BARRACUDA (THE LUCIFER PROJECT) (1977) - Here's a regional (Florida-lensed) conspiracy thriller that tried to pull the wool over audiences' eyes by making them think they were going to see a JAWS-inspired tale about killer barracudas, thanks to a misleading ad campaign. It didn't work. A chemical plant in the small coastal town of Palm Cove is dumping some unknown substance into the ocean via an underground runoff valve. Environmental professor Mike Canfield (Wayne Crawford; SOMETIMES AUNT MARTHA DOES DREADFUL THINGS - 1971) tries to find proof of the illegal dumping, only to be arrested by the town's friendly sheriff, Ben Williams (William Kerwin; BLOOD FEAST - 1963), on orders from the chemical plant's megalomaniac owner Papa Jack (Bert Freed). Mike becomes friendly with the sheriff's daughter, Eliza (Roberta Leighton), and together they begin to uncover a deadly secret conspiracy that may reach to top members of our nation's government. When swimmers and scuba divers end up missing or dead (one girl and her dog discover a human head on the beach), thanks to attacks by bloodthirsty barracudas, and thousands of half-eaten fish are discovered washed ashore, Papa Jack tries to cover it up with the help of some shady looking characters wearing dark suits and sunglasses, but things take a turn for the worse when the townspeople begin to get sick and act out violently, like they have lost control of their emotions (something that was covered more thoroughly in the similarly-themed film IMPULSE [1984]). As more people end up dead at the beach, Mike is now getting help from the Sheriff when the water samples Mike collected turn out to have an unknown trace element that seems to change the behavior of anyone or anything that ingests it (and it is in the town's water supply). Mike takes his findings to seemingly kindly local doctor Elliot Snow (Jason Evers; THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE - 1962), who has been treating far more sick patients than normal, only to discover that Dr. Snow may just be the driving force behind all this secrecy. Mike, Eliza and the Sheriff try to get outside help, but the subversive powers-that-be do a pretty good job of covering it up, killing Mike and the Sheriff in a typical nihilistic ending that the 70's so loved to give audiences.  This slow-moving thriller, directed by Harry Kerwin, who co-wrote and produced with star Wayne Crawford (Crawford is also credited with directing the underwater scenes), really doesn't have much to recommend and seems to suffer from severe edits to achieve a PG rating. As usual, Crawford sleepwalks throughout the entire film and looks bored (or stoned) whenever he is on-screen. Both Harry Kerwin, brother William (who also acted using the name "Thomas Wood") and Crawford (who occasionally acted using the name "Scott Lawrence") have worked together several times before, most notably in Harry's two underrated films, GOD'S BLOODY ACRE (1975) and TOMCATS (1976), which makes BARRACUDA a bitter disappointment in comparison. The violence here, unlike the previous two films, is sparse and uninspired (the barracuda attacks consists of someone shaking the camera while fake blood is released into the water, followed by close-ups of obviously fake barracuda's open mouths) and notable edits (even the music soundtrack jumps, which seems to indicate that the films PG rating was decided after post-production) robs the viewers of any carnage. The 70's turned out a lot of "They Are Us" conspiracy thrillers thanks to Watergate and it's aftermath, but BARRACUDA is one of the weakest of the lot. One funny scene shows Mike turning down a roll in the hay with Eliza because he doesn't want to disrespect her father by screwing her in his house. Now I've heard everything! Harry Kerwin puts in a cameo as an assassin who guns-down three people in a local newspaper office when they get too close to the truth. Also starring Cliff Emmich, Scott Avery, Bob J. Shields and Bobbie-Ellyne Kosstrin. Originally released on VHS by VidAmerica Inc. and available on DVD from Dark Sky Films as part of a double feature with ISLAND FURY (1983/89). Rated PG.

BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA (1971) - You gotta love a film that opens with a nude Barbara Bouchet getting a full body massage from a blind man (and getting aroused by it!). Bouchet portrays Maria Zani, who we next see getting slapped around by her husband, Paolo (Silvano Tranquili), after he receives nude photographs of her with another man. After accusing her of being a nymphomaniac and telling her he is being blackmailed, he demands to know the man's name, but she refuses to tell him. We then see some unknown person, wearing a trench coat, a big floppy hat and flesh-colored latex gloves, preparing a long needle, then creeping into Maria's house and inserting it into the back of her neck, paralyzing her. As she lays motionless on her bed, she can only watch (she can't even scream) as the killer slowly stabs her in the stomach and moves the blade upwards, killing her. Police Inspector Tellini (Giancarlo Giannini) interviews Paolo and finds out he and Maria were separated for three months. Tellini also finds a torn half of the blackmail photo, showing only a nude Maria and the mystery gentleman's hands, but Tellini finds a smudge in the upper right hand of the photo, which turns out to be a clue. Paolo has the other half of the photo and hires a private investigator to find out the man's name and where he lives. The killer then murders another female victim, using the same method that was used on Maria: A paralyzing needle to the neck followed by a knife to the stomach. Tellini can find no connection between the latest victim (a cocaine trafficker) and Maria. Paolo is considered the main suspect, but after professing his innocence to Tellini, he goes on the lam and swears to find the real killer. Tellini breaks one case (cocaine being transported in containers of tarantulas!), but it brings him no closer to unmasking the killer (he does learn about the symbiotic relationship between tarantulas and wasps, though, which he will learn later is also an important clue). Paolo, with the help of the private investigator, finds his wife's lover in the photo, but a series of mishaps results in Paolo falling off the roof of a highrise building and dying, while the lover is run over by the killer (who's driving a red sportscar) as Tellini is chasing him. Tellini discovers that all the killings may be tied to a blackmail ring, but the killer keeps knocking-off any potential witnesses. When the killer tries to take Tellini's life (with a runaway pipe truck), Tellini must find a way to stop the killer before it becomes even more personal.  This early 70's Itallian/French giallo, directed by Paolo Cavara (MONDO CANE - 1962; DEAF SMITH & JOHNNY EARS - 1972) is a pretty tight little murder mystery that contains all the giallo staples: A mysterious gloved killer, some brutal murders, plenty of red herrings and lots of nudity. Scripter Lucile Laks also puts us deep into Inspector Tellini's personal life, introducing us to his flaky wife, Anna (Stefania Sandrelli), who, at one point, sells all the furniture in their apartment, leaving them only with a bed (!), but it proves to be an integral part of the film. When Tellini discovers homemade movies the dead blackmailer had in his apartment, the whole detective squad watch them and discover footage of Tellini making love to his wife, which results in laughter  from the squad and embarassment and anger from Tellini. Throughout the film, Tellini tells his wife that he's going to quit the force because he fells that he's not "up to it", but time and time again he proves to us that he is probably the smartest man in the department. The murders, while not particularly gory, are still brutal in their execution; the beautiful Barbara Bouchet's (CRY OF A PROSTITUTE - 1974) being the most memorable. This would make the perfect companion piece with HANNIBAL (2001), if only to imagine star Giancarlo Giannini playing an older version of his Tellini character in that film (Their characters are strikingly similar in both films, right down to having wives needing money and wanting to leave the police force). BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA was released theatrically in the U.S. by MGM in a severely-edited 89 minute version as part of a double feature with WEEKEND MURDERS (1970). For a lot of American audiences, this was their first taste of giallo. Not a bad way to be introduced to the genre, if you ask me. As with a lot of giallo films, the opening scenes are an important clue to the killer's identity. Also, the use of primary colors play a role in telling the story. Here, red is the dominate color. Try to spot how many scenes director Cavara uses red in the background or on objects and clothing. Ennio Morricone once again provides an evocative and powerful music score to compliment the murder and action set-pieces. A young Barbara Bach (THE HUMANOID - 1979; THE UNSEEN - 1981) appears briefly as Jenny, who does a striptease and then ends up with a needle in her neck. Even though Claudine Auger (BAY OF BLOOD - 1971) is given second billing, she's on-screen for less than five minutes. Also starring Rossella Falk, Giancarlo Prete and Ezio Marano. Blue Underground offers the fully-uncut 98 minute version in a nice, but not perfect, widescreen print. Not Rated.

BLOOD AND LACE (1970) - This is probably the sleaziest and bloodiest film to ever receive a PG rating. As I was watching it, all I could do is think about how the MPAA must have been napping when this film was submitted for a rating. The film open with an unseen killer murdering a women sleeping in bed with the claw end of a hammer (the imaginative POV shots are taken from the perspective of the hand holding the hammer) and then setting fire to the room. Ellie (Melody Patterson), the dead woman's wise-ass daughter, looks to find out who killed her mother, even though she knows her mother was the town slut. Since Ellie is underage, she gets put in the orphanage run by Mrs. Deere (Gloria Grahame), who receives a $150 a month stipend for every orphan she houses. That's all fine and dandy, until we find out that Mrs. Deere likes to spend the money on herself and leaves the orphans hungry most of the time and is not above killing those who try to run away. She simply puts their bodies in the basement freezer and puts them in the infirmiry when the clueless Dr. Mullins (Milton Selzer) comes to visit to take his monthly head count. When Ellie arrives there, she almost immediately knows something wrong is going on (it doesn't help that she finds one poor girl chained up in the attic, dying of thirst). Ellie strikes up a frienship with fellow orphan Walter (Ronald Taft) and makes an enemy in female orphan Bunch (Terri Messina), who has a crush on Walter. Meanwhile, Tom (Len Lesser), the orphanage handyman, has just chopped-off the hand of a runaway orphan with a meat cleaver, which upsets Mrs. Deere. Not because he chopped-off the hand, but because the orphan got away! Mrs. Deere will do anything to keep collecting $150 per orphan. It doesn't matter if they are dead or alive, but she must have a body. As Ellie investigates further, she becomes aware of Mrs. Deere's evil doings and finds out that when the orphan supply becomes low, parents turn up dead in town. Is it possible that Mrs. Deere is responsible for Ellie's mother's death? If you think you have it figured out, think again.  The subject matter of this film is so slimey, you'll need to towel-off after watching it. Every adult in this film, including the film's part-time detective Calvin (Vic Tayback), who considers Ellie "good breeding stock", are portrayed as sleazy, conniving individuals who only care about their own satisfactions. When the killings begin, it plays like a mystery film with enough blood and guts to keep you asking yourself, "Is this really rated PG or did someone fuck-up royally?" There's hammer and cleaver violence, attempted rape, catfighting teens in their underwear, partial teen nudity, kids being tortured, implied incest, shots of open wounds bleeding and other politically incorrect doings going on. By the time the killer is unmasked (literally) in the film's finale, you'll be shaking your head in disbelief at some of the things you'll see and hear. This is the closest thing to PG-rated porn that you will ever see. In other words, if you haven't seen this, you should as soon as possible. Be on the lookout for a very young Dennis Christopher (FADE TO BLACK - 1980) as Pete, one of the unlucky orphans. Directed by one-hit wonder Philip S. Gilbert, who disappeared after making this. Maybe the orphans got him. Scripter Gil Lasky also wrote the screenplays for THE NIGHT GOD SCREAMED (1971), THE MANHANDLERS (1973) and MAMA'S DIRTY GIRLS (1974) and produced them all with then-partner Ed Carlin. Also starring Peter Armstrong and Maggie Corey. Future PSYCHO FROM TEXAS director Jim Feazell was an electrician on this. I got this off eBay on a DVD-R which was copied from and English language, Dutch-subtitled VHS tape. Rated PG.

