Oddball rare giallo in which a wheelchair-bound man (Fernando Rey) and his partner (Olga Bisera) get more than they bargained for when they start spying on their introverted tenant (John Phillip Law). It's a little bit "Rear Window" and I'm a sucker for that kind of story but "Eye Behind The Wall" takes matters way further down the spiral of morbid sexuality. Every character has some kind of massive perversion and this makes for a fascinatingly sordid story once the whole grim affair has unfolded. There's a creepy atmosphere throughout and a nice twist, but the script's structure is awkward, badly paced and overladen with dead end subplots that go nowhere. At times, its darkness feels a lot like some kind of cry for help from writer/director Petrelli (who's never made another film or been heard from again). He's clearly trying to make a more serious film than perhaps he was asked to. Sadly, his sombre dialogue jars with things like the hilarious naked disco scene and further adds to the film's imbalance. There's real talent and passion here, certainly, but it's a shame Petrelli was never able to develop it further and fulfil the promises hinted at in this flawed effort. **1/2
Showing posts with label Giallo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Giallo. Show all posts
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Friday, 13 April 2012
A Black Veil For Lisa (1968)
Dir: Massimo Dallamano
Sir John Mills heads the cast in this early giallo that sees him as a police officer on the trail of a serial killer. This time, our black-gloved, leather-clad friend is bumping off people involved in drug trafficking but poor old Mills is rather too preoccupied to nail the perp. Instead, he's busy worrying if his glamorous, much younger wife (a former drug user herself but surely that couldn't be relevant?!) is cheating on him with half the men in town while he's out working... "A Black Veil For Lisa" straddles the line between the classic film noir model and the then-burgeoning giallo but falls slightly more on the noir side with its hat-n-raincoat-wearing dick, fur-lined femme fatale (Bond girl Luciana Paluzzi) and seedy side-cast of squint-eyed lowlives. It also reveals the killer's identity quite early, abandoning the "whodunnit?" aspect in favour of twisting the character-driven melodramatic sub-plot in a few nice, unexpected directions. Like many of Dallamano's films, this is a tragic morality tale at heart but a gloriously pulpy one, loaded with gritty violence, wonderful tough-talkin' and a masterful lead performance from Mills who brings a pitiable sense of pathos to his hard-boiled character. ***
Sir John Mills heads the cast in this early giallo that sees him as a police officer on the trail of a serial killer. This time, our black-gloved, leather-clad friend is bumping off people involved in drug trafficking but poor old Mills is rather too preoccupied to nail the perp. Instead, he's busy worrying if his glamorous, much younger wife (a former drug user herself but surely that couldn't be relevant?!) is cheating on him with half the men in town while he's out working... "A Black Veil For Lisa" straddles the line between the classic film noir model and the then-burgeoning giallo but falls slightly more on the noir side with its hat-n-raincoat-wearing dick, fur-lined femme fatale (Bond girl Luciana Paluzzi) and seedy side-cast of squint-eyed lowlives. It also reveals the killer's identity quite early, abandoning the "whodunnit?" aspect in favour of twisting the character-driven melodramatic sub-plot in a few nice, unexpected directions. Like many of Dallamano's films, this is a tragic morality tale at heart but a gloriously pulpy one, loaded with gritty violence, wonderful tough-talkin' and a masterful lead performance from Mills who brings a pitiable sense of pathos to his hard-boiled character. ***
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
A Dragonfly For Each Corpse (1974)
Dir: Leon Klimovsky
A Spanish take on the then-popular giallo craze, "A Dragonfly For Each Corpse" sees a subdued Paul Naschy (who also wrote the script) playing a medium-boiled cop (he knows kung-fu and thinks all hookers are "garbage" but wears an apron while he cooks and loves presents) on the trail of a serial killer in Milan. There are some amusingly weird red herrings here, including a Nazi, a gay dressmaker, some hookers and a transvestite, as well as a few crazy deaths (death by golf club and death on a ghost train are both fun) but the mystery is quite weak by the time it reaches its lacklustre conclusion. A shame because there are some enjoyable elements. At times, the film almost feels like an intentional send-up of the genre (especially when Naschy is seen boiling pasta, eating salami out of the fridge and making coffee in a Bialetti kettle) but there's enough gore, nudity and fashionable outfits to make this a passable, though by no means essential, giallo. **
