La dolce casa degli orrori (1989) (TV)

User Rating:

3.5/10   

Director:

Lucio Fulci

Writers:

Gigliola Battaglini (screenplay)
Lucio Fulci (story)

Release Date:

1989 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror

Plot:

A murdered couple return from the beyond to care for their two young children, as well as seek revenge against their killer, accept their children's step parents, and try to prevent their house from being sold.

Plot Keywords:

Children | Intruder | Ghost | Home | Eye Gouging

Cast

Jean-Christophe Brétigniere	...	Carlo (as Jean Christophe Bretigniere)
Cinzia Monreale	...	Marcia
Lubka Lenzi	...	Mary Valdi (as Lubka Cibulova)
Lino Salemme	...	Guido
Franco Diogene	...	Mr. Coby
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	The Exorcist (as Alexander Vernon Dobtcheff)
Giuliano Gensini	...	Marco
Ilary Blasi	...	Sarah
Dante Fioretti	...	Father O'Toole
Pascal Persiano	...	Roberto Valdi

Also Known As:

The Sweet House of Horrors (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

82 min | Italy:84 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

German | Italian | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12

Company:

Dania Film

Trivia:

First part of the cycle "Le case maledette" (Doomed Houses) produced by Reteitalia. Other titles of the series are La casa nel tempo (1989) (TV), La casa del sortilegio (1989) (TV) and La casa delle anime erranti (1989) (TV).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Joe D'Amato at Eurofest (2007) (V)

Irritating kids in a lacklustre Fulci effort

Normally, I wouldn't expect anything from a made for TV Italian horror flick; but this one was directed by the great Lucio Fulci, and his first entry in the House tetralogy (a collaboration with Umberto Lenzi), House of Clocks, was a nice little film and so my expectations went up for this one. However, it has to be said that The Sweet House of Horrors is one of Fulci's very worst efforts, as the only really striking thing about it is a pair of irritating kids who, combined, rival the awful Giovanni Frezza in Fulci's House by the Cemetery for sheer irritation. The plot focuses on a house where a couple were murdered. However, it's not the end of the line for them as the dead people return to get revenge for their murder, protect their kids who are still living in the house, and to prevent the house from being sold. The way that the film plods out is almost completely devoid of interesting scenes, and strangely Fulci puts the focus on the kids and it makes the film seems almost childlike. The gore that Fulci is famous for only really appears in one sequence, and it's not even that good as it just feels out of place in the context of the film. Fulci made some brilliant horror films over his vast career; but this isn't one of them. Not recommended.