BLOODRAGE (1980) - This film, also known as NEVER PICK UP A STRANGER, oozes the atmosphere of the sleazy 70's and is bound to upset even the steadiest of stomachs, not because it is overly bloody (it's not) but because of the matter-of-fact way that director Joseph Bigwood (actually Joseph Zito using a pseudonym) treats the material and characters. While the storyline is of the basic "serial killer murders prostitutes" formula, the acting and situations seem so natural and unhampered by not having a big budget (this is an extremely low budget effort) that it makes the killings all the more horrendous. A young peeping tom named Richard (Ian Scott) graduates from watching prostitutes doing their business to killing them. After his first kill (he finds it enjoyable) he moves to a room in the seedy Times Square area to be closer to his prey. As his killing spree continues, he becomes facinated with a prostitute (Judith-Marie Bergan) who lives across the alley. He watches her undress through the window and we hear his innermost thoughts via voice-over monologues. This proves to be his undoing. He is dogged by a vigilante cop (James Johnston) who would like to see him pay for the death of his hooker girlfriend. When Richard finally makes contact with the prostitute across the alley, she rebuffs his advances and he tries to kill her. She proves to be quite a fighter though and attacks Richard with a razor while two pimps (one being B-movie staple Irwin Keyes) hold him. The cop comes in the nick of time to save Richard. Without saying a word, the cop grabs hold of Richard and throws him out the window, sending him to his death. End of film. This precursor to HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER contains the same gut-grabbing intensity as John McNaughton's classic and should be on everyone's list as a must-see. I doubt that you'll find a more disturbing foray into the mind of a mass murderer. Also starring Lawrence Tierney (RESERVOIR DOGS - 1992). Joseph Zito also directed Judith-Marie Bergan in ABDUCTION (1975) as well as making THE PROWLER (1981), INVASION U.S.A. (1985) and many others. A Marquis Video Corp. Release. Unrated for pure sleaziness.

CAT IN THE CAGE (1978) - Unbelievably bad thriller that involves a man (Behrouz Wossoughi, the only dubbed voice in the entire cast) returning home after a short stay in a mental institution. His father (Frank De Kova, Chief Wild Eagle on F-Troop) has married his dead wife's nurse (Sybil Danning [PANTHER SQUAD - 1984], spelled "Cybil" in the credits). Together with the chauffeur (Mel Novak), she plans to bump off De Kova and inherit his vast fortune and estate. She runs into problems with Behrouz (he can't stand her) and his cat, Samson, who attacks her at every available moment. The first problem with this film is the cat. Samson is as about as vicious as a toothless frog (having two cats myself, I know what I'm talking about). The film's idea of showing his viciousness is by dangling a piece of string in front of him and photographing him swatting at it. In one flub, the cat is shown rubbing against Danning, showing her affection. Another detraction is the presence of Wossoughi (who is given an English name "Tony Bova" in the end credits), a Pakistani (?) actor (?) who looks out of place among the other players. He looks as much like De Kova's son as Eddie Murphy would look like David Duke's. It looks like someone owed somebody a big favor. Even though Colleen Camp (DEADLY GAMES, THE SEDUCERS) is top-billed, she has very little to do except to play Wossoughi's girlfriend (she's a great actress) and sing the title song. Technical gaffes, flubbed lines and some of the worst canned music to bleed my ears in quite a while flesh out the film. Speaking of flesh, Danning exposes a lot of it here (the only saving grace). Recommended for Danning completists only. Genesis Home Video offers this tape for $9.99 and can be found at finer (?) video stores and retail outlets. Director Tony Zarin Dast (aka Zarindast) went on to make the action thriller HARDCASE AND FIST (1989) and the ungodly howler WEREWOLF (1995). Unrated.

THE CENTERFOLD GIRLS (1974) - Psychopath Andrew Prine disposes of various naked centerfold girls with his trusty straight razor because he thinks the girls are corrupting the minds of the people who view their photos. That's basically the whole story except for the way it is told. This film is in three parts, each part focusing on a particular centerfold girl that Prine stalks. The first part is about a nurse who travels to a camp to apply for a job. Her home is invaded by hippies, who force her to drink alcohol and nearly rape her. She escapes and runs to the camp where owner Aldo Ray saves her. Ray then attempts to rape her, but gives up, saying she's not worth the trouble. Prine, who has been tracking her, enters the house and slits her throat. The second part concerns a model who travels to a secluded island with an entourage for a photo shoot. Prine follows the model onto the island and kills everyone one by one. The third part is about a stewardess (Tiffany Bolling) who realizes that Prine is after her after finding her look-alike friend dead in her apartment. She moves out and tries to hide, but Prine finds her. She escapes in her car, has a flat and gets picked-up by a couple of Marines who drug and rape her in a motel room. Prine finds her, they struggle and she stabs him repeatedly with a hunting knife. As he lies dying, Prine moans, "All I wanted to do was help you!" The End. If you like nudity (who doesn't?), you won't be disappointed with this film. Most of the actresses are naked the majority of the time. There's not much else to recommend here. The acting is sub-standard, the editing is terrible and the blood quotient is rather low. Andrew Prine (GRIZZLY - 1976) walks around in a daze, wearing black pants that are way too short with saddle shoes (quite a fashion statement!). Director John Peyser also made FOUR RODE OUT and KASHMIRI RUN (both 1969). The executive producer was Arthur Marks, who directed BONNIE'S KIDS (1972) and others. For nudity fans only. THE CENTERFOLD GIRLS also stars Ray Danton (who directed the abysmal CRYPT OF THE LIVING DEAD - 1973), Francine York, Jeremy Slate and Mike Mazurki. A Media Home Entertainment Video Release. Rated R.

CHOSEN SURVIVORS (1974) - A group of diverse people are drugged and helicoptered to a top secret underground government base, where a female government official with the name of Mary Louise Borden (Kelly Lange) pops-up on a giant computer screen to inform them that a global nuclear war has broken out and they were picked to "continue the human race". Ms. Borden also informs them that there are twelve other installations just like theirs scattered throughout the United States and that they have enough food and provisions to live underground for the next five years. Ms. Borden also tells them that when radiation levels on the surface reach the point that allows human life again, the elevator doors will open and let them return above ground. Major Gordon Ellis (Richard Jaeckel) then appears in person and shows them satellite footage of a nuclear-ravaged Earth. We are then introduced to all the characters and their idiosyncracies: Ray Couzins (Jackie Cooper), a corporation genius who doesn't buy into the nuclear war scenario and is looking for a way out; Peter Macomber (Bradford Dillman), a psychologist who studies the group and makes observations into a tape recorder; Kristen Lerner (Christina Moreno), a nutritionist who doesn't want to live; Alana Fitzgerald (Diana Muldaur), a Congresswoman; Woody Russo (Lincoln Kilpatrick), an Olympic gold medal winner; Steven Mayes (Alex Cord), a novelist; Luis Cabral (Pedro Armendariz Jr.), an oceanographer; Carrie Draper (Gwenn Mitchell), an ecology expert; Dr. Lenore Chrisman (Barbara Babcock), a Nobel Prize-winning medical researcher; and Claire Farraday (Nancy Rodman), a biologist. Before this group has a chance to worry about the predicament that they are in, they are attacked by a hungry swarm of rabid vampire bats. That's right, vampire bats. The bats have disrupted the lighting system (they only attack in the dark), so Major Ellis sets up an alarm system to warn them when the lights go out (the first attack happens when everyone is sleeping). Ray starts getting drunk and begins telling everyone how he feels (He tells Woody, "You're nothing but a goddamn stud!"), thinks this is all a conspiracy (he just may be right) and tries to rape Dr. Chrisman (turns out she likes it!). When Luis is killed by the bats, one of the members reveals that this was all an experiment (not much of a surprise), but when he tries to contact his superiors, he finds the bats have destroyed the rescue signal. He also makes it known that the government planned to kill them once the experiment was over. They have five more days of avoiding the bats (there's a failsafe involved) before troops come down to the base. Will anyone make it out alive?  This study in paranoia and isolation went virtually unseen after it's 1974 theatrical release (It did play on Canada's Scream channel, but how many people actually have that channel?) until it was released on DVD in 2007 as part of 20th Century Fox's Midnight Movies series. This is a rare bad guy role for Jackie Cooper and he's pretty good here, boozing it up and spouting vitriolic dialogue. He goes around pitting people against each other, bribing some with money and blackmailing others and does it with glee, making his character just as dangerous (if not moreso) as the bats. Even though he's the bad guy, it's his actions which gets everyone saved (even if they were strictly self-serving). The rest of the cast are pretty dreary (to be fair, their roles are underwritten) and take backstage to the bat attacks, which are filmed with a blue filter, probably to hide the more bloody attacks (since this is rated PG). The novel approach with how the group handle the bats (everyone gives a pint of blood, which they smear on a homemade electrified fence) is very well done, even if it doesn't work. I also liked how the daily pre-programmed videotaped announcements by Ms. Borden still played every morning, even after the ruse was exposed. Ms. Borden would tell them in different ways every day how important they were and how they should get on with repopulating humanity, making everything after the expose quite sarcastic. The film reminded me of THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN (1971), with it's themes of isolation and both contain outside forces beyond their control (deadly germs vs. deadly bats) and a long, dangerous climb up a shaft to safety. CHOSEN SURVIVORS does contain some bloody scenes that belie it's PG rating (Kristin & Woody's deaths), but this was the 70's after all. Directed by Sutton Roley, who mainly directed episodic TV (he died in 2007), but he did direct one other theatrical film, THE LONERS (1972), as well as the MFTV films SWEET, SWEET RACHEL (1971) and SATAN'S TRIANGLE (1975). Filmed in Mexico City's Churubusco Studios. A 20th Century Fox DVD release as part of a double bill with THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING (1964). Rated PG. Other 70's films concerning bats include THE BAT PEOPLE (1974) and NIGHTWING (1979).

