The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion

This unusual giallo starring Dagmar Lassander (Hatchet for the Honeymoon- The House by the Cemetery) and Susan Scott (Death Walks at Midnight- Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals) is one of the best of the genre! The movie follows a middle age married woman (Minou) who is almost raped by a psycho inform her that her husband is a murderer. The madman blackmails Minou into sleeping with him. A few days later she receives a letter with photos of her and the blackmailer in bed together! The movie is unusual to the giallo as it doesn't have violent murders or explicit nudity. Instead, director Luciano Ercoli (Death Walks on High Heels- Death Walks at Midnight) give us an interesting story, a lot of style, wonderful Ennio Morricone score, and great acting by the four leads in a film that will keep you interested till the end .

Very recommended if you are into the wonderful world of giallo. 9/10.

(1970) The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion DUBBED PSYCHOLOGICAL CRIME DRAMA

Co-produced and directed by Luciano Ercoli that has a stranger (Simon Andreu) informing wife, Minou (Dagmar Lassander) married to an important diplomat, Peter (Pier Paolo Capponi) he has an incriminating recording of her husband involved in murder. At first, he tells her he wants money, but what he actually want is to court her any way he can. Only after she lets him has his way with her by convincing her to sleep and make out with him. He then hands her the incriminating tape cassette. Then afterwards he tells Minou that he concocted the tape cassette to make her believe her husband was involved in murder but that he made it all up. And then he tells her the reason he slept with her is so that he can take photos of them together for the intention he can extort her some more. She also obtained a photo from her "supposedly" friend, Dominique (Susan Scott) of the culprit, but we find out later she may or may not be in on it as much as some of the others intent to drive Minou in the mental house.

This is not actually a slasher Giallo movie per se but it is reminiscent to the Giallo equivalent of "Gaslight".

This is a slightly unusual giallo. In fact, it is debatable whether it is actually a giallo at all, as there is no knife-wielding black-gloved assassin and there are no murders to speak of. Strictly speaking, this is a mystery movie with a giallo feel. The gialloesque elements come in the form of an eye-catching title, stylish camera-work, great interior decor, a Morricone score, a convoluted mystery, sleazy undertones and the usual quota of beautiful looking women and hideous looking men. In other words, its great fun. The cast is very small, including giallo regular Pier Paolo Capponi, but the undoubted stars of the show are the leading ladies. Both Dagmar Lassandar and Susan Scott look very alike, and this is no bad thing as they are both stunning. Susan Scott is particularly effective here, she has a great screen presence and truly shines in this film - it really is hard to take your eyes off her. The Morricone score is pretty varied, from dreamy lounge to cheesy Euro-pop. It isn't necessarily one of his better soundtracks but it certainly has kitsch value. There is also some incredibly un-PC dialogue and the plot itself is not exactly coming at us from a feminist angle! However, this is to be expected from a 70s giallo movie and its one of the reasons why we love them. They are time-capsules of a different era. I would recommend this film for giallo completists and lovers of obscure Italian movies. Its unusual and camp fun. But if you are expecting an Argentoesque violent thriller you may be best served looking elsewhere.

Ever after giallo writer Ernesto Gastaldi teams up with producer-director Luciano Ercoli for this Forbidden Photos... Set in 1970, this early giallo is nicely shot in Techniscope. No murders, just plain old blackmail story and some shy eroticism. Sultry Dagmar Lassander is at her best and Susan Scott is also fab as the devious friend.

The plot is totally implausible but the suspense works til the end...

It's always surprising to see in these 70's gialli how the women look incredibly sexy and how the men are all ugly...projections of the writers/directors fantasies, maybe? Anyhoo... not boring at all, funny at some point -check out the dresses and the hats, it's a blast!-, not necessary but worth a look.

The setting is Barcelona, a glamourous European destination typical of the jet set denizens of these Italian Detective Horrors. Trouble starts when our heroine Minou (Dagmar Lassander) is assaulted by a strange man (Simon Andreu) who threatens she will beg him to rape her when next they meet (a breach of taste served with the misogynistic flair typical of the genre), then runs away (!) When she tells her husband (Pier Paolo Capponi), he naturally wants to call the police, but she says no: "All they do is make you fill out forms" (!) Well, in a case like this, lady, I think maybe you might make an exception and fill out a form for a change, just this one time. But she doesn't, of course, otherwise we wouldn't have a movie. She does, indeed, regret not making that call, as she is sucked down deeper and deeper into the gaslighting whirlpool of her stalker/rapist's devising, blackmailing her that he will show her husband the eponymous photos of the title. Her shoulder to cry on through this is Dominique (Susan Scott), a happy-go-lucky porn photo model (she sends the photos to Copenhagen for sale), a free spirit whose appetite for sex goes far beyond the job. Off the job, she sure likes to wear clothes, lots of them, and both of them galavant around town like a couple of high fashion Barbies . Each scene in new outfits of the most outrageously fabulous 70's fashions: hats, gloves, shoes-and wigs (!)-- to match (another convention of the genre). And I mean Every scene: After one last heart-to-heart sob session, Dominique finally convinces Minou to tell her husband everything. She tells her they'll go tell him RIGHT NOW!-but not until after they've changed into entirely different outfits, restyled wigs, and wiped away the tears to fortify their make-up, as is how they show up at his place in the scene immediately following. It's pretty obvious pretty early on who the real Bad Guy has to be, though there are a couple of clever red herrings to try to trick you. What's fun are the impossibly outrageous contrivances (also a convention) that wend their way to a ridiculously satisfying conclusion, and the particularly salacious aspects of this plot are notably original in that regard.

There, I said "outrageous" again, but Over-The-Top Outrageousness is really what a good giallo is all about. Enjoy.