Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye (1973) Movie Review

Trailer here.

Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye is a 1973 Italian horror movie directed by Antonio Margheriti and starring Jane Birkin, Hiram Keller, Francoise Christophe and Serge Gainsbourg.

The movie begins with someone dragging a dead body into a basement. A ginger cat is watching. Cut to Corringa(Birkin) who is going to stay in Dragonstone Castle in Scotland. She used to visit there with her mother in the past. She meets her mother, Lady Alicia(Dana Ghia) and also her Aunt Mary MacGrieff(Christophe). A woman called Suzanne(Doris Kunstmann) is there also. She is a French teacher. James(Keller) is her cousin who also happens to be there. James who has a pet gorilla also called James. Two more people live in the castle- Dr. Franz(Anton Diffring) and Father Robertson(Venantino Venantini). Mary has little money and she is going to have to sell the castle. Lady Alicia is not going to help her with her money issues. Lady Alicia is smothered with a pillow by an unknown killer.

Corringa sees James at her window and she is creeped out. She hears a cat howling. She looks for the cat. She finds a passageway underneath the castle and discovers the dead body from the beginning of he movie. She passes out. Dr. Franz thinks that Alicia was murdered. The cat watches her funeral and jumps on the coffin. The locals discuss the strange cat. It follows people and there is some story about vampires. Corringa talks to James and he tells her she should leave. She tells him about the body she found. Dr. Franz is having an affair with Suzanne. A man called Angus is murdered. The cat sneaks into Corringa's bed and scratches her. She has a nightmare about it.

A policeman(Gainsbourg) comes to the castle. He shows Dr. Franz the body of Angus. Dr. Franz is worried about the police finding out that he gave Alicia a death certificate stating that she died of natural causes. Corringa tells James that she needs to go to the family tomb and see if her mother is still in her coffin. She does so and discovers that the coffin has been broken. Her mother is no longer in it. James is following her. His gorilla has been let out of its cage, Corringa and James sleep together. Dr.Franz gets killed next. The cat is there. The gorilla gets killed. Mary wants to get rid of Suzanne.

The inspector shows up. He knows that Alicia was murdered. Carringa tells him about the empty coffin. She finds a cufflink in the tomb. It belongs to James. He tells her that he had to cover up the murders. He hides because he thinks that the cops will take him in.The inspector is looking for him. He is hiding in a cave. Suzanne is the next to die. Corringa finds Mary standing over her body. She chases Corringa. They end up in the cave. Corringa finds her mother's body in there. James talks to the inspector and tells him that the killer is in the castle. The priest is the killer. He posed as a priest so he could kill the family members and inherit everything.He is actually part of the MacGrieff family too. The inspector turns up in time to find out the truth.

This is an interesting giallo. There are a lot of red herrings in it but it is fun trying to figure out who the killer is. I liked the kitty too. I will give it a 5/10.

The Suspicious Death of a Minor(1975)Movie Review

Trailer here.

The Suspicious Death of a Minor is a 1975 giallo movie directed by Sergio Martino and starring Claudio Cassinelli, Mel Ferrer and Lia Tanzi.

The film starts with a woman, who gets a message. A man comes over to her, he wants to dance with her. Someone is watching her. She kisses the stranger and runs off. The man chases her. She calls someone but there is no answer. She is attacked by a man wearing sunglasses. She goes to see a man. She is murdered. The police come to the scene. They question the landlady. She knows nothing. She is on the phone with someone called Menga.She gets cut off. A strange man pulls a gun on her and demands information about Menga.

An undercover cop called Paolo(Cassinelli) offers a local thief, Giannino, a job. He goes to a place to book a girl as a babysitter. A man comes out and tells him to leave. He picks up a prostitute and tells her he works for a rich guy who wants a young girl. She says she can help. She arranges for a young girl to meet him.He tells her his boss has gone out and questions her. She isn't giving much away. Giannino follows her afterwards. She goes to an old house where she meets her pimp, Menga. He shoots her. Paolo and Giannino fight him but his gun goes off  and he shoots himself. There is a kid there and she is returned to her family.

