Killer Nun

Suor Omicidi

The Killer Nun

Italy

D: Giulio Berruti

P: Enzo Gallo for Cinesud Produzioni//St & Sc: Giulio Berruti & Alberto Tarallo//DP: Tonino Maccoppi//E: Mario Giacco//M: Alessandro Alessandroni//Art D: Franco Vanorio//Makeup: Mauro Gavazzi.

Cast: Anita Ekberg, Alidi Valli, Massimo Serato, Daniele Dublino, Laura Nucci, Alice Gherardi, Aeede Barriault, Antonietta Patriarca, Sofia Lusy, Nerini Montagnani, Franco Caracciolo, Lou Castel & Joe Dallasandro.

A nun confesses to a priest that, because she was raped as a child, she wants revenge on all men. Meanwhile, Sister Gertrude works at the hospital where she cares for the elderly and sick. She thinks she has cancer and has already survived a brain tumor. She becomes more and more violent as she crushes a patient's dentures and slaps others around. When some of her charges begin turning up dead, she's afraid she may have killed them during one of her blackouts. The film builds to a depressing conclusion where the guilty are punished and the innocent set free.

This may be a bad film, but it's bad in a very entertaining way. Anita Ekberg was far too overweight and old to play Sister Gertrude, yet director Giulio Berruti (KILLER NUN was his second and last film) allows her to dress like a hooker and try and seduce a man in a bar. Didn't he realize what a hideous mistake he was making? No doubt such judgement led him to miscast Ex-Warhol protege Joe Dallasandro as a concerned doctor who works at the hospital. Then there's poor Lou Castel, who is so contemptful of his part he appears to be drunk (watch him trip over objects such as his crutches and tables for no apparent reason).Paola Morra, who plays Sister Matill is a real looker and her nude scenes certainly help a woefully inept production such as this. The murders are quite nasty which helps contribute to the overall trashy mood. A movie for when you want to wash away that "arthouse" experience from your pallette.

Exciting new Eurocrime film book by Matt Blake!

To quote the talented Mr Blake:

"It’s been a while, but I’m finally ready to announce that a new WildEye publication is on the way! In the Name of the Law – Italian Crime Films from 1945 to 1969 is the third WildEye book, followingGiorgio Ardisson: The Italian Jame Bond and the now out-of-print Fantastikal Diabolikal Supermen. Here’s the blurb…

During the 1970s Italian cinema discovered crime. Inspired by the likes of Dirty Harry and The French Connection, numerous producers and directors rushed rushed their own cop and gangster movies (or poliziotteschi, as they became known) into production. But it wasn’t a phenomena that emerged out of nowhere and it wasn’t entirely due to trans-Atlantic influence. Indeed, crime (or criminality) had already been an important feature of hundreds of Italian films, from the neo-realist classics of the 1940s to neo-noirs made two decades later.

This book is an exploration of this murky area; a look at films either respected or forgotten which can authentically claim to be antecedents of the poliziotteschi. In doing so it charts the progress of the genre while it was still in the process of discovering its ideal form. So buckle up your seat-belts and get ready to meet the assorted delinquents, bandits and mafiosi who were to be found in Italian films between 1945 and 1969.

A bit of context: I started working on this book about four years ago, when it was initially intended to be the first in a three part examination of the poliziotteschi genre. At around the time I finished this first section, Roberto Curti released his Italian Crime Filmography, 1968-1980. Damn you Roberto! No, seriously, Roberto’s book is really excellent, and it made doing the second and third part of the trilogy rather redundant, at least for the moment. However, I think this part, which largely covers the period before Roberto’s book, is still very worthwhile in it’s own right: you can think of it as a prequel, but by a different director. In fact, I find a lot of the films covered here just as – if not more – interesting as the more familiar seventies crime films; and where else would you find essays on the likes of Passport For A Corpse, Barriers of the Law and Gente d’onore (as well as more acclaimed but sadly oft-forgotten gems such as Bandits of Orgosolo and Bitter Rice).

