La casa dalle finestre che ridono (1976)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Pupi Avati

Writers:

Antonio Avati (screenplay)
Antonio Avati (story)

Release Date:

16 August 1976 (Italy)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Stefano, a young restorer is commissioned to save a fresco representing the suffering of St. Sebastiano...

Plot Keywords:

Suffering | Painter | Italy | Awakening | Blood Sacrifice

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Lino Capolicchio	...	Stefano
Francesca Marciano	...	Francesca
Gianni Cavina	...	Coppola
Giulio Pizzirani	...	Antonio Mazza
Bob Tonelli	...	Mayor Solmi
Vanna Busoni	...	Teacher
Pietro Brambilla	...	Lidio
Ferdinando Orlandi	...	Police Marshall
Andrea Matteuzzi	...	Poppi
Ines Ciaschetti	...	Concierge
Pina Borione	...	Paraplegic Woman
Flavia Giorgi	...	Poppi's Wife
Arrigo Lucchini	...	Grocer
Carla Astolfi	...	Chambermaid at Boarding House
Luciano Bianchi	...	Franchini the Librarian

Also Known As:

House with the Windows That Laugh
The House of the Laughing Windows (USA) (DVD title)
The House with Laughing Windows (USA) (DVD box title)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:VM14 | France:-12 | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Cento, Ferrara, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Company:

A.M.A. Film

Not your typical Giallo film

Pupi Avati's 'The House With Laughing Windows' follows the character of Stefano, a painter who travels to a remote Italian village on a job to restore an unfinished painting depicting the persecution of St. Sebastian (who was a real Saint, by the way, only he was actually killed by arrows being shot into him, not by being stabbed with knives like the painting in the movie portrays). Upon arriving in the village, Stefano discovers that there is a lot more behind the mystery of the painting than he originally thought, and that someone will stop at nothing to make sure that Stefano does not complete the painting, further revealing the true mystery behind the town's bizarre secrets.

The movie opens with graphic, sepia toned imagery of a man being tortured in the exact same way as St. Sebastian is depicted in the painting. The genuinely creepy piano music that plays during the opening just further sets the unsettling mood for the mystery that lies ahead. The opening credits lead one to believe that the film is an all out blood bath, however, this is not the case. In fact, the most violently unsettling part of the film is the opening, that's not to say that the rest of the film doesn't contain violence, it just doesn't exist on the same level or extreme as the opening.

The rest of the film is a rather competent mystery done in true giallo fashion, and will keep you wondering what's going to happen next until the climactic finale. There are a few story elements in this movie that were either unexplained or not elaborated on, but I don't know if going as far as to call these incidents 'plot holes' would be completely correct. For instance, there is a girl Stefano is seeing at the beginning who just leaves town (disappears?) without a word. This had me thinking the whole movie that she was murdered and that her body would turn up at some point, when in fact you find out later in the film that she just simply left town, and was replaced by Stefano's next love interest, Francesca.

The movie is pretty tame in comparison to many giallo flicks like 'Tenebrae' or 'The New York Ripper', but the twists and turns should interest most fans of this sub-genre. Also, unlike most giallos, the film contains only a brief bit of nudity, but there is a scene where a woman is being forcefully molested that seems more exploitative than most scenes depicting nudity.

All in all I must say I was surprised at the quality of movie I saw. Not only was it a surprise that I haven't heard of this movie sooner, but it was also amongst some of the better plot driven giallo films I have personally seen. This movie was well paced, consisted of great camera-work and scenery, had great acting (to a non-speaker of Italian, anyway), and had a truly creepy and original plot. I recommend this film to anyone that is really into the Italian giallo sub-genre, as it may not hold the interest of the casual horror movie fan.