The House with Laughing Windows Comes to 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video
Arrow Video has revealed that Pupi Avati’s haunting 1976 giallo masterpiece The House with Laughing Windows will be released on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on December 2, 2025. This marks the film’s most definitive home release to date, restoring one of Italian horror’s most unsettling tales with the care and detail it has long deserved.
The release presents the film in 4K (2160p) UHD with HDR10, sourced directly from the original camera negative and accompanied by the restored original lossless mono Italian soundtrack, complete with newly translated English subtitles.
A Forgotten Masterpiece of Italian Horror
First released in 1976, The House with Laughing Windows (La casa dalle finestre che ridono) has often been regarded as a hidden gem within the giallo tradition. While many Italian thrillers of the era leaned toward stylized excess, Pupi Avati’s film took a subtler and more haunting approach.
The story follows Stefano (Lino Capolicchio), a young art restorer tasked with repairing a fresco in a rural Italian village. The painting depicts the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, created by a mysterious “death artist” said to have tortured his models in their final moments to capture their agony. As Stefano uncovers the chilling history of the fresco, he becomes entangled in a series of murders that suggest the painter’s horrific legacy may still linger — and that he himself may be the next victim.
With its slow-burn pacing, rural Gothic atmosphere, and creeping paranoia, Avati’s film stands apart from the high-gloss violence of directors like Dario Argento. Instead, it trades spectacle for a suffocating sense of dread, cementing its reputation as one of the most disturbing and unique entries in the Italian horror canon.
Packed with Arrow Video Extras
Arrow Video has gone all out to ensure this release is definitive, with a wealth of brand-new special features alongside archival material:
- 4K restoration from the original camera negative, graded by Arrow Films
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in HDR10
- Restored original lossless mono Italian soundtrack
- Newly translated optional English subtitles
- Two new audio commentaries:
- Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson
- Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth
- Painted Screams – A feature-length documentary featuring Pupi Avati, Antonio Avati, Cesare Bastelli, Lino Capolicchio, Francesca Marciano, Giulio Pizzirani, Pietro Brambilla, Luciana Morosetti, Toni Scaramuzza, Enrico Blasi, and Emanuele Taglietti (brand new)
- La Casa e Sola – Visual essay by critic Chris Alexander (new)
- The Art of Suffering – Visual essay by critic Kat Ellinger (new)
- Original Italian theatrical trailer
Collectors will also receive:
- A reversible sleeve featuring both original and newly commissioned artwork by Peter Strain
- A double-sided foldout poster with the same artwork
- A perfect bound booklet with new writing from Matt Rogerson, Willow Maclay, Alexia Kannas, Anton Bitel, and Stefano Baschiera
The Cast and Crew
Directed by Pupi Avati, The House with Laughing Windows was co-written with Antonio Avati, Gianni Cavina, and Maurizio Costanzo. The cast includes Lino Capolicchio, Francesca Marciano, and Gianni Cavina, whose performances add weight to a story steeped in rural superstition and Gothic unease.
A Must for Giallo Collectors
With its restored picture, extensive extras, and lavish packaging, Arrow’s upcoming release ensures that The House with Laughing Windows will finally take its rightful place alongside the better-known titles of Italian horror. Long overshadowed by its flashier contemporaries, Avati’s unsettling vision is ready to terrify audiences once again — this time in glorious 4K.
The House with Laughing Windows releases on December 2, 2025, just in time to bring some dark chills to the holiday season.