Anyway, I’m hoping to have it available early in the New Year (i.e. late January). It’s 224 pages long, Royal size (234mm x 156mm), with a nice glossy cover and 8 pages in colour. As usual, it’s packed with rare artworks, trivia about the films and…. well, all the usual. More news as it comes…http://www.thewildeye.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/in-the-name-of-the-law.jpg "

The Mad Butcher

The Mad Butcher

Italy

D: John (Guido) Zurli

P: Robert H. Oliver & Dag Molin//St & Sc: Robert H. Oliver & Karl Ross//DP:?//E: Graham Lee Mahin//M: Alex Alexander (Alessandro Alessandroni)//Art D: Frank Di Stefano//Costumes: Gloria Cardi//Makeup: Diana Green Rose.

Cast: Victor Buono, Brad Harris, Franca Polcelli, Karin Field, Carl Stearns, Sybil Martin, Michael Turner, Arthur Mann.

Otto, the local butcher, is being released from the insane asylum for good behavior. His wife had him committed after he hit a customer on the head with two pounds of liver. He separates from his spouse and spends all of his time trying to restore his business' good name. His wife continues to nag him endlessly to the point where Otto kills her and grinds the body up into hamburger. Mike, a Chicago newspaper man on overseas assignment, becomes suspicious of Otto and begins to spy on him. He ends up falling in love with one Otto's neighbors, Hansel. More people disappear while Otto's meat prices continue to drop from a surplus of supply. When Hansel disappears, but her ring turns up in a customer's sausage meal, Mike goes looking for the mad butcher.

You know from the first minute that this film's tongue-in-cheek approach will be a painful viewing experience. Black comedies only work when the participants take them seriously, an impossibility when your lead character is played by Victor Buono. His broad portrayal of Otto sinks the film early and it never recovers.  Comedies involving cannibalism rarely succeed. Director Zurli never made a good film and even went to Turkey (the last bastion for crappy filmmakers) when he couldn't get work at home. Brad Harris is his usual wooden self. He doesn't appear to understand that he's in a comedy. He overdoes it so much he appears to think he's making a silent movie. There's nudity from the female cast but even that fails to raise the film to the level of even passable sleaze. A failure that should be avoided at all cost.

The New York Ripper

LO SQUARTATORE DI NEW YORK

THE NEW YORK RIPPER

Italy 1982

D: Lucio Fulci

P: Fabrizio De Angelis for Fulvia Film S.R.L.//St & Sc: Lucio Fulci, Gianfranco Clerici, Dardano Sacchetti, Vincenzo Mannino// DP: Luigi Kuveiller//E: Vincenzo Tomassi//M: Francesco De Masi// Costumes: Massimo Lentini//Makeup: Franco Di Girolamo

Cast: Jack Hedley, Almanta Keller (Antonella Interlenghi), Howard Ross, Alexandra Delli Colli, Paolo Marco, Andrea Occhipinti, Andrew Painter, Cinzia De Ponti, Laurence Wells, Daniela Doria, Babette New, Zora Kerova, Paul Guskin, Anthon Kagan, Johs Cruze, Marsha MacBride, Rita Silva.

Lt. Fred Williams is assigned to a murder case involving a model who posed nude for men's magazines. When a second victim, brutally mutilated like the model, is found on the Staten Island Ferry, Williams decides to call in Dr. Davis, a psychologist for help. More bodies turn up as the killer (using a Donald Duck-like voice) calls Williams to brag about his exploits. Williams and Davis must work together (which isn't easy as they star off disliking each other) to stop the madman from slaughtering more women.