Paolo sees two guys calling to the house seeking Menga. Paolo pulls a gun on them. They had cash for Menga and Paolo takes it. The police are following the Giannino. Paolo goes to the station. It turns out that the money was a ransom for the kid Menga had. The girl Menga shot is called Marisa. She was going to give information so she was killed. They talk to her dad and finds a picture of her with another girl who was killed. Another girl, called Gloria is is someone Paolo wants to talk to. Paolo is being shadowed by a man who ends up getting hit by a train. Paolo investigates the ransom and asks other prostitutes about it. It seems there's human trafficking going on.

Paolo is in trouble with his superiors. He discovers secret bank account details. He goes to see a banker, Pesce, who is Marisa's uncle. He is upset by her death. He tells the cops he didn't see her much. The man with the sunglasses stabs the landlady but is spotted by a neighbour. Paolo thinks the killer is the same man who killed Marisa. The killer strikes again.Gloria agrees to meet Paolo. She tells him before Marisa died, she had a fight with the uncle. He slept with her and Marisa.A friend of his has an agency and could give the girls money. Paolo spots the sunglasses guy who is there for Gloria. He chases him but falls and is dangling from a ledge. The sunglasses guy is going to kill him when the Giannino shoots him. Paolo goes to see Pesce. Nothing happens. Paolo resigns and continues to investigate on his own. Giannino and Gloria are together when she gets a parcel. It's a bomb and it explodes. Gloria is dead and Giannino too. Paolo is upset. He goes after Pesce who is leaving. The banker sends his minions to get Paolo but he gets shot. Paolo shoots Pesce and walks away.

This film has a lot to it. There are loads of twists and turns in the story and lots of characters. It is an interesting thriller though and very nicely shot. I liked the ending also. I will give this a 5/10.

Blade of the Ripper(1971) Movie Review

Trailer here.

Blade of the Ripper a.k.a. The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh is a 1971 Italian giallo directed by Sergio Martino and starring George Hilton and Edwige Fenech.

Julie Wardh(Fenech) is a married woman who is on her way home when she gets stopped by a police man who tells her that there is a killer on the loose. She arrives home and she is met by a present from her ex lover, Jean(Ivan Rassimov). This makes her uncomfortable as they had an abusive releationship. She married another man to get away from him. Her husband is Neil(Alberto de Mendoza) and he is not the most attentive husband. Julie is having dreams of Jean. The killer is at large and he claims another victim. Julie meets her friend, Carol at a party and is introduced to a man called George(Hilton). They like each other immediately. They meet once again and then he turns up at her place. They kiss and get it on. 

Julie gets a call from someone who saw them together. The person demands money to keep quiet. Julie thinks that it is probably Jean. Carol tells her that she will go to meet the blackmailer in her place. This is a huge mistake as the killer is there and he kills Carol. The police investigate. They ask Jean to come to the station. Julie is convinced that he is the murderer. Julie informs them that she was being blackmailed. Jean has an alibi, so they can't hold him. George wants to take her away. The killer taunts Julie. He tries to kill her, but she escapes. She tells Neil what happened. They go over to confront Jean, but find him dead.

Julie is upset by the whole thing. The murderer gets killed by one of his victims so this makes her feel better.

She ends up being kidnapped by Jean, who has faked his death. He turns on the gas and runs off. She is rescued by George and a doctor. They arrive just in time. The doctor tries to save her. Julie is taken to hospital. The doctor later tells George and Neil that Julie has died. Jean is revealed to be working for George. He was hired to kill Julie and make it look like suicide so that her husband could get her life insurance money. Carol was killed so that George could get an inheritance. Jean gets shot by George so that there are no witnesses. Neil and George are working together. They think that they have covered all bases by giving each other an alibi for the killings. They are going to escape when they see Julie. She is not dead after all. She leads the police to them and they end up dying as the police chase them. The doctor figured out that there was something fishy and realised that the murderer was not the original killer but someone else, trying to make Carol's murder look like she was just another victim. Julie survives.

This is a good film with a lot happening. There are a few suspects and two killers and I didn't figure out what was going on until the end. I did enjoy it, though and it was entertaining overall. I always enjoy a mystery and this is an above average one. I will give it a 6/10.

Who Saw Her Die?Movie Review

Trailer here.

Who Saw Her Die? is a 1972 giallo movie directed by Aldo Lado and starring George Lazenby and Anita Strindberg.

