Phantom of Death (1987) User Reviews

Old age is a killer.

[BA_Harrison · 5/10 · 27 August 2016]

It seems as though life couldn't get any better for classical pianist Robert Dominici (Michael York): not only is he an extraordinarily successful musician, and a skillful martial artist, but he also has attractive women falling at his feet, with a beautiful girlfriend, Susanna (Mapi Galán), and a doting admirer, Hélène Martell (Edwige Fenech), fighting for his attention.

In reality, things aren't so great: Robert has been diagnosed with a rare degenerative disease that rapidly ravages his body, ageing him way beyond his years, and affects his psyche, turning him into a vicious killer. Investigating the trail of bodies that Robert leaves in his wake is Inspector Datti (Donald Pleasance), who is confused by the mounting evidence that suggests a killer of ever-increasing age.

From director Ruggero Deodato, the man who gave us gory exploitation classics Jungle Holocaust, Cannibal Holocaust and The House On The Edge Of The Park, quasi-giallo Phantom of Death starts off promisingly with two murders that result in a lot of the red stuff splashing all over the screen. Unfortunately, the film soon settles into routine potboiler mode, with only one more murder (a spiked table lamp forced under the chin) and, with the identity of the killer revealed so early on, precious little in the way of mystery, thrills or suspense.

York, hidden under some pretty good old age make-up for the latter half of the film, does as well as he can with his role, but Pleasance doesn't seem to be trying as hard, giving another one of his stock detective turns that we've seen many times before in the Halloween sequels and other Italian murder/mysteries. Seasoned giallo babe Fenech is there to add some eye candy, but it is up to a couple of other Euro-lovelies to provide the obligatory nudity.

As a side note, Dominici's predicament reminded me a lot of Seth Brundle in Cronenberg's version of The Fly (1986), who suffers a similar physical and mental degeneration. Of course, Phantom of Death is nowhere near as good as Cronenberg's film.

Intriguing central idea but not particularly well executed

[Red-Barracuda · 6/10 · 23 April 2013]

This horror/giallo was directed by Ruggero Deodato, who was more famous for extremely controversial films such as the very unpleasant The House on the Edge of the Park. With The Phantom of Death he reigned in his excesses and produced a far more restrained affair. Its story does have an original angle. A famous pianist discovers he has a rare disease which ages him extremely rapidly. This sets off a homicidal impulse in him and he thereafter goes about murdering women. He becomes hard for the police to track down seeing as the evidence suggests a much older man is responsible for the killings.

The cast in this one is very good on paper. Michael York is the pianist, giallo legend Edwige Fenech is his wife and Donald Pleasance is the cop pursuing the killer. York and Fenech put in a bit of effort with their characters but Pleasance seems to be going through the motions a bit. The lethargy is reflected in the film overall as it is a little dull for the most part and generally lacks suspense. There is a series of murders to enliven things a little but even they don't make too much of an impact. It's a shame in some respects that it is such a pedestrian effort because the central concept is at least an attempt at something a bit different. It's definitely a watchable enough film, however, just a little disappointing considering the potential.

Mediocre Deodato.

[gridoon · 5/10 · 28 July 2002]

Mediocre horror fare has good makeup effects (used to show the rapid aging of Michael York's character), but poor continuity (when a man says "...and all this in the course of a year", you're completely baffled: when did a whole year pass?). York does an acceptable job, but Pleasence has never looked more tired. (**)

When I get Older, Losing My Sight, Not So Many Years From Now

[BaronBl00d · 3 September 2001]

Italian horror/thriller director Ruggero Deodato gives us this somewhat introspective, blood and guts tame by Deodato standards film about an Italian pianist who contracts a very rare disease that makes him age at an incredible rate. The pianist has bouts of memory loss and periods of losing mental control in which he kills, naturally mostly beautiful young women. The deaths are bloody(I saw the Uncut version) but not over-the-top fortunately. In fact the movie really works best as a cat and mouse game between Michael York as the pianist and Donald Pleasance as a plodding policeman not so hot on his trail, as long as you can get past the point that York and Pleasance are supposed to be Italians. The film is in no way great, but I was pleasantly surprised with its effective pacing, decent acting, and heart. York is a man not wholly evil, in many ways a victim of circumstance. He ages before our very eyes. He kills with anger and spur of the moment passion rather than cold-blooded calculation(at least most of the time). He is almost a man to be pitied, and York plays on this for the second half of the film with some obvious talent. Pleasance is Pleasance. A steady presence on film. He does a good job, but he looks physically exhausted and old. The rest of the cast is very adequate with particular attention going to Edwidge Fenech as York's girlfriend. A beautiful woman! A tense thriller!