A Spanish take on the then-popular giallo craze, "A Dragonfly For Each Corpse" sees a subdued Paul Naschy (who also wrote the script) playing a medium-boiled cop (he knows kung-fu and thinks all hookers are "garbage" but wears an apron while he cooks and loves presents) on the trail of a serial killer in Milan. There are some amusingly weird red herrings here, including a Nazi, a gay dressmaker, some hookers and a transvestite, as well as a few crazy deaths (death by golf club and death on a ghost train are both fun) but the mystery is quite weak by the time it reaches its lacklustre conclusion. A shame because there are some enjoyable elements. At times, the film almost feels like an intentional send-up of the genre (especially when Naschy is seen boiling pasta, eating salami out of the fridge and making coffee in a Bialetti kettle) but there's enough gore, nudity and fashionable outfits to make this a passable, though by no means essential, giallo. **
Saturday, 7 April 2012
The Cat With The Jade Eyes (1977)
Dir: Antonio Bido
(aka Watch Me When I Kill!, The Cat's Victims)
Decent, well-crafted giallo in which a cabaret actress named Mara (Paola Tedesco) goes to buy some aspirin and finds the pharmacist dead on the floor. Worse yet, our ubiquitous black-clad, gloved killer is fleeing the scene! The killer now thinks Mara knows his/her identity and begins to stalk our hapless young lady, dragging her and her sound engineer boyfriend (Corrado Pani) into a web of serial killings and deep-running conspiracy. The film is, on one hand, typical giallo fare and there's nothing particularly bizarre or flamboyant about it to instantly grab one's attention. However, this has a tightly written plot and a good twist that delights rather than puzzles. There's also a sleek, pulsing score by Trans Europa Express and some great one-liners from Pani. The titular cat is nowhere near as sinister as you may expect (although it is significantly cuddlier) but, otherwise, this is a decent way to pass a rainy afternoon. **1/2
(aka Watch Me When I Kill!, The Cat's Victims)
Decent, well-crafted giallo in which a cabaret actress named Mara (Paola Tedesco) goes to buy some aspirin and finds the pharmacist dead on the floor. Worse yet, our ubiquitous black-clad, gloved killer is fleeing the scene! The killer now thinks Mara knows his/her identity and begins to stalk our hapless young lady, dragging her and her sound engineer boyfriend (Corrado Pani) into a web of serial killings and deep-running conspiracy. The film is, on one hand, typical giallo fare and there's nothing particularly bizarre or flamboyant about it to instantly grab one's attention. However, this has a tightly written plot and a good twist that delights rather than puzzles. There's also a sleek, pulsing score by Trans Europa Express and some great one-liners from Pani. The titular cat is nowhere near as sinister as you may expect (although it is significantly cuddlier) but, otherwise, this is a decent way to pass a rainy afternoon. **1/2
Friday, 6 April 2012
The Eye In The Labyrinth (1972)
Dir: Mario Caiano
Weird giallo in which a beautiful but seemingly unemployed woman with no friends or family (played by the wonderful Rosemary Dexter) investigates her boyfriend's disappearance. The search takes her to a weird villa populated by a dizzying array of misfits, hepcats and scumbags, all of whom appear to have a motive for bumping him off. Between the surprise transvestites, child perverts, drug barons and retired gangsters, the plot is convoluted to say the least. It has more red herrings than a sith fishmonger but, despite best efforts to obfuscate with weirdness, the final twist is blindingly obvious from the opening scenes. Sure, the cast is interesting, there's a nice black streak of humour and the Argento-esque camera-play is lively but this isn't quite enough to make the preposterous plot fly. One for the completists. *1/2
Weird giallo in which a beautiful but seemingly unemployed woman with no friends or family (played by the wonderful Rosemary Dexter) investigates her boyfriend's disappearance. The search takes her to a weird villa populated by a dizzying array of misfits, hepcats and scumbags, all of whom appear to have a motive for bumping him off. Between the surprise transvestites, child perverts, drug barons and retired gangsters, the plot is convoluted to say the least. It has more red herrings than a sith fishmonger but, despite best efforts to obfuscate with weirdness, the final twist is blindingly obvious from the opening scenes. Sure, the cast is interesting, there's a nice black streak of humour and the Argento-esque camera-play is lively but this isn't quite enough to make the preposterous plot fly. One for the completists. *1/2
Saturday, 31 March 2012
The Bloodstained Shadow (1978)
Dir: Antonio Bido
Solid giallo that lowers the usual quotient of gore (there's hardly any) and nudity (there's one fleeting scene) in favour of focusing on the mystery and atmosphere. In this one, Lino Capolicchio plays a dude named Stefano (not to be confused with the dude named Stefano that he plays in "The House With Windows That Laughed") who suffers some kind of unexplained breakdown and goes to stay with his brother, a priest, on some foggy island near Venice. On Stefano's first night, his brother witnesses the murder of a local spiritualist loony and starts subsequently receiving notes that threaten to kill him too. Stefano just about manages to distract himself from his blossoming relationship with Stefania Casini long enough to work out the killer's identity. Admittedly, I didn't have Stefania Casini distracting me but, sad to say, I solved the mystery about an hour before Stefano did and this is the film's biggest weakness. It's a predictable ending but the direction is slick, the script moves quickly, it looks beautiful, there's a cool squelchy Goblin score and I enjoyed the two lead performances immensely. It's definitely worth a watch if you're into the genre and is certainly amongst the most coherent and accessible gialli out there. **1/2