This was made at the height of the slasher film mania going on in America at the time and except for William Lustig's MANIAC, it out does them all when it comes to outrageous gore. An ugly looking film, Fulci and DP Luigi Kuveiller don't try and glamorize their version of Hell, aka New York City. By the end of the film you'll feel like you've been wallowing in the filth of 42nd Street for the previous 90 minutes. The murders are as graphic and brutal as any I've ever seen so you have to give Fulci credit, he made the ultimate slasher film. Apart from all the mayhem, there are some nice subtle touches as well. The chemistry that develops between Hedley (who is really British, but the dubbers fortunately give him a world-weary, seen it all before voice) and Paolo Marco (a veteran of Fulci films) as the gay psychiatrist who at first disgusts the cop, but eventually treats him as an equal, gives the audience a chance to catch their breath amidst all the mayhem. The film makes no apologies for what it is and you'll either love it or hate it. There's no middle ground.

Spasmo

SPASMO

D: Umberto Lenzi.

P: Ugo Tucci//St & Sc: Massimo Franciosa, Luisa Montagnana, Pino Boller, Umberto Lenzi//DP: Guglielmo Mancori//E: Eugenio Alabiso//M: Ennio Morricone//Art D: Giacomo Calo Carducci//Costumes: Silvia Laurenzi//Makeup: Antonio Mecacci Cast: Robert Hoffmann, Suzy Kendall, Ivan Rassimov, Maria Pia Conte, Adolfo Lastretti, Franco Silva, Mario Erpichini, Luigio Antonio Guaria, Rosita Tarosh, Monica Monet, Guido Alberti.

Lover boy Christian, meets and almost beds Barbara (Suzy Kendall), but is interrupted by an assassin. Christian "kills" him and they escape to a deserted chateau where they meet an odd couple Malcolm and Clarinda (the oddly attractive Maria Pia Conte). Before you know it, Christian admits to the killing and flees. At the same time, women are being murdered (offscreen) and near their bodies is found a plastic dummy, hanging from a tree with a knife in its belly. We finally learn that Christian and his brother Fritz (Ivan Rassimov, dubbed with a fey voice) inherited a huge business from their deceased father (he was mentally deranged and comitted suicide). It seems that Fritz has been trying to drive his brother insane to get him the medical help he needs. Unfortunately, he succeeds resulting in the death of Barbara and many others. Christian is killed by Barbara's lover as we discover that Fritz too, has begun to show tendencies of stabbing mannequins with a long knife.

The film is so convoluted and talky, that until you're able to follow all the twists and turns of the plot, you can't begin to appreciate all that Lenzi and his fellow screenwriters were trying to accomplish. For the first hour of this 90 minute sleeper, you will be as in the dark as the main character, Christian (Robert Hoffmann). For the American release of this film, George Romero filmed approximately 10 minutes of explicit violence to help spice up the film. The print reviewed here is obviously the original export version. Because we don't know who the murderer might be, none of the killings are shown when they occur (which runs counter to ALL other Gialli where you witness the murder sequence either as a participant or as a victim). While certainly original, I can see how that would pose a problem for the film's producer. There's no nudity to speak of either so Lenzi really left exploitation fans in the lurch. However, I find this all distinctly refreshing and would use this film to prove to fans disgusted by Lenzi's cannibal films, that the man really does know how to make an entertaining film that relies on plot and atmosphere alone. Morricone's score is among his best (comparable to the one he penned for WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO SOLANGE?). 

The Young, The Evil And The Savage

SETTE VERGINI PER IL DIAVOLO aka NUDE...SI MUORE

THE YOUNG, THE EVIL AND THE SAVAGE

US Video Title:SCHOOL GIRL KILLER

Italy 1968

D: Anthony M. Dawson (Antonio Margheriti)

P: Virgilio De Blasi & Lawrence Woolner for Super International Pictures & B.G.A//St & Sc: Antonio Margheriti, Franco Bottari, Giovanni Simonelli//DP: Fausto Zuccoli//E: Otello Colangeli// M: Carlo Savina//Art D: Antonio Visone//Costumes: Annamode//Makeup: Perry Mecacci

Cast: Michael Rennie, Mark Damon, Eleonor Brown, Alan Collins (Luciano Pigozzi), Selly Smith, Patrizia Valturri, Lorenza Guerrieri, Malisa Longo, Franco De Rosa, Ester Masing, Gianni Di Benedetto, Valentino Macchi.

