La Maison de la terreur

If giallo works for you, this movie is a riot. If not, you may find it somewhat disappointing. But for me, it hit all the right notes.

The writing and acting was absurd, filled to the brim with dialogue that is either some of the most on-the-nose stuff I have ever heard, or complete nonsense. The acting is generally fully over-the-top or simply terribly performed. Either way, it's all wildly amusing. Not all the deaths are up to snuff with the best of giallo, but there are a couple that will leave imprints in your mind, specifically one in a bathroom involving a plastic bag. The women are quite intoxicating, the lead actor quite pretty as well, and it's always fun seeing the legend Michele Soavi in any role. The cinematography is a lot of fun, the pacing and editing is disjointed and awkward as is the case with most giallo, and the story makes very little sense.

All in all, it's a pretty terrible movie, but a wonderful giallo! Lamberto Bava certainly got his game locked in a few years later by the time he made his masterpiece, Demons!