Windows (1980)

Too much of everything

Absolutely the worst movie.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

I don't know much about the history of this movie which nevertheless seems to be interesting. I've read nearly all the comments on IMDb about it (on a rainy Sunday) which, with a few exceptions, sound all alike. I'm 37, so I didn't have the chance to watch it in a theater. I'm unfortunately not able to find out anything about the original aspect ratio of it. A video (VHS) (with aspect ratio 1.33 : 1) edition came out in Germany in 1987 and it's not hard to track down these days. I bought it a week ago together with Friedkin's 'Cruising' from that same year and watched them as double features with friends (all around my age). First I have to say (for both movies): Neither my friends nor me (all being not 'politically correct' but very sensitive about offensive perspectives, words or actions going out from filmmakers concerning their attitude about the subject of the particular movie) found anything projectedly homophobic in those movies! Talking about 'Windows' I'm not quite sure that Elisabeth Ashley's character is a lesbian at all. She seems to be more like a split personality with psychotic parts. There may be lesbian undertones but the topic in itself is not exploited (negatively or machoesque or in any other way) here! I'm sure there were no 'bad' intentions (not from Gordon Willis and not from Mister Friedkin, concerning the other 'case')even if considering that times were pretty different in 1979/1980. As you can see from the title windows are used as key visuals in this movie. Much of it is seen (in both directions) through them, very often the city and the (then intact) skyline of New York (which is photographed so hauntingly beautiful that sometimes it seems to stand in the middle of the room with the actors). So naturally a voyeur's view is achieved, which stresses the (as I see it) purpose of the movie: A comment about dysfunctional social life in modern big cities used as background for a moody thriller. Talia Shire (as Emily Hollander) is stuttering and having a divorce, everybody seems to have an analyst and even Elisabeth Ashly's character is almost painfully lonely and more of a victim than anything else. Being a very important and successful director of photography Gordon Willis nonetheless relies a bit too much on his strong, dark and sometimes (seen from today) beautifully old-fashioned photography and his obvious love for New York. The script is not the strongest, at least seen in a badly dubbed German version. 'Windows' is not a classic, but I'd recommend it if todays films sometimes appear to be a bit too hasty and fast-cut to some of you. I don't really understand the negative fuss, even when it came from a young and perhaps a bit too careful (again seen from today) gay movement, that's been made around it for the last 27 years and that even killed the career of Mr. Willis as a director. He was hassled so much by the reactions on the movie that he said a couple of years ago that 'Windows' would be the biggest mistake in his entire life! As one conclusion I think especially the people at Warner's should take all this into consideration (rewatch and rethink!), give absolution and perhaps a 'sorry' to Mr. Willis (he's not the youngest anymore!!!) and put it out on DVD.

I found this film the other day at a market stall; quite an obscure film. The film appears to be quite good when you read the back of the box, but when you watch it...really awful. The only thing Gordon Willis seemed to care about was the photography. In a film like this you need great acting. We don't get great acting however and you cannot take the film seriously. It just gets ludicrous at times, especially the psycho-lesbian lover storyline. It is disgracefully misogynistic, which is another reason not to watch the film.I will say that the film's photography is stunning though (similar to woody allen's 'interiors') but that is the only reason to watch this garbage.

I had totally forgotten this crap until I was watching "Rocky" last night. After seeing Talia Shire this all came back to me. Talia Shire is raped by a (literally) slobbering man. He was hired by her neighbor (Elizabeth Ashley!), a psychotic lesbian (sigh), to drive Shire into her arms.Offensive, homophobic, sick, dull when not offensive. Shire has never mentioned this movie (I wonder why) and Ashley herself said she took it because her agent was getting sick of her turning down offer after offer. She also said it should play the third movie in a triple bill at the drive-in. Director Gordon Willis (a talented cinematographer) never directed another movie. This was a box office disaster. What does all this tell you?Also it contains one of the stupidest sequence EVER put on film. Shire is in a cab and quickly realizes the cab driver is the one who raped her. She has him stop the cab, she gets out and calls the police and then is told to get BACK in the cab till the police arrive!!! I'm no police officer but I don't think that would ever happen in real life. Other comments here have said there was laughter in theatres playing this back in 1980--probably this scene set people off. Still, I think this is too disturbing to be even good for laughs. It was never even released on video. I would like to hear what Shire and Willis (if he's still with us) think of this now. Avoid.

I only viewed this film one time in my life, at a theatre some twenty years ago in 1980. It's rare that one can recall how awful a movie is based on a single screening two decades later, but trust me about WINDOWS. I don't believe the flick has ever been released for home video on any format, and it appears to be lost. Thank Heavens. I'll never forget the audience howling in uncontrollable laughter at the goings-on in this abomination!