Students are being killed off at St. Hilda's, a finishing school for young girls. There are the usual suspects: a voyeuristic gardener (Alan Collins), fencing instructor De Brazzi, and young stud Richard (Mark Damon). Inspector Duran (Michael Rennie, in a performance that defines the term, wooden) finds out that Lucille (Eleonor Brown) is about to inherit a fortune and uncovers the fact that her cousin, a man, had killed the school's newly appointed teacher Miss Brown, and impersonated her so as to get close enough to Lucille to put her out of the picture.

With opening theme music that sounds like the Batman TV show, the tone of the film is set for what at times seems like a tongue-in-cheek parody of the genre. The film is entirely too cutesy and the fact that Mark Damon goes right along with it, hurts the film's chances for establishing any type of mood. As usual, Alan Collins is used as the ultimate red herring, handling a scythe suspiciously, spying on the girls as they take their showers, etc. Eleanor Brown as Lucille is the only actress who doesn't get on one's nerves. The tiresome cliche of a corpse being discovered, only to disappear whenever someone, besides the original discoverer comes to look, is endlessly repeated. The murder sequences are pedestrian and staged without imagination. The fact that the killer is a strangler means gore is non-existant. Michael Rennie's performance is poor as usual, but at least it retains some dignity as he dubs his own voice. The gender bending killing is one of the best I've seen as the male actor posing as a female really sells the part. That old Giallo standby, the lime pit, makes a cameo appearance here. Overall, the film is just too tame an exercise in terror and you're left with spending 90 minutes with a bunch of characters  you'd just as soon not be around.

Crimes of the Black Cat

Sette Scialli Di Seta Gialla

Sales Title: Crimes of the Black Cat

Italy 1972

D: Sergio Pastore

P: Edmondo Amati for Capitolina Produzioni Cinematografiche//St & Sc: Alessandro Continenza, Sergio Pastore, & Giovanni Simonelli//DP: Guglielmo Mancori//E: Vincenzo Tomassi//M: Manuel De Sica//Art D: Alberto Boccianti//Costume: Luciana Marinucci//Makeup: Eugenio Ascani//Color.

Cast: Anthony Steffen (Antonio De Teffe), Sylva Koscina, Giacomo Rossi Stuart, Jeanette Len, Renato di Carmine, Umberto raho, Romano Malaspina, Annabella Incontrera, Liliana Pavlo, Isabelle Marchal, Shirley Corrigan.

Francoise runs a model agency that is experiencing a rather serious problem. Her models are being killed off, one by one. Their death is the result of being scratched by a cat whose claws are spiked with curare, a deadly poison. The victims are given a yellow silk shaw that causes the cat to attack. A blind composer named Peter is drawn into the crime when his girlfriend Paula is killed. He discovers the owner of the cat is a drug addicted ex-circus performer and when Peter offers to supply her with heroin, she agrees to reveal who is in charge of deciding which model will be the next to die. More murders occur before the killer is revealed and takes a fatal plunge from Peter's apartment window.

Sergio Pastore's only contribution to the Giallo, his career began in 1967 with the crime film, Omicidio a Sangue Freddo and ended with his death in 1987 while working on Delitti (the film was finished by his wife, Giovanni Lenzi, aka Jeanette Len). It's a shame as he definitely had a talent for setting up unusual set pieces (the shower of glass that crashes down on Steffen in an abandoned factory) and displaying graphic gore when need be. In fact, it's the extremely violent murder sequence set in a shower—imagine Hitchcock's Psycho filmed in color and featuring the type of gore you find in a Lucio Fulci film from the late seventies—that has gained this film a sort of legendary status. That's a real shame as it's only one small part of this film's overall excellence. For once, Pastore and his fellow screenplay writers came up with a way to excuse the general poor performance usually given by Steffen, make his character blind. Now there's a reason why his character appears stiff as a board! And though Koscina was beginning to show signs of age, the denouement revealing her character's deformity is a shocking highlight in a career that usually only required to look beautiful. One of the better efforts of the genre.