THE COMEBACK (1977) - Director Pete Walker makes a bloody good thriller here as retired pop singer Nick Cooper (Jack Jones) decides to come out of retirement after divoricing his wife (Holly Palance) of six years. In the beginning we witness the bloody slaughter of his wife with a sickle (her hand is chopped off and face and body brutally slashed) by someone wearing a rubber witch mask. Nick's manager Webster Jones (David Doyle) sets him up in an old mansion in England to settle down and write and record some new songs. Pretty soon he begins hearing the cries and screams of a woman at night and views a rotting body in a wheelchair and then the maggot-filled head of his ex-wife (who he doesn't know is dead) in a hatbox in the basement.  He cracks up and is committed to an institution as no one else, including housekeeper Mrs. B (Sheila Keith) can see or hear the body and noises. He is then set free and sets out to solve the mystery of who is trying to drive him mad. Could it be his manager? His new girlfriend (Pamela Stephenson)? Mrs. and Mr. B (Bill Owen)? Or is he just mad, like everyone thinks? Needless to say, the denouement is outrageous (you would never guess why in a million years) and the outcome bloody and inconclusive (as the final freeze-frame accentuates). Real-life singer Jones makes a better singer than actor, but he begins to get into a groove here that makes the proceedings seem more realistic than if a professional actor were to have taken the role. There are exactly three murders here and they are bloody and shocking (especially Holly Palance's). The blood is extremely red and flows freely. Sheila Keith is no stranger to Pete Walker films, appearing in his HOUSE OF WHIPCORD and FRIGHTMARE (aka FRIGHTMARE II - both 1974), THE CONFESSIONAL (1975) and HOUSE OF THE LONG SHADOWS (1983). Her looks could melt cement and her acting ability always induced goosebumps. This is one old lady you would not want to have as a babysitter! THE COMEBACK, also known as THE DAY THE SCREAMING STOPPED and ENCORE, is one of Pete Walker's best films and I, for one, wish he would get back in the directorial chair and make the kind of films that made England famous in the 70's: namely, blood-soaked psycho-thrillers that keep you guessing and make you jump. A Karl Lorimar Video Release. Not Rated.

CROSS CURRENT (1971) - This giallo film opens with some unknown person reading a letter, crumpling it up, grabbing a gun out of a desk drawer and then kicking a door in, the gun ready to fire. The film then switches to a cigarette boat race on the ocean. Someone has tampered with the pin of the steering column of a boat piloted by Marco Breda (Philippe Leroy; MILANO CALIBRO 9 - 1972), causing the boat to crash while traveling at a high rate of speed and putting Marco in the hospital with serious head trauma. The doctor explains to Marco's wife, Monica (Elga Andersen) and his brother, Burt (Ivan Rassimov; SPASMO - 1974), that the only way to save Marco's life is with a risky brain operation. Monica tells the doctor to perform the operation and Marco survives, only he has lost his memory. Marco returns home (he insists that he drives home, even though he has a chauffeur, something he never did pre-memory loss) and is surrounded by people that are his friends, although he doesn't remember any of them (he does have quick flashes of the boating "accident"). At a dinner party at his home, Marco receives a phonecall by someone claiming to be Sante, Marco's former gardener. He tells Marco that he "must remember" and to meet him at the cemetery alone at midnight, which seems to visibly upset both Monica and Burt. That night, while Marco waits at the cemetery, someone wearing black gloves strangles Sante and then runs over him with a car. Police Inspector Baldini (Julio Pena), who is already investigating Marco's boating mishap (he hints that he thinks it was sabotage), arrives at the villa to inform everyone that Sante is dead and he believes the last phonecall made to him came from a phone booth located just outside the villa gates. Both Monica and friend (and fellow boat pilot) Tommy Brown (Franco Ressel; EYE IN THE LABRYINTH - 1972) let Marco believe that they saw him sneak out of the villa the night before, but Marco denies it. That night, someone stabs Tommy at the boatyard, killing him. As the plot becomes much too complicated to describe here, Marco begins to get his memory back little pieces at a time. As he tries to fit the puzzle pieces of his life back together, a few questions rise to the forefront: Why won't Monica make love to Marco? Just what was Terry's (Rosanna Yanni; HUNCHBACK OF THE MORGUE - 1973) relationship with Marco before his accident? Is it possible that Marco is actually the killer or is someone setting him up? When Marco seemingly kills himself trying to get away from the police in a car chase, the antagonists turn on and then kill each other until only one is left. If you haven't already guessed, there's a surprise ending that explains everything.  This fairly standard giallo film, directed by Tonino Ricci (PANIC - 1976; RAIDERS OF THE MAGIC IVORY - 1988), is pretty rough going for seasoned giallo fans, but casual viewers will probably be more entertained. The fact that it took five people (including Ricci) to write this film's screenplay, a routine "lets frame the brother/husband for murder since our attempt on his life failed and another attempt to murder him would throw up too many red flags", makes the viewer wish there were more meat to the plot. Setting the film in the realm of cigarette boat culture (where the speedboats spend more time in the air than the water as they zip across the surface of the ocean) is a unique idea, but it's unfortunately underused. Toss in a severe lack of nudity (only one scene) and bloody violence and all the viewer has to occupy their time is the mystery itself and it's not a hard mystery to solve. The use of amnesia as a major plot element is nothing new, especially in mystery films, and it's woefully mishandled here. As with most 70's giallo films, there's a scene at a disco (miniskirt alert), POV shots by the killer (always wearing black gloves, of course) and a short car chase. I really can't recommend this film (just because it's rare doesn't mean it's good) unless you're a gialli completist or newbie. The only true highlight is Giorgio Gaslini's infectious music score, including the unusual opening tune, which has a hook that will take days to leave your head. Future director Flavio Mogherini (THE PYJAMA GIRL CASE - 1977) was the Art Director here. Also starring Franco Fantasia, Rina Franchetti, Giorgio Cerioni, Liana Del Balzo, Carla Mancini, Franco Balducci and a cameo from Italian speedboat champion Vincenzo Balestrieri. Never legally available on U.S. home video, the print I viewed was taken from an English-dubbed, Greek-subtitled VHS tape. Not Rated.

DARK FORCES (1983) - When magician/clown Gregory Wolfe (Robert Powell) cures terminally ill child Alex Rast (Mark Spain) at his birthday party, it brings him to the attention of Alex's father, Nick Rast (David Hemmings), a prominent politician who is the unknowing puppet of spinmaster Doc Wheelan (Broderick Crawford). Wolfe also brings out the interest in Alex's mother, Sandra (Carmen Duncan), who begins to fall in love with him. The whole premise of this film is if Wolfe is the real deal; a healer who can perform miracles or a con man with ulterior motives. No one is able to dig up any information on his past, so Doc Wheelan fabricates some incriminating information on Wolfe to turn Nick and Sandra against him. Wolfe performs some feats of magic at a dinner party (including cutting a dove in half with a flying cymbal and moving an absess from the mouth of a wealthy dowager down to her fingertip). Is Wolfe real or a fake? Is he just a hypnotist and magician or something beyond the natural? You'll have to watch the film to get the answers because to say any more would be revealing too much. Director Simon Wincer, who made such films as THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN (aka NIGHT AFTER HALLOWEEN, aka SNAPSHOT -1979), HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THE MARLBORO MAN (1991) and TV's miniseries LONESOME DOVE (1989) and other TV Westerns as of late, has crafted a sly political thriller with supernatural overtones. Robert Powell (THE ASPHYX -1973) is simply astounding as Wolfe (as in sheep's clothing), keeping the viewer off-balance as to who, or what, he really is. This film, also known as HARLEQUIN (due to the costume Powell wears at the film's conclusion) throws the viewer subtle clues to Wolfe's real identity, but you'll probably have to watch it several times to get it all (HINT: Video cameras don't lie.). This is an excellent way to spend 96 minutes, especially if you don't mind using your brain instead of witnessing mindless violence. A Media Home Entertainment Release. RATED PG due to the dove incident and several gunshot wounds. This is for fans of cerebral thrillers and should not be missed!

