Plucked (1968) User Reviews

Why did the chicken cross the road? Because her role in this film drove her totally cuckoo!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 31 March 2021]

Terms like "bizarre", "eccentric" and "convoluted" are often used too lightly in reviews for Italian gialli, but in case of "Death Laid an Egg" they are severe understatements! I'm not even sure this one qualifies as a giallo, because although the film got released before the genre properly started booming (in 1968), it's already experimenting with different plots and thinking out-of-the-box in terms of style and plot twists. Generally speaking, a giallo either handles about a masked psycho-killer with black gloves savagely butchering people - preferably pretty young models - with sharp objects, or it handles about a convoluted murder conspiracy complete with sexual intrigues, betrayal and triangular relationships. "Death Laid an Egg" primarily fits into the second category, but also somewhat in the first one, and then still even a lot more! The most intriguing aspect about the triangular relationship (between a man, his wife and her secretary) is that it takes place at the woman's family business; - a chicken far where insanely unethical experiments take place (headless/boneless poultry monstrosities will haunt your nightmares!). Furthermore, the man has a fetish for slicing up prostitutes, and the mistress may or may not have a secret agenda with a hunky marketing agent. One thing's for sure, though, all the loose ends form a compelling wholesome that keeps you gazing at the screen and - unlike many other similar films - everything nicely comes together in the end, and "Death Laid an Egg" does deliver in every department (mystery, suspense, flamboyance, ...)

Writer/director Giulio Questi was a very strange individual, to say the least. He seemingly doesn't care about traditional cinematic patterns or logical narrative structure, and many sequences/plot twists appear to be improvised on the spot. The opening credits, the soundtrack, and many camera perspectives are utterly weird! Questi also made the western-outcast "Se sei vivo spara", which is possibly the strangest Spaghetti Western ever, and the reputedly bonkers psychological horror/thriller "Arcana" (which I haven't seen yet).

As crazy (and good) as its title!

[tuco73 · 7/10 · 27 March 2009]

I wouldn't label this as a "giallo", there is no particular suspense or scary moments, so don't expect anything like that... it mainly is a criticism on capitalism, mass production and industrial society, within a good story which involves obviously a murder. It may sound a bit Marxist as a statement, and maybe that was Giulio Questi's political view, but seen today it results in a naive but quite original and experimental movie from the seventies. Some moments (the best ones) are truly grotesque and surreal... some very nice actresses and lots of beautiful advertising posters from the time in the background, the actors are very good and generally speaking it is a good and entertaining movie. The only major problem I had was with the music, which is over-used and not pleasant at all... it could work conceptually, but the truth is, after a while you cannot stand it anymore. An interesting movie, surely not to everybody's taste. 7/10

Avant-garde Giallo

[parkerbcn · 6/10 · 25 May 2021]

An avant-garde kind of giallo (more like a meta-reflection on the genre, really) that it's all over the place. Like a strange mix of Buñuel and Antonioni cinema with a documentary on acid of the poor conditions of a poultry factory, the plot was a little too convoluted to really keep my attention and I think the film tries too hard to be something different, without really achieving much. It's still an important title in this subgenre, but not for everyone.

"Diabolique" on acid (and with a lot of chickens)

[lazarillo · 20 January 2005]

Like many other European thrillers this early Italian giallo was obviously very influenced by the French film "Diabolique" with it's basic plot of a wealthy husband, wife, and mistress all scheming against each other. And like the later film "So Sweet, So Perverse" the movie throws another man (Jean Sorel)into the mix as a kind of a fourth side to the main triangle. This movie is no conventional thriller, however. For one thing it has kind of psychedelic, surrealist pop-art late 60's sensibility to it that always threatens to overwhelm (and occasionally does) the rational story-line. For another thing, it has a VERY bizarre setting, a fully-automated chicken plant. (There's a scene where the scientists at the plant create "monster" chickens without wings or beaks that really makes one want to swear off poultry for life). This unusual setting adds a whole industrial conspiracy angle and, moreover, a weird sort of social commentary to the proceedings.