Promising but also flawed thriller

[Bogey Man · 3/10 · 15 June 2003]

Ruggero Deodato's Un Delitto poco comune aka Off Balance (1987) is an Italian thriller about a wealthy and happy pianist (Michael York) whose life turns upside down after the doctors find a very rare and lethal disease inside him. He starts to grow older very fast, having only few months to live or so and things turn even darker for him as someone starts to viciously murder those close to him. The plot follows police agent Donald Pleasance's attempts to find the killer before it's too late as well as the pianist's own efforts to return a some kind of balance to his life.

Film maker Ruggero Deodato has made one of the most challenging and important films of all time, Cannibal Holocaust (1979) which tells about rotten media violence and the animal species that consumes it. The film is notorious for its unspeakable acts of carnal violence but none of it is in vain or gratuitous which is way too much for some viewers to understand and admit as most of them can't face themselves on the screen. Deodato has also made pure exploitation trash like the 1980 La Casa sperduta nel parco aka The House at the Edge of the Park or Inferno in diretta aka Cut & Run (1985) both of which are mostly just extremely gratuitously violent but also have at least some thoughts and themes to make them more interesting than other nasty and gory Italian films of the period.

Off Balance is written by Gianfranco Clerici whose other credits include the mentioned masterpiece Cannibal Holocaust with Deodato as well as The House at the Edge of the Park but also Lucio Fulci's sadistic and misogynistic terror tale Lo Squartatore di New York aka The New York Ripper (1982) the last two of which are perfect opposites to the firstly mentioned and its subject matter. Off Balance is easily among their weakest works but, fortunately, has some brain too in addition to blood.

The film has a very promising beginning with the first murder scene taking place during the credits inter-cutting to calm scenes depicting the protagonist play piano in his concert. The film moves fastly from the beginning and the characters and their relations get introduced well too. But ultimately, after the first half or so the film loses its fire and becomes slower with plenty of talk and things that don't make too much sense, mostly involving the killer and his (absent) motives for his vicious acts. I can't name one single explanation for his acts and that is rather frustrating once one has realized that. The things that are discussed in the second part are also interesting and important but they are presented with too much contrast with the more lively first half.

The film's theme about aging and living one's life while it's offered and on hand is of course important and surprisingly well-concentrated on in the script and practically the whole last part is about this and not about the killings anymore. The film tries to make the audience understand how important it is not to let your life pass by without living it, as there may come times in the future that you start regretting it as life after all would have offered something interesting and worth living. It definitely doesn't say life or youth ends when your hair go off but it says that some things should be understood not by experience but for example by other people around us or art depicting these things.

The film works also as a pure giallo thriller as it has its moments of suspense and mystery and of course the graphic blood letting. There are few nasty murders in the film, both at the very beginning and they are definitely very "Italian like" with the huge amount of red color sprayed over the screen. The second one is very close to Dario Argento's style but serves not any other purpose than itself, unlike the great usage of similar effect in Argento's Tenebre (1982) for example. The effects are pretty good and the aging character becomes all the more tragic as we see the horrible face mutations of his in so little time. York does a believable role and never over-acts at all.

Off Balance is more promising and potential than some other films of the giallo/slasher genre and since it's Italian, it could've been so much more than it now is. Deodato and Clerici have once proved to be a very efficient couple but it seems they're ambitions are either not supported by the producers anymore or have just changed a little bit in themselves. 3/10

A cool thriller - at least in the uncut version

[rundbauchdodo · 7/10 · 12 January 2001]

This thriller exists in two versions: One for TV and export that is quite tame, and an uncut version with extremely gory murder scenes which, as far as I know, was only released in parts of Europe (mainly Southern Europe). I have never seen the "clean" version, so this comment reviews the uncut (French) version.

Robert Dominici (Michael York) is a successful and attractive pianist whose life could not be better. But one day his doctor tells him that he suffers from a rare disease which makes his body grow old horrendously fast. No wonder that the disease throws Robert completely off balance (hence one of the export titles), he leaves public life and starts to kill young women in nasty ways (just before the goriest murder, Ruggero Deodato has a short cameo!). Police inspector Daddi (Donald Pleasence) has to solve the crimes.

