Tom Foster
04-14-2003, 05:05 AM
In 1976 Pupi Avati’s [B LA CASA DALLE FINESTRE CHE RIDONO B] ('The House with the Laughing Windows’) was released in Italy. No English language version was prepared and the film was hardly seen outside of Italy for 25 years or so, despite being the subject of much acclaim within the genre (see reviews in Phil Hardy’s [B Aurum/Overlook Encylopedia of Horror B] or Gaetano Mistretta/Luca Palmerini’s [B Spaghetti Nightmares B] for two glowing critiques). In 2002, the film was released on Italian DVD, with an English subtitles option. Nearly a year later, an American release followed, allowing Western audiences to experience what is surely one of the pinnacles of the Italian horror film. Avati returned to the genre seven years later, with [B ZEDER – VOCI DAL BUIO B] (‘Zeder – Voices from Beyond’). This time the film was partly shot in English and a dubbed version was prepared for the international audience. [B ZEDER B] was released on video in the US as ‘Revenge of the Dead’ and marketed as an out-and-out zombie film in the style of Romero or Fulci. Viewers tended to be disappointed with what they got, and the situation wasn’t greatly improved when, in 1999, Image released a very ropey transfer of the film on DVD. Recently though, an Italian DVD release has surfaced which finally allows [B ZEDER B] to be seen as Avati intended. After the neglect Avati suffered with his two horror films he retreated into the safer environs of the ‘art house’ market and refused to discuss his work in the horror genre for over a decade. In 1996, he made what may well be his final sojourn into the genre with [B L’ARCANO INCANTATORE B]. As with [B LA CASA… B], the film has not had an English language release and can only be viewed on a poor quality (but subtitled) screener. Because of the problems outlined above, [B ZEDER B] was the only Avati horror film widely seen in the West until very recently…
The film opens with a creepy prologue set in Chartres, France, in 1956. Dr Meyer (Cesare Barbetti) is about to conduct an experiment. He has a young psychic girl, Gabriella, brought to his house and forces her to go down into the basement. They’re looking for someone and the girl suddenly falls to her knees, digging. “This is where you’re hiding, isn’t it?” the Dr cries. He rushes off to get help, leaving the girl alone. She is attacked by something, her leg being damaged horribly. After she’s been taken to hospital, an old corpse is unearthed. A wallet found with it identifies it as being Paolo Zeder’s and the Dr realises that the earth in which it was buried must be a ‘K-zone’.
Cut to present day Bologna. A writer, Stefano (Gabriele Lavia) arrives home with a gift for his wife, Allesandra (Anne Canovas). It’s their first anniversary and she has bought him an electric typewriter. They retire to bed, but Stefano awakes and goes to try out his typewriter. He (accidentally?) removes the ribbon from it and realises that he can read the previous owner’s words on it. He transcribes them and the next day goes to see a professor he knows about what he’s found. The professor recognises the theories espoused on the ribbon as those of Zeder, and explains to Stefano about them. Zeder believed that certain sites on Earth had special “alchemical” properties, and that they existed in what was essentially a “zero time”. He called these places ‘K-zones’ and believed that if a dead person was buried in one, resurrection was possible. “The place I have discovered is the place the hierophant was searching for”, states Zeder. Stefano traces the former owner of the typewriter through Guido, a police friend. This former owner turns out to have been a priest, Don Luigi Costa. Don Luigi became fascinated by the theories of Zeder, compelled by the fact that he had contracted lung cancer. Stefano becomes increasingly involved in the mystery, travelling to a camp where Don Luigi used to take kids from the parish for holidays. Meanwhile, we meet a grown-up Gabriella, who is working with Dr Meyer and a mysterious dwarf known as ‘Mr Big’…
As should be obvious from the above synopsis, this is no visceral zombie movie. Avati is concerned with atmosphere and tension, and as in [B LA CASA… B] he uses these elements to skilful effect. An atmosphere of foreboding and morbidity builds throughout the film, whilst a net of claustrophobia and paranoia ensnares Stefano, in much the same way as [B LA CASA… B]’s Stefano is trapped. Avati once again employs his masterful command of space and dimensions, and his ability to use subtle hints and throwaway clues to suggest a network of conspiracy in a way that recalls Aldo Lado’s [B MALASTRANA B] (’Short Night of the Glass Dolls’) as well as Avati’s own [B LA CASA… B] However, like Argento, Avati’s forte is not directing actors – Lavia will be familiar to Argentophiles, thanks to his pivotal roles in [B PROFONDO ROSSO B] (1975) and [B NONHOSONNO B] (2001), not to mention his smaller role in [B INFERNO B](1980). Whilst he acquitted himself well in Argento’s films, he is not terribly good here, seeming awkward and flat. Anne Canovas manages her role reasonably well, but it is the supporting actors who save the film. Avati makes good use of several eccentric characters, including Bob Tonelli (who played Mayor Solmi in [B LA CASA… B]) as the mysterious character behind the conspiracy, Enea Ferrario as a priest, Adolfo Belletti as a sleazy motel owner, and Aldo Sassi in an unforgettably creepy role as Don Luigi.
