A very boring pseudo-British giallo is the best way to describe The Shuttered Room. There's nothing particularly special about the film whatsoever except its three main leads: Gig Young, the scrumptuous Carol Lynley and the encapsulating Oliver Reed. I found the score in this one to be particularly annoying, as well.
It sounds like a jazz band from Hell brought to Hollywood to do a soundtrack. The story itself isn't all that interesting. If Dario Argento had directed Straw Dogs in England, it might have wound up coming off like this. The movie does get Carol Lynley nearly naked, so it does have that going for it. Gig Young is quite funny with his impersonation of James Bond - running around Judo-chopping the town riff raff and driving around in his fancy car. Other than those things, this one isn't all that remarkable or memorable.
September 28, 2011