Solid giallo that lowers the usual quotient of gore (there's hardly any) and nudity (there's one fleeting scene) in favour of focusing on the mystery and atmosphere. In this one, Lino Capolicchio plays a dude named Stefano (not to be confused with the dude named Stefano that he plays in "The House With Windows That Laughed") who suffers some kind of unexplained breakdown and goes to stay with his brother, a priest, on some foggy island near Venice. On Stefano's first night, his brother witnesses the murder of a local spiritualist loony and starts subsequently receiving notes that threaten to kill him too. Stefano just about manages to distract himself from his blossoming relationship with Stefania Casini long enough to work out the killer's identity. Admittedly, I didn't have Stefania Casini distracting me but, sad to say, I solved the mystery about an hour before Stefano did and this is the film's biggest weakness. It's a predictable ending but the direction is slick, the script moves quickly, it looks beautiful, there's a cool squelchy Goblin score and I enjoyed the two lead performances immensely. It's definitely worth a watch if you're into the genre and is certainly amongst the most coherent and accessible gialli out there. **1/2
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Death Laid An Egg (1968)
Dir: Giulo Questi
The beautiful Ewa Aulin leads the cast of this psychedelic proto-giallo set in a hi-tech poultry farm. There are a couple of plots going on at once here; one involving a love triangle between Aulin's character, her cousin (Jean-Louis Trintigant) and his wife (Gina Lollobrigida!) and another involving the farm's ultimate owners (THE ASSOCIATION) and some mutant headless chickens that double in size at an alarming rate having accidentally fed on a combination of dead dog and radiation... Um. Yeah. There's a dude in black leather gloves killing some women in lingerie as well if that helps you? "Death Laid An Egg" is an odd one in that it's years ahead of the giallo curve with its insane crossover ideas and its beautiful photography by Fellini collaborator Dario di Palma (think of how an episode of "Mad Men" might look if you watch it right after sustaining a serious bump on the head). It's rich with symbolism. Even the "mystery" element,as pulpy as it is, makes sense. But there's just something that doesn't quite work. If it's anything, it's an overabundance of ideas trying awkwardly to squeeze into 85 minutes (which is no bad thing in itself) but there's just something stopping it from attaining the greatness that it so frequently brushes. **1/2
The beautiful Ewa Aulin leads the cast of this psychedelic proto-giallo set in a hi-tech poultry farm. There are a couple of plots going on at once here; one involving a love triangle between Aulin's character, her cousin (Jean-Louis Trintigant) and his wife (Gina Lollobrigida!) and another involving the farm's ultimate owners (THE ASSOCIATION) and some mutant headless chickens that double in size at an alarming rate having accidentally fed on a combination of dead dog and radiation... Um. Yeah. There's a dude in black leather gloves killing some women in lingerie as well if that helps you? "Death Laid An Egg" is an odd one in that it's years ahead of the giallo curve with its insane crossover ideas and its beautiful photography by Fellini collaborator Dario di Palma (think of how an episode of "Mad Men" might look if you watch it right after sustaining a serious bump on the head). It's rich with symbolism. Even the "mystery" element,as pulpy as it is, makes sense. But there's just something that doesn't quite work. If it's anything, it's an overabundance of ideas trying awkwardly to squeeze into 85 minutes (which is no bad thing in itself) but there's just something stopping it from attaining the greatness that it so frequently brushes. **1/2
Sunday, 18 March 2012
The Killer Reserved Nine Seats (1974)
Dir: Giuseppe Bennati
Incomprehensible giallo which tries to blend as many subgenres as possible in order to achieve an optimum level of confusion for the viewer. It starts out as a kind of drawing room mystery. Ten rich assholes who hate each other congregrate in a theatre that's been abandoned for a hundred years after a series of unsolved murders. They're picked off one by one by a black-gloved killer in what appears to be a Harpo Marx mask (!) but there's also a gothic element in play here; hidden doors in the wall, family curses, candlelit corridors and torrid melodrama (even a little incest!). To cap things off, they start hearing voices that can't be recorded on tape and seeing a strange man who materialises (and disappears as quickly) in random places to spout nonsense. This all leads to a bizarre, almost Fulci-esque conclusion in a hidden labyrinth beneath the theatre. The sets are great, there's one particularly shocking death scene and it's all peppered with copious nudity but Bennati's offbeat direction is too scattershot to pull it all together. Ultimately, the slipshod way in which the film tosses aside even its own internal logic in favour of twisting the meagre plot further towards obscurity wrecks what could've been a far better movie. File under "obscure and interesting curio" instead. **