York and Pleasence are tremendous, and the female lead is led by giallo cult actress Edwige Fenech. York's character is, despite his gruesome killings, rather truly tragic than villainous. With this film, Deodato made one of the best gialli of the 1980s, but it's a shame that the censored version is far better known in the German and English spoken parts of the world. Everybody who has the opportunity to get the uncut version should not hesitate and grab it.

unusual idea (rapidly aging killer), but executed in a fairly boring manner

[FieCrier · 5/10 · 6 June 2005]

A female doctor is murdered by a sword. The film makes some pretense of mystery about the identity of the killer, but it doesn't really do a very good job (and the video box gives it away completely). The killer has a rare disease that causes him to rapidly age and also causes the deterioration of his mind. Thus, one murder is thought to have been done by someone of about thirty years of age, and the next by a fifty-year-old.

The murder scenes aren't bad, but the rest of the movie does drag. The killer talks a lot, and what he says isn't of much interest. He also likes to call the police inspector played by Donald Pleasance. The police are all very bad at their jobs, fatally screwing up sting operations, letting suspects go before putting them in a lineup, and so on. Overall the movie is perhaps more of a drama musing about aging and death than it is a horror movie.

Like Psycho IV two years later, this film also has a mentally ill character concerned about passing on his genes. In Psycho IV, that made sense, since Norman had more or less become "normal" through treatment. Here, it's a little more surprising that the man whose mind is supposed to be quite deteriorated is worried about it.

I saw the uncut version of this on video. Can't say it's worth looking for - hold out for a widescreen DVD, and then it might be slightly more worthwhile.

Phantom composition.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 7/10 · 24 October 2017]

After deciding that I would soon watch Ruggero Deodato's 1976 Italian Crime epic Live Like a Cop,Die Like a Man (1976-also reviewed) for the first time soon,I started checking for Horror flicks to view in the run-up to Halloween. Looking at the films from DVD company Shameless I had left to view,I spotted a Giallo by Deodato,which led to me playing the music of the Phantom.

View on the film:

For what was then the second film they had put out,Shameless give the title a passable transfer,with the soundtrack being clear,but the picture having a noticeable amount of grain.

Largely staying away from the genre until the third,and final wave of Giallo (with this,the Slasher hybrid Body Count,and the classy Gialli The Washing Machine 1986 & 1993-both also reviewed) ) directing auteur Ruggero Deodato (with family member Giovanna designing the costumes) and cinematographer Giorgio Di Battista slant the Giallo to the Erotic Thriller side,with blue low-lighting covering Dominci's face,and slick camera moves gliding on his high- life.

Backed by a smooth synch score from reuniting with Pino Donaggio and surprisingly good practical effects, Deodato makes the murder set-pieces short and sharp,with the stylised splashing of Gialli red heightening the madness of Dominci.

Revealing the killer to be Dominci early on,the screenplay by Gianfranco Clerici/Vincenzo Mannino & Gigliola Battaglini focuses on the rapidly ageing romance between Dominci and Martell in rather mature characterisation, which whilst giving the movie a dramatic weight,does drain any feeling of urgency from the murder case being solved.

Whilst Deodato says she was only included because the producer wanted her, Edwige Fenech (whose voice for the first time is not dubbed) gives an alluring performance as Martell,who is pulled by Fenech to her wits end at the change of her lover,and Michael York gives Dominci a strong dose of gravitas,in the writing of his final composition.

A giallo with a twist

[bensonmum2 · 5/10 · 24 May 2017]

About half way through Phantom of Death last night, I almost gave up and turned it off. Much of the first act seemed so schizophrenic to me. What I thought was going to be a straight forward giallo ended up being anything but. I'm glad I stuck around. It's not great, but Phantom of Death provides a rather unique twist on the giallo that fans ought to check out.

Robert Dominici (Michael York) is a 35 year-old concert pianist with the world at his fingertips. However, he is stricken with a rare disease that makes him age at an alarmingly rapid pace. He goes through bouts of uncontrollable, murderous rage. His target (as with most all gialli) – beautiful young women. Inspector Datti (Donald Pleasence) is tasked with putting a stop to the killings. For the aging Dominici, it becomes a cat and mouse game as he taunts Datti at every opportunity.

The rapidly aging plot device is used very effectively in Phantom of Death. The police aren't sure who they're after. Physical evidence suggests the killer might be in his 30s or in his 50s or even in his 70s. It's a nice twist. And York does a phenomenal job with the aging Dominici. His performance here is much better than I ever expected to find in a film like this. Even though he's a ruthless killer, York is actually able to make the audience feel sympathy for Dominici and his situation. This is especially true in the film's finale. It's really remarkable. The make-up here is also fantastic. With hair falling out, teeth rotting, and other age related transformations, York really appears much older than he is. Nice job.

