As I mention in this week’s episode, the first time I saw Narciso Ibañez Serrador’s The House That Screamed (aka La residencia, 1969), it left me cold, solely because I was being a fool. A whole fool! I expected a slasher movie with crazy exploitation elements (I mean, get a load of the trailer below…) and when it turned out to be something vastly different—something smart, gothic, uncomfortable, and delightfully tame—I gave it two pish poshes down. Since then, I’ve seen it several times and it’s become one of my favorites. What does this prove? I guess it proves you should only listen to me sometimes. And now is one of those times! The House That Screamed is terrific.

Serrador’s resume is fairly tiny; beyond his pioneering TV anthology show Tales to Keep You Awake, he largely worked in theatre and ultimately directed only two horror films: The House that Screamed and Who Can Kill a Child? (1976). The latter is a harrowing film that is so good (why, there’s even a pull quote from me on the Blu-ray!) but I do suggest skipping maybe the first ten minutes—it’s full of vintage newsreel footage that makes a very brutal point and is not for the feint of heart.