The acting is all very good. Jean-Louis Tritigant plays a similar role to the one he'd later play in "So Sweet, So Perverse", but here he also might be a serial killer who is offing prostitutes in a roadside motel. Latin sex symbol Gina Lollabridga makes a rare appearance in this kind of film (which is actually much more entertaining than some of the bigger-budgeted movies she starred in)as the domineering wife. The young mistress is believably played by Ewa "Candy" Aulin, although she is not quite as enjoyable when she's not naked and not speaking in her natural (undubbed) heavy Swedish accent. (Aulin also appeared in another excellent, if even more obscure, giallo called "The Double"). The best thing about the movie though is the ending where EVERYBODY manages to get their just desserts--and then some. Definitely check this one out.

Playboy Chickens at the Poultry Party,

[Prof-Hieronymos-Grost · 7/10 · 28 July 2007]

Morte ha fatto l'uovo, La aka Death laid an egg (1968) Giulio Questi Marco (Jean-Louis Tritigant)is a business man bored with life who is caught up in a love triangle between his wife Anna(Gina Lollobrigida), whom he married for the money and her cousin Gabrielle, a much more vibrant and younger lover. Marco's business is chickens, he runs a recently automated chicken farm and is having to be wary of the disgruntled former workers who are set on revenge. Marco is also hiding a secret fantasy, one he acts out in a local hotel on an almost daily basis, he likes to tie up the hookers that gather in the lobby and pretend to cut them up, it's a lurid fantasy but the hookers feel safe with him. He has been recently given the task by the poultry association of making poultry appeal to a wider audience and is given the assistance of an advertising specialist Mondaini (Jean Sobieski) whom he is immediately suspicious of and who it would seem has eyes for Gabrielle.

Death laid an egg is a very difficult film to discuss as it doesn't follow any rules of the classic Giallo, in fact some might not consider it one at all, but it was made early in the genres history, it is also very short on plot as there are virtually no killings, blood or nudity and even the score by Bruno Maderna is a hideous thing to behold. The viewer is led to believe for a short time that the killing in the opening scene is a murder but as it turns out its just another of Marco's fantasies being acted out, as his sexual preferences are almost common knowledge, he is looked upon in society as a deviant and morally corrupt and yet as the plot develops it is clear that he is the only one with any sense of propriety, it is to some extent a modern re-enactment of the Grendel/Beowulf legend. The film as I have said is almost devoid of any plot and really centres around Marco's suspicions of his wife, his lover Gabrielle, his new assistant and the leaders of the poultry community, despite this the film is made in a psychedelic bizarre world that is handled with some very dark wit, but this may not be enough to keep the casual Giallo fan interested. Its still confusing as a film though and Maderna's score is extremely annoying, its repetitive acoustic guitar musings are very grating and only relieved by an equally manic piano version of the same composition, but strangely it fit's the film to perfection because the film is so bizarre. Dario Di Palma's photography is excellent, filmed from some odd angles this ploy adds immensely to the bizarre setting of a battery farm, there's also some stunning opening credits as the camera apparently explores the inside of an egg using psychedelic colours as filters. Another highlight is a scene involving some genetically modified chickens, needs to be seen to be believed but establishes the film firmly in the realm of the uber bizarre. The performances of the leads are all decent and as you might expect there is a surprise ending, a little abrupt perhaps, but fitting. To be approached with caution…..or a bag full of LSD.

Clucking hell!

[BA_Harrison · 2/10 · 3 August 2007]

With the sixties in full swing, and mind-altering drugs an integral part of the arts scene, it comes as no surprise to find that a large amount of the cinematic output from this era is more than a little bit 'out-there'. The makers of Death Laid an Egg must've consumed more than their fair share of LSD, 'shrooms and Marijuana. 'cos with its spaced-out visuals, experimental discordant soundtrack, wild editing and pretentious dialogue, it sure is one bizarre cinematic trip!

And whilst I found the mix of European art-house cinema and proto-Giallo plot line seriously irritating and incredibly dull, it's not hard to see how this unusual effort has garnered a cult following among those who enjoy 'psychadelic' films.

Set in and around a high-tech chicken factory, the film follows several characters whose lives intertwine with deadly consequences. Marco (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is husband to the beautiful factory owner, Anna (Gina Lollobrigida), but is also knocking off sexy blonde Gabriella (Ewa Aulin) who also has a connection with young publicist Mondaini (Jean Sobieski), who is called in to promote the benefits of chickens. Add a weird scientist who is developing headless and wingless fowl that yield more meat for maximum profit, and the roster of strange characters is complete.

