THE SWEET HOUSE OF HORRORS - (1989)
“The Sweet House of Horrors,” a 1989 Italian made-for-TV horror film directed by Lucio Fulci, opens with a brutal home invasion as a masked burglar savagely murders Mary and Roberto Valdi (Lubka Lenzi and Pascal Persiano) in their elegant countryside home, staging their deaths as a car accident. Part of the un-aired “Houses of Doom” series, the story shifts to their orphaned children, Marco (Giuliano Gensini) and Sarah (Ilary Blasi), who return to the house with their aunt Marcia (Cinzia Monreale) and uncle Carlo (Jean-Christophe Brétignière). The parents’ spirits linger, manifesting as giggling flames to comfort their kids and thwart efforts to sell their beloved home.
The gardener, Guido (Lino Salemme), revealed as the killer, spirals into madness via a guilt-fueled flashback and dies gruesomely under a truck, resolving the revenge arc early. Focus then turns to the children’s bond with their ghostly parents, who levitate toys and torment a sleazy real estate agent (Franco Diogene) by hurling him downstairs—prompting the kids to chant “Sausage is dead!” in delight. Marcia and Carlo, unfazed by the supernatural antics, call in an exorcist (Vernon Dobtcheff), whose attempt to banish the spirits ends with his hand melted into goo, amusing the kids further. In a tender twist, the parents transfer their essences into glowing pebbles, ensuring they stay with Marco and Sarah forever.
Shot on 16mm outside Rome, the film’s low-budget effects—like dancing flames and a possessed bulldozer—clash with its gory opening, Fulci’s signature. Critics deem it a lesser effort, citing poor dubbing (especially the kids’ jarring voices) and a tonal mishmash of horror and whimsy. Yet, its oddball charm—bittersweet, childlike, and faintly comedic—offers a quirky detour from Fulci’s gore-soaked norm, earning it a niche cult following.