Incomprehensible giallo which tries to blend as many subgenres as possible in order to achieve an optimum level of confusion for the viewer. It starts out as a kind of drawing room mystery. Ten rich assholes who hate each other congregrate in a theatre that's been abandoned for a hundred years after a series of unsolved murders. They're picked off one by one by a black-gloved killer in what appears to be a Harpo Marx mask (!) but there's also a gothic element in play here; hidden doors in the wall, family curses, candlelit corridors and torrid melodrama (even a little incest!). To cap things off, they start hearing voices that can't be recorded on tape and seeing a strange man who materialises (and disappears as quickly) in random places to spout nonsense. This all leads to a bizarre, almost Fulci-esque conclusion in a hidden labyrinth beneath the theatre. The sets are great, there's one particularly shocking death scene and it's all peppered with copious nudity but Bennati's offbeat direction is too scattershot to pull it all together. Ultimately, the slipshod way in which the film tosses aside even its own internal logic in favour of twisting the meagre plot further towards obscurity wrecks what could've been a far better movie. File under "obscure and interesting curio" instead. **
Sunday, 11 March 2012
Four Flies On Grey Velvet (1971)
Dir: Dario Argento
An abstract giallo from Argento's halcyon days that doesn't work as well as it should do. I appreciate that he was experimenting with the form he helped create and the artistry (and indeed audacity) of some the setpiece scenes here is breathtaking but the film's tone is too uneven. On one hand, it's a straight mystery story with a jazz drummer becoming embroiled in a web of blackmail and mass murder when he accidentally stabs a stranger who's been following him. On the other, it's a surreal black comedy, loaded with oddball red herrings, like Bud Spencer as "God" and Jean-Pierre Marielle's camp detective who spouts offbeat dialogue and flirts outrageously. It's also an utterly illogical, almost plotless film of images; an excuse for Argento to indulge his arthouse leanings. While any of these three elements could work alone, they clash badly and fight against each other. The messy result is interesting if you're an Argento scholar and it's always a pleasure to see Mimsy Farmer on the screen, but this is actually quite a dull film to watch. Yes. Even with Mimsy, it's flimsy. Sorry. Couldn't resist. *1/2
An abstract giallo from Argento's halcyon days that doesn't work as well as it should do. I appreciate that he was experimenting with the form he helped create and the artistry (and indeed audacity) of some the setpiece scenes here is breathtaking but the film's tone is too uneven. On one hand, it's a straight mystery story with a jazz drummer becoming embroiled in a web of blackmail and mass murder when he accidentally stabs a stranger who's been following him. On the other, it's a surreal black comedy, loaded with oddball red herrings, like Bud Spencer as "God" and Jean-Pierre Marielle's camp detective who spouts offbeat dialogue and flirts outrageously. It's also an utterly illogical, almost plotless film of images; an excuse for Argento to indulge his arthouse leanings. While any of these three elements could work alone, they clash badly and fight against each other. The messy result is interesting if you're an Argento scholar and it's always a pleasure to see Mimsy Farmer on the screen, but this is actually quite a dull film to watch. Yes. Even with Mimsy, it's flimsy. Sorry. Couldn't resist. *1/2
Saturday, 10 March 2012
Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have The Key (1972)
Dir: Sergio Martino
This damn-near perfect giallo is largely a three-hander, telling the story of an alcoholic, washed-up writer (Luigi Pistilli), his long-suffering wife (Anita Strindberg) and his sexpot niece (Edwige Fenech) who shows up to stay with them at their gothic villa. There's sex, violence, heavy sadomasochistic themes, (obviously) a black-gloved killer on the loose, a cat named Satan who may or may not be key to the mystery, and enough crossing, double-crossing and triple-crossing to satisfy the even most jaded (yellowed?) giallo buff. The simmering gothic atmosphere is soundtracked by a sumptuous Bruno Nicolai score, the photography is vibrantly imaginative and everything feels a cut above its peers; more artful, intelligent and thematically coherent. The acting is fantastic too, for a change. Fenech is on top form with a complicated character but even she is outshone by Strindberg, whose wide-eyed hysterical Irene is one of the best women-on-the-edge performances of the genre. A masterpiece. ****
This damn-near perfect giallo is largely a three-hander, telling the story of an alcoholic, washed-up writer (Luigi Pistilli), his long-suffering wife (Anita Strindberg) and his sexpot niece (Edwige Fenech) who shows up to stay with them at their gothic villa. There's sex, violence, heavy sadomasochistic themes, (obviously) a black-gloved killer on the loose, a cat named Satan who may or may not be key to the mystery, and enough crossing, double-crossing and triple-crossing to satisfy the even most jaded (yellowed?) giallo buff. The simmering gothic atmosphere is soundtracked by a sumptuous Bruno Nicolai score, the photography is vibrantly imaginative and everything feels a cut above its peers; more artful, intelligent and thematically coherent. The acting is fantastic too, for a change. Fenech is on top form with a complicated character but even she is outshone by Strindberg, whose wide-eyed hysterical Irene is one of the best women-on-the-edge performances of the genre. A masterpiece. ****