As is the usual case and as my rating indicates, there are some issues I had with Phantom of Death. I love Edwige Fenech, but she's horribly underutilized as Dominici's love interest. Her role is such that I'm in the fourth paragraph of this and I am just now mentioning her. I don't think Pleasance gives one of his better performances. He often looks tired and lost. He's not helped by a script that makes him and the rest of the police look incompetent. How they didn't catch Dominici earlier is a mystery that can only be answered by one of the film's writers. One of my biggest complaints is with the editing. There are several occasions where a scene will jarringly end and switch to something completely different. A monkey on speed could make smoother transitions. Finally, the pacing is off kilter at the start of the film. As I wrote previously, it felt schizophrenic.

Pretty good horror film.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 7/10 · 25 January 2004]

"Phantom of Death" is one of the lesser known Ruggero Deodato's horror/giallo entries.Michael York plays a famous pianist Robert Dominici.He has a rare disease that contributes to turning him into psychopathic killer.Donald Pleasence plays the cop who tries to track him down.The film itself is rather dull,but it offers some really bloody murder scenes.I liked especially the scene where the woman is stabbed repeatedly until she smashes through a window.The acting is okay,but there is not enough suspense for my liking.Check it out,if you are a fan of Italian horror.6 out of 10.

Deodato's last film

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 30 October 2019]

Ruggero Deodato, how I love you. I love that you somehow convinced a real actor, Michael York, to be in an insane film about a man getting progeria way past its due date and murdering people left and right. I can get how you got Donald Pleasence. I can even sort of understand how you got Edwige Fenech. But Michael York?

York plays Robert Dominici, a pianist who suffers from that previously mentioned genetic condition that causes him to rapidly age, and by that, I mean that his face starts looking like Klaus Kinski. To make up for the bad hand he's been dealt, he starts killing people and targeting Inspector Datti 's (Pleasence) daughter Gloria.

Deodato would later say, "I did Phantom of Death because it was based on a true element - the idea of growing old. And I got to work with Michael York and Donald Pleasence." He also threw in that the producer demanded Fenech, who was miscast. This is also one of the few movies where she isn't dubbed, so you get to hear her real voice.

Made after The Barbarians, this was Deodato's last film. That makes me sadder than anything in this movie.

giallo like thriller certainly has its moments

[christopher-underwood · 8/10 · 18 August 2011]

This is fine, its just that it could so easily have been a lot better. The trouble is that the intriguing central theme that makes life so difficult for Donald Pleasence as the police chief, also makes for plot difficulties. Michael York plays a youngish concert pianist who has an ageing illness and an added problem is that in reality the star has already lost some of his boyish charm. He nevertheless deals well with his role and indeed seems more effective as the film proceeds. Unfortunately though the film itself starts fast and well it slows almost to a halt and when we know exactly who did what the only interest is the progress of a badly ageing (really!) Pleasence. Edwige Fenech is as lovely as ever and we fans of hers can only regret she keeps her clothes on, but not everyone does and what with som gore, this giallo like thriller certainly has its moments.

Interesting but a waste of Fenech and Pleasance

[parry_na · 6/10 · 24 November 2018]

By 1988, giallos had been around for a long time and had understandably passed their peak. Here we have a good concoction of the usual ingredients - a whispering voice on the phone, a shambling police agent and some gory set-pieces set amidst elegant backdrops.

Directed by Ruggero 'Cannibal Holocaust' Deodato, this production is a showcase for the lesser appeals of the 1980s. An occasional backdrop of soulless, Linn-drum 'pop' music that typified the latter half of that decade and outsized shoulder pads and garish colourful fashion, and an expansive gloss that reminds me of the increasingly preposterous America soap giants like 'Dallas' and 'Dynasty' - luckily the three leads are not too blighted by such elements.

Dependable Michael York plays lady-magnet and pianist Robert Dominisci as well as he plays all his roles; Edwige Fenech has nothing much to do as Hélène Martell, his stunning girlfriend and a disinterested Donald Pleasence shuffles around as Inspector Datti, forever on the trail of the mysterious killer. His performance falls because he has no character, and his rant in the street ("You murdering b******! I kill you! I kill you!") amidst shoppers who don't bat and eyelid, is very odd in particular.

