La mort caresse à minuit

DEATH WALKS AT MIDNIGHT (Luciano Ercoli - Italy/Spain 1972).

Before the DVD-age the only English title for this film I know of, is CRY OUT IN TERROR, after the soundtrack released on LP and later on expanded edition CD. This is not mentioned on the IMDb as the film never got a proper release in English-speaking regions, not even on video, to my knowledge. Adding to the confusion, this title was already hardly distinguishable from Ercoli's earlier DEATH WALKS ON HIGH HEELS (1970) (largely the same theme, cast and music) and I've noticed that in reviews on some sites, this is treated as a follow-up to Ercoli's first Giallo FORBIDDEN PHOTOS OF A LADY ABOVE SUSPICION (1970), clearly confusing this film with DEATH WALKS ON HIGH HEELS, which is Ercoli's second Giallo.

Written by six writers(!), among them Sergio Corbucci and Ernesto Gastaldi, the film is set in Milan. Valentina (Susan Scott or Nieves Navarro), a successful model, agrees to try a hallucinogenic drug as part of a scientific experiment. While under the influence she experiences some flashbacks of a man in sunglasses graphically murdering a woman with a spiked metal glove, quite an original murder weapon. Strangely enough, a woman was butchered in exactly the same manner in a vacant apartment. The killer lures Valentina into this apartment after which she narrowly escapes with her life. What follows are more attempts on her life and even more questions about the killer's identity. Mind-bending drugs and outrageous fashions with plenty of tacky '70s dance floor scenes abound in this in this convoluted murder mystery. I might have been a bit harsh in my judgement on Ercoli's DEATH WALKS ON HIGH HEELS but no matter how many reservations I have regarding his output, I've grown a bit fond of his work. This one is the weakest entry in his Giallo-cycle, but I cannot dismiss it either. It's rather disappointing because of its confusing plot and ridiculous finale, complete with a gang of giggling thugs. Gianno Ferrio's score is no patch on Morricone's scores in earlier Ercoli films, but its sheer luridness makes for some reasonably tacky entertainment.

Camera Obscura --- 6/10

There is a lot of charm to early 70's European films that you don't find now. One of those charms is the music, and another is the way people used to dress, and their attitude. It was so quaint. The fact nobody relied on mobile phones back then and just ran to call boxes, and the turning dial phones was old fashioned and pleasant. Parts of the film here was just funny, the big smacks in the faces, the name calling insults, tantrums and the characters a bit goofy. Valentina, the main character has horrid visions of a scary man killing a woman after taking an experimental drug. Ever since then she's been followed and I always had suspicions. Pleasantly made gory crime film.

A fashion model agrees to do a shoot in her swank apartment building while high on a powerful new psychedelic drug called "HDS" (why this would make for an interesting fashion shoot is never really adequately explained). While under the influence of the drug she witnesses a brutal murder in an adjoining building. Obviously, the beginning of this film is very similar to "Rear Window" (if you replace a crippled Jimmy Stewart with a sexy Spanish model hopped up on mind-bending drugs that is), but then the film goes off in its own totally unique direction. Even more than your usual giallo this film is pretty much a series of hysterical chase scenes and gory murders with little coherent plot to get in the way.

It's not really that good, but it has several things going for it. The first is Nieves Navarro (aka Susan Scott). Navarro was generally considered to be a second-rate Edwige Fenech (and she actually appeared as Fenech's sister in "All the Colors of Darkness"). She actually makes for a spunky, appealing heroine here, spending most of her time fighting off various loutish males including two sexist boyfriends, a guy who picks her up hitch-hiking and demands sex five minutes later, and FOUR different murderous male villains. Strangely though, she keeps her clothes on throughout the film (this is the same actress who in her late 30's was making borderline-hardcore sex films for the notorious Joe D'Amato). The movie also features a very unique murder weapon--a giant spiked metal glove (or "armored fist" as Navarro keeps calling it)which makes mince-meat of the faces of the various female victims (like many gialli this film is a strange mixture of feminism and misogyny). Finally, there is the upbeat score which probably should be in a better movie, but does serve to keep things rolling along. I wouldn't go through the expense and trouble of buying the imported British DVD (like I did), but I guess this is worth watching if you get a chance.

Italian/Spanish co-production dealing with a killing spree with several suspects . It concerns on Valentina (Nieves Navarro and Susan Scott) a gorgeous and spunky fashion model living in Milan . Valentina proofs an experimental hallucinogenic drug and while influenced by the doses , she has a vision of a woman being cruelly killed by an ominous murderous . Valentina finds herself pursued by the same murderer with a spiked glove . It begins with the mysterious death of a woman and continues spirals into the killing . Meanwhile a journalist (Simon Andreu) becomes companion and protector the cover-up who is being continuously stalked .