I can see this movie appealing to fans of the avant-garde (those who enjoy the work of Lynch or Jodorowsky, for example), but the whole thing is just too screwy for my (admittedly jaded) tastes. If I'm ever tempted to watch Death Laid An Egg again, I think I'll be getting myself some of those hallucinogenics I mentioned earlier, in order to make the whole experience more interesting.

I give DLAE 2/10 (just missing the absolute lowest score, thanks to tasty Ewa Aulin and the freaky genetically enhanced headless chickens).

Weird Giallo...

[myblackgloves · 7/10 · 4 August 2007]

This is a very strange giallo.

I'm hesitant to even call it a giallo because it doesn't really have the style that we're used to when discussing the genre.

I'd recommend it for fans of violent, offbeat movies. Mutant chickens? Tape recorded murder fantasies? Great stuff. There's a lot of fetishes.. like a guy covering his head in tape. It's sort of like a movie where people are just plain crazy.. but not in an uncontrolled surrealistic way. There's a giant egg, too. Sex, psychoses, and industrial terrorism (who killed the new headless mutant chickens?).

It does not get any better than this. Hope this gets a proper Region 1 release.

Oddball

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 5 January 2021]

DEATH LAID AN EGG is undoubtedly the weirdest giallo I've ever seen, and in fact one of the weirdest films full stop. It's not really a giallo at all, despite the crazed opening sequence and a great ending full of twists and turns; it's instead more of a satire and a polemic on various subjects including class, society, human relationships, industry, Luddites and intensive chicken farming. Overall I didn't really like this one; it drags incredibly right from the start despite the outre plot elements, and the unlikeable characters simply aren't well developed. It's a pity, as the surreal touches are quite interesting and you feel like it's a film that does have something to say; it just isn't sure how to say it. If someone like Werner Herzog had made this I'd have probably loved it.

One thousand chicken

[Bogey Man · 8/10 · 14 January 2005]

Giulio Questi's early giallo is very different from the genre, but it can be called giallo since it has a mystery audience has no idea about until the very end. But the mystery doesn't involve the identity of the possible murderer but the various and altering relations between the characters. Marco, Anna and Gabrielle live together and work together, in a huge chicken farm / factory owned by Anna. Soon it is clear all three, plus their friends, have another things in their minds; they act what they don't say and vice versa. This gives the director Questi a great opportunity to handle topics of greed and money that easily blind.

The way how Questi handles his theme is very satiric, thus making the film close with Mario Bava's Reazione a catena / Bay of Blood 3 years later. Both films have serious theme about man's ability to turn violent in his search for monetary benefit and freedom and both films discuss this satirically, with maximal effect since comedy is often at its best when the subject stays serious and universally important. As a pure giallo mystery, the film is also quite rich since the audience has no idea what is going on until the very end when it is revealed. Questi uses very interesting editing technique that makes many of the scenes "broken", using flashbacks, dreamy/nightmarish moods and so on. This forces us to dive deeper inside the characters and their varying points of views.

The film has also an interesting topic about man's subconscious and instincts. Main character Marco is considered "morally corrupt" due to his unusual sexual preferences. But at the same time Questi shows how much there is inside human brain, needs, wills, desires, we don't necessarily want to talk about in fear of unacceptance or being classed as "sick." We are not as civilized, as perfect, as the moral codes of society try to suggest when they go after "the morally sick" Marco. There's also a very harrowing and unforgettably absurd scene at the experiment lab of the factory. The doctors have created a manipulated type of chicken that would be commercially extremely profitable to the factory while at the same time the manipulated monsters are a plentiful spitting at nature's face. Marco is against this, against the others around him while he has been named "morally wrong" and bad. Questi had important things and questions in mind and also the ability to turn them into a film.

Real themes in a giallo thriller are quite rare and Questi has done it very well. This is among the earliest but also among the very best of the giallo.

Pollo Milanese

[Bezenby · 7/10 · 26 May 2017]

Seems there's a fine line between quirky psychedelic gialli like this film and Baba Yaga and interminable garbage like Tinto Brass's deadly sweet and Jess Franco's tramp spew Succubus. While not a jaw dropping amazing film, Guilio Questi's Death Laid an Egg won me over due to its bizarre chicken theme.

Marco is part of a company involved in high-tech chicken production somewhere in Italy, along with wife Anna (played by the very pretty Gina Lollobridgia) and his lodger Gabrielle. Marco is having an affair with Gabrielle, and Gina has the hots for Gabrielle, and Marco likes to kill prozzies in a hotel in the EUR (or does he?), plus Gabrielle is having an affair with another guy who works for the chicken company, who also witnessed Marco killing a hooker, plus Gina and Anna want to dress up as hookers to catch Marco.