Pino Donaggio's score is good, but doesn't possess the stirring majesty of Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai, and the smooth veneer of the production takes away many elements that personified giallo films at their peak. As such, this leans towards police procedural featuring a sympathetic, deformed killer, albeit with some beautiful locations. Dominisci's Jekyll/Hyde-like degeneration has a tragic permanence to it. Sadly for Datti, here is a criminal who did everything he could to get caught - and still the inspector failed to catch him.

Watchable, but not outstanding, Italian horror thriller.

[capkronos · 5/10 · 9 May 2003]

35-year old concert pianist Robert Dominici (Michael York) is stricken with a rare genetic disorder which rapidly ages him. His hair falls out, his teeth rot, he coughs up blood and starts suffering from uncontrollable "behavioral problems"--psychotic, murderous episodes. This spells a violent end for the ladies (past and present) in his life and even more unfortunate for his French fashion designer girlfriend Helene (Edwige Fenech) that she becomes pregnant with the child he doesn't want to be born. Donald Pleasence (who was probably sick to death with the typecasting) is the police inspector on the case and Mapi Galan is a knockout (even though she's taken out way too early).

Deodato is copying Argento and Bava here with flashy sets, costumes and backdrops, misty photography and some pretty gory murders, but his direction lacks suspense, the editing is choppy and the dubbing of many of the supporting players is poor. The score (by Pino Donaggio) and make-up are good, though, and the leads are solid.

sluggish and mediocre

[callanvass · 5 January 2004]

mediocre slasher is very bloody but poorly made and wastes genre favorite Donald Pleasence badly this is poorly written and kind of dull too while it has it's effective moments this is just one sluggish and mediocre time that is not worth seeing oh and Michael York gives a somewhat decent performance *1/2 out of 5

Good Ruggero Deodato horror...

[MovieGuy01 · 5/10 · 13 October 2009]

I thought that was a very good film (Micheal York) stars as a piano genius called Robert Dominci, who suddenly contracts a devastating disease which ages him rapidly. A decaying Robert not knowing that he does not have very long to live starts to commit a vicious slaughter on anyone who finds about his disease. This film was very gory in places. I thought that (Micheal York) who played Robert in the film was a very good actor. Donald Pleasence(Halloween) stars as Police Inspector Datti who is trying hard to put an end to all the violence that Robert Dominci has committed.This was a good horror film directed by Ruggero Deodato, who directed other horror film such as, (Cannibal Holocaust)and (New York Ripper)I though that this was a good horror film in the end.

Great cast, reliable director...bizarre giallo!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 6 June 2006]

Unusual giallo, directed by one of Italy's finest horror filmmakers, and revolving on a truly ingenious and original topic, namely a murderer who commits his crimes because he can't accept the extremely rare disease that is destroying him physically and emotionally. Robert Dominici is a genius pianist, also practicing an eminent oriental fighting sport, suddenly stricken with a terrible illness that causes him to age rapidly. Leaving a trail of frustrated and extremely gore murders in the city, inspector Tati (Donald Pleasance pretending to be Italian, again!) has tremendous difficulties, as the forensic lab tests indicate a gradually older culprit each time. "Phantom of Death" is not Deodato's best film (that honor unquestionably goes to "Cannibal Holocaust") but it's a well-made and occasionally very tense thriller with good special effects and loads of streaming red liquid. It wouldn't be an Italian flick if the murders weren't extraordinary gross, right? We've got a couple of slit throats and one poor girl is violently thrown through a window. The acting performances are rather impressive, with Michael York being the personification of pure agony. Even more impressive are Edwige Fenech's looks! This giallo was made 18 years after her initial successes in the genre ("All the Colors of the Dark", "The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh"), but she still looks exactly as gorgeous as she did back then. I guess she's definitely NOT suffering from the rapid-ageing virus...

Off Balance in the Wake of Death

[Vomitron_G · 4/10 · 4 June 2008]

Ruggero Deodato...

I hope I'm not bumbing against people's cart when I say that with having just watched PHANTOM OF DEATH his directorial skills somewhat became a bit more questionable again to me. I mean, the man undeniably is a master in depicting 'jungle mayhem', with CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST arguably the best cannibal movie ever made (except no substitute - it is actually a very good movie with the most effective set-up I've ever witnessed in such films) and CUT AND RUN, again, one of the best efforts in the genre I've ever seen (and one of my personal favorites). Deodato is at his best anytime he's free to go over the top in any genre (THE BARBARIANS, anyone?)... But put him in the director's seat of a movie that's a bit more serious and demanding on the (international) cast's behalf, and he's bound to slip. As is, in my opinion, the case with PHANTOM OF DEATH.