DARK SANITY (1978) - Technically inept but strangely intriguing psychological thriller. Ex-alcoholic wife and workaholic husband move into a house where a brutal murder occurred a year before. A woman  was chopped to pieces with an axe and her head was never found. As soon as the wife steps through the door she begins to have visions of the murder much to the disapproval of her husband. She had a nervous breakdown due to alcoholism years before and her husband does not want it to happen again. This self-serving bastard cares more about making a good impression with his boss than with the welfare of his wife.She meets some strange people in her neighborhood: Her next door neighbor, a woman with a cheating husband, introduces herself with some sexually frank talk. Her gardener, a balding weirdo, loves to get media attention.. An ex-cop (Aldo Ray) has the same visions she does. He believes the wrong man was convicted of the murder and the killer is still at large. He was right. It turns out that their visions are not of the past murder but of a future murder. Choppy editing, canned music, vaseline lenses, flubbed lines and bad acting actually add to the ambience of this rarely seen film. This one was made during the nadir of' the late Aldo Ray's career and he lends an air of professionalism to an otherwise amateur affair. While most of you will probably think I'm nuts for recommending this one, it did keep my attention. That's more than I can say about most of' the films I watch. Although this film is Unrated it would probably get a PG-13 today, as there is no nudity, only mild swearing and shots of a decapitated head and hand. It is still facinating to watch if you are in the right frame of mind. Also starring Kory Clark and Charles Jamison. Directed by Martin Green (FOOTSTEPS IN THE SNOW - 1966). DARK SANITY is also known as STRAIGHT JACKET. A Prism Entertainment Home Video Release.

DEADLY GAMES (1980) - Rule Number One when making a thriller: Have an ending that doesn't make you scream, "What the FUCK!!!.". Someone dressed all in black (including ski mask) is killing the loose women of a small town. Keegan Lawrence (Jo Ann Harris of RAPE SQUAD [1974]), the sister of one of the dead women, comes back to the town looking for answers. What she finds is a town of offbeat women and even stranger men. She strikes up a relationship with police detective Roger Lane (Sam Groom of DEADLY EYES), who has a sickly and scarred friend named Billy Owens (Steve Railsback of ED GEIN) that Roger saved during the Vietnam War. Billy runs the local movie theater where it seems only old films are shown. More women are killed and Keegan starts falling for Roger (who has a hidden mean streak). Since there aren't that many red herrings in this film to fill a can of sardines, it's easy to spot who the killer is. It's just that the ending is shot haphazardly and stops on a freeze frame that makes no sense. I wanted to reach through the TV and grab director/writer Scott Mansfield, shake him violently and let him feel how all the viewers of his film must have felt after watching 85 minutes of his film without getting a payoff. The action is bloodless, the suspense lacking and the nudity is non-existant except for the first five minutes. Not much of a thriller if you ask me unless you like endless talking and inane dialogue. Is it too much to ask for my 85 minutes back? Also starring Coleen Camp, Dick Butkus, Denise Galik, Robin Hoff and a blink-and-you'll-miss cameo by June Lockhart. Shown on TV under the title THE ELIMINATOR. A Monterey Home Video Release. If you want a real laugh, read the first paragraph on the back of the video box. It's a real hoot. Rated R.

DEADLY HARVEST (1977) - In the year 1979, the United States suffers it's second straight year of drought and lack of crops, forcing the government to impose martial law and curfews, closing up all the borders and stopping all long distance phone calls (One government official suggests that euthanasia should be lawful and that all the elderly and prisoners should be killed!). It's not long before everyone becomes hungry and people begin breaking the law to get their hands on anything edible. Midwest farmer Grant Franklin (Clint Walker) and his family must protect themselves and their small food reserves from raiders. Things go bad when their last cow is shot and stolen by the evil Mort Logan (Nehemiah Persoff) and his sons (they sing "Old MacDonald Had A Farm" as they drive away with the cow's carcass). Grant's hothead son Michael (Geraint Wyn Davies, billed here as "Gary Davies") joins forces with corrupt town sheriff Frank Wilcox (Dwayne McLean) to patrol all the farms for interlopers and becomes directly involved in giving an old man (Tim Whelan) a heart attack, killing him. The old man's son, Charles Ennis (David Brown) vows revenge. Ennis goes to black marketeer Mort Logan and makes a deal with him. Ennis knows that Grant's daughter Susan (a young Kim Cattrell) is getting married tomorrow (where all the neighbors plan to show up with gifts of food) and he will give Logan all the details for a percentage of the food. Logan and his goons invade the wedding, steal the food and kill Grant's wife Leah (Dawn Greenhalgh) and Susan's new husband John (Jim Henshaw), when Wilcox and Michael get into a shootout with them. The normally peaceable Grant shifts into revenge mode and heads to the big city to get some justice. Grant first stops at Ennis' house, where he learns of Michael's involvement in the death of Ennis' father and that Logan is on his way back to Grant's farm for some payback (A guilt-ridden Ennis poisons his family's last meal, killing them all [off screen]). Grant races back to his farm, where Michael is holding off Logan's men with a rifle. Grant arrives and has a final showdown with Logan, crushing him in his car with a bulldozer. I just love a happy ending.  This minor Canadian-made thriller is too preachy for it's own good. While director Timothy Bond (THE SHADOW MEN - 1998, and too many Canadian TV series to mention) does a good job portraying a society that would do nearly anything to get their hands on their next meal, he pulls back when it comes to showing the violence. The bleak Canadian landscapes (substituting for the Midwest U.S.) greatly enhance the proceedings (global warming has made it snow in August), but the total lack of action, even during the wedding raid and the final assault on Grant's farm (which consists of a couple of bullet hits and a lame-ass car chase) makes it a long, boring ride for most viewers. Clint Walker (KILLDOZER - 1974), who normally makes for a stiff hero, is positively wooden here and is not given very much to do but act as the voice of reason. Even when he gets his revenge on Logan in the finale, he still does it with a stiff upper lip. The Al Gore documentary on global warming, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (2006), had more action than this did. DEADLY HARVEST is deadly dull.  While I applaud its ideas, the execution is lacking. This film is boring with a capital B. Scripter Martin Lager, also wrote some episodes for the boring TV Series THE STARLOST (1973-74) and the screenplay to the snoozefest called THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME (1978), which helps explain why this film moves slower than molasses in winter. Also starring Tami Tucker, John Stoneham, Cec Linder, Jan Rubes and Peter Jobin. A New World Video Release. Also available on a budget DVD from Westlake Entertainment. Not Rated, but no stronger than a PG. 

DEATH VALLEY (1981) - Uneven mixture of family drama and slasher genres. A young boy named Billy (Peter Billingsley; A CHRISTMAS STORY - 1983) is separated from his father Paul (Edward Herrmann; THE LOST BOYS - 1987) when divorced mom, Sally (Catherine Hicks; CHILD'S PLAY - 1988), decides to take an extended vacation and uproots Billy from his New Jersey home and heads to Death Valley, Arizona, where Sally reconnects with high school boyfriend Mike (Paul Le Mat; GRAVE SECRETS - 1989). Young Billy, who is a stickler for details, takes an instant dislike to Mike and proves to be a handful, as the trio head off on a road trip through the desert, their destination being a Wild West show at a popular ghost town tourist attraction. On their way, they pull over to stretch their legs and Billy wanders off, ending up in a parked RV where an unseen serial killer has just murdered a young couple. Billy notices a frog-shaped necklace on the RV's floor and pockets it, but before he can discover the dead bodies, Mike enters and they leave. The killer, who drives a late-50's gold-colored Chevrolet (the type with a bullet-shaped front bumper), thinks Billy knows something and begins following the trio. When they stop at a diner for a bite to eat, Billy notices that one of the workers, Hal (Stephen McHattie; THE DARK - 1993), is wearing the identical frog necklace that he stole from the RV. At the scene of an accident (it's actually the RV that the killer dumped over an abutment), a guilt-ridden Billy turns the necklace over to the Sheriff (Wilford Brimley; AMERICAN JUSTICE - 1985), who immediately recognizes it. It seems a series of similar murders have been plaguing the area for years and the Sheriff  now has a clue as to who the killer is. When the Sheriff goes to Hal's home and confronts him with the evidence, Hal tells him that it must be his brother Stu's necklace, but when the Sheriff leaves the house, someone plants a pickaxe in his chest. At the Wild West show, the killer disguises himself as one of the stuntmen and tries to kill Billy with real bullets, but fails. Oblivious to what is happening to them, Billy, Sally and Mike continue on with their vacation and Billy begins to warm to Mike. Mom and Mike leave Billy with a babysitter while they have a night on the town and the killer strikes, slitting the babysitter's throat. Hal makes an unannounced visit to Billy's motel room, but Billy manages to escape. The film concludes with Mike killing Hal and the real killer finally revealing himself. If I have to tell you who it is, it's time for you to get a brainscan, because you may have a tumor blocking your basic reasoning skills (And, no, it's not Billy's father!). This is an unfortunately easy-to-solve whodunit which is marred by way too much family drama and too many convenient coincidences (especially the conversation Mike overhears in a bar that lets him know that Billy is in real peril). Director Dick Richards (FAREWELL MY LOVELY - 1975; HEAT - 1986), working with a screenplay by Richard Rothstein (HUMAN EXPERIMENTS - 1980; UNIVERSAL SOLDIER - 1992), offers too many obvious misdirections, as it should be clear to even the most brain-damaged individuals that when Hal mentions his brother Stu, it has to be a twin brother. That can be forgiven if all the personal issues between Billy and Mike weren't so pat and unrealistic. While I have no problem with Billy disliking possible new stepfather Mike, I do have a problem with Mike telling outright lies to Billy about the history of the Wild West, especially since Billy is so well versed on the subject. Wouldn't Sally have informed Mike about what a smart little pecker Billy really is? This film is so full of questionable situations like that and they all go unanswered. The violence is also fairly mild for a slasher flick, just a couple of sliced throats, the pickaxe murder and a shooting. There's one brief shot of nudity early in the film and then it's boob-free (unless you count some of the characters' motivations). Peter Billingsley, in his feature film debut, gets to fire a real gun in the finale, which is the film's most disturbing scene. An unsuccessful mixture of KRAMER VS. KRAMER meets FRIDAY THE 13TH. The desert location photography is the film's best asset, but not enough to save it. Also starring Mary Steelsmith and Jack O'Leary. Released on VHS by MCA Home Video in the early-80's and not yet available on DVD. Rated R.