That's a fair sized giallo plot there, but all this is based around chicken production, chicken promotion, chicken committees, experimental chicken mutations, and chicken artwork. Often characters stand in rooms where a giant laminated egg draws your attention. You also have Cubist chicken paintings, and one scene where a giant chicken looms over the workers like Big Brother.

There is a fairly standard giallo plot in here, but the whole film is weird as hell and while not action packed will carry you to the end in order for you to find out what the hell was going on.

What was all the stuff with the strange runes on the headscarf? Didn't catch that bit...

Plucked. The biggest turkey on them all!

[angelsunchained · 1/10 · 10 February 2005]

This has to be, and I mean has to be, the worst, and I mean worst movie ever made!

I saw this major stink-bomb on Miami Beach, at the Cinema Theater on Washington and 12th Street. My dad was with me, and he was a real movie lover. We went to the movies at least 3 days a week, and on many weekends we went movie-theater hopping seeing 6 films in one day! Anyhow, even my dad thought this was the all-time worst. This film makes Plan 9 from Outer Space look like Citizen Kane!

Now it's hip for movie lovers to rate this a "cult" classic, representing the acid-rock of the late 1960s. The truth to the matter is, this is a bizarre, weird, strange, dull, slow-moving, badly scripted, and terribly acted, piece of junk. And I liked "Satin's Sadists"! So, I usually like the off-beat and obscure films as well. But, I'm sorry I say, I really can't think of one good thing to say about this film. So, for me at least, PLUKED, is a real Turkey!!!!

Murders at the Chicken factory

[sirarthurstreebgreebling · 10/10 · 20 September 2000]

This has to be one of the most cutting edge film's made to date , its wholly surreal and has a dreamlike quality that hypnotises me. When i first saw this film I don't think I blinked , then I watched it again straight off, it has an addictive charm that should be open for everyone too see, why its not being picked up by a distributor I will never know. The plot is an odd one , a mixture of industrial terrorism (who killed the new headless mutant chickens that yeild so much meat), Romance , Perversion and just plain odd. In the opening scene in a hotel while a prostitute is being brutally murdered we cut to a man covering his head in tape , someone pouring out toothpaste and various hideous rich people snorting with laughter. From the start it gives the message that everybody is mad, with their hidden psychosis and more obvious ones. Going any further into the plot will spoil the film so I will say nothing. Its worth trying to find this one , I got mine in Greece in the late 80's , but there must be some out there , somewhere.

Playboy poultry in smoking jackets at a poultry party. What do you think?

[The_Void · 7/10 · 22 June 2006]

The first thing you will notice about Death Laid an egg is it's completely ridiculous title, and I've got to say that it's a fitting one because this film is as silly and as convoluted as Giallo get, and considering some entries in the cycle - that really is saying something! Giulio Questi's film takes in ideas of prostitution, adultery and monsters on a chicken farm and blends it all into one less than coherent piece. Normally, this would be the sort of Giallo that annoys me; as aside from its ridiculous plot, it's also short on tension, stylish murders and nudity. However, the film has a certain straight faced ineptness about it that serves in making it all the more compelling, as the lack of tension is masked over with an idea of the unknown - as at no point in this film do you know what the director is going to present us with next! The plot follows a four way relationship between a man, his wife, her assistant and a publicity agent, who witnessed the man apparently committing an act of murder. The plot thickens as the man and his wife own a chicken farm; and a scientist working there manages to create headless and wingless monster chickens!

It's a shame that this film doesn't benefit from competent writing as the direction is superb and the cast do well in their respective roles. It would seem that writer-director Questi had a few ideas to make a film out of, and decided to land them all in the same piece. The idea of the 'monster chickens' wouldn't be out of place in a Sci-Fi film, while the sub-plot revolving around the wife and her assistant is more along the lines of the pseudo-lesbianism in later Italian films such as The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion. Death Laid an Egg is still an interesting Giallo, however, as it came early on in the cycle and the fact that the director is happy to experiment with so many different and offsetting themes is admirable as the genre was still in it's infancy at the time. The film benefits from a beautiful pair of female performers in Ewa Aulin and Gina Lollobrigida, and all of their scenes are the highlights of the film. The ending is perhaps the worst aspect of the movie, as it just sort of comes out nowhere and gives the film what is possibly the most abrupt conclusion in Giallo history. But even so, this is a brilliantly surreal film and it keeps itself going nicely, even when the plot does become a little too incoherent.

