I've decided not to do anymore plot rundowns, seems pointless among us horror fanatics. I'm going to have to work hard to achieve my goal of 31 films.
22. The House With Laughing Windows
One does not have to search very hard to see my championing of this film. Just take a look at my Top 25 favorite horror films list. While that list may be interchangeable depending on the day one thing is for sure, The House With Laughing Windows is likely to stay there.
I feel like this is the essential giallo film. It manages to capture the best of the genre despite being a later entry. With a mixture of mystery, thriller and horror against the rural Italian landscape, Pupi Avati has crafted an elegant horror film that defines why giallo fans are so rabid. When they're good, they're masterpieces. Avati quietly plays on human emotions rather than sheer terror or gore which is all the more resonating, at least for me. For example, when Stefano, the painter who is hired to restore a haunting fresco version of St. Sebastian, listens to an ambiguous voice on a recorder the mood becomes so heavy it can feel as if you're choking. With such a lurid title you would almost expect the film to be non stop terror or chills but Avati does exactly the opposite, expecting the viewer to absorb the subtle hints of malevolence that surround Stefano. The importance of St. Sebastian remains extremely prevalent throughout the entire run time of the film but especially so during the chaotic and bizarre finale.
The cinematography creates a dreamlike atmosphere with sinister nuances that are complimented well by the minimalistic but compelling score. Do yourself a favor and make this a double feature with Lucio Fulci's Don't Torture A Duckling.
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