A DEMON IN MY VIEW (1991) - The late Anthony Perkins, in one of his last performances, stars in this German psychodrama set in London. He plays his patented PSYCHO-type role: an anal retentive, woman-hating strangler who can only get his jollies by making love to a mannequin he keeps locked up in the basement of the apartment complex he lives in. We can trace his problems back to his childhood (shown in flashbacks). When his mother died, he was forced to live with his aunt who treated him like a girl. One flashback shows Perkin's aunt making him babysit a infant girl while she goes out. He sticks the baby continuously with a safety pin and washes out the bloody diaper to hide what he has done. This leads to a series of unsolved strangulations of women which has lasted well over twenty years. When a man (Uwe Bohn), who has the same last name as Perkins' character, moves into his apartment building, complications arise. This young man is carrying on a long distance love affair with a married woman (Sophie Ward) and when he burns Perkins' mannequin in effigy on Guy Faulks Day, Perkins goes madder than usual and decides to get even. In between strangulations he intercepts his neighbor's mail (remember, they both have the same last name) and writes to the married woman, saying that the affair is over. The plan backfires though, as the woman leaves her husband and comes to London to find out what went wrong. In an ironic finale, Perkins is shot dead by her jealous husband, who mistakenly thinks he is her lover. Perkins made one more film (TV's IN THE DEEP WOODS) before succumbing to AIDS in 1992. I'm still reeling from the loss. Unfortunately, A DEMON IN MY VIEW is not a fitting tribute to the grand master of psychotic roles. Not that this is a bad film. As a matter of fact, Perkins is able to display more emotion with a simple facial expression than most actors would be able to do with twenty pages of dialogue. It's just that this film is slow and uninvolving and lacks the gore and nudity one expects from this type of film. Directed and written by Petra Haffter (CRASH KIDS - 1996). A Vidmark Entertainment Release. Rated R.

DOPPELGANGER (1992) - Slow and uninvolving murder mystery somewhat redeemed by an unexpected slimy and splattery finale (supplied by the KNB effects wizards). Drew Barrymore portrays a confused girl who believes she has a doppelganger, an evil ghostly twin who murders people for the sheer delight of it. After her mother is murdered in New York (the police believe Drew did it but don't have enough evidence to hold her), Drew heads to L.A. to escape her dilemma. She shares an apartment with aspiring writer George Newbern (ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING - 1987), who begins to notice that Drew is a little peculiar. After talking to Drew's psychiatrist (Dennis Christopher), he learns that Drew's father repeatedly raped her as a child. Drew's brother caught him in the act and threw his father out the window, killing Dad and putting poor brother in a permanent coma. Basically, Dennis explains to George, Drew is an emotionally fucked-up wreck and her doppelganger theory is her way to escape reality. Murders begin to happen that are tied directly to Drew (including a knife attack on her comatose brother) and George has a run-in with an FBI agent (who doesn't really exist) and is chased down an alley by Drew's supposedly dead father. Together with his writing partner (a star turn by Leslie Hope), George slowly uncovers the mystery. When Drew is abducted by her double, George steps in to save the day, unmasking the killer as none other than headshrinker Dennis. Besides being a damned good make-up artist, it seems that Dennis is madly in love with Drew. Enough, in fact, to try and get her committed so he can have her all to himself. Everything up to this point is standard slasher material. If you have managed to stay awake this long, make sure your eyes are open for the final ten minutes. It crosses over into surreal territory and is a real surprise. Competently acted by the cast, this film could have used a shot of adrenalin in its first 90 minutes. Drew does manage to appear nude once (in a blood shower sequence, a common occurence in horror films). Director Avi Nesher also made the comical fantasy SHE (1983) and the excellent actioners TIMEBOMB (1991) and MERCENARY (1997). If DOPPELGANGER had managed to maintain the kinetic energy of its final ten minutes throughout the entire film, it would have been a classic. A Fox Video Release. Rated R.

A DRAGONFLY FOR EACH CORPSE (1973) - A junkie buys some smack off the street and drives home, unaware that an unknown black-gloved, hooded killer is following him. As the junkie is shooting-up in his home, the killer pulls out a sword hidden in his/her overcoat and hacks the junkie to death. Inspector Paolo Scaporella (Paul Naschy) is assigned to the case because, just like another murder he is investigating, the killer has left a dragonfly on the dead body. What could this possibly mean? The killer strikes again, this time stabbing a prostitute to death as she walks on the sidewalk. The dragonfly murders are a make-it-or-break-it case for Paolo, as his superiors view him as a hot-headed violent cop (when we first see him, he's about to strike an elderly flasher), who's career could be over if he doesn't solve this string of murders. The hooded killer than chops-up three naked, drugged-out people in an apartment with a hatchet and then destroys their stash of pot and pills. He also leaves a dragonfly on each victim. Paolo sees a pattern emerging (can you?) and finds an important clue: One of the latest murdered victims is clutching a button that was ripped-off the killer's overcoat. Paolo's wife, Silvana (Erika Blanc), who works for one of the country's top fashion designers, is able to discern that the button has come from a woman's coat, and an expensive one at that. Paolo goes to a party thrown by Silvana's boss and a Professor (Eduardo Calvo) there gives Paolo an historical (and valuable) lesson in dragonflies and their signifigance in the murders. It becomes apparent to the viewer that one of the guests at this party is the killer, but which one is it? The Professor is into kinky, necrophelia-like sex (where prostitutes lay in a coffin motionless), but the stripper he is about to do it with is hacked apart by the killer with a hatchet as she lays waiting in a casket (We see the killer chop-off her hand). Paolo's investigation leads him to a high-class pimp named Muhammed, who has secret dealings with Ingrid (Maria Kosti), a member of the party that Paolo and Silvana attended, but Paolo is beaten-up by a gang of Nazi paraphenalia-wearing goons before he can question him. On Paolo's birthday the next day, a giftwrapped package arrives at his home, containing the head of Muhammed and a note from "The Dragonfly" telling Paolo that he/she is going to clean up this "corrupt city" and that he/she plans on murdering all those responsible "one-by-one until the city is clean". When Paolo's stoolie ends up dead (with a dragonfly stuffed in his mouth) after phoning him saying he has important information, Paolo figures out that the killer is someone he knows. Silvana's boss also supplies an important clue about the origin of the button: A Hitler-worshipping designer who committed suicide a week earlier. Can Paolo solve this mystery before more people end up dead? Like all good mysteries, the denouement is a killer.  This Spanish/Italian giallo, written by Paul Naschy (using his real name, Jacinto Molina) and directed skillfully by frequent Naschy collaborator Leon Klimovsky (WEREWOLF SHADOW - 1971; DR. JEKYLL AND THE WOLFMAN - 1972; THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THE DARK - 1975), is one of the best European murder mysteries of the early 70's. This contains all the giallo staples: A gloved, masked killer; plenty of gory murders; nudity; and slowly unravelling clues. This mystery is very involving and some of the murders are quite good, especially the stripper in the coffin. As with most giallo films, there is no shortage of red herrings, but DRAGONFLY contains people who are necrophiliacs, transvestites, obviously gay (Silvana's boss), Nazi bikers and gangsters. Also, as with a lot of giallo films, a photo (and a drawing) holds an important clue in solving the mystery. When Silvana thinks she's figured it out, a stubborn Paolo says to her, "Conclusions! Intuitions! What I need are realities!" as he storms out the door. This sets up the film's excellent conclusion, which I will leave for you to discover. This is a rare example of Naschy portraying a good, if flawed, regular joe rather than a werewolf, hunchback or bloodthirsty criminal. The rest of the cast, staffed by Spaniards, except for the lovely Italian Erika Blanc (THE DEVIL'S NIGHTMARE - 1971; MARK OF THE DEVIL PART II - 1973), perform admirably, although the reveal of the killer at the end could have used a little more punch. Also starring Susana Mayo, Angel Aranda, Ricardo Merino and Ramon Centenero. Never legally available on home video in the U.S., the print I viewed was ripped from a British VHS tape from Video Unlimited. Not Rated.

EBOLA SYNDROME (1996) - When Kai (Anthony Wong) is caught screwing his boss' wife, he is forced to kill his boss, cut out the wife's tongue and castrate a co-worker. He is about to kill the boss' young daughter when he is interrupted. He flees to Johannesburg, South Africa and takes a job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. Ten years pass and guess who visits the restaurant? Why, it's none other than the dead boss' daughter, all grown up. She recognizes him and gets physically ill, not knowing what she is going to do about the situation. Kai has a severe sexual problem: He likes to rape women and will do anything to get a piece. We witness Kai offering white women in bars money for sex only to be rebuffed and thrown out. We also see Kai jerking off into a piece of pork while listening to his boss have sex with his wife. He then serves that piece of pork to a complaining customer! Things get considerably worse when Kai and his boss visit an African village looking for some cheap pigs to buy. Some of the villagers are dying of some unknown disease but that doesn't stop them from buying the pigs. On their way back the truck breaks down and Kai sees a Zulu woman passed out in the grass. Not one to pass up an easy lay, he rapes her only to have her die and spew fluid all over his face. He is now a carrier of the Ebola virus and he will cause many people to die before this film finally ends.  This vile, nasty film is so unpleasant to watch that I nearly turned it off. Nearly. Anthony Wong (HARD BOILED - 1993; DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE - 1999; TIME AND TIDE - 2000) plays Kai as a man with absolutely no redeeming qualities. He takes advantage of every opportunity and doesn't hesitate to rape and kill anyone he takes a dislike to. When he finds out that he is carrying the Ebola virus, he runs around spitting on people! This is strong stuff, folks, so be prepared for scenes of rape, castration, beheadings, dismemberments, autopsies, dead children and the effects of the Ebola virus. The camera shies away from nothing here. The difference between this film and THE STORY OF RICKY (1991) is that RICKY's violence is so over-the-top that it's funny. There's nothing funny about the violence in EBOLA SYNDROME. Director Herman Yau (UNTOLD STORY - 1992; COP IMAGE - 1994; ADVENTUROUS TREASURE ISLAND - 1996)  has made a film so relentlessly bleak that I cannot recommend it to anyone except those with an ironclad stomach and a will to match. The English subtitles are good for a laugh, though. When a character says "Fuck!" the English subtitles translate it to say "Gee fuck!" This could only happen in Hong Kong. Also starring Law Mon and Chan Mui Ying. A Mo Asia DVD Release. Not Rated.

