Short Night of Glass Dolls

A body is discovered on the streets of Prague. Only hours before an autopsy is performed on him, we learn he's not really dead, but trapped inside his body and trying desperately to recall the events leading up to this predicament. And hopefully avoid the autopsy.

This Aldo Lado directed giallo has a lot going for it. Not a traditional giallo, but rather an inventive spin on the formula. It's cleverly written, decently acted and quite suspenseful at times but somehow misses the bull's eye. It drags a bit, could have used some trimming perhaps. Also, the end solution is bit of a letdown, but maybe that's just me. I found it a bit much, the buildup was better than the conclusion. But a big thumbs up for the chilling ending.

Lado is very stylish at times but Argento he's not. Quite good all the same.

Hardly ever a movie got me clinging to my chair so much till literally the last seconds! "Malastrana" tells the story of a journalist (Jean Sorel) in Prague. He lies helplessly in a hospital and remembers in flashbacks how his girlfriend (young Barbara Bach) disappeared. Since the police was not helpful, he tried to find clues what has happened to her. Abduction, murder, or did she just run away?

