"Human Cobras" ended up in my must-see list because the (Italian) title sounds pure giallo, because the film poster looks pure giallo
and because it's included in most gialli lists, duh! But throughout at least half of the film's running time I kept on thinking: "if this is a giallo, then I'm the Queen of England". It's definitely not your typical and textbook type of giallo in which numerous scantily clad beauty models are sadistically knocked off by an unknown pervert wearing a dark raincoat and thick black gloves. No, "Human Cobras" gradually turns into that other type of giallo – albeit only halfway through the film – namely where the plot is centered on a convoluted murder conspiracy and literally all characters are involved in betrayal, corruption, adultery or sexual deviance. Generally speaking this type of giallo is less entertaining and a lot less memorable, and "Human Cobras" sadly doesn't form an exception. The first 30-40 minutes come across as a boring Poliziotesschi imitation with a lame anti- hero and poorly choreographed action footage. Tony Garden, a former criminal with a nasty face, receives a telegram to inform him that his brother Johnny has been murdered. He promptly travels to New York and visits the brother's attractive wife Leslie to find out what happened. Whenever Tony finds a person willing to talk about his brother, that particular person is murdered right before he/she has the chance to share what they know. We also know immediately who the killer is, but we don't know why. Then, for some reason I didn't quite capture, everybody travels to Kenya and from here onwards the film admittedly becomes more interesting and entertaining (although for all the wrong reasons
). It doesn't happen too often that giallo-plots take place in different locations, and definitely not in African countries. At a certain point, the characters even nonchalantly go elephant-hunting! I mean, seriously? I know it was the early 70s, but promoting stuff like that in films is never cool. Luckily enough, the hunters get into conflict and start shooting at each other instead of the elephants. One of them even gets run over by one of the massive animals and dies. Yay for the elephants! The denouement is fairly dumb and predictable, and establishes once and for all that "Human Cobras" is a passable and unworthy Italian thriller.
6 Reviews
One of the Weakest Gialli I Have Ever Seen
hae1340030 May 2003
When Johnny Garden was murdered, his fiancee, Leslie, and his brother, Tony, go to New York, USA and Nairobi, Kenya to figure out who killed him. But, in Kenya, Leslie sees Johnny's illusion, and a girl who introduces herself as Johnny's friend is found dead in Tony's room... Although the first thirty-minute of this Spanish-Italian co-produced Giallo sets in Europe and USA (and it should be said this thirty-minute is definitely of a cheap B-action-film rather than of a Giallo), this is a Giallo which is best known with and only with regard of its unique setting in Kenya. And I can admit this Kenyan setting produces almost unexpectedly visual impacts, especially in the sequence that Tony Garden disposes of the troublesome body of the almost strange girl and then the police find it. (Unfortunately, this highly impressive sequence is badly independent and therefore is almost unconnected with the latter sequences. Indeed, this film per se seems to be full of strange segmentalness.) Sadly, this apparently enterprising Giallo has not a few problems. For instance, neither George Ardisson, who plays Tony, nor Erika Blanc, who plays Leslie, looks like a desirable hero(ine) whom audiences naturally empathise. Of course, this film has its Italian title, L'UOMO PIU VELENOSO DEL COBRA, so it can be said and even presupposed they are calculated to be venomous. But their apparent venomousness destroys the twisted developmentalness of the very story of this film, and this strange self-destractiveness is the very reason why I am not impressed by the new turn which the last sequence of the film takes. And to make matters worse, Stelvio Cipriani's music is, if not inadequate, disappointingly weak. And this weakness seems to be the same kind of that of Jerry Goldsmith's music in the junk-rather-than-jungly adventure film titled CONGO. In conclusion, I have to say this 1971 film is one of the weakest and even most boring Gialli I have ever seen.
A multi-country giallo
BandSAboutMovies18 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Human Cobras is the story of Tony Garden (George Ardisson), who was exiled from the United States but now has to return after the death of his twin brother John. He takes his brother's wife - and his ex-lover - Leslie (Erika Blanc) with him to get revenge, which takes him all the way to Kenya after finding a clue written in blood. Blood drawn from a razor-wielding killer because, yes, this is a giallo.
They get there and start looking for John's business partner George MacGreaves (Alberto de Mendoza) but the killer has followed them. So while Tony is romancing Clara (Janine Reynaud), Leslie is taking a bubble bath or being stalked by the black-gloved villain.