Spasmo (1974)
Dir: Umberto Lenzi
Umberto Lenzi delivers a pretty incoherent effort with this bizarre, ridiculous giallo about a man being driven mad by those around him. The trailer is hilarious but sadly almost all of the film's good stuff is in there and ninety more minutes of nonsense can drag even the most patient viewer into a state of just screaming at the screen and wanting it to be over. It's odd that a film with such a linear storyline can feel so utterly impossible to follow. Lenzi tries to justify it with a twist that almost pulls things together (and an admittedly fantastic finalé) but the absurd dialogue ("I have a razor in my room. It's big, sharp and sexy!") and his ability to focus on irrelevant minute details of the plot for ages, then rush through something important makes this workaday thriller (with almost no sex or violence, I should add) feel like the antithesis of conventional filmmaking. It's an uneasy mix that while memorable and quotable for weeks afterwards ("I'M NOT A STRONG WOMAN, CHRISTIAN!") is tough to sit through. NB: no one uses the word "Spasmo" throughout the entire film. EL BOMBA!
Umberto Lenzi delivers a pretty incoherent effort with this bizarre, ridiculous giallo about a man being driven mad by those around him. The trailer is hilarious but sadly almost all of the film's good stuff is in there and ninety more minutes of nonsense can drag even the most patient viewer into a state of just screaming at the screen and wanting it to be over. It's odd that a film with such a linear storyline can feel so utterly impossible to follow. Lenzi tries to justify it with a twist that almost pulls things together (and an admittedly fantastic finalé) but the absurd dialogue ("I have a razor in my room. It's big, sharp and sexy!") and his ability to focus on irrelevant minute details of the plot for ages, then rush through something important makes this workaday thriller (with almost no sex or violence, I should add) feel like the antithesis of conventional filmmaking. It's an uneasy mix that while memorable and quotable for weeks afterwards ("I'M NOT A STRONG WOMAN, CHRISTIAN!") is tough to sit through. NB: no one uses the word "Spasmo" throughout the entire film. EL BOMBA!
Monday, 27 February 2012
Bloodsucker Leads The Dance (1975)
Dir: Alfredo Rizzo
This naff gothic potboiler finds a troupe of buxom actresses and their downtrodden assistant invited to the castle of a mysterious Count. The Count's family has suffered a convoluted "curse". Both his father and grandfather beheaded their wives with a special knife then jumped into the sea. His own wife has mysteriously disappeared so he's looking for a new one amongst the actresses. They seem to find nothing at all wrong with this situation. Mass decapitation and copious nudity ensues. Despite a reasonable first fifteen minutes setting things up, Bloodsucker quickly descends into tedium. The first half plays like a topless soap opera and the second like the dullest Sherlock Holmes story ever. It's cheap beyond belief; there's only one (daytime) exterior shot of the castle and it's repeated even when it's supposed to be night time. Colour stock footage of the surrounding sea wasn't affordable so they just use B&W. You get the idea. I guess someone somewhere tried their best with this and it has a sort of naive, hopeless charm to it but honestly? This is poor. *
This naff gothic potboiler finds a troupe of buxom actresses and their downtrodden assistant invited to the castle of a mysterious Count. The Count's family has suffered a convoluted "curse". Both his father and grandfather beheaded their wives with a special knife then jumped into the sea. His own wife has mysteriously disappeared so he's looking for a new one amongst the actresses. They seem to find nothing at all wrong with this situation. Mass decapitation and copious nudity ensues. Despite a reasonable first fifteen minutes setting things up, Bloodsucker quickly descends into tedium. The first half plays like a topless soap opera and the second like the dullest Sherlock Holmes story ever. It's cheap beyond belief; there's only one (daytime) exterior shot of the castle and it's repeated even when it's supposed to be night time. Colour stock footage of the surrounding sea wasn't affordable so they just use B&W. You get the idea. I guess someone somewhere tried their best with this and it has a sort of naive, hopeless charm to it but honestly? This is poor. *
Friday, 10 February 2012
Who Saw Her Die? (1972)
Dir: Aldo Lado
This above average giallo set in Venice sees George Lazenby and Anita Strindberg playing a couple whose young daughter (the ubiquitous but always brilliant Nicoletta Elmi) is killed and dumped in the canal. The local cops are about as incompetent as they are in any given giallo so it's down to George himself to unravel the mystery that led to his child's murder. The reveal of the killer isn't exactly unexpected or amazing and there's far too much attention paid to red herrings but the plot still manages to be darker and more emotionally engaging than usual for the genre. Perhaps this is because the murder victims are children but, coupled with a truly ferocious, near hallucinatory Morricone score, some hysterical photography and the moody atmosphere of Venice in the fog, the overall effect is a strong one. If I had to pick this or the near-identically-themed "Don't Look Now", I'd go for this one every time. ***