The Italian title, by the way, doesn't exactly encourage viewers to go see it, so I don't know what the producers were thinking. Literally translated, it means "A crime a little bit common (ordinary)". Sounds a little bit dull, doesn't it? Regardless, the basic synopsis does sound interesting enough: A successful pianist - why exactly a pianist is totally irrelevant; I suspect it was to lend the movie a bit more 'class' - starts suffering from a disease that rapidly ages him. Aside from not being able to cope with this affliction, it also starts affecting his mind and he can't resist the urge to kill women any longer. All this wrapped up in a Giallo-style film. This idea is put to good use in the plot, as his rapid aging makes it quite difficult for the police to determine what the killer looks like.

Further more, Deodato (or the screenplay?) does have a good sense of pacing regarding the unfolding of events and presenting us a necessary killing on regular occasions. The murders are also pretty bloody & squirty, so that's a plus. One killing even has a girl bursting through a glass door in slow motion. But face it, as far as originality goes, Dario Argento had been throwing girls through windows in slow motion since 1977 already. So, nothing too special there either.

But now for the two main things Deodato completely messes up. He has absolutely no clue on how to make an effective transition from one scene to another. And on a few occasions he sometimes even makes the cut from one shot to another look bad. Now, when you're wildly shooting a movie in a jungle, you can get away with that and the audience just doesn't notice it. But when you're shooting a stylish crime thriller and trying to tell a decent story, then you better fine-tune your directing skills in that department too. Deodato just jumps and cuts from one scene to another, including often too short and seemingly pointless scenes. It often results in a character's lines barely having come out of his mouth, and wham-bam cut to a different scenery. Doing it like that, might get you on with the story, but it also causes more than one problem for other aspects of the movie. Some might think I'm nitpicking, and I might be, as in some other movies (pulpy exploitation flicks, for example) I wouldn't point out these things. But you can feel PHANTOM OF DEATH tries to be a bit more ambitions on several levels, so I'm holding these flaws against it. However, the mise-en-scène is more polished than I would have thought. So at least the movie looks good enough.

The other problem I have, is that with a movie of this type, Deodato just can't move his cast to give a decent performance. A given is, of course, that the supporting cast is downright abominable (acting/performance-wise). But it's worse than that. Donald Pleasance looks exhausted and uninspired and I suspect the main cause of this being that he has been given bad material to work with (so not necessarily his age at the time). The dialogue is poor and one scene has him go shamelessly over the top, running into a crowd on a square, shouting stuff like "Where are you? Show yourself, bastard! I kill you! You bastard! I kill you!!!". Very funny, yes. Very sad too. Same goes for Edwige Fenech. She's got her on-screen charisma and looks great. But she has not much to do or say. In the second half of the movie, she basically sits at home all the time being pregnant and waiting for her lover (the killer) to return. Michael York somehow does pull it off on some level, but his character is loaded with so much pathos - man, those scenes when he's talking to the blind dog - that it sometimes becomes painful to watch. And his slow motion death-scene at the end was plain laughable, to put it mildly. Attentive viewers can spot a cameo by Giovanni Lombardi Radice. And no, don't get your hopes up: He doesn't die a painfully bloody death.

But this movie is memorable for at least one scene alone. Freaky & creepy sh!t, I tell ya. Two words as a teaser: Old kid.

And yes, there's female nudity coming from more than one cast member.

Let me end it here by saying that PHANTOM OF DEATH (or OFF BALANCE, as is the title I prefer) is certainly of interest to Giallo fans. It can be enjoyed. But it's not a great movie.

Decent late 80's Giallo effort

[acidburn-10 · 6/10 · 26 January 2023]

'Phantom of Death' is an enjoyable late 80's Giallo slasher flick with a macabre atmosphere, an interesting plot and some well staged death scenes that enhances the bleak tone of the movie. The genre was pretty dead by this point, so it was nice to have a well-made Giallo flick with a different point of view from this time period, even if it does go off the rails with its choppiness change in direction.

The plot = A gifted pianist Robert Dominici (Michael York) is stricken with a genetic disease called Progeria which causes him to age rapidly and to lose his sanity and goes on a killing spree prompting a police inspector Datti (Donald Pleasence) to try and stop him.