Directed by Bitto Albertini using the name Albert J. Walkner, this has a Ernesto Gastaldi and Eduardo Manzanos Borchero script that's better than the direction. Oh Bitto, you are better off making movies like the two Black Emanuelle movies and Escape from Galaxy 3 than trying to make a twist and turn giallo. Imagine if Get Carter had Eurospy elements and wanted to be a giallo while also having some ghost moments where Blanc thinks she sees her dead lover, then drop that later subplot. It also has a hero, of sorts, who has no issue with dumping a woman's body in a waterfall or going elephant hunting, which knowing this is an Italian film, you can imagine that yes, elephants were really killed. That said, Luciano Martino produced it, so it has some quality to it and there's a role for Luciano Pigozzi as a New York City gangster who gets shook down by our protagonist.
They get there and start looking for John's business partner George MacGreaves (Alberto de Mendoza) but the killer has followed them. So while Tony is romancing Clara (Janine Reynaud), Leslie is taking a bubble bath or being stalked by the black-gloved villain.
Directed by Bitto Albertini using the name Albert J. Walkner, this has a Ernesto Gastaldi and Eduardo Manzanos Borchero script that's better than the direction. Oh Bitto, you are better off making movies like the two Black Emanuelle movies and Escape from Galaxy 3 than trying to make a twist and turn giallo. Imagine if Get Carter had Eurospy elements and wanted to be a giallo while also having some ghost moments where Blanc thinks she sees her dead lover, then drop that later subplot. It also has a hero, of sorts, who has no issue with dumping a woman's body in a waterfall or going elephant hunting, which knowing this is an Italian film, you can imagine that yes, elephants were really killed. That said, Luciano Martino produced it, so it has some quality to it and there's a role for Luciano Pigozzi as a New York City gangster who gets shook down by our protagonist.
Jet set giallo
Red-Barracuda7 September 2012
An angry gangster travels to New York and then Nairobi in order to find out who killed his brother. He encounters a selection of shady characters along the way and the mystery is slowly unravelled.
Taking account of the above synopsis, it could be argued that Human Cobras could be regarded as an Italian riff on Get Carter. Although it must be admitted that seeing as both of these films were released the same year it may just be a complete coincidence. But the basic narratives of both movies are pretty similar. That's more or less where the comparisons end though, as this one is nowhere near as good as that classic British gangster flick. It begins like it's going to be a poliziotteschi, with plenty of crime genre scenes involving tough gangsters and an opening theme tune that is driving and energetic in a crime flick type of way. But as the film develops it becomes a mystery-thriller, although not an out-and-out giallo.
The settings are certainly factors that make this flick stand out a bit. It's not often that Italian genre pictures go to America and even less often do they travel to Africa. But the change of scenery certainly gives this one something different and the Nairobi scenes, especially, are pleasingly unusual. It's in this latter location where a somewhat out-dated and bizarre event happens. Our 'heroes' take time out to go elephant shooting! I don't know if international law was different in these matters back in the 70's but nowadays such behaviour is regarded as only a few rungs below child molestation. It's another example of genre films showing some jarring examples of behaviour that seems appalling now.
George Ardisson stars as the central character and he gets through the entire movie with a face like fizz. He is supported by a cast of regulars from other Italian genre pictures - Erika Blanc (Kill, Baby! Kill!), Janine Reynaud (The Case of the Scorpion's Tail) and Alberto de Mendoza (The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh). While the prolific Stelvio Cipriani provides an entertaining and varied score. The film overall isn't anything special but it's decent enough. The mystery isn't the most interesting but it does actually make sense. It's solid enough and should please most Italian genre fans at least to some extent.
Taking account of the above synopsis, it could be argued that Human Cobras could be regarded as an Italian riff on Get Carter. Although it must be admitted that seeing as both of these films were released the same year it may just be a complete coincidence. But the basic narratives of both movies are pretty similar. That's more or less where the comparisons end though, as this one is nowhere near as good as that classic British gangster flick. It begins like it's going to be a poliziotteschi, with plenty of crime genre scenes involving tough gangsters and an opening theme tune that is driving and energetic in a crime flick type of way. But as the film develops it becomes a mystery-thriller, although not an out-and-out giallo.
The settings are certainly factors that make this flick stand out a bit. It's not often that Italian genre pictures go to America and even less often do they travel to Africa. But the change of scenery certainly gives this one something different and the Nairobi scenes, especially, are pleasingly unusual. It's in this latter location where a somewhat out-dated and bizarre event happens. Our 'heroes' take time out to go elephant shooting! I don't know if international law was different in these matters back in the 70's but nowadays such behaviour is regarded as only a few rungs below child molestation. It's another example of genre films showing some jarring examples of behaviour that seems appalling now.
