film A Blade in the Dark has an incredibly slow pace, which is reflected in its excessively long duration. For example, Dario Argento had a similar duration in his legendary film Deep Red, but throughout, there was substance to it. The impression of the length of A Blade in the Dark is also spoiled by the fact that the dialogues are really strange and don't contribute much to the film. They are forced, and you feel like you're listening to someone reciting rehearsed lines rather than following real characters. Of course, they are actors, but they should strive for the most realistic portrayal of their characters possible. Despite all the criticisms, however, Bava's film cannot be rated completely below average, and that's for the simple reason that there are elements here that stand out. First and foremost, it's the music, and secondly, the tension that occasionally sneaks into the film. It's just a shame that the creators didn't play with it a bit better and didn't try to sustain it. When the buildup to a really suspenseful scene finally came, it was soon interrupted by a cut. Maybe the mistake happened in the editing room, I don't know, but it's a pity. A shorter and better-edited film would stand out significantly above average. (21/12/2013)