The House With Laughing Windows – (1976)
La Casa dalle finestre che ridono
Director
Pupi Avati

Writers
Antonio Avati screenplay
Antonio Avati story
Pupi Avati screenplay
Pupi Avati story
Gianni Cavina
Maurizio Costanzo

Producers
Antonio Avati producer
Gianni Minervini producer

Cast
Lino Capolicchio – Stefano
Francesca Marciano – Francesca
Gianni Cavina – Coppola
Giulio Pizzirani – Antonio Mazza
Vanna Busoni – Laura Legnani
Andrea Matteuzzi – Poppi
Bob Tonelli – Solmi
Pietro Brambilla – Lidio
Ferdinando Orlandi – Marshall
Ines Ciaschetti – Teacher
Flavia Giorgio
Eugene Walter – Priest
Carla Astolfi
Tonino Corazzari
Pina Borione
Arrigo Lucchini
Luciano Bianchi
Libero Grandi

Review by Sven Soetemans

Unhinged giallo masterpiece,
Pupi Avati’s “La Casa dalle Finestre che ridona” is a one-of-a-kind terror experience and even the most trained horror fanatic will fairly admit that he or she never saw anything like it before. Right from the stylishly cruel opening credits, in which a hoarse male voice talks undetermined yet eerie lines, you just know that you’re about to watch a true rarity, even in terms of the already more imaginative Italian giallo films. This is one of the most atmospheric movies ever and the complex, impossible to summarize plotting belongs to the best ones ever.

The story introduces Stefano, a young artist who comes to a remote Italian town for renovating an old painting that pictures the slaughter of St. Sebastian. The ghostly town’s myth says that the painter, suitably nicknamed “the painter of Agony” inspired his work on real life misery, with dying girls sitting across him as models. When new murders are committed in town, Stefano quickly finds himself trapped in a nightmare of surreal events and unspeakable madness. He discovers that the town carries historical secrets that go far beyond simply one deranged painter.

It’s true that the story develops itself rather slowly, but just try and be patient because you also right away feel that director Avati is working his way up to something unique. The mystery smoothly unravels itself and the ingenious climax is so excessively original that words fail to describe it. Just see it and be amazed, that’s all I can say. I don’t understand how some scriptwriters are able to invent such a peerless premise and turn it into such a credible piece of cinema, but I’m graceful for it. The breath-taking atmosphere is reached by simple yet very efficient methods.

Some unearthly form of evil is constantly lurking and Avati reaches this sublime effect merely presenting us the ominous little town with its sinister inhabitants. From the midget to the slightly retarded altar-boy…every person other than our protagonist looks like a dangerous threat. “House with the Laughing Windows” also is guided by an excellently creepy soundtrack, provided by Amedeo Tommasi. His musical score is omnipresent yet not at all intrusive.

Every eerie scene is guided by a creepy tune yet the music doesn’t get the upper hand so that the events shown constantly repeat themselves in your sub consciousness. This is a brilliant effect and only the most perfect thrillers can promote this. “Casa Delle Finestre che Ridona” is a giallo masterpiece guaranteed to impress you.

Watch it preferably Italian spoken with English subtitles so that aspects of minor importance like dubbing don’t ruin the mood.