George Ardisson stars as the central character and he gets through the entire movie with a face like fizz. He is supported by a cast of regulars from other Italian genre pictures - Erika Blanc (Kill, Baby! Kill!), Janine Reynaud (The Case of the Scorpion's Tail) and Alberto de Mendoza (The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh). While the prolific Stelvio Cipriani provides an entertaining and varied score. The film overall isn't anything special but it's decent enough. The mystery isn't the most interesting but it does actually make sense. It's solid enough and should please most Italian genre fans at least to some extent.
Watchable Italian giallo set in Kenya.
HumanoidOfFlesh2 February 2015
The action of Bitto Albertini's "Human Cobras" takes place in Stockholm,New York and Nairobi in Kenya.The plot revolves around a former mobster Tony Garden(George Ardisson)who wants to avenge his brother's death.In New York Tony meets with sexy Erica Blanc,who played in Mario Bava's Gothic romp "Kill Baby Kill".Then the action moves to Africa where the mystery ends during/after safari near Kilimanjaro.The direction by Bitto Albertini is a bit uninspired but the location sets in lower Manhattan and Nairobi are quite atmospheric.There are some violent scenes like razor blade slashing or strangling,but don't expect any graphic gore.I particularly enjoyed Stelvio Cipriani's score and complicated plot written by Ernesto Gastaldi.7 human cobras out of 10.
Shaft in Africa
Bezenby18 September 2017
Tom Garden is sunning it up in Spain when he receives word from America that his brother has been killed. Thinking that this might be some sort of revenge against himself as he was some sort of gangster, Tom heads off home with vengeance on his mind, as well as plenty of flashbacks to help the flight go in quicker!
Once in NYC, Tom gets his goon throttling gloves on and starts shaking down the local criminals to find out what the hell's going on, and comes up against the Mafia don who told him to get the hell out of America in the first place. He also hooks up with Erika Blanc, his ex-girlfriend who was subsequently his brother's girlfriend, who tries to help him get to the bottom of things. He also meets an old friend called Mortimer (played by Luciano Pigozzi) who is terrified of something, and with good reason, as some guy turns up and slashes him to death with a straight razor. But why would Mortimer write the letter G in his own blood before dying?
What starts off as a gritty crime film quickly turns into a Giallo, only we know who the killer is as he's right up there on the screen – what we don't know is why he's killing everyone. Then for some reason the action switches to Kenya, Africa, where safari in the seventies meant 'shooting everything with guns'. They love animals, that's why they like to kill them!
Luckily we can all breathe a sigh of relief as no one kills any animals in this one (always a risk of the job when watching Italian trash films), but that doesn't stop an elephant stomping the crap out of one of the characters! Most of the actual plot develops in Kenya too, from Tom's brother's old business partner and his past with Erika Blanc, and Tom's brother's old girlfriend turning up, then turning up again – only dead!
Although it's all a bit flat (at least in the recorded off of TV version I watched) there's enough madness going on to keep me happy – they even throw in a safari car chase at the end.
Once in NYC, Tom gets his goon throttling gloves on and starts shaking down the local criminals to find out what the hell's going on, and comes up against the Mafia don who told him to get the hell out of America in the first place. He also hooks up with Erika Blanc, his ex-girlfriend who was subsequently his brother's girlfriend, who tries to help him get to the bottom of things. He also meets an old friend called Mortimer (played by Luciano Pigozzi) who is terrified of something, and with good reason, as some guy turns up and slashes him to death with a straight razor. But why would Mortimer write the letter G in his own blood before dying?
What starts off as a gritty crime film quickly turns into a Giallo, only we know who the killer is as he's right up there on the screen – what we don't know is why he's killing everyone. Then for some reason the action switches to Kenya, Africa, where safari in the seventies meant 'shooting everything with guns'. They love animals, that's why they like to kill them!
Luckily we can all breathe a sigh of relief as no one kills any animals in this one (always a risk of the job when watching Italian trash films), but that doesn't stop an elephant stomping the crap out of one of the characters! Most of the actual plot develops in Kenya too, from Tom's brother's old business partner and his past with Erika Blanc, and Tom's brother's old girlfriend turning up, then turning up again – only dead!
Although it's all a bit flat (at least in the recorded off of TV version I watched) there's enough madness going on to keep me happy – they even throw in a safari car chase at the end.
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