The film begins in France in 1968. A child wanders off on her own into the woods. A figure takes her and kills her. She is buried in the snow. Someone in a black veil murdered her. Cut to Venice in 1972.  A father is waiting for his daughter, Roberta. She is arriving in Venice. Her father is Franco(Lazenby) and her mother is Elizabeth(Strindberg). Franco is a sculptor. A black veiled person is watching Roberta. A man called Serafian(Adolfo Celi) sells Franco's pieces for him. He gives Roberta a present of a necklace. The mysterious black veiled person is watching. Franco meets a woman called Gabriella and he leaves Roberta outside with the other children. He has sex and forgets his daughter. She is left alone when the other kids disappear. The killer approaches her. 

Franco goes looking her her. He asks the locals if they have seen her. He asks one of the kids who have her necklace. He asks the local priest, Father James(Alessandro Haber) but he doesn't know. Franco geos to the police. Roberta's body is found in the river. Franco and Elizabeth have a funeral. The Inspector is on the case. Franco blames himself. They end up talking to the father of another dead child but he isn't interested in talking about it. Franco asks around but there isn't much information. Franco finds a woman who might be able to help, but she is killed. 

Franco talks to a man who points him in the direction of Serafian. The inspector talks to him. The killer is dispatching anyone who might have information. Franco wants to talk to Serafian and he looks for him. He finds him dead. The killer is after Elizabeth. She has a letter that could incriminate him. Elizabeth runs to the church to Father James. Franco realises who the killer is. Elizabeth looks at the letter and also realises who it is. The killer is Father James. Franco turns up and he fights the priest. Somehow the priest ends up on fire and he falls out of the window. The case has been solved. Father James was not a priest at all.  Franco and Elizabeth head off together, glad that they have found who killed their daughter. 

This film reminded me of Don't Look Now and dealt with some similar themes. This isn't as good as that movie, but it is a good film. I liked the many suspects and the twists and turns that this had. It is a decent whodunit. I enjoyed it and I give it a 6/10.

Giallo In Venice Movie Review

Giallo In Venice is a 1979 giallo movie directed by Mario Landi and starring Leonora Fani, Jeff Blynn and Gianni Dei.

The film begins with two dead bodies. Inspector De Paul(Blynn)  is on the case. His sidekick Maestrin is asking questions. The police think  that it could be drug related. De Paul pays a visit to a woman called Marzia. She tells him about the couple that were killed. She tells him that the husband Fabio has unusual sexual demands and his wife Flavia wasn't into it like he was. We get a picture of what their sex life was like. Marzia meets a man and she tells him about the police. His name is Marco. Maestrin is following her. Marco tells Marzia to get rid of photographs that she has. Another man is watching her too. Marco tells Marzia to leave Venice. Marco is a criminal. A prostitute is murdered by the same killer. De Paul brings in Marzia and Marco for questioning.

It turns out that the prostitute was at an orgy along with Flavia and Fabio.  He asks Marzia and Marco about it. There is some sort of connection. A woman goes to see De Paul and she tells him about a man named Bruno who knew Flavia. He is an artist and he used to date her. He is still in love with her. She trusted him as a friend. Bruno urged her to leave Fabio. He offered to kill Fabio so she could be free. Cut to Marco and Marzia who are having sex. They are being watched by the killer. He waits until Marco leaves and he kills him. He breaks into Marzia's next. He attacks her and he ties her to the kitchen table and in a graphic scene, he saws off her leg. Her housekeeper finds her in the fridge.

A man called Andrea is the owner of the gun that shot Marco. The cops pay him a visit and he admits to the killings of the prostitute, Marco and Marzia, but he denies killing Fabio and Flavia. The cops visit Bruno again. He tells them that Flavia went back to Fabio and that she was happy. De Paul isn't satisfied. We see that Flavia was upset by Fabio's sexual demands and that they fought about it. Fabio tells her that he will get some help. He tells her that she has to do something first. He sends her down to some sailors who rape her while he watches. It turns out that after this, Flavia snapped and she killed Fabio and then she jumped into the river. Bruno saw it and he tried to save her. He carried her out but it was too late. End of story.

This was an interesting film, but there were loads of flashbacks, which could be annoying. Some parts were better than others. The plot was a bit so so. The leg cutting scene was very graphic so it isn't for the faint hearted. Plus there were too many sex scenes in it for my liking. I'm not a prude, but I didn't want to see so much of it. Overall, this is an interesting watch and is one for fans of giallo movies only. I'm not sure if the casual horror viewer would enjoy this. I will give it a 5/10.