The House with Laughing Windows (1976)
The House with Laughing Windows
Original title: La casa dalle finestre che ridono
The House with Laughing Windows is one of those films that I waited a long time to own in High Definition or above. There was a DVD released in 2003 by Image Entertainment, but it wasn’t until recently that restorations were made and quality editions released. And then, all of a sudden, there were options. French label, Le chat qui fume, released Blu-ray and 4K editions in July of 2024, followed by Blu-ray and 4K editions from Arrow Video in the US in early December of 2025, and then Blu-ray and 4K editions in the UK from Shameless in late December of 2025. I think there’s been a German release by Camera Obscura somewhere in there as well. I went with the North American release from Arrow and finally got a chance to watch the 4K/HDR disc the other night. I haven’t seen the other editions, so I can’t compare to those, but I was quite pleased with the quality of this one.
The House with Laughing Windows is an Italian giallo/thriller/mystery set in a small village where the main character, Stefano (Lino Capolicchio), arrives because he’s been commissioned to restore a fresco of Saint Sebastian in a local church. The original painting was done by an eccentric artist, Legnani, who has since died. Stefano tries to acquaint himself to the town and its villagers, and begins work on the restoration. Intrigued by strange rumors about the original artist, Stefano becomes obsessed with learning the truth. This leads to the main conflicts of the story. As the mystery starts to unravel, Stefano finds himself embroiled in a series of controversies culminating in a memorable finale.
There are twists and turns, which is common for the genre. There are truly haunting scenes. There is violence. Avati knows how to frame his shots, pace his story, and transform otherwise horrific events into an awe-inspiring work of art.
This is a top-tier giallo. I rank it high on my list, and I’ve see many films in the genre. Not to be missed, if you are a fan of this sort of thing.