Psych-Giallo

[wes676767 · 5/10 · 14 January 2004]

A fun, if more convoluted than usual, giallo. My copy seemed to end rather abruptly and with much in the air. Not sure if that was how it was supposed to end or what but nonetheless, I enjoyed it and especially enjoyed Ewa Aulin, who was quite the hottie.

"Playboy Poultry In Smoking Jackets! At A Poultry Party!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 18 October 2020]

Sort of an absurdist giallo, DEATH LAID AN EGG is about wealthy chicken farm owners, Anna (Gina Lollobrigida), her husband Marco (Jean Louis Trintignant), and their secretary, Gabrielle (Ewa Aulin). Life on the farm is blissful, in spite of Marco and Gabrielle's affair. Of course, neither of the women know that Marco is a serial killer.

Indeed, this is a strange, trippy film, bordering on the psychedelic. The "experimental" music soundtrack -which sounds a lot like someone slamming their face into a piano, while torturing a hyena with a violin- is reminiscent of that heard in A QUIET PLACE IN THE COUNTRY.

A perfect example of EGG's lunatic charm comes during a party, where the participants pile all of the furniture into the middle of the living room, and take turns entering another room in order to be "totally honest". This, having something to do with human / chicken behavior (!).

Anyone expecting a straightforward, logical story line might find this to be an excruciating experience. Aside from all of the 60's flash, it suffers from extreme tedium.

However, poultry lovers will rejoice aloud, as our feathered friends are featured quite prominently throughout! Beware of the hideous, pulsating, wingless, headless, mutant, monster chickens! Their gushy deaths will haunt you forever!...

Egg on Gina to modernize her chicken run!

[dbdumonteil · 7/10 · 6 January 2020]

Now that organic food has become part of our lives,now that chicken must have access to open air ( when it's written on the box , it sells) , "la morte" has an ecological contemporary feel (the researcher goes into raptures over " these chicken without head ,only meat, packaging made easier").It is a spoof on the consumer society disguised as thriller : the economics problems are given more time than the "setup" ,;mechanization walks hand in hand with unemployment and it is not passed over in silence .

This fowl is a cruel kind of animal ,and it shows with the numerous clos-ups of gallinaceous heads ; the avertising executive's drawings are almost frightening .And the viewer feels ill-at-ease when he is taken along the huge henhouse. The chicken-like bourgeois ,in the wife-swapping scene ("we act like the fowl")are given a treatment close to that of Claude Chabrol ,which the presence of French actor Jean -Louis trintignant reinforces : he was part of a menage à trois in "Les Biches" (1967),in which there was a lesbian relationship too .

The truth is that people do not know the chicken, we must tear down this wall of ignorance and force everyone to know it.

[lastliberal-853-253708 · 5/10 · 18 January 2014]

It is one of the more famous and well made Giallo thrillers produced in Italy. This somewhat controversial gore flick follows a twisted killer played by Jean Louis Trintignant. It comes off like a vintage period piece for the sixties, extremely colorful, vintage shadow-draped cinematography and very sexy.

It has more of a pop culture beat than expected of the genre, which is usually dark. The avant guard soundtrack is definitely off-putting.

It is rare that a Giallo in this period has no nudity. This is to be expected with Gina Lollobrigida in the lead, as the most she ever showed was her butt. Ewa Aulin was wasted as she has many many nude roles. Lollabrigida never achieved the film status of Sophia Loren and Brigitte Bardot. It's not surprise as Bardot had many nude roles, and Loren had a few, but Lollabrigida...well

A quirky giallo production ...

[parry_na · 6/10 · 9 October 2021]

Very odd to see genre beauties Ewa Aulin and Gina Lollobrigida brandishing dead chickens, but this giallo goes out of its way to perplex and stupefy us, thanks to director and co-writer Giulio Questi's vision. The music, usually sweeping and inviting in these kind of films, is a series of tuneless flourishes here, as if Bruno Maderna had been instructed to provide anything as long as it wasn't melodic.

I found 'Death Laid an Egg' too 60s-kitsch-quirky to become completely involved in, although Ms Aulin is ridiculously cute throughout. The story is a thin one, and engages mainly because of the performances. My score is 6 out of 10.