The movie starts out like a typical Giallo with an interesting set up, but the mystery element is thrown out the window when the main character gets the disease and becomes the killer, which isn't a spoiler its literally revealed in the synopsis and trailers. The movie then shifts focus to a more crime thriller slasher film which I thought that was an interesting twist by making this more of a character study and it does subvert the genre tactics, but the filmmakers could have done more with this idea as it basically comes out of nowhere and makes this a rather confusing first time viewing. The haphazard editing doesn't help with these matters as there's a lack of flow from scene to scene and you're not entirely sure how much time has passed between certain scenes. Despite the scripting problems this is a solid enough entry in the genre with enough craziness going on to sustain momentum.

The cast here are excellent with Michael York delivering an entertaining performance as the main lead and provides a stellar screen presence with believability and conviction in such a demanding role. Donald Pleasance is always a joy to watch and injects the movie with much needed enthusiasm even if he is treading on familiar ground. Then of course there's the ultimate genre queen Edwige Fenech who despite being in such a small role, brings elegance to the flick and its great to see her in what would be her final Giallo outing.

Overall 'Phantom of Death' is a decent late offering from the genre.

Tedious incomprehensible giallo/slasher with the high points of neither

[Groverdox · 3/10 · 29 April 2016]

"Phantom of Death" is one of those movies that makes you wonder if the director called in sick for its entire production. Its sprawling, shambolic pacing and editing seems to do everything it can to prevent you from caring about what's going on on-screen. Some of the cuts finish one seen with an actor mid-sentence, and then cut to another location where the actor finishes what they were saying as if no such change had occurred. The effect is jarring and sophomoric.

One thing that can be said for the movie is that the make-up is top notch. The movie concerns a killer who is rapidly ageing due to some rare illness. Why that would make him want to kill anyone isn't satisfactorily dealt with, but nevertheless, the effect is believable and horrible.

The actor who plays the killer is also quite good in the role. The problem is, he isn't the centre of the movie. The movie has no centre. Any time you think you have detected what the movie is really about, you find yourself in error. Yes, it's a giallo/slasher, but there's none of the mystery of the former and little of the lurid sex and violence of the latter. You don't know the victims, or the killer. The portrayal is incomprehensible, and deadly boring.

Not one of the killings is memorable, and the movie has minimal nudity and no sex, if I remember correctly. I finished watching this moments ago and I've already forgotten.

It's not every day you see a Donald Pleasence movie and find yourself pitying other actors in the movie more, but here we are. At least he didn't have to act all spooky while uttering the name "Michael Myers", and he gets one good scene, running down the street shouting "Where are you, you bastard!"

Unpleasant and original Giallo from Ruggero Deodato!

[The_Void · 7/10 · 24 May 2006]

This film became an instant must see for me after reading the plot outline - how could I resist a film about a killer who was unlucky enough to catch a disease that makes him age rapidly? This film is quite heavily flawed, but it's safe to say that director Ruggero Deodato hasn't squandered it, as Phantom of Death is a very fun little thriller that makes good use of its central idea and features some very nice scenes of gore. Yes, you've got to expect a lot of the red stuff from a man whose biggest film credits include The House on the Edge of the Park and Cannibal Holocaust, and the film certainly doesn't disappoint; as we've got a woman being stabbed though a window, another having her throat sliced open, a decapitation and other such macabre happenings. The plot focuses on a piano player who, after losing some of his hair, discovers to his horror that he's one of the few adult sufferers of a disease that speeds up the aging process. As you might expect, this has a profound effect on his mind as well as his body; and it ultimately leads him to murder...

One of the main weak points of this movie stems from the plotting. The screenplay is very disjointed, and the film doesn't always flow well. Furthermore, it suffers from the common Italian thriller flaw of not always making a great deal of sense - so it's lucky that the ideas and their implications are usually enough to carry the film. The acting is a strong point for the movie, however, and this one features some rather risky casting. Michael York takes the lead role and brings class and sophistication to it, which ensures that the classic British actor is always more than the common sleazy killer seen in most Giallo's. Donald Pleasance is his opposite number, and while he isn't given an awful lot to do in his role as the police officer on the case; he's a hell of a lot better than he was in the Halloween movies in which he made his name. The central cast is rounded off by classic Giallo temptress Edwige Fenech, who still looks great despite this film being made over a decade and a half since her immortal roles in Sergio Martino's classy Giallo's. Overall, this isn't great or a classic; but Phantom of Death shows some great originality (something Giallo's aren't well known for) and entertains despite its obvious flaws. Well worth seeking out!

tries to be giallo, but comes out jello

[lee_eisenberg · 3/10 · 22 August 2006]

To us horror fans, Euro-horror is the optimum; Portland's video/DVD store Movie Madness even has a section devoted to it. Unfortunately, "Un delitto poco comune" (called "Phantom of Death" in English) has little to show for itself. The plot involves something about a piano player (Michael York) who unwillingly assumes a different identity and goes around committing murders, but the whole movie is poorly strung together and barely goes anywhere. A particularly bad scene is when Donald Pleasance is telling someone something, and then they cut the scene and he finishes the sentence several minutes later! All in all, there are plenty of cool Italian horror flicks (anything by Mario Bava or Dario Argento is right up there). No need to waste your time on this one.

