Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[alex h]

Directed by Alfonso Brescia

Anyone seen this? I found it the other day, I heard its a rare giallo.

[Jonny]

I've got a copy of it but I've yet to get around to seeing it. My copy is off a VHS, where'd you get yours Alex?

Welcome to the forum BTW  :'(

[fdsmedia]

I saw it almost a year ago for the first time.. can't remember much, though... something about a rich businessman found murdered on the same day of signing his life insurance policy, and an insurance agent infiltrating the deceased's family to find out who killed him. - I checked my notes and apparently I gave it 7 out of 10 points. 

[alex h]

Thanks Jonny. My copy was ripped from a VHS also, not the best quality picture.

I've got a copy of it but I've yet to get around to seeing it. My copy is off a VHS, where'd you get yours Alex?

Welcome to the forum BTW  :'(

[Linus]

Anything directed by Brescia is at least worth a watch. As for this film I Like it quite a lot.

[Inspector Tanzi]

I've got a copy of it but I've yet to get around to seeing it. My copy is off a VHS, where'd you get yours Alex?

Welcome to the forum BTW  :'(

never seen this.

is your copy in English Jonny?

[magnus]

the best thing with this one is the music, very out-of-place.

[Stephen Grimes]

I've got a fullscreen copy of this without subs,looks like it might be from an ntsc tape.Anyone know if it had a US video release?

[Jonny]

Some grabs from the version I have, English dub and full frame. I suspect this is the same as your copy Stephen? Looks like one of those poor NTSC VHS releases to me...

[Stephen Grimes]

Exactly the same mate,surprised this had an American release as i've never seen it for sale anywhere.

[Johan Melle]

That's the version I've seen too! I've always been curious about its origins. Never heard of a North-American release for this film. Could it be from a screener tape or something?

Anyway, the actual picture quality is OK but the fullscreen ratio completely fucks up the film! There are so many ugly close-ups of people's faces. But worst of all is the cropping on the sides in the scene where Robert Hoffmann and Patrizia Adiutori are horseback riding. It's totally unwatchable:




As for the film itself, it really disappointed me. Alfonso Brescia has made a couple of nice films but this isn't one of them. It lacks any real thrills or suspense. I guess the main problem for me is Robert Hoffmann, who I have never been able to appreciate as an actor. And the plot point of a heroine with a serious heart condition was used to much better effect in the (admittedly flawed) giallo THE TWO FACES OF FEAR (1972). Supporting cast is good, however, though practically all of the Spanish actors are uncredited in the English prints.

[Rogerio Ferraz]

I have a DVDR of the italian VHS released by AVOFILM.
While it´s not one of my favorites, I still enjoyed it quite a bit.
Yeah, Robert Hoffman's expressionless acting is difficult to warm up to (actually I feel the same about Lino Capolicchio!)
Not sure if the AVO version I have is in the correct aspect ratio, but at least we get to see (part of) Hoffmann and Adiutori's faces!  Here's a screenshot for comparison:


EDIT: Just checked the initial credits and, unfortunately, the AVO tape is indeed  missing information on both sides! 

[Johan Melle]

Thanks for those screenshots, Rogerio! 

While still cropped, the Italian VHS is at least an improvement. I'm sure a nicely restored DVD would do wonders for the film's visual look.

The Italian opening credits look much better too. I quite like the background, which is a big improvement over the English credits that consist only of red letters on a black background.

[vigilanteforce]

How does this compare to Brescia's other giallo YOUR SWEET BODY FOR KILLING? My favorite Brescia giallo is the cheesy OMICIDIO A LUCI BLU/BLUE LIGHT MURDER which borrows elements from a uhm.... well-known De Palma thriller.

[Diabolik2]

There is a Danish and Finish video release.

I've got both.
I think it is in English.

I've seen the film many years ago, can't remember much about it.