The Sweet House of Horrors (1989) (TV) La dolce casa degli orrori (original title)

Director:

Lucio Fulci

Writers:

Lucio Fulci (story)
Gigliola Battaglini (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

1989 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror

Plot:

A murdered couple return from the beyond to care for their two young children, as well as seek revenge against their killer, accept their children's step parents, and try to prevent their house from being sold.

Plot Keywords:

Children | Intruder | Ghost | Home | Burglar

Cast

Jean-Christophe Brétigniere	...	Carlo (as Jean Christophe Bretigniere)
Cinzia Monreale	...	Marcia
Lubka Lenzi	...	Mary Valdi (as Lubka Cibulova)
Lino Salemme	...	Guido
Franco Diogene	...	Mr. Coby
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	The Exorcist (as Alexander Vernon Dobtcheff)
Giuliano Gensini	...	Marco
Ilary Blasi	...	Sarah
Dante Fioretti	...	Father O'Toole
Pascal Persiano	...	Roberto Valdi

Directed by
Lucio Fulci

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gigliola Battaglini		screenplay
Lucio Fulci		story
Vincenzo Mannino		screenplay

Produced by
Massimo Manasse	....	executive producer
Marco Grillo Spina	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Vince Tempera

Cinematography by
Sebastiano Celeste		(director of photography) (as Nino Celeste)

Film Editing by
Alberto Moriani		(as Albert Morris)

Set Decoration by
Giacomo Calò Carducci

Costume Design by
Valentina Di Palma

Makeup Department
Maria Teresa Carrera	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Renato Camarda	....	production representative: Reteitalia
Renato Fiè	....	production manager
Alessandro Loy	....	production supervisor (as Alessandro Loy Donà)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michéle De Angelis	....	assistant director
Camilla Fulci	....	assistant director

Art Department
Paolo Faenzi	....	assistant set designer
Massimo Antonello Geleng	....	set designer (as Antonello Geleng)
Vincenzo Luzzi	....	property master

Sound Department
Giuliano Piermarioli	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Giuseppe Ferranti	....	special makeup effects
Ditta Ricci	....	set effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Luigi Conversi	....	assistant camera
Tarcisio Diamanti	....	key grip
Romolo Eucalitto	....	still photographer
Alessandro Grossi	....	camera operator (as Sandro Grossi)
Armando Moreschini	....	gaffer
Camillo Sabatini	....	assistant camera
Sandro Tamborra	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Milena Printus	....	wardrobe (as Milena Pintus)

Editorial Department
Rosaria Bellu	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Egle Guarino	....	continuity
Massimo Massimi	....	accountant
Elio Terribili	....	set technician

Production Companies

• Reteitalia (as Reteitalia s.p.a.)
• Dania Film (in collaboration with)

Distributors

• Shriek Show (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Shriek Show (2002) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Musica Italia Edizioni Musicali  music copyright (as Musica Italia Edizioni Musicali s.r.l.)

Also Known As:

"La dolce casa degli orrori" - Italy (original title)

Runtime:

82 min | Italy:84 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

German | Italian | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12

Company:

Reteitalia

Trivia:

First part of the cycle "Le case maledette" (Doomed Houses) produced by Reteitalia. Other titles of the series are The House of Clocks (1989) (TV), La casa del sortilegio (1989) (TV) and House of Lost Souls (1989) (TV).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Joe D'Amato at Eurofest (2007) (V)

Irritating kids in a lacklustre Fulci effort

Normally, I wouldn't expect anything from a made for TV Italian horror flick; but this one was directed by the great Lucio Fulci, and his first entry in the House tetralogy (a collaboration with Umberto Lenzi), House of Clocks, was a nice little film and so my expectations went up for this one. However, it has to be said that The Sweet House of Horrors is one of Fulci's very worst efforts, as the only really striking thing about it is a pair of irritating kids who, combined, rival the awful Giovanni Frezza in Fulci's House by the Cemetery for sheer irritation. The plot focuses on a house where a couple were murdered. However, it's not the end of the line for them as the dead people return to get revenge for their murder, protect their kids who are still living in the house, and to prevent the house from being sold. The way that the film plods out is almost completely devoid of interesting scenes, and strangely Fulci puts the focus on the kids and it makes the film seems almost childlike. The gore that Fulci is famous for only really appears in one sequence, and it's not even that good as it just feels out of place in the context of the film. Fulci made some brilliant horror films over his vast career; but this isn't one of them. Not recommended.