Of Avati’s three genre films, this is almost certainly the least successful. Having said that, it’s still head and shoulders above nearly anything else the Italian horror genre had to offer post-1980 (with the obvious exception of Argento and Fulci’s films) and is thoroughly enjoyable if taken as a thinking man’s horror film. Avati’s tendency to cut away from the action every time he seems about to show something grisly will infuriate some viewers, but is admirable given the lack of restraint usually found in horror films, and more especially zombie films. Like [B LA CASA… B], [B ZEDER B] is essentially a giallo in structure, but with supernatural elements. Supernatural gialli work very well – [B SUSPIRIA B](1976) is another, and it’s surprising that more didn’t get made…
There are two things I’d like to point out about the film’s influence before I finish. The first is well noted, and concerns the fact that Stephen King’s novel [B Pet Sematary B] was published in 1983, the same year that [B ZEDER B] was released. The book has a very similar story to Avati’s film, as will be evident to anyone who’s read the book or seen the film version (released in 1989 and directed by Mary Lambert). I’m not 100% sure which was released first, but it has been suggested that King borrowed from Avati, rather than the other way around. The other is something I haven’t seen mentioned elsewhere, but that has always seemed quite apparent to me. There are several scenes in the film involving inanimate objects (mainly floors) seeming to ‘breathe’ (in an organic sense) in time with the breathing of the body buried within the K-zone. These strongly recall the scenes in David Cronenberg’s seminal [B VIDEODROME B], also released in 1983. Whether Cronenberg had seen Avati’s film (or vice-versa), or was in any way influenced by it I can’t say, but it’s interesting to note nevertheless.
[B ZEDER B] is available on DVD in Italy and the US. The Italian release is through 20th Century Fox, and the film is presented in 1.85:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen. The DVD is region 2 coded and PAL. There is a DD5.1 Italian language remix (with optional English subs), the original mono Italian track and a mono English track. There's also a 15 minute (Italian language, no subtitles) featurette about the film and trailers for both ZEDER and LA CASA... (the latter was only unearthed after the film had already been released on DVD). Interesingly, both trailers seem to have been messed about with by Fox, for no obvious reason. The region-free US DVD release was through Image and was part of their 'Euroshock Collection'. It's no longer available, though a couple of on-line stores still have copies. It featured a poor quality transfer, pan-and-scan and with no extras. The film was previously available on US video through Vestron, whilst a Dutch VHS release (slightly letterboxed, English language) was widely bootlegged in Europe in the early 90's.
The film opens with a creepy prologue set in Chartres, France, in 1956. Dr Meyer (Cesare Barbetti) is about to conduct an experiment. He has a young psychic girl, Gabriella, brought to his house and forces her to go down into the basement. They’re looking for someone and the girl suddenly falls to her knees, digging. “This is where you’re hiding, isn’t it?” the Dr cries. He rushes off to get help, leaving the girl alone. She is attacked by something, her leg being damaged horribly. After she’s been taken to hospital, an old corpse is unearthed. A wallet found with it identifies it as being Paolo Zeder’s and the Dr realises that the earth in which it was buried must be a ‘K-zone’.