Ruggero Deodato's delirious aria of death-dealing dementia!

[Weirdling_Wolf · 8/10 · 2 November 2023]

The infamous cannibal King's thrillingly Graphic late-cycle Giallo finds frustrated inspector, Datti (Donald Pleasence) increasingly confounded by a series of especially gruesome slayings. The maniacal killer's malign modus operandi born of a dreadful degenerative disease provides a compellingly novel premise. The bravura bloodletting, eerily atmospheric Venetian locations, and maestro, Pino Donnagio's sinuous score is complemented with some exceptionally fine performances. Not exactly sympathetic, Michael York's perverse pianist, Robert Dominici arguably remains one of Gialli's more memorably girl goring malcontents. While the 90s would herald the death knell for inventive Spaghetti splatter, Ruggero Deodato's delirious aria of death-dealing dementia orchestrated a spectacularly sanguineous requiem to a wholly unrepeatable era of operatic, uniquely Italianate horror insanity!

A strictly so-so Italian fright flick from the usually reliable Ruggero Deodato

[Woodyanders · 6/10 · 25 May 2006]

The usually insipid and unexceptional Michael York gives a surprisingly good performance -- intense, anguished, severely tormented and even fairly touching -- as a melancholy pianist suffering from a rare ailment which causes him to age at an alarmingly accelerated rate, making poor Mikey transform into an increasingly ugly, balding, rot-toothed, wizened old pruneface ghoul. Mike subsequently goes lethally batty nuts and starts viciously killing beautiful young ladies who possess the youthful vitality and pulchritude he's rapidly losing. Late, great fright flick favorite Donald Pleasence, who often gave feverishly wired, riveting, fabulously idiosyncratic performances in almost every last movie he acted in, proves to be curiously phlegmatic and underwhelming as the concerned homicide detective investigating the brutal murders York commits.

While the killings are nastily satisfying (women have their throats cut wide open so blood can spew forth in a thick arterial crimson torrent), there are a few fairly steamy and explicit sex scenes, and the production values are both solid and polished, "Phantom of Death" fails to make the cut as a total success due to draggy pacing, uninteresting characters (although York is rather pitiable, he's overall far too arrogant to be wholly sympathetic and Pleasence's obsessive policeman never rises above the level of a flat one-note cipher), so-so make-up f/x, and a grindingly predictable by-the-numbers plot. Ruggero Deodato's direction manages to be competent throughout, but never amounts to anything more than merely acceptable and surprisingly unremarkable; the distinctly mean, unrelenting kick-you-in-the-teeth potent ferocity which distinguished such previous pictures as "Jungle Holocaust," "Cannibal Holocaust" and "The House on the Edge of the Park" is largely absent here. The gorgeous Edwige Fenich looks positively smashing as York's caring French girlfriend, plus there are nifty cameos by legendary spaghetti splatter whipping boy John Morghen as a priest and Deodato himself as a creepy dude at a train station. To sum up, this one's strictly decent and diverting, but nothing terribly special or noteworthy.

Tedious.

[jockledoodledoo · 3/10 · 6 October 2009]

This very "made for TV" movie drags at a snail's pace, and it really shouldn't at one hour and twenty-seven minutes. Anything of merit can actually be seen in the trailer which heavily uses the 'best', or at least most memorable scene in the film featuring an aged child on a swing. This scene, in the actual film itself, is no longer than the footage seen in the trailer - which, when I viewed it, certainly intrigued me. Don't be fooled.

The acting is hammy, and even compared to something like 'House on the edge of the park' this is mediocre. The quality of image and sound (on the Shameless DVD release) leaves a lot to be desired - but judging from some of the night scenes the quality of film used in the first place was not the best. A cheap shoddy production all round it would seem.

Donald Pleasance does nothing of merit, and York's over-acting grates from a very early stage. Tedious plot padding comes in the shape of pointless ventures to Venice - only to kill a prostitute and moan some more at a priest.

The Italian horror genre can offer so much more than this, so unless you are an extreme completist, don't bother.