John Harrington (Stephen Forsyth) is a real sick-o who hacks up brides-to-be with a "hatchet" (actually what we here in the U.S. would call a meat cleaver). We hear John's thoughts ("The fact is, I'm completely mad!") and flashbacks reveal that John killed his own mother because his disapproved of her new lover. He lives in a mansion with his older, wealthy, bitter, controlling witch of a wife (Laura Betti), who is obsessed with the occult and returns as a nagging ghost after John offs her. The victims (models who work for John's wedding dress company) are lured to a secret room full of mannequins.
Stylish, bizarre touches, some humor, a few effective shocks and Bava's always creative and colorful direction make this rewarding viewing for horror fans OR people just interested in learning how to enliven a stale plot through audacious presentation. However, since the killer's identity is evident from the beginning, there's little suspense and mystery to the story and the American release is, needless to say, poorly dubbed. Despite that, it's still a fun, entertaining film and I recommend it.
Stylish, bizarre touches, some humor, a few effective shocks and Bava's always creative and colorful direction make this rewarding viewing for horror fans OR people just interested in learning how to enliven a stale plot through audacious presentation. However, since the killer's identity is evident from the beginning, there's little suspense and mystery to the story and the American release is, needless to say, poorly dubbed. Despite that, it's still a fun, entertaining film and I recommend it.