This above average giallo set in Venice sees George Lazenby and Anita Strindberg playing a couple whose young daughter (the ubiquitous but always brilliant Nicoletta Elmi) is killed and dumped in the canal. The local cops are about as incompetent as they are in any given giallo so it's down to George himself to unravel the mystery that led to his child's murder. The reveal of the killer isn't exactly unexpected or amazing and there's far too much attention paid to red herrings but the plot still manages to be darker and more emotionally engaging than usual for the genre. Perhaps this is because the murder victims are children but, coupled with a truly ferocious, near hallucinatory Morricone score, some hysterical photography and the moody atmosphere of Venice in the fog, the overall effect is a strong one. If I had to pick this or the near-identically-themed "Don't Look Now", I'd go for this one every time. ***
The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh (1971)
Dir: Sergio Martino
Edwige Fenech plays the curiously-spelled title character in this lively giallo from Sergio Martino. She lives a quiet enough life in Vienna - married to an ambassador and everything! - but beneath the upper-class veneer, she's embroiled in a bizarre love square involving a sadomasochistic ex-lover and a mysterious handsome stranger named George (played, appropriately, by George Hilton). This steamy melodrama plot eventually, crosses its streams with another about a razor-toting pervert who's running around in trademark black leather gloves slicing up women, and the result is a satisfyingly watchable cocktail of sex and violence. The mystery here is a decent one too, although arguably there's one twist too many. If it'd ended about 5 minutes earlier than it does, it would've probably been the best giallo ending ever. I should probably say something like "Fenech sizzles as always" but you know this already, don't you? ***
Edwige Fenech plays the curiously-spelled title character in this lively giallo from Sergio Martino. She lives a quiet enough life in Vienna - married to an ambassador and everything! - but beneath the upper-class veneer, she's embroiled in a bizarre love square involving a sadomasochistic ex-lover and a mysterious handsome stranger named George (played, appropriately, by George Hilton). This steamy melodrama plot eventually, crosses its streams with another about a razor-toting pervert who's running around in trademark black leather gloves slicing up women, and the result is a satisfyingly watchable cocktail of sex and violence. The mystery here is a decent one too, although arguably there's one twist too many. If it'd ended about 5 minutes earlier than it does, it would've probably been the best giallo ending ever. I should probably say something like "Fenech sizzles as always" but you know this already, don't you? ***
Torso (1973)
Dir: Sergio Martino
I guess it's a giallo but "Torso" feels more like a proto-slasher, as a slow-moving masked killer picks his way through a group of nubile students at some kind of art college in sunny Perugia. There are a billion pervert red herrings to choose from and plenty of naked girls to distract you from thinking too hard about the killer's identity until the end. "Torso" is clearly some years ahead of its time - its influence and innovation can't be denied - and it's mostly well-directed (bar one massive goof with a mirror) but it hasn't aged that well. There's plenty of bargain basement gore and nudity (I mourn that Tina Aumont remains tragically clothed throughout) and the scenery is great but the plot's just too thin (and the killer's motive too tiresome) to drive it any further. Also the final fight sequence is so hilariously choreographed (director's instructions could've been "flail camply then fall over!") that it takes the sting out somewhat. **
I guess it's a giallo but "Torso" feels more like a proto-slasher, as a slow-moving masked killer picks his way through a group of nubile students at some kind of art college in sunny Perugia. There are a billion pervert red herrings to choose from and plenty of naked girls to distract you from thinking too hard about the killer's identity until the end. "Torso" is clearly some years ahead of its time - its influence and innovation can't be denied - and it's mostly well-directed (bar one massive goof with a mirror) but it hasn't aged that well. There's plenty of bargain basement gore and nudity (I mourn that Tina Aumont remains tragically clothed throughout) and the scenery is great but the plot's just too thin (and the killer's motive too tiresome) to drive it any further. Also the final fight sequence is so hilariously choreographed (director's instructions could've been "flail camply then fall over!") that it takes the sting out somewhat. **
Sunday, 29 January 2012
The Scorpion With Two Tails (1982)
Dir: Sergio Martino
