Der_Schnibbler ***SPOILERS AHEAD***This is an excellent movie about obsession. A deviant homosexual woman (there's a redundancy) secretly obsessed with her friend hires someone to rape her and tape record it, then proceeds to observe her from afar while doing various things to torment her.I wasn't expecting much at first but the film's dark, unrelenting tone gets to you after a while. The best part, however, is the performance by Elizabeth Ashley in the end. Using nothing but her facial expression and voice, she goes through such a range of emotion that is at once captivating, vulnerable, attractive, and plain sick and twisted.I'm having trouble understanding why the rest of the comments her speak negatively about this movie. Most of them seem to be written by the brainwashed, imbecile masses of today's Zeitgeist who take issue with the psychopath being a homosexual. It's as if these dimwits cannot even so much as entertain the idea that a movie could have a homosexual psychopath and it does NOT necessary imply all homosexuals are crazy (though any person who still believes in reality will readily admit not all the wiring is put together right). And so we get the bleating, whiny chorus of "homophobia!!" "They made a movie that says something bad about a lesbian! They're scared of lesbians! Fear! Fear!!!" Silence, you pathetic dolts.Another desensitized, callous genius made a comment about frozen cat scene eliciting laughter from him and his friends. Who are the bleeding psychopaths now, huh? Another winner brought up the exchange, "She kept saying she loved me" with its response, "In her own way, she did" as proof of why the writer supposedly never received work again. The exchange is by the victim and the cop who was helping her in the end. The cop saying "in her own way, she did" is meant IRONICALLY. But today's low-IQ generation, having spent more time in the American public high schools learning how to not hurt anyone's "feewings" than developing critical thinking skills (critical thinking challenges the PC religion and that's all sorts of "racist/homophobic/xenophobic/blind-phobic/midget-phobic," as nauseam) seems to have lost all ability to grasp irony.The film does have its faults. Who would be obsessed with Talia Shire? The woman is ugly as sin. The soundtrack sometimes falls trap to that '70s melodramatic saxophone-laden style, almost like what you'd hear in some private detective show.Elizabeth Ashley, however, more than makes up for everything, especially with that killer performance at the end.Look. If you're not a desensitized, politically "correct," brainwashed little piece of crap who lives his slave's life looking for things to feel "offended" by, and if you still know how to enjoy a film for what it is, then you should definitely find this effective.As for the rest, go watch something safe and non-threatening, like "Transformers," you sad sacks. And while you keep parroting the party line, don't forget to continue paying your taxes while creating more future tax slaves as you wait to die.How pathetic that you can't even read a halfway intelligent comment on a film anymore without some backwards freak bleating about "homophobia" or the host of other pillars of this pathetic, cultural Marxist religion that's gripped the dying West today.What a hellish time to be alive.

lost-in-limbo The first film to kick of the 1980s and having somewhat of a cult reputation due to its daring (if not explicit) lesbian overtones and somewhat box-office failure. "Windows" is an immensely so-so, dour obsessive psycho thriller affair with some creative photography and an effectively sensitive lead turn by Talia Shire (who just came off "Rocky 2"). She really does impress in her timid role and convincingly portrays someone who's battling their own insecurity. Outside the sullen cinematography, Shire's performance and the slightly disturbing and intense opening assault sequence. It's rather disappointing, overdone and a banal effort.Elizabeth Ashley starring opposite of Shire as the compulsively manipulative and startling neurotic friend who really takes a liking to Shire's character. What she does to her is really screwed up, unstable and it generates a real uneasy mood around her when on screen. However I find her stalker performance grating and somewhat off. Joseph Cortese gives a sleepy turn as the detective looking into the case and the uninteresting love interest formed with Shire. The rest of the support add little colour. Cinematographer Gordon Willis makes his film debut and so far to be his only crack at the director's helm. For most part it meanders with little in the way of suspense. Slowly building towards it underwhelming payoff. Sure it can be malicious and dark in an atmospheric sense, but the dreary script bungles the psychological interplay with uneven patterns, ridiculous turns and blatant clichés that just go nowhere. It's the imagery that lingers with authentic urban locations, where lighting had that neon-touch with dim, shadowy passages and Ennio Morricone's music score is smoothly melancholy. "It hurts".

deme1995 I was astounded at the astoundfullness of this piece of art. It is so rare to find a masterpiece such as thee, that exemplifies the magic of windows. It was perfect...the shiny...the dull...pained and beveled...it covered it all. "Windows" proudly displays all of these wonderful types of windows. I was rather impressed with subplot of the stained-glass. I did, though, think it could have been brought down to earth with a mere reference to some sort of window cleaner. i.e. "windex" possibly. I thought that would have provided some degree of comic relief. Overall, best movie I have seen in ages about windows. Might I suggest a sequel perhaps called..."The Doors"? I personally feel this was the best movie released in January of 1980.

chez-3 "Windows" had the distinction of being the very first film released in the decade of the 80's. It was as ominous beginning to the decade as it turned out to be the year's worst film.Talia Shire plays a woman who is raped and then becomes the victim of a psychopathic lesbian who has her eyes set on Shire. Yes you read that right. The most ridiculous scene in the film comes when Shire catches a cab and recognizes the driver as the rapist. She gets him to pull over. What does she do? Run like hell? I think not. She calls the police and is instructed...get this....to get BACK in the cab until the police can find her and trail her.This film is mind numbingly awful. It was the directing debut of noted cinematographer Gordon Willis. It's easy to see why he never directed again.