Chicken dance

[crystallogic · 8/10 · 8 January 2018]

I like how experimental some of these early gialli are. This is another movie about kind of spoiled rich people playing games with each other and getting into sordid trouble. Murder is involved, but not in the way you'd think after seeing the first half of the film, and I think that's one of the clever things about it. The story is more engaging than some, and, for once, actually more involving than set pieces, of which they are few (no prolonged stalking/murder sequences or anything like that).

Also, the movie is really funny at times, and I think it's absolutely intentional. The scene with the PR guy and all his "chicken poses" is priceless and like something you might find in a Monty Python sketch. I think there's some nice satire here of the rich industrial class, and a political subtext about automation and workers' rights. You see this sort of thing in vintage Italian genre films sometimes, and it's nice to see that sometimes, a thriller isn't just a thriller, if you know what I mean.

Finally, this is a slightly experimental film, with lots of fast edits and artistic scene transitions that often tell you things that aren't explicit in dialogue or scene itself. Also, the music -- I think it's great, in all its clanging and banging around and discordance, but it definitely won't be to everyon'e staste. A tip from my partner: "if you imagine a chicken playing the music, it becomes a thousand times better".

Delightfully strange but fails to fly in 3rd act

[dopefishie · 6/10 · 17 November 2021]

Delightfully strange but fails to fly in 3rd act.

This seems like an intelligent film. Art house stuff. There is social commentary. There are conflicted characters. There are hidden agendas. There is symbolism. And genetically modified chickens. And it feels like a giallo much of the time.

However, despite this wild combination, the third act fails. Nothing incredible happens. There is no payoff for all the preparation that came before. It's more interesting than the average thriller. But also more disappointing.

Truly bizarre Italian giallo.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 9/10 · 18 January 2005]

"Death Laid an Egg" by Giulio Questi is a wonderful giallo full of surrealism.Mark only married his wife Anna because of her chicken fortune.They run a chicken farm between the two of them.Mark has been having several affairs including one with Gabriella.Things start to complicate when Gabriella moves in with Mark and Anna.Gabriella and Mark continue their affair and plot Anna's death."Death Laid an Egg" is a psychedelic giallo that has to be seen to be believed.The acting by Gina Lollobrigida and Jean-Louis Trintignant is excellent and the score by Bruno Maderna fits the mood perfectly.So if you like weird Italian cinema give this one a look.My other recommendations:"Autopsy" by Armando Crispino and "A Quiet Place in the Country" by Elio Petri.

Some wine...

[kepeb · 6/10 · 2 May 2020]

Some wine gets better with age. Some just doesn't.

However, It is still wine. The visual elements are all there, it has a great looking cast and the era in which it was filmed is clearly stamped all over it. All great things, but for me, not enough to disguise the fact there is little else here to enjoy. Rather slow with some questionable character setups, a pretentious avant garde soundtrack with matching drawn out title sequence which sets this up for more than it turns out to be on it's own merit. When stacked up against other Giallo of the time this falls a little short.

Great music, curious ideas, overly disjointed plot development

[I_Ailurophile · 6/10 · 4 July 2022]

Let's be honest, the very title and premise are so wildly curious as to almost demand viewership; it's billed as a thriller, but expectations just go right out the window. The opening minutes don't do much to help form a concrete notion: between Bruno Maderna's excellent, vibrant score, unnerving in its emphatic discordance, and the wealth of imagery to greet us in short order, it's hard to know just what it is we've committed to watching - yet also hard not to be invested in the bizarrerie. As the narrative starts to take shape a more clear notion forms of what 'Death laid an egg' is about. Though in the broad strokes it may fit squarely into a classic Italian genre, and there are distinct difficulties with the feature as it presents, it's still suitably intriguing and engaging to be worth exploring on its own merits.

About those problems, though. As much as the movie works to catch our attention at the very start, it feels a little bit as though it's compensating for plot development that's meager and unbothered as the story first picks up. And that continues to hold true - a persistent swing of the pendulum between arresting imagery and audio, and mundane and gradual advancement of the story. Ultimately I think the back and forth between one end of the spectrum and another means we get roughly equal amounts of both - but that doesn't mean the picture is perfectly balanced. Because by the same token, Franco Arcalli's sharp, brisk editing helps to reinforce the near phantasmagoric audiovisual overload, maintain the overall pace, and build tension and suspense. Yet much of the sequencing comes across as disordered, furthering the sense of imbalance, and even incoherence, as a variety of story ideas are introduced that seem peculiarly disparate. For that matter, I believe the narrative is complete, but it struggles to even feel cohesive: some small included scenes only heighten the confusion, and maybe I just blinked at the exact wrong time, but there's also a lack of clarity in some regards.