This was originally made as a 7-part TV mini-series called "Murder in an Etruscan Cemetery" but it never aired. Then some bright spark thought they'd trim it down to 90 minutes and pitch it as a straightforward giallo. The results are impossibly convoluted and, since it's made for TV, all the usual pain-easing gore/nudity is totally absent. Plots about international drug trafficking collide with archaeological fuckery in an Etruscan tomb and some kind of magical reincarnation deal involving crystals and ancient rites while an unseen killer runs around twisting people's necks. Oh, and there are maggots. Lots and lots of maggots. One minute it's like an Indiana Jones film, all rolling boulders and explosions, the next there are gunfights and car chases, then dudes in robes incantating wildly. None of it makes much sense and, owing to the merciless edit, there's no clear structure or pacing either. It just feels like it goes on forever. If it wasn't for leading lady Elvire Audray's beautiful face being in almost every shot and Fabio Frizzi's lovely musical score (admittedly the latter is yoinked from "Gates of Hell" though), it would be impossible to watch. Sorry, Sergio. I love you, man, but this is too much. To paraphrase Beyoncé, I don't think I'm ready for this gialli. *
This was originally made as a 7-part TV mini-series called "Murder in an Etruscan Cemetery" but it never aired. Then some bright spark thought they'd trim it down to 90 minutes and pitch it as a straightforward giallo. The results are impossibly convoluted and, since it's made for TV, all the usual pain-easing gore/nudity is totally absent. Plots about international drug trafficking collide with archaeological fuckery in an Etruscan tomb and some kind of magical reincarnation deal involving crystals and ancient rites while an unseen killer runs around twisting people's necks. Oh, and there are maggots. Lots and lots of maggots. One minute it's like an Indiana Jones film, all rolling boulders and explosions, the next there are gunfights and car chases, then dudes in robes incantating wildly. None of it makes much sense and, owing to the merciless edit, there's no clear structure or pacing either. It just feels like it goes on forever. If it wasn't for leading lady Elvire Audray's beautiful face being in almost every shot and Fabio Frizzi's lovely musical score (admittedly the latter is yoinked from "Gates of Hell" though), it would be impossible to watch. Sorry, Sergio. I love you, man, but this is too much. To paraphrase Beyoncé, I don't think I'm ready for this gialli. *
Saturday, 28 January 2012
The Perfume of the Lady in Black (1974)
Dir: Francesco Barilli
The delightfully named Mimsy Farmer stars as some kind of industrial scientist who starts to believe she's losing her mind after a creepy friend talks to her about witchcraft and she experiences some bizarre hallucinations. The story unfolds in the same surreal, occasionally dreamlike manner as other "women on the edge"-style gialli like "Footprints" or "All The Colors Of The Dark" and, at times, this becomes frustratingly oblique. The beautiful photography (Barilli seems to frame every shot like a painting) carries it through the most puzzling sections but almost nothing about what's going on is revealed until the very end, at which point (conveniently) the sudden, unexpected gore and nudity kicks in too. However, the ending is one Hell of a kicker and pulls it back from the brink majestically. If you manage to guess what happens, I'll be amazed. I also probably wouldn't want to run into you in a dark alley. The climax shares a sombre, nightmarish tone with some of David Lynch's work and, if you've the patience to stick with the rest of the film, you'll be richly rewarded. ***
The delightfully named Mimsy Farmer stars as some kind of industrial scientist who starts to believe she's losing her mind after a creepy friend talks to her about witchcraft and she experiences some bizarre hallucinations. The story unfolds in the same surreal, occasionally dreamlike manner as other "women on the edge"-style gialli like "Footprints" or "All The Colors Of The Dark" and, at times, this becomes frustratingly oblique. The beautiful photography (Barilli seems to frame every shot like a painting) carries it through the most puzzling sections but almost nothing about what's going on is revealed until the very end, at which point (conveniently) the sudden, unexpected gore and nudity kicks in too. However, the ending is one Hell of a kicker and pulls it back from the brink majestically. If you manage to guess what happens, I'll be amazed. I also probably wouldn't want to run into you in a dark alley. The climax shares a sombre, nightmarish tone with some of David Lynch's work and, if you've the patience to stick with the rest of the film, you'll be richly rewarded. ***
The Iguana With The Tongue of Fire (1975)
Dir: Ricardo Freda
Obscure giallo that's every bit as baffling as its title, this one finds the ubiquitous black-gloved killer throwing acid in people's faces then slitting their throats (because, y'know, just the one simply wouldn't be enough). Unusually, the killer's at large in Dublin which, while it does make an interesting change of pace, means that everything looks a little grey and chilly compared with the bright, hot, colourful Roman climes typical of the genre. The mystery here is pretty dismal with the final reveal being more of a "huh? who?" than an "ahhh! them!" but there are one or two nice touches. The detective's batty mother - a half-deaf, half-blind Miss Marple type - is great and has all the best lines but there's also some decent gore and nudity to pass the time while the parade of red herrings are wheeled out ad infinitum. Still, I'd say it's only really worth bothering with if you're a hopeless giallo completist who just can't help themselves. That'd be me then. **