EYE IN THE LABYRINTH (1972) - Julie (Rosemary Dexter) has a nightmare where her boyfriend Lucas (Horst Frank) is viciously stabbed to death by some black glove-wearing assailant. When she wakes up, she finds out that Lucas is missing and hasn't shown up at the psychiatric hospital, where he worked as a doctor. After leaving the hospital and going back home, Julie finds a mysterious sunglass-wearing stranger waiting for her. He slaps her around while asking her where Lucas is and when she answers that she doesn't know, he leaves but warns her to keep her mouth shut. Of course, curiosity gets the best of Julie and one word, "Maracudi", seems to be the link to Lucas' disappearance. The investigation leads Julie to the small strange town of Maracudi, where someone tries to kill her (by dropping a ceiling on her in an abandoned building) when she mentions Lucas' name. She meets an all-too-friendly elderly gentleman named Frank (Adolfo Celi) in town and he puts her up in a boardinghouse run by a weird spinster and a peeping tom artist named Saro (Benjamin Lev). The boardinghouse walls are full of paintings done by local artists and one of them will lead Julie to the truth about Lucas' disappearance. Frank sends Julie to a villa owned by Gerda (Alida Valli) that's a commune full of oddball artists and actors, in her search for Lucas. Julie spends the night (her clothes are stolen when she goes skinnydipping in the ocean), plays Scrabble with the residents (she spells "assassino", which visibly upsets some players) and notices a book in Gerda's library which looks exactly like a book she gave Lucas, but Gerda denies it (Later on, Julie sneaks down to the library for a peek at the book and it is, indeed, the same book she gave Lucas). Frank (who we find out is an American gangster living in exile) takes an unhealthy interest in Julie, checking-up on her constantly (even phoning her and hanging up) and he eventually tries to kiss her, but she rebuffs him. In Julia's continuing investigation, she discovers that Frank and Gerda were once lovers and business partners (their business being of the illegal variety), Lucas raped one of Gerda's residents, photographer Toni (Sybil Danning, here billed as "Sybill Dunning") and that Saro may have painted Lucas' murder. This all leads to another attempt on Julie's life, where she is locked in a garage with a running car. Frank saves her, but it becomes clear that everyone in this town (including Julia) is harboring one secret or another. Will Julie be able to uncover the truth about Lucas' disappearance before it's too late?  This Italian/German co-production, directed by Mario Caiano (NIGHTMARE CASTLE - 1965; THE MANIAC RESPONSIBLE - 1975; NAZI LOVE CAMP 27 - 1977) is an interesting giallo film, full of weird angles and camera flourishes. As the film progresses, it becomes apparent to the viewer (and eventually Julie) that Lucas is/was a real son-of-a-bitch. As we learn in flashbacks from the people in town who have had contact with Lucas, he was a rapist, blackmailer (a surprising scene where one of the major characters turns out to be a transgender), drug dealer and much worse. We just have to figure out who hated him the most (The answer is not that surprising, as the clues are there if you look for them). While not particularly bloody (save for the opening nightmare sequence, which looks to have been influenced by German impressionist films of the 20's), the film is still an enjoyable murder mystery, where the actresses get naked as much as possible and Julie is constantly put in a lot of danger (the brake line in her car is cut; someone shoots a speargun bolt at her; etc.), but she somehow survives it all. The weird jazz soundtrack also enhances the film, adding a spark of atmosphere to the chase and death scenes. Adolfo Celi (MANHUNT - 1972; LIVE LIKE A COP, DIE LIKE A MAN - 1976) manages to steal every scene he is in. He's able to invoke sympathy and menace, sometimes in the same scene. Director Caiano bathes the film in yellows (a giallo staple) and blues, lighting scenes in neon colors and outfitting people in bright primary colors (at one point, Julie drieves her yellow Fiat into a BP gas station and all we see is yellow!). Colors also play an important part in solving the mystery, so pay attention from the very beginning. EYE IN THE LABYRINTH is an excellent giallo and, like all good giallo films, contains a wicked sting at the end. Also starring Michael Mayen, Franco Ressel, Gigi Rizzi, Peter Kranz, Gaetano Donati and Elisa Mainardi. Never legally available on home video in the U.S., the version I viewed was ripped from a widescreen Dutch-subtitled VHS tape on the Film Lab label. Not Rated.

555 (1988) - While I generally frown upon shot-on-video movies, I decided to rent this one after reading so many scathing reviews of it just to see if it was as really bad as they said. It isn’t. As a matter of fact, it is probably better than 90% of the shot-on-video shit that lines the video stores shelves. Still, we’re talking video here, so don’t go in expecting much. A serial killer is cutting up young lovemaking couples in Chicago. Two distraught cops try to search for clues to the killer’s identity while trying to avoid a nosey female reporter who is not fond of the police. The cops are able to trace the killer’s tracks back 20 years. It seems that every five years he kills five couples in five days (hence the title) and then disappears. Since four couples have been killed this time, time is running out. The cops unmask the killer after the reporter supplies them with some vital information on someone she used to date. This is by no means a good film, but it does have some positive points. It is decently acted, something you usually don’t find in a film of this type. The effects aren’t halfway bad either. There’s a decapitation, a throat slashing, a knife shoved clear through a neck and various sharp blade mayhem. Just remember that we’re talking about a home movie budget here, so don’t expect anything on par with shot-on-film movies. Director Wally Koz tries really hard to get the most out of his meager budget and he generally succeeds. It may have helped that the entire Koz family worked both behind and in front of the camera. With more money and a 16mm camera, he may be able to make something that I could praise. Until then, he’ll just get a “nice try”. 555 stars Greg Kerouac, Mara-Lynn Bastian, Charles Fuller, B.K. Smith and Bob Grabill as “The Killer” (which is a cheat). A Slaughterhouse Entertainment Home Video Release. Not Rated.

THE FRENCH SEX MURDERS (1972) - This mystery thriller, narrated by French Police Inspector Pontaine (Humphrey Bogart lookalike Robert Sacchi). opens with the Inspector and his men chasing an unknown figure up the Eiffel Tower. When the figure falls off the top of the tower, the Inspector flashes-back to how it all began. Thief Antoine Gottvalles (Peter Martell) is in love with prostitute Francine (Barbara Bouchet) and will do anything to be with her, including robbing mansions of expensive jewelry to finance his visits to see her at the high-class brothel run by Madame Coletta (Anita Ekberg). When Francine is brutally murdered at the brothel, the Inspector thinks Antoine is the guilty party because he was Fancine's last customer before she died (We see Antoine slap her around and call her a "whore" when she goes to meet her next customer, but we don't see him kill her). The Inspector catches Antoine rather easily, he is brought to trial, found guilty and sentenced to death by guillotine. Antoine swears his innocence and curses all those in attendance at his trial, including the judge, Madame Colette, ex-wife Marianne (Rosalba Neri), forensics expert Professor Waldemar (Howard Vernon), writer Randall (Renato Romano) and other prostitutes that testified against him. Antoine escapes from custody when being transferred to prison and steals a motorcycle, but he is beheaded in a freak accident while evading the police. Why then are the people he lashed-out against in court being murdered? Inspector Pontaine now believes that Antoine was set-up and intends to find out who did it. The Professor pulls some strings and obtains Antoine's severed head and orders his assistant, Roget (William Alexander), who is having a secret affair with the Professor's mysterious daughter Elenora (Evelyn Kraft of THE MIGHTY PEKING MAN - 1977), to remove the right eye from Antoine's head. As Roget is doing so, he swears that he saw the pupil of the eye contract, which is a medical impossibility. Madame Colette is brutally murdered with a lamp by an unknown gloved assailant. The next to die is the judge. His throat is cut while his cheating wife is screwing her lover in the next room. When some of the prostitutes and Marianne are murdered next, the Inspector finds a clue in Randall's writings that proves that one of the women still alive use to be a prostitute in Madame Colette's brothel. As the Inspector and his men race to warn Randall that he may be next, they are too late (they find Marianne beheaded and another girl with her eyes cut out). Randall has been run-through with a sword, but he has scrawled an "M" on the floor in his own blood. After a short investigation, the Inspector realizes that Randall actually wrote a "W" on the floor, which leads to the real killer and the chase to the top of the Eiffel Tower in the beginning of the film.  This early 70's French/Itallian giallo, directed by Ferdinando Merrighi (who was also First Assistant Director on CRY OF A PROSTITUTE - 1974), using the pseudonym "F.L. Morris", contains enough red herrings to satisfy the appetite of an overweight seal. While it's quite obvious who the killer is (at least to me), the film has enough eye-popping nudity and gross-out moments, including an uncomfortable dissection on what looks to be a real eye (hopefully, it's a cow's or some other animal's eye and not an actual human eyeball), to keep the viewer entertained. The casting of Bogart doppelganger Robert Sacchi (THE MAN WITH BOGART'S FACE - 1980) as the police inspector also holds some novelty value (this was also released under the title THE BOGEYMAN AND THE FRENCH MURDERS to cash-in on Sacchi's uncanny likeness). The character name of the sleazy writer Randall was a little in-joke in reference to the late Dick Randall (PIECES - 1982), who was one of the producers (with Marius Mattei) here. As with a lot of European genre films of the 70's, incest plays a key role in the plot. This is an enjoyable and violent (including two beheadings) murder mystery that should satisfy fans of giallo as well as fans of nudity. Barbara Bouchet (MILANO CALIBRO 9 - 1972), Rosalba Neri (THE GIRL IN ROOM 2A - 1973) and Evelyn Kraft (THE DEADLY ANGELS - 1977) all doff their clothing and give us an eyefull. Edited by future Italian exploitation master Bruno Mattei (CAGED WOMEN - 1982; CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST: THE BEGINNING - 2003), who sadly passed away in 2007. Carlo Rambaldi (credited here as "Carlo Ranaldi") handled the bloody special effects and Gordon Mitchell (SFX RETALIATOR - 1987) puts in an uncredited appearance as a drunk who gets beaten to a pulp in a nightclub. Also known as THE PARIS SEX MURDERS and MURDER IN PARIS. Also starring Rolf Eden, Eva Astor, Piera Viotta and Alessandro Perrella. A Mondo Macabro DVD Release, which restores some footage not found in English language prints (this footage is shown in the original Italian with English subtitles). Not Rated.

