A restorer is called to a small village in Italy to repair a fresco detailing the murder of St. Sebastian. He slowly becomes obsessed with finding out the truth about the deceased painter and unravels a horrifying secret that's far from buried in the past.
A fairly slow moving but tremendously atmospheric thriller set in a hypnotic landscape of decay and beauty in the Italian countryside. The mystery is involving and well written and director Pupi Avati stages a few unforgettable images of cruelty and genuine madness. The pace is deliberate and the mood of the flick is completely captivating; I doubt seriously that thriller lovers will get bored.
Lino Capolicchio and Francesa Marciano are likable leads and do well but most performances in Italian "giallo's" suffer due to the language dubbing. The film is preferable in Italian with English subs. That said; some performers here are somewhat stiff and unconvincing but that's a regular trademark in these "giallo's", as most fans know from the start.
"The House of the Laughing Windows" is one of the best thrillers associated with the genre and it rivals the best works of Argento, Bava and Fulci.
Highly recommended.
A fairly slow moving but tremendously atmospheric thriller set in a hypnotic landscape of decay and beauty in the Italian countryside. The mystery is involving and well written and director Pupi Avati stages a few unforgettable images of cruelty and genuine madness. The pace is deliberate and the mood of the flick is completely captivating; I doubt seriously that thriller lovers will get bored.
Lino Capolicchio and Francesa Marciano are likable leads and do well but most performances in Italian "giallo's" suffer due to the language dubbing. The film is preferable in Italian with English subs. That said; some performers here are somewhat stiff and unconvincing but that's a regular trademark in these "giallo's", as most fans know from the start.
"The House of the Laughing Windows" is one of the best thrillers associated with the genre and it rivals the best works of Argento, Bava and Fulci.
Highly recommended.