Obscure giallo that's every bit as baffling as its title, this one finds the ubiquitous black-gloved killer throwing acid in people's faces then slitting their throats (because, y'know, just the one simply wouldn't be enough). Unusually, the killer's at large in Dublin which, while it does make an interesting change of pace, means that everything looks a little grey and chilly compared with the bright, hot, colourful Roman climes typical of the genre. The mystery here is pretty dismal with the final reveal being more of a "huh? who?" than an "ahhh! them!" but there are one or two nice touches. The detective's batty mother - a half-deaf, half-blind Miss Marple type - is great and has all the best lines but there's also some decent gore and nudity to pass the time while the parade of red herrings are wheeled out ad infinitum. Still, I'd say it's only really worth bothering with if you're a hopeless giallo completist who just can't help themselves. That'd be me then. **
Sunday, 8 January 2012
What Have They Done To Your Daughters? (1974)
Dir: Massimo Dallamano
A skillful blend of giallo and poliziotteschi courtesy of the ever-dependable Massimo Dallamano. Once again, Dallamano reaches higher than the usual confines of his genre and turns in an angry film about political corruption and the exploitation of children. There's definitely more thought and feeling put into this story of vice rings and black-gloved murderers than the usual sleazy parade of tits and gore. Although, to be fair these things are also amply provided for. Sherry Buchanan provides the former; some well-aimed meat cleavers to the heads and arms of hapless victims provide the latter. On the poliziotteschi side, we've got a cop who's boiled harder than nails (the late Claudio Cassinelli) and some of the most vibrantly shot car chase sequences I've ever seen. If you're expecting proper giallo, the weak "mystery" element will no doubt disappoint but it's an entertaining, impeccably made film and definitely worth a look to those with a deeper interest in the genre. **1/2
A skillful blend of giallo and poliziotteschi courtesy of the ever-dependable Massimo Dallamano. Once again, Dallamano reaches higher than the usual confines of his genre and turns in an angry film about political corruption and the exploitation of children. There's definitely more thought and feeling put into this story of vice rings and black-gloved murderers than the usual sleazy parade of tits and gore. Although, to be fair these things are also amply provided for. Sherry Buchanan provides the former; some well-aimed meat cleavers to the heads and arms of hapless victims provide the latter. On the poliziotteschi side, we've got a cop who's boiled harder than nails (the late Claudio Cassinelli) and some of the most vibrantly shot car chase sequences I've ever seen. If you're expecting proper giallo, the weak "mystery" element will no doubt disappoint but it's an entertaining, impeccably made film and definitely worth a look to those with a deeper interest in the genre. **1/2
The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1969)
Dir: Dario Argento
An American writer in Rome witnesses a beautiful woman being stabbed by an anonymous black gloved killer in an art gallery and an entire genre is born. While Dario Argento's infamous debut may not be the first giallo film, it certainly created many of the themes, ideas and aesthetics that would subsequently shape the genre. Nowadays it's maybe hard to appreciate the sheer level of innovation that's on offer throughout "Bird" as it's been imitated so many times. But once you do, it's even harder to deny Argento's genius. Working with a top-notch crew that includes Vittorio Storaro and Ennio Morricone, he crafted a stylish, violent and inventive thriller that's still highly watchable today (and is looking better than ever on Blu Ray). It's let down only by how dated and simplistic the mystery plot appears in the light of the many wilder, crazier and more convoluted gialli that followed it. Truly, maestro, we have been spoiled. **1/2
An American writer in Rome witnesses a beautiful woman being stabbed by an anonymous black gloved killer in an art gallery and an entire genre is born. While Dario Argento's infamous debut may not be the first giallo film, it certainly created many of the themes, ideas and aesthetics that would subsequently shape the genre. Nowadays it's maybe hard to appreciate the sheer level of innovation that's on offer throughout "Bird" as it's been imitated so many times. But once you do, it's even harder to deny Argento's genius. Working with a top-notch crew that includes Vittorio Storaro and Ennio Morricone, he crafted a stylish, violent and inventive thriller that's still highly watchable today (and is looking better than ever on Blu Ray). It's let down only by how dated and simplistic the mystery plot appears in the light of the many wilder, crazier and more convoluted gialli that followed it. Truly, maestro, we have been spoiled. **1/2
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