This Giallo contains suspense , thrills, chills , intrigue and plot twists . Luciano Ercoli's great success is compellingly directed with well staged murders plenty of startling visual content , though was submitted to limited censorship in Spain . This is a customary slasher where the intrigue, tension, suspense appear threatening and lurking in every room , corridors and luxurious interior and exterior . The picture packs atmospheric blending of eerie thrills and creepy chills combined with a twisted finale . It displays lots of blood but it seems pretty mild compared to today's gore feasts . It's a solid movie , a thrilling story plenty of suspense and intrigue in which the victims seem to be continuous . The staged killings are the high points of the movie , they deliver the goods plenty of screams, shocks and tension . The intriguing moments are compactly made and fast moving ; as the film itself takes place from various points of sights . It packs tension, shocks , thrills , chills and lots of blood . There're brief moments of gore as the killing with the spiked glove and a number of scenes that are quite thrilling , resulting to be definitely the spotlight of the film the surprising ending situation . Written by the usuals , Ernesto Gastaldi and Sergio Corbucci , a good director of Spaghetti Western . Good ambiance design and acceptable production design by Eduardo De La Torre Fuente. Luciano Ercoli's so-so direction is well crafted, here he's less cynical and more inclined toward violence and lots of killings . It's a co-production Italian-Spanish filmed in Alfonso Balcazar studios (Barcelona)and De Paolis (Rome) , for that reason appears Spanish actors as Nieves Navarro , Simon Andreu and Italian players as Ivano Staccioli, Luciano Rossi and the recently deceased Peter Martellanza or Peter Martell , both of whom ordinary baddies in Spaghetti Western . Colorful cinematography by Fernando Arribas who photographed splendidly city of Milan where is developed the action . However , the photography is washed-out and for that reason is necessary an urgent remastering . Atmospheric and commercial musical score by Gianni Ferrio .

The picture is regularly directed by producer/filmmaker Luciano Ercoli. Talented and versatile Ercoli has produced/directed a vast array of often solid and entertaining films in all kind of genres as horror, Giallo and Western, in a middling career . He produced a trilogy for Duccio Tessari formed by two Western as ¨A pistol for Ringo¨, ¨The return of Ringo¨ and ¨Kiss, Kiss , Bang , Bang¨ , the latter is set in modern times and deal with a heist . All of them are amusing and entertaining and starred by similar cast as Giuliano Gemma , Fernando Sancho , Lorella De Luca and Nieves Navarro who married the producer Luciano Ercoli . He also produced the Giallo trilogy starred by Simon Andreu and his wife Susan Scott formed by ¨Death walks on high heels¨ , ¨The forbidden photos of a lady above of suspicion¨, and ¨Death walks at midnight¨. Rating: Acceptable and passable , this is one imaginative slasher picture in which the camera stalks in sinister style throughout a story with acceptable visual skills though contains some flaws and gaps . This is a bewildering story , funny in some moment but falls flat and it will appeal to hardcore Gialli fans

This rare Giallo was Luciano Ercoli's follow-up to the rather tame but nonetheless enjoyable "Le Foto Proibite di una Signora Perbene" (Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion in English; Frauen bis zum Wahnsinn gequält in German, which means "Women tortured to insanity"!!!).

There are some similarities in the storyline, but overall, "La Morte Accarezza a Mezzanotte" is obviously superior. After a powerful start, when Susan Scott as Valentina has a murder vision during a drug trip she suffers for her journalist colleague (who makes a photo session out of the "experiment" to publish it in the junk paper he's working for - that she initially does NOT know!), the film becomes a little bit slow moving as Valentina is suddenly stalked by numerous strange persons. But the second half of the film delivers more than many other thrillers together - suddenly, the bodies are piling up and there's also enough time for action and fist fights that could easily find place in Your average police drama of its decade.

The uncovering of the fiend is really surprising, more so if one considers that one thinks to know the face of the real killer after seeing the above mentioned drug trip sequence (to make things more clear here would give away too much).

Last but not least, there is also an exceptional musical score by Gianni Ferrio, a typical yet unique Giallo score including, of course, a lush main theme song.

To wrap it all up: This film is one of the many fine Italian thrillers of the 1970s that deserve to be rediscovered by an interested audience.