The Murder Clinic

I'm really amazed that there aren't more comments on this Giallo (OVERUSED TERM) from 1968. Creepy opening credits really set the mood in motion as a hooded fiend slithers around a Baroque private clinic for the mentally unstable.

Set in Norfolk, circa 1840/1870, this neat little Belgian-French-Italian flick, in my opinion, seems to have influenced those string of Harry Towers' Edgar Allan Poe adaptations that were shot in South Africa around the late 1980s/early 1990s. You remember them? They were simultaneously gaudy & Gothic and were definitely an extension to the '60s renaissance of period psycho-chillers that were spearheaded by all of those Euro shockers and Corman's E.A.P flix. But back to this film, without giving anything away, all is not what it seems and the initial denouement, or wrap up explaining all of the craziness that transpired beforehand, would later be haphazardly copied in many slice and dice movies from the slasher craze of the '70s & '80s. In other words: Very well done for it's time. Also of note: I first saw this on Creature Feature in Florida in the '80s and the print was clear as day but the only version I have been able to procure is dark and muddy. Owning it is better than not having it in my book anyway. Worth checking out for the 'Giallo' buff and of note to collectors/researchers: the version I have runs approximately 82 minutes.

'Murder Clinic' is an Italian Giallo horror flick from the 1960's tinged in a cool gothic atmosphere with a stylish period setting, gorgeous set designs and a colourful visual palette and an interesting mystery element, this obscure Giallo was a decent viewing experience with a good plot but could have done with a bit more flavour which could have made this a top tier entry of the genre.

The plot = Set in 1870's England at an isolated clinic run by Doctor Vance (William Berger) where patients and staff start getting killed by a hooded maniac who stalks the halls at night.

The movie is incredibly well shot with bold cinematography and the clinic itself looks effectively creepy with the long dark hallways and constant shadows which instantly evokes a sense of dread throughout as the various characters wander through them. But there are a couple of things that lets this movie down firstly the pacing is really off with too much time spent on melodrama aspect and not enough on the mystery and much in the way of tension or kills and talking about the death scenes they were really lacklustre. The big reveal at the end was also disappointing as it was way too easy to figure, but there were enough interesting red-herrings thrown into the mix to sustain interest.

The cast were thankfully strong, and the interesting array of characters does make this flick worthwhile. William Berger gave a compelling performance as the disgraced Dr Robert Vance and carried the movie incredibly well. Barbara Wilson was decent as the new nurse Mary compassionate and breathtakingly beautiful. Mary Young was also great as the jealous and bitter wife as well as Delphine Maurin who gives a standout performance as the tragic disfigured sister-in-law Laura. Then there's Francoise Prevost as scheming and mysterious Giselle who arrives at the clinic and really spies the story up with a blackmail subplot.

Overall 'Murder Clinic' is fairly routine, but still watchable and you could tell that the genre was still in its early days as the tropes weren't yet perfected at this early stage as the Giallo's that would come out in the 1970's.

A hooded killer armed with an open razor is stalking the corridors of an isolated clinic for the mentally ill. Suspects include dashing doctor Robert Vance (William Berger), his jealous wife Lizabeth (Mary Young), crazed schizophrenic Fred (Massimo Righi), shifty employee Ivan (Germano Longo), and a mysterious disfigured patient kept hidden from sight. Will new nurse Mary (Barbara Wilson) stay alive long enough to discover the truth?

A gothic horror with giallo trappings? Or an early giallo with gothic horror elements? Either way, The Murder Clinic is a somewhat uneasy mix that doesn't entirely satisfy. The gothic atmosphere isn't laid on thick enough, and the killings will probably prove too few and too tame to keep most giallo fans happy. The film does, however, feature plenty of suspects and red herrings to keep viewers guessing, and the whole thing is concluded in a logical manner that, unlike many a giallo, won't keep you awake pondering over questionable plot points.

At just 86 minutes, the film is well paced, the acting is solid, and the direction more than adequate for this kind of thing, so while The Murder Clinic isn't an essential giallo or an unmissable gothic horror, it's still worth a go if you can find a copy.

"The Murder Clinic" (1966) is a fairly obscure Italian-French Gothic that first aired on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater in 1979, and repeated only once four years later. It was also part of a notorious triple bill that frequented drive ins in the early 70's (under the name REVENGE OF THE LIVING DEAD), shown with CURSE OF THE LIVING DEAD (Mario Bava's KILL, BABY, KILL!) and FANGS OF THE LIVING DEAD (Amando De Ossorio's MALENKA, NIECE OF THE VAMPIRE). The print I have runs 83 minutes and looks to be a third generation copy, with English dialogue and foreign subtitles. William Berger, later the star of Mario Bava's "5 Dolls for an August Moon" (1970), plays the handsome doctor working on skin grafts that all the women swoon over, with a jealous invalid for a wife, and a mysterious woman on the third floor who refuses to see or be seen by anyone. Murder by razor plagues the clinic, but only one victim is completely innocent of her fate. Nothing terribly memorable, but fondly recalled in the 30 years since. The blonde actress who plays the nurse Mary is not the same brunette Barbara Wilson who appeared in 1957's "Blood of Dracula" and 1962's "The Flesh Eaters."

Murder Clinic is one of the lesser known Giallo's that has yet to be brought into the spotlight like many of the better examples of the genre have been already. In my opinion, this is a film that will never get the shiny DVD release; and the reason for that is simply that it's not all that good. That's not to say that it's a terrible film; clearly director Elio Scardamaglia has an eye for Gothic visuals; the sets and atmosphere bode well with the plot line and the film does emulate the classic Universal horror style very well...but there's really not enough of the film and what there is of the plot is very clichéd and since most people that bother to seek out this film will be hardened horror veterans (like myself), no viewer of Murder Clinic is likely to find anything they haven't seen before. As the title suggests, the film focuses on murders at an English clinic and the story takes place in the 1870's. Basically, a bunch of the clinic's vulnerable residents are being picked off by a razor-wielding maniac and we get a handful of possible suspects.

The plot actually doesn't play out too badly; we get treated to a few murders before being introduced to the 'monster' of the story and the back-story behind that monster (which is actually fairly interesting but could and should have been handled in a much better way). However, the film does have a tendency to run into the melodramatic and while Elio Scardamaglia's direction is sound, the film was clearly shot on a low budget and he doesn't ever manage to make the film look anything more than a cheap affair (although in fairness, the VHS copy I saw does the film no favours). The film only runs for about eighty minutes and that's a good thing to be honest as it definitely would have started to get boring if it were any longer; although the runtime we do have only just keeps the film from becoming boring. The way that Murder Clinic handles red herrings is good and we get four main ones and to the film's credit, it's not immediately obvious who the killer is before it's revealed. Overall, this is not a great Giallo by any means and only hardcore genre fans should check it out; but it's a decent watch at least.