Episode 5: The House with Laughing Windows (1976) and Don't Torture a Duckling (1972) : Rural Giallo, Postwar Italy, and the Haunted Landscape
In this episode of The Horror Double Bill, we journey deep into the unsettling beauty of the Italian countryside to explore The House with Laughing Windows (1976) and Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972). These two standout examples of rural gialli capture a nation in flux—reflecting the tension, suspicion, and isolation brought about by post-war migration from the south to the north of Italy.
We unpack the social, cultural, and historical upheaval that followed World War II, as Italy’s rural communities were transformed by internal migration, superstition, and deepening class divides.
Expect thematic analysis, behind-the-scenes details, historical research, and a deep dive into how horror can expose the fractures in national identity.
References & Sources used for this episode:
Books
So Deadly, So Perverse by Troy Howarth
La Dolce Morte : Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo by Mikel J Koven
Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1970–1979 by Roberto Curti
Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci by Stephen Thrower
Milking the Moon by Eugene Walter
The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Gothic edited by Clive Bloom
articles
https://brightlightsfilm.com/brutal-nobility-painting-death-house-laughing-windows-pupi-avati-1976/
Blu Rays
Don't Torture a Duckling Arrow video special edition blu ray - interviews and commentary
The House with Laughing Windows Shamless Entertainment special edition DVD - interview with Pupi Avati
#cultcinema #giallo #horrorpodcast #1970shorror #cinephile #classichorror #darioargento #eurohorror #luciofulci #pupiavati #eurohorror #europeanhorror #1970shorror
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