Rish Outfield's reviews
Dario Argento is the director we've seen the most films from in the HFC. This is mostly due to the fact that I really like his work (or some of it, anyway) and had seen very little of it before we started the site. So when I found this title in the Horror section of my local Mom & Pop video store, I had to check it out. As I hadn't seen it before I couldn't know that Horror it was not.
It starred James Franciscis (the man who would be Charlton Heston), and Karl Malden as a very friendly blind character (in one scene he was doing a braille crossword puzzle). All the other actors were Italian.
The film deals with...gasp!...industrial espionage and genetic research. One of the theories presented in the film is that aberrant XYY chromosomes account for the violent nature in criminals. The scientists want to isolate children born with XYY chromosomes because they're destined to become sociopaths. I complained that at the seventeen minute mark, NO ONE had died. Then at 17:40, I was able to say, "Whoops, someone just did." Once he finally strikes, the hunt is on for the murderer.
It had music by Ennio Morricone, which gave a different feel to the piece than the usual electronic scores. You still see Signore Argento's unique style at work, with the many shots of the killer's eye, the cool way they use flashcuts to foreshadow or indicate memory, and the clever way he manages to cast suspicion on everyone at least once (except for Malden's cute little Italian niece, that is), but the movie should be filed under Mystery or Drama or Thriller.
But hey, there are some Skulls nevertheless, and eventually, some garish murders, including death by train, by garrote, gas, a second choking, dagger, and elevator shaft. Oh, and there was a scene with poisoned milk, except it took me five minutes to realize it was milk. Apparently, a plastic triangle is an Italian milkjug. Also, there was a nice little scene in which Franciscis is stuck in a crypt alone. It was the closest the film got to traditional Horror, and worked really well.
Apparently, this was Argento's least favourite of his films, but it wasn't bad, really, and its two stars were likeable. I just don't feel it has much to offer a Horror fan. Bizarrely, the cover actually showed a strange hybrid cat-monster. Very deceiving. Someone will burn in Hell for this.
Line To Remember: "The doctor thinks we're dealing with a maniac."
Note: The title isn't too great, and definitely due to the cover, should get a Skull, but it is a literal translation of the Italian title, so I can't fault it there.