Cut to present day Bologna. A writer, Stefano (Gabriele Lavia) arrives home with a gift for his wife, Allesandra (Anne Canovas). It’s their first anniversary and she has bought him an electric typewriter. They retire to bed, but Stefano awakes and goes to try out his typewriter. He (accidentally?) removes the ribbon from it and realises that he can read the previous owner’s words on it. He transcribes them and the next day goes to see a professor he knows about what he’s found. The professor recognises the theories espoused on the ribbon as those of Zeder, and explains to Stefano about them. Zeder believed that certain sites on Earth had special “alchemical” properties, and that they existed in what was essentially a “zero time”. He called these places ‘K-zones’ and believed that if a dead person was buried in one, resurrection was possible. “The place I have discovered is the place the hierophant was searching for”, states Zeder. Stefano traces the former owner of the typewriter through Guido, a police friend. This former owner turns out to have been a priest, Don Luigi Costa. Don Luigi became fascinated by the theories of Zeder, compelled by the fact that he had contracted lung cancer. Stefano becomes increasingly involved in the mystery, travelling to a camp where Don Luigi used to take kids from the parish for holidays. Meanwhile, we meet a grown-up Gabriella, who is working with Dr Meyer and a mysterious dwarf known as ‘Mr Big’…
As should be obvious from the above synopsis, this is no visceral zombie movie. Avati is concerned with atmosphere and tension, and as in [B LA CASA… B] he uses these elements to skilful effect. An atmosphere of foreboding and morbidity builds throughout the film, whilst a net of claustrophobia and paranoia ensnares Stefano, in much the same way as [B LA CASA… B]’s Stefano is trapped. Avati once again employs his masterful command of space and dimensions, and his ability to use subtle hints and throwaway clues to suggest a network of conspiracy in a way that recalls Aldo Lado’s [B MALASTRANA B] (’Short Night of the Glass Dolls’) as well as Avati’s own [B LA CASA… B] However, like Argento, Avati’s forte is not directing actors – Lavia will be familiar to Argentophiles, thanks to his pivotal roles in [B PROFONDO ROSSO B] (1975) and [B NONHOSONNO B] (2001), not to mention his smaller role in [B INFERNO B](1980). Whilst he acquitted himself well in Argento’s films, he is not terribly good here, seeming awkward and flat. Anne Canovas manages her role reasonably well, but it is the supporting actors who save the film. Avati makes good use of several eccentric characters, including Bob Tonelli (who played Mayor Solmi in [B LA CASA… B]) as the mysterious character behind the conspiracy, Enea Ferrario as a priest, Adolfo Belletti as a sleazy motel owner, and Aldo Sassi in an unforgettably creepy role as Don Luigi.
Of Avati’s three genre films, this is almost certainly the least successful. Having said that, it’s still head and shoulders above nearly anything else the Italian horror genre had to offer post-1980 (with the obvious exception of Argento and Fulci’s films) and is thoroughly enjoyable if taken as a thinking man’s horror film. Avati’s tendency to cut away from the action every time he seems about to show something grisly will infuriate some viewers, but is admirable given the lack of restraint usually found in horror films, and more especially zombie films. Like [B LA CASA… B], [B ZEDER B] is essentially a giallo in structure, but with supernatural elements. Supernatural gialli work very well – [B SUSPIRIA B](1976) is another, and it’s surprising that more didn’t get made…
There are two things I’d like to point out about the film’s influence before I finish. The first is well noted, and concerns the fact that Stephen King’s novel [B Pet Sematary B] was published in 1983, the same year that [B ZEDER B] was released. The book has a very similar story to Avati’s film, as will be evident to anyone who’s read the book or seen the film version (released in 1989 and directed by Mary Lambert). I’m not 100% sure which was released first, but it has been suggested that King borrowed from Avati, rather than the other way around. The other is something I haven’t seen mentioned elsewhere, but that has always seemed quite apparent to me. There are several scenes in the film involving inanimate objects (mainly floors) seeming to ‘breathe’ (in an organic sense) in time with the breathing of the body buried within the K-zone. These strongly recall the scenes in David Cronenberg’s seminal [B VIDEODROME B], also released in 1983. Whether Cronenberg had seen Avati’s film (or vice-versa), or was in any way influenced by it I can’t say, but it’s interesting to note nevertheless.
[B ZEDER B] is available on DVD in Italy and the US. The Italian release is through 20th Century Fox, and the film is presented in 1.85:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen. The DVD is region 2 coded and PAL. There is a DD5.1 Italian language remix (with optional English subs), the original mono Italian track and a mono English track. There's also a 15 minute (Italian language, no subtitles) featurette about the film and trailers for both ZEDER and LA CASA... (the latter was only unearthed after the film had already been released on DVD). Interesingly, both trailers seem to have been messed about with by Fox, for no obvious reason. The region-free US DVD release was through Image and was part of their 'Euroshock Collection'. It's no longer available, though a couple of on-line stores still have copies. It featured a poor quality transfer, pan-and-scan and with no extras. The film was previously available on US video through Vestron, whilst a Dutch VHS release (slightly letterboxed, English language) was widely bootlegged in Europe in the early 90's.