What it comes down to is that 'Death laid an egg' tries very hard to give us a veritable cacophony of light and sound, and it succeeds in that aim. The trouble is that this choice serves to chop the plot into a deeply fragmented construction - yet without that fundamental flair, at its roots the plot is actually quite ordinary and unremarkable. Some aspects of it frankly feel altogether contrived. What we have is an issue of overwhelming style taking precedence over merely serviceable substance, and there's no great victory possible in the midst of that dichotomy. It's not that this is outright bad - not at all! I do admire the endeavor, and the gumption to fashion a story in this way. There are a few noteworthy names in the cast, and I think everyone turns in fine, nuanced displays of acting. The production design, art direction, and all manner of contributions from behind the scenes all look great generally, even when some elements fail to wholly comport. Giulio Questi demonstrates capable skills as director, and there are some splendid bits and pieces of ideas in the screenplay he wrote with Franco Arcalli.

Somehow, though, when all is said and done, much of the value gets subsumed by the kaleidoscopic film-making and storytelling. Unorthodox craft works well for many titles, yet the method must not overshadow the content as it does here. I do like 'Death laid an egg' more than I don't, but I wish I liked it more - and just as it was curiosity that drew me in at the start, having watched, curiosity may remain the best reason to check it out. It's duly recommendable for a number of reasons - fans of giallo, or the cast; appreciation of atypical movie-making or narratives, or of brilliant, memorable music. By whatever means one discovers 'Death laid an egg,' however, potential viewers should just keep in mind that one way or another it's not quite the viewing experience it inherently submits itself to be.

'A clucking skewed Giallo masterpiece!'

[Weirdling_Wolf · 9/10 · 23 January 2014]

Jean-Louis Trintignant's somewhat inscrutable character confoundingly finds himself at the center of a truly bizarre, increasingly deadly conundrum in 'Death Laid an Egg', an idiosyncratic Italian thriller generously over-egged with obscure Freudian motifs, art house posturing, and bravura camera stylings; but it's the stylish thriller's gleeful lack of conformity that makes Questi's far from poultry film such a divisive proposition. While this quixotic oddity contains the requisite murder, stridently squabbling in-laws, majestically micro-skirted dolly birds, it can only be considered a Giallo in the broadest sense, as maestro Guigli's sublimely skewed aesthetic is far more oblique and cerebral than the ubiquitously bloody black-gloves-of-death approach. Naturally, thriller convention plays a part here, but it cowers impotently betwixt a luxurious layer-upon-layer of deliriously psychedelicized absurdity! 'Death Laid an Egg' aka 'Morte Ha fatto L'uovo' might be a Bunuel-esque satire of middle-class malaise and crass, big business avarice, but in point of fact this fascinating 60s celluloid curiosity is simply far too enigmatic for banal reductionism, and forever remains that most precious of cinematic artefacts, a genuinely brain-scrambling midnight movie deserving of the highest praises indeed!

Chicken coup

[Bribaba · 9/10 · 17 August 2012]

Poultry is the key theme here. There are problems down on the chicken farm and so a marketing manager is brought in to sort things out. His belief is that 'chickens are an integral part of society' and before you say 'cluck' he's come up with some brand new concepts: playboy poultry, feathery smoking jackets and 'chicken happenings in the room of truth'.

But then what to do about the mutations that have suddenly started appearing on the farm and which give a whole new meaning to the term' headless chicken'? Boss Jean-Louis Trintignant has been too busy with (possibly murderous) S&M sessions at the local hotel to notice. But then someone squawks to the cops and he's forced to go on the lam. Meanwhile, his wife Gina Lollobridgida and her dizzy blonde secretary hatch a plan of their own. Cameraman Dario Di Palma shoots it all with a flair that matches the abstract paintings on the walls of the interiors, while the editing evokes memories of the underground. The dubbing is terrible and I'd say switch the sound off but then you'd miss a great avant garde score from Bruno Maderna and some frankly unbelievable dialogue. Sum total: genius.