For those of you sitting with their trousers round their ankles and a Kleenex nearby waiting for Edwige - she don't turn up until half an hour into the film.
Sergio Martino once again proves he actually might be the master of the giallo by presenting us a film that mixes in the gloved killer of babes standard plot with the late sixties plot of rich folk fighting over money with a bit of Gothic Horror mixed with a whole lot of domestic abuse for good measure. Plus: Edwige Fenech! Anita Strinberg is the bitter, abused wife of drunken novelist Luigi Pistilli and often suffers from his violence and humiliation, mostly in front of a bunch of hippy jerks from a nearby commune. Luigi has recently lost his mum and is a bit messed up about it, even though local folklore has her as a whore who loved to receive expensive jewellery from her lovers. Luigi also likes to get it on with his black maid and a young chick from the local bookstore.
Further troubles to add to Anita's miserable life is the black cat that Luigi owns called Satan, who constantly follows Anita around and attacks her, plus the sickle wielding murderer who is now slashing his way through the female cast. Worst still, Luigi's niece Edwige Fenech turns up as a randy hippy! Look out Luigi! And Anita! And the local delivery guy! I forgot to mention Ivan Rassimov, who is hanging around staring at things and has white hair, which is never explained.
This is a very well handled film that balances Luigi Pistilli's madness and violent abuse of Anita with a giallo plot (which is solved well before the end!) plus other elements of the old 'inheritance' plot. It's not overly violent but Edwige Fenech adds to the sleaze with her everything goes character, and I'm sure Luigi never regretted 'mashing her paps' as it were.
There's much more going on here than I'm letting on. Martino seems to grasp what folks want from a giallo and duly provides, but it's his next film that almost reaches perfection, which is the film Torso.
Sergio Martino once again proves he actually might be the master of the giallo by presenting us a film that mixes in the gloved killer of babes standard plot with the late sixties plot of rich folk fighting over money with a bit of Gothic Horror mixed with a whole lot of domestic abuse for good measure. Plus: Edwige Fenech! Anita Strinberg is the bitter, abused wife of drunken novelist Luigi Pistilli and often suffers from his violence and humiliation, mostly in front of a bunch of hippy jerks from a nearby commune. Luigi has recently lost his mum and is a bit messed up about it, even though local folklore has her as a whore who loved to receive expensive jewellery from her lovers. Luigi also likes to get it on with his black maid and a young chick from the local bookstore.
Further troubles to add to Anita's miserable life is the black cat that Luigi owns called Satan, who constantly follows Anita around and attacks her, plus the sickle wielding murderer who is now slashing his way through the female cast. Worst still, Luigi's niece Edwige Fenech turns up as a randy hippy! Look out Luigi! And Anita! And the local delivery guy! I forgot to mention Ivan Rassimov, who is hanging around staring at things and has white hair, which is never explained.
This is a very well handled film that balances Luigi Pistilli's madness and violent abuse of Anita with a giallo plot (which is solved well before the end!) plus other elements of the old 'inheritance' plot. It's not overly violent but Edwige Fenech adds to the sleaze with her everything goes character, and I'm sure Luigi never regretted 'mashing her paps' as it were.
There's much more going on here than I'm letting on. Martino seems to grasp what folks want from a giallo and duly provides, but it's his next film that almost reaches perfection, which is the film Torso.