In case you ended up here, in the user-comments section of an obscure and very little-seen early 70s Italian erotic thriller entitled "A. A. A. Massaggiatrice bella presenza offresi...", it means you know what a "Giallo" is, and that you also know what the trademarks and characteristics of a typical Giallo are.
That's right, quite commonly, a Giallo revolves around beautiful, lewd, and scarcely dressed women (like prostitutes, strippers, fashion models, ...) getting slashed up with razors or similar sharp objects by a malevolent figure entirely dressed in black. This film is exactly like that, except for one crucial element that is, well, the complete opposite. In "A. A. A. Massaggiatrice bella presenza offresi..." (which refers to the structure of a typical newspaper ad and translates as "Beautiful masseuse offers her services") it isn't the prostitutes who are getting their throats slit, but the sleazy men who are paying for their physical services; - and then more particularly the illustrious customers of new-girl-in-town Christina.
Breath-taking but rebellious twenty-something Christina is fed up with living by the rules her strict and uptight parents and decides to run off. She quickly finds a fitting and profitable career for herself, as she offers her massaging (and other bodily) skills to wealthy male customers via a newspaper ad. Business is booming, but Christina comes under the influence of an aggressive and greedy pimp and learns that several people - like the vicious boyfriend of her roommate - want to take advantage of her. And then, suddenly, Christina's prominent customers receive a visit from a heavily breathing maniac wielding a razor blade!
Who's the killer? Christina's jealous pimp? Her underperforming boyfriend from her previous life? Her obsessive father? The roommate's sleazy boyfriend? The roommate herself? Or maybe Christina herself? For me, it wasn't much of an enigma because I accidently read the plot synopsis here on IMDb which blatantly reveals the identity of the killer! So, please, DON'T READ anything in advance. I'm trying to get the spoiling synopsis deleted.
"A. A. A. Massaggiatrice bella presenza offresi..." is a reasonably entertaining Giallo, but certainly not a must-see or a hidden gem. Even without the dumb revelation here on the website, it's not too difficult to guess the plot twists and writer/director Demofilo Fidani didn't spend much time or effort in generating suspense or intrigue. The murders are disappointing since we only vaguely see a swinging razor and a few bloodied throats. The only thing that truly seemed to interest Fidani was lead actress Paola Senatore's naturally beautiful curves and her fantastically sensual undressing talents. She's lovely to watch, for sure, but it's not enough.
