Reviews

The Crimes of the Black Cat is a 1972 Italian giallo film, directed by Sergio Pastore and starring Anthony Steffen and Sylva Koscina.

It revolves around a killer who uses a black cat to to his (or her, no spoilers here!) bidding, giving each victim a yellow shawl containing chemicals that attract the cat. The first victim was involved with Peter Oliver (Anthony Steffen), a blind pianist. He starts to investigate the murders and discovers more to it then meets the eye...

Overall, the film is very dull and lacks excitement. The few action sequences are poorly staged, most notably a scene where Peter is kidnapped and left to fall to his death. The cinematography by Guglielmo Mancori is excellent but is only highlighted in a few minutes of the film. The film overuses a replay effect that takes place when the cat attacks, which could be the editor's fault. The music is fine but not exceptional by any means.

The killer's identity is admittedly surprising but the backstory is ridiculous, never even once giving us a clue beforehand. Similarly is the way the killer dispatches of the victims, which is ridiculously complex but admittedly original.

Anthony Steffen is given a character that could have been interesting and complex had thought been put into it, but similarly to The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave, Steffen fails to add depth to his character. The acting overall is forgettable, with the exception of Giovanna Lenzi (credited as Jeanette Len in the actual film), who perfectly conveys her character.

The murders are very tame, with the exception of a nasty shower death that adds some excitement to the film, even if the effects are not the best. The film overuses a replay effect that takes place when the cat attacks.

Overall, the film is very dull. Perhaps if more action sequences were added it wouldn't be as bad. A giallo lover might want to get a copy, but if you're new to the giallo, you might want to skip this one.

My Dear Killer is a 1972 Italian giallo film directed by Tonino Valerii and starring George Hilton and Salvo Randone.

After an insurance investigator is murdered, it is discovered that he had important information about the kidnapping and murder of Stefania Moroni and her father, Alessandro Moroni. Soon, more people are murdered and the inspector in charge of the case finds a clue drawn by Stefania on the back of a mirror before her death that perfectly implicates the killer...

To start, the first scene is laughable. An insurance investigator is decapitated with an excavator. The scene goes on for way too long, and the resulting effects are mediocre.

George Hilton plays the film's lead, but unlike the other giallos he starred in, he does not have much to do, which is troubling. This leaves the supporting characters to save the picture, and that they do. Standouts include (but are not limited to) Dante Maggio, Lola Gaos, and Dana Ghia.

Actresses Marilù Tolo and Patty Shepard add a bit of skin to the picture but do not have much else to do, which is sad considering their capabilities.

There is a variety of characters in this movie, including Beniamino (Alfredo Mayo), who may be a pedophile, and Olivero Moroni (Tullio Valli), who is missing one hand from a tragic accident.

The film has a dark tone throughout, which is understandable considering the events which set the killings into motion. You can see the effect the loss of two family members had on the family, which makes you sympathize with them.

There are quite a few suspenseful scenes. One of my favorites is near the end of the movie when Adele Rudigiani (Lola Gaos) is attacked by the killer in her home but makes it out alive. The tension leading up to that is quite intense.

Of course, this review would not be complete without mentioning the grisly killings in this movie. The most shocking one is where Paola Rossi (Patty Shepard) is mutilated with a circular saw. Not gory but very bloody.

Overall, the movie starts off badly but gets better because of the suspenseful scenes and diverse characterizations. I would recommend watching it, but be patient for the first 15 minutes.

The Killer is One of 13 is a Spanish thriller film, in which a woman invites 13 guests to her remote home in the Spanish countryside for a dinner party. However, she invited them there not for fun and games: but because she suspects that one of them murdered her husband. The guests are murdered one-by-one and it is up to the remaining guests to figure out the killer's identity before he (or she) strikes again.

To start, Javier Aguirre's direction is competent, but plain and sometimes it feels rather rushed. The plot is an obvious rip-off of And Then There Were None, and unlike that movie, the characters are anything but compelling. The various scenes of dialogue are bland and uninspired, and the tensions are not well-executed. In addition, there are way too many red herrings. The script gives the actors nothing to work with, and the acting ranges from adequate to poor. The scenes of passionate kissing seems like a poorly developed excuse to extend the film's running time.

The sets are quite beautiful, and it is obvious that the film's budget is up to scratch. But, apparently the film's budget wasn't enough to buy some fake blood because there are a few drops of blood used in this film.

In terms of pacing, the film struggles immensely in that regard. After over an hour of pointless scenes, we get to the murders. In a three-minute period, there are three separate murders.

In short, this film does have a few good points, but the film is a bore overall and seems like it lasts much longer than it actually does.

The first time I saw this movie, I was shook. For the first fifty-or-so minutes, it seems like a straightforward drama film with a few weird but not creepy characters. Basically, the plot involves a secretary named Marion Crane who steals $40,000 and flees but stops for the night at a calm hotel. However, fifty-or-so minutes into the film, it suddenly turns into a shocking psychological horror film that made me scared to step foot in the shower. Then, it's a mystery as to who killed the supposed main character and if they will be found out. It seems to be Norman, but then Norman's mother kills the investigating private detective and he is supposedly in the clear. However, the first victim's sister finds the mother's rotten corpse in the cellar and is confronted by a deranged Norman, who attacks her with a knife. With show-stopping performances from Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, and Vera Miles, and plenty of scares, you will want to watch this film over and over again. And maybe start taking more baths instead of showers...

When I am about to watch a Mario Bava movie, I expect stylish sets, suspense, great music, and a fairly successful plot. Bava only delivers one of those four things, and that's not good. The only "Bava" trademark that I see here is great music. The "plot" is basically inhabitants of a bay fighting it out for the deceased countess's entire bay and the money. To be fair, the plot gets a bit clearer around the 70-minute mark, but even then it's hard to understand anything or root for the characters, especially the four teens who break into the countess's property. Seriously though, those teens have no personality whatsoever and just exist in the movie to have sex, get naked, and get killed. Here's an example: when one of the teens is killed, she points her ass to the camera. There are some good gore effects, set-pieces, excellent camerawork and cinematography, but other than that there is nothing else to get into. And spoiler alert: this movie features one of the most unintentionally funny endings in all of Italian cinema. And it's not a good ending. Definitely watch it if you want to find out what inspired the first two Friday The 13th movies, but beware: the movie isn't that good. Just a mish-mosh all around.

It's no question that Argento can deliver a great giallo. With some great acting performances (from Anthony Franciosa and John Saxon), a ton of respectable gore, stylish interiors and stunning camerawork, this film ticks all of the boxes. However, there are a couple of things about the film which I don't like. I think that Lara Wendel's character was poorly written and poorly acted out. Another thing is the weird man who harasses Ania Pieroni's character, witnesses her murder but is never seen again. That character seemed unnecessary. And there are so many twists and turns at the end that it numbs my brain. But other than that, definitely a worthy watch for both giallo fans and giallo newbies.