Wasn't there talk a while ago about Avati wanting to remake HOUSE WITH THE WINDOWS THAT LAUGH?

As much as I liked that film, I think ZEDER would make an interesting remake although they'd probably have the writer find get a used laptop and use some file recovery program to discover what was deleted by the previous user and viewers would probably accuse Avati of ripping off PET SEMATERY. If they didn't relocate it to a comparatively unatmospheric America, then they'd probably want to turn it into a horror version of THE DA VINCI CODE.

Has anyone seen any of more recent movies such as THE ARCANE ENCHANTER or THE CHILDHOOD FRIEND? Its difficult to find reviews about the latter.

I've seen both and definitely recommend them. ARCANE is closer to a ZEDER than anything else. It has little blood and violence but has some truly scary scenes in it. FRIEND is an intense psychological thriller about a guy who comes back into the life of a successful TV host and tries to blackmail him due to something that happened in their past.

Avati actually just finished filming a new thriller called THE HIDEOUT. It was filmed partially here in the US (in Illinois). It comes out in Italy in November.

The cast includes Treat Williams and Giovanni Lombardo Radice, so it's already a must-see. GLR mentioned it a while back on his web site.

Anyone seen that medieval adventure that Avati did around 2000 with Edward Furlong? I haven't seen it--surprising that it has yet to be released in the US, even as a straight-to-DVD title (or if it has, I missed it).

I've got it (KNIGHTS OF THE QUEST) but only watched about half of it. It might have to do with Furlong, who looks terrible, being miscast.

Another Avati release. Haven't seen it but Avati speaks favorably of it in his VW interview.

I've long been a huge fan of Avati's few horror films - LA CASA and ZEDER are amongst my all-time favourite films and I've written about (and defended! - both seem to arouse strong feelings of dislike amongst many supposed horror fans) both many times on usenet, the old MHVF forum and various other forums, plus reviewing them both for Horror Express (my review is quoted on the front cover of the UK DVD release of LA CASA to my immense pride!)

I've seen all of the above-mentioned films, and L'ARCANO INCANTATORE is by far the best of them, an excellent, atmospheric and intelligent horror film. I can't work out why it's never had a proper release - unfortunately, the only way to see it with subtitles (AFAIK) is via a particularly poor quality bootleg. I've obtained several copies over the years and all have been equally bad.

THE CHILDHOOD FRIEND is OK, but not really special in comparison to LA CASA, ZEDER and L'ARCANO. It's not a horror film, or even a proper thriller, more of a gentle mystery really. Like William, I've never managed to make it all the way through KNIGHTS OF THE QUEST. It sounded like it would be great, but it just seemed very drawn out and uneventful, plus that lad from T2 was sorely miscast.

The only other Avati-related film I've seen is the obscure LA CASA remake LA STANZO ACCANTO ('The Room Next Door'/'Bitter Chamber') by Fabrizio Laurenti. I had thought that this was produced by Avati, but I'm not sure now; he does have a writing credit for it on the IMDb. It's essentially a very loose remake, notable only for applying a further twist to the twist at the end, if you see what I mean. It's really a mediocre film, not recommended.

A friend of mine has been wanting to release THE ARCANE ENCHANTER on DVD for many years. He says the owners seem to be absolutely uninterested in selling the rights to the film or cooperating in any way. He's completely baffled by their attitude. I'd love to see it.

Not a horror film, but an Avati definitely of related interest is REGALO DI NATALE [Christmas Present] (1986), an excellent triple-bluff poker movie set in a haunted house at xmas time, and featuring a sterling cast of cardplayers, among them George Eastman, cast here as a gay antiques dealer, one nice red herring among many, another layer of enigma and speculation and misdirection as we watch Luigi Montefiore's masterful poker face (he's one of the best cinematic players of cards ever, a specialty since his Spaghetti Western days).

This is a top-notch Avati, which avoids the cardinal sin of the director's non-horrors, namely an excess of gloppy nostalgia and sentimentality. There's emotion and cameraderie here but it's turned sour and astringent and melancholy, touched by the Christmas blues and spirits of xmases past, a bunch of beautiful losers trying to salvage something from lifetimes of wreckage while in a tourney to the death, one man left standing, and it works a lot better than Avati's medieval jousts.

A perfect seasonal film, and the dvd I saw had English subs. A sequel to this popular movie reuniting the original cast was released just a couple years back, apparently extremely dark in humor and death-haunted outlook, but I haven't seen it.

I gather the UK DVD of HOUSE WITH THE WINDOWS has a somewhat different transfer again to the US and Italian editions - definitely superior to the former and featuring a mix of differences with the latter - but also, apparently, a subtitle translation better than any of the prior English-friendly releases. I just ordered it so I'll guess I'll find out soon.

I had an unwatched Dutch VHS of ZEDER some time back but will be grabbing the European disc of it very shortly.

Is there an Italian-only DVD of ARCANE ENCHANTER out anywhere? I can't see one listed. Dang...

More horror-Avati I'd like to know about:

BALSAMUS, L'UOMO DI SATANA (1968). A dvd of this one?

THOMAS (GLI INDEMONIATI) (1969). A note at cinematografo.it states that only one print exists in Italy at this date. Did other prints of this apparently scary movie get into circulation elsewhere?

and screenplay only (Maurizio Zaccaro directed): DOVE COMINCIA LA NOTTE (!991), reputedly a Giallo

I was sure that I had seen L'ARCANO INCANTATORE available on Italian DVD some time ago, but have not been able to find it when I've just had a quick look round the usual retailers.

Rarovideo recently released two of Avati's rarer films, "Tutti I Defunti... Tranne I Morti" (1977, a black comedy) and "La Mazurka del Barone, della Santa e del Fico Fiorone" (1975). Both are quite cheap by Raro's standards, but there's no English subs on either of them unfortunately.

It's also worth mentioning for those who weren't aware that Avati wrote the screenplay for Lamberto Bava's debut MACABRO, as well as providing uncredited screenplay input on Pasolini's SALO and Argento's PROFONDO ROSSO.

Pupi Avati's latest horror film, THE HIDEOUT, is screening in Los Angeles this coming Wednesday February 20th as part of the Los Angeles Italia festival. I will be there.

http://www.losangelesitalia.com/sinossi/sinossi.html

http://www.losangelesitalia.com/