GIRL IN ROOM 2A (1973) - This film opens with a girl named Edie being kidnapped, injected with drugs and waking up tied-up and naked in a room while a long spike (coming out of a hole in the wall) punctures her chest and stomach several times. Then someone wearing red gloves cuts her loose, impales her through the back with a blade (until the blade protrudes between her breasts) and throws her body over a cliff to make it look like a suicide (It's all very fragmented and looks to be heavily edited). We are then introduced to Margaret (Daniela Giordano). She has just been released from a women's prison and rents a room (#2A) in a nearby boardinghouse run by Mrs. Grant (Giovanna Galetti). As soon as she settles in her room, she notices a huge bloodstain on the floor that she can't seem to wash away. That night she has a dream that someone dressed in a red stocking mask, cape and gloves (the same person who killed Edie) invades her room and looms over her bed. Was it a dream? Could it have something to do with Mr. Dreese (Raf Vallone), the leader of some strange cult who resorts to murder to keep his secret? Margaret strikes up a friendship with Mrs. Grant's son, Frank (Angelo Infanti), but things sour quickly when Frank doesn't believe her when she says that she was unjustly sent to prison. Margaret wants to move out of the boardinghouse (that damn bloodstain keeps reappearing every time she scrubs it away), but her lack of a job and her parole officer (Rosalba Neri) make it impossible for her to do so. Margaret meets Edie's brother, Jack (John Scanlon), who doesn't believe his sister committed suicide. Jack talks to Edie's former boyfriend Charlie (Brad Harris) and learns that Edie also spent a short time in the same prison as Margaret did. What is the connection between the prison, Mrs. Grant's boardinghouse and the mysterious Mr. Dreese? And who is the mysterious masked killer in red we see killing people with a cane equipped with a spring-loaded blade? As both Margaret and Jack get closer to the truth, we also learn that the death of Frank's father years earlier plays into this mystery. A trip to an insane asylum, where one of the previous female tenants of Room 2A was committed, gives Margaret and Jack further evidence of the dastardly goings-on at the boardinghouse, but before they can do anything about it, Margaret is drugged and kidnapped from Room 2A that night. Is she to suffer the same fate as Edie or can Jack save her in time?  This early 70's gaillo, directed/produced/scripted by William L. Rose (who also scripted FRANKENSTEIN'S CASTLE OF FREAKS - 1974) is not much of a mystery (maybe I've just seen too many of these films), but it does have it's share of tense moments and bloody set-pieces (although it looks like some of the more violent and sexual bits were trimmed to achieve an R-rating). You'll witness naked women being whipped, a woman getting decapitated (mostly off-screen, but we do get to see the bloody head), a man being forced to put his hand on a red-hot fireplace grate and various stabbings. The final twenty minutes, where the mystery is revealed and how the bloodstain on the floor of Room 2A keeps reappearing (it's the film's most ingenious moment) is kind of a letdown. The cult turns out to be nothing but a bunch of crazy fanatics (including Mrs. Grant, who is getting retribution for her husband's hit-and-run death years earlier) who get off on punishing naughty girls released from prison and they use someone dressed like the Crimson Executioner from THE BLOODY PIT OF HORROR (1965) to carry out the deeds. You'll groan when you discover who's really behind the mask. Raf Vallone (SUMMERTIME KILLER - 1972; THE HUMAN FACTOR - 1975) is wasted in a do-nothing role, as are Brad Harris (THE MAD BUTCHER - 1972; THE FREAKMAKER - 1973) and European genre actresses Karin Shubert (a brief topless scene) and Rosalba Neri (sadly, her clothes stay on). Theatrical distribution was handled by Joseph Brenner Associates, who gave North America it's fair share of European genre product, including MAN FROM DEEP RIVER (1972), CRY OF A PROSTITUTE (1974), ALMOST HUMAN (1974), EYEBALL (1975), AUTOPSY (1975) and many others, usually with lurid and deceptive ad campaigns. Also starring Frank Latimore, Nuccia Cardinale, Salvatore Billa, Dada Gallotti and Marian Fulop. A Prism Entertainment Home Video Release. Rated R.

HOUSE OF PSYCHOTIC WOMEN (1973) - Penniless drifter Gilles (Paul Naschy), who has nightmares about strangling a woman, is picked up hitch-hiking by Claude (Diana Lorys), a woman with a hideously burned arm and a prosthetic hand. She hires him to be the handyman at the house she shares with her two sisters. Arriving at the house, Gilles meets the other two sisters: The sexy Nicole (Eva Leon) and the wheelchair-bound Ivette (Maria Perschy). Nicole begins hitting on Gilles immediately, feeling his muscles while chopping wood shirtless and later coming to his bedroom to make love. Claude spies on them doing the nasty, becomes jealous and voices her displeasure to Gilles the next morning (while cutting a chicken with a cleaver). A new nurse, Michelle (Ines Morales), arrives at the house to take care of Ivette (we do not know why she is in the wheelchair, only that the doctor thinks it's psychosomatic), but she may be there for more nefarious reasons. Gilles is attacked outside by the former handyman Jean and a knife fight ensues. Gilles gets slashed on the side (Jean is stabbed in the stomach, but runs away) and the police are called, where we learn that Ivette's old nurse was found strangled on the side of the road. While Gilles is recuperating in bed, Claude visits and they make love. Another woman in town is found stabbed to death with her eyes missing. The police suspect Gilles (he is the only new person in town and he is having those nightmares), but it is apparent after a while that he is just but one of a town full of red herrings, as more women turn up brutally murdered with their eyes removed. How does this all tie in with Claude's prothetic hand and Ivette in the wheelchair? Why are only blond women with blue eyes being murdered? You'll just have to see for yourself.  Originally titled BLUE EYES OF THE BROKEN DOLL (which really gives away too much of the film's punch line), Sam Sherman's Independent International Pictures picked this up for distribution in 1975, edited some of the murders and nudity so it could obtain an R rating and retitled it with this more exploitative title. Director Carlos Aured (who also made HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB [1972] with Naschy) co-wrote this with Naschy (who uses his real name, Jacinto Molina, for screenwriting credit) and gives HOUSE a nice giallo feel. The unseen killer (the hands are all that's seen) begins murdering the female cast with various weapons, using meat cleavers, knives, a garden claw and other utensils and then removing their eyes and carrying them carefully in black-gloved hands before depositing them in glass jars. Barrel-chested Paul Naschy dies a particularly nasty death in this one as his foot is caught in a bear trap while police (who mistakenly think he is the killer) pump a dozen bullets and shotgun shells into him in slow motion. The mystery element in this is quite good (although the killer is obvious, or is it?) and the music soundtrack, which switches from breezy jazz to a sinister version of "Frere Jacque", keeps the film suspenseful without being pretentious. The revelation in the final minute is really a gruesome sight. Worthwhile viewing for fans of Spanish horror.  Also starring Eduardo Calvo, Antonio Pica and Luis Ciges (WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? - 1975). Originally released on VHS by Super Video who then licensed it to VidAmerica for their "World's Worst Video" line (they were wrong putting this film into that category). Rated R.

HUNTING HUMANS (2002) - Absorbing low-budget film about how a serial killer operates. Aric Blue (Rick Ganz, who looks like a thicker and more muscular Brad Pitt) is a Nietzche-spouting serial killer that picks his victims at random so he doesn't have a pattern for the police to pick up on. He picks his victims because they do have patterns, which make it easier for him to kill. He has murdered over 100 people without getting caught. He begins to stalk a theater projectionist to find out his patterns. When he goes to kill him, Aric find his dead body with a note attached that says, "I know your pattern". Arik is now being stalked by another serial killer. Not knowing who this person is (his phone calls only identify him as "Dark"), Aric hires a private detective to keep an eye on his house. The private detective tells Aric that another private detective was hired to follow him, thereby giving Dark information on his moves. Aric goes to Dark's hired private detective's house and steals information off his computer. This information leads Aric to the identity of Dark and the cat-and-mouse game is on.  After double and triple crosses, we finally find out who the better serial killer is. This taut thriller is told strictly from Aric's point of view. We hear his innermost thoughts (through voiceover narration) and his true disdain for the human race. You would think that it would be hard to root for Aric and what he was going through since he such a cold-hearted murderer. The surprise is that it's not, thanks to director Kevin Kangas' literate screenplay which doesn't insult the viewer with pat explanations on why a serial killer kills. The finale is definitely a doozy with many twists. Ganz (who also produced) is excellent, even if the other actors come up short.  If you like straightforward thrillers that don't go for the cheap scare, I'm sure that this film will make you happy. Kangis and Ganz would later go on to make the horror film FEAR OF CLOWNS (2004). Also starring Bubby Lewis, Lisa Michele, Trent, Jeff Kipers and Joe Ripple (who directed the abysmal HARVESTERS in 2001) as a cop who Aric dislikes. He dislikes him so much that he puts a dead body in his trunk! Filmed in 1999. An MTI Video/Redrum Release. Rated R.

INN OF THE DAMNED (1974) - Unusual thriller, set in 1896 Australia, that combines western and slice and dice themes. A crazy old German innkeeper (Dame Judith Anderson) and her husband murder people who stay at their place in various ways because their children were savagely butchered by an escaped loonie years before. An American lawman (Alex Cord) shoots a prostitute murderer he has been tracking in self defense, but the Australian authorities don't believe him. The trooper that witnessed the shooting went to the inn to follow up on a missing persons report and has not  returned. The American lawman decides to investigate his disappearance to clear his name. Overlong (nearly 2 hours) and slowly paced it could be trimmed by 30 minutes and be a more interesting film. As it stands this is a good film to look at (the scenery is magnificent.) but dreadfully boring in spots. Spurts of nudity and violence (including a killer canopy bed ala 13 GHOSTS) do not justify the long running time. Nice try but no cigar. Directed and written by Terry Bourke (LADY STAY DEAD - 1981). A Paragon Video Release (which lists the wrong running time as 92 minutes). Rated R.

IT HAPPENED AT NIGHTMARE INN (1970) - First a word of warning: If you want to see this film in any type of comprehensible form, do not watch the version in any of Brentwood Communications' DVD movie compilations, such as their 10 movie comp. titled CURSE OF THE DEAD. It's only 69 minutes long and looks to be a TV edit to fit in a 90 minute slot. It's an abortion. That said, let's get on to the movie. Laura (Judy Geeson) flies to Spain to spend some quality time with her sister but, when she arrives at the hotel run by sisters Marta and Veronica, she is told that her sister has left and won't be coming back. It's apparent that one, or maybe both, of the sisters is a cold-blooded killer and Laura's sister is long dead. Marta (Aurora Bautista), the dominant sister, is sexually repressed and her sexual frustrations (which includes spying on young boys bathing nude in a nearby lake) forces her to murder all the young women (and some men) who stay at the hotel and "flaunt" their sexuality. Veronica (Esperanza Roy), the timid sister, goes along with whatever Marta does because, frankly, she's one scary bitch. Laura (who is not a loose woman, so she's fairly safe here, at least for a while) becomes more and more suspicious as the young ladies who check in begin disappearing in the middle of the night, the sisters telling her that they have checked out. Since there isn't much of a police force in town, laura brings her concerns to the mayor, who tells her that Marta once had a lover who disappeared after he dumped her and took up with a younger, more "modern" woman. When Norma (Blanca Estrada), an unwed mother (or so we're told), checks into the hotel, Laura begins to look after her, fearing for her and the baby's life. Marta and Veronica plot to kill Norma and raise the baby as their own. Norma catches on, but it's too late. Marta plants a cleaver in her back and puts her in a barrel of wine in the cellar, where she put all the previous victims. As more young tourists arrive at the hotel, Laura must find a way to stop the sisters and save the baby. Director Eugenio Martin (HORROR EXPRESS - 1972), who also co-wrote the script with Antonio Fos, gives us a thinly-disguised parable about politics in Spain. The young tourists represent the post-Franco regime, when everything loosened-up and much more sexual freedom and openess was permitted. The two sisters represent the strict Franco rule, where freedoms of all kinds were repressed and outlawed. Refusing to change with the times, the sisters are forced to kill anyone that doesn't adhere to their strict Catholic upbringing. Things begin to get messy when the sisters serve tainted wine (spoiled by the rotting bodies stuffed in the barrels) with dinner, some of the guests become sick and one guest finds a women's eye in his glass, which he turns over to the local authorities. This leads to a final showdown in which the townpeople storm the hotel and save Laura in the nick of time from the clutches of the sisters. Insert your own political allegory here. Director Martin has the camera linger lovingly on close-ups of raw meat, knives, cleavers and other kitchen utensils that will eventually be used as weapons. There's also copious nudity from the young cast, but you'll see none of the blood or skin in the 69 minute version. You will need to find copies of this film titled A CANDLE FOR THE DEVIL or NIGHTMARE HOTEL to see all the carnage and nudity. Depending on your tolerance for politics draped as horror, you'll either like it or be bored to death. Also starring Victor Alcazar (aka "Vic Winner"), Carlos Pineiro and Loretta Tovar. Available on DVD-R from Midnight Video and Luminous Video. Not Rated.

KIDNAP SYNDICATE (1975) - A brazen kidnapping in front of a schoolyard nets the kidnappers the son of crooked rich bigshot Mr. Filippini (James Mason) and the son of regular joe motorcycle mechanic Mario Colella (Luc Merenda), a widower with very little money. A visibly annoyed Commissioner Magrini (Vittorio Caprioli), who was just about to take a holiday on the Riviera, is assigned to the case and interviews the two fathers together. Mr. Filippini assures Mario that since their sons are best friends, he will do everything in his power to make sure that they are released together. That couldn't be further from the truth. At a press conference the next day, Mr. Filippini tells the reporters that he is penniless, but he is secretly working with the kidnappers to get the money to release his son only. Mario is left hanging in the wind, waiting for Mr. Filippini to pay a ransom that will never be paid and listening to Commissioner Magrini tell him that kidnapping in Italy is a "profitable business". Meanwhile, Mario's son, Fabrizio (Marco Leofredi), proves to be a cunning kidnapping victim. He manages to avoid the drugged food that the kidnappers feed him and Mr. Filippini's son, Antonio (Francesco Impeciati), and is a thorn in the side to the kidnappers, even telling his father to "waste them" in a tape recorded message sent with the ransom demand. Twelve days pass and Mario has had enough. He is tired of Mr. Filippini's deceitful lies and double-dealings. The kidnappers are apparently tired of it, too. After having enough of Mr. Filippini's delaying tactics, we see one of the kidnappers shoot and kill one of the sons (we don't see who it is since they are wrapped in a blanket). Commissioner Magrini calls both fathers to the morgue to identify the body. When the corpse turns out to be Fabrizio, Mario blames Filippini for stalling and vows revenge against him and the kidnappers. Mario stakes out Filippini's house and follows the ransom money, uncovering treachery and danger along the way. When one of the kidnappers tries to run him over, Mario uses his motorcycle skills to give chase, which leads him to the location where his son was being held. After killing two of the kidnappers, Mario gets his hands on the ransom money and uses it to exact revenge on those who ordered the murder of his son. It takes him to surprising destinations and concludes with a machinegun slaughter in a corporate boardroom and then Mario shooting the triggerman responsible for killing his son. As Mario shoots him in the kneecaps and elbows, the triggerman screams out for a quicker death. Will Mario give it to him?  This intense Italian thriller takes a while to get cooking, but once it does, it's a white-knuckle ride. Director Fernando Di Leo is an old hand at making these violent thrillers, having previously directing the excellent MANHUNT (1972), MILANO CALIBRO 9 (1972) and scripting Ruggero Deodato's LIVE LIKE A COP DIE LIKE A MAN in 1976. Di Leo lets you get to know the characters (he co-wrote the script with Ernesto Gastaldi and Cesare Manzani), from James Mason's (MANDINGO - 1975; SALEM'S LOT - 1979) Mr. Filippini, who cares more about making deals and money than his own child's life, to Luc Merenda's (VIOLENT PROFESSIONALS - 1973; TORSO - 1973) Mario, a low-income everyman who, at first, just wants his son back but, later, just wants revenge. There's a telling scene at the press conference, when one of the reporters questions Mario's parenting skills when Mario mentions that the only worker he has on his payroll is his twelve year-old son. When the reporter sarcastically reminds him that Fabrizio is too young to be working, Mario replies, "I'm teaching him a trade so he doesn't grow up to be a reporter." That's my favorite line in the film because it's as relevant today as it was back then. Kidnapping in Italy was reaching epidemic proportions when this film was lensed. Di Leo was pretty much on the mark describing the kidnappers' motivations. This was nothing personal, just a way for some scumbags and business types to make a hefty payday. The Italian criminal system finally instituted a law that blocked the bank accounts of targeted families, which prevented them from paying. Kidnappings dropped drastically after that. Those expecting an action-packed Italian crime film here will be disappointed, but those that like well-plotted thrillers will find much to enjoy. The characters are spot-on and you actually care what happens to these people. The only way to truly appreciate the performances are in the original Italian language, as the English-dubbed track is horrible. Fortunately, Raro Video offers a beautiful widescreen Italian language print (with English subtitles) on DVD, so you can throw away all those terrible English-dubbed fullscreen VHS tapes. Also starring Irina Maleeva, Marino Mase, Daniele Dublino, Valentina Cortese and Salvatore Billa. A Raro Video Release. Not Rated.

LABORATORY OF THE DEVIL (1992) - This gory and repugnant sequel to the infamous MEN BEHIND THE SUN is now available uncut and letterboxed on legitimate video. That’s the good news. The bad news is that all this film contains is scene after scene of extreme, brutal torture with barely a smidgen of plot. During the waning days of World War II, the Japanese run an experimental camp called Unit 731, where they use captured Chinese, Korean and Mongolian prisoners of war for sadistic experiments to further the cause of Japanese supremecy. Prisoners are hacked-up, injected with deadly viruses, operated on while still alive and subjected to every perversity imaginable. One female prisoner has her hands frozen with liquid nitrogen and has the skin stripped away exposing the skeleton (a very well-done, if repellent, effect). That’s just the tip of the iceberg (excuse the pun) as much worse is on display here. It all plays like an ILSA film without the pubic hair and with much better effects. If watching people getting their bodies tortured and maimed is your cup of tea (I know you’re out there, you sick sons of  bitches), you’ll probably squeal with glee at this one. It just turned my stomach. Starring Wang Gang (snicker), Zhu Decheng, Andrew Yu and Hsu Gou. Directed by Godfrey Ho (THE DRAGON’S SHOWDOWN - 1983). From Dead Alive Home Video. Dubbed into English and Not Rated for obvious reasons.

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE BEACH (1978) - This Italian LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT clone heaps on the sleaze, but offers very little else. Three bank robbers, Aldo (Ray Lovelock), Walter (Flavio Andreini) and Nino (Stefano Cedrati), look for a place to hide out when their car conks out after pulling their latest job. They come upon the secluded titled house and burst in, taking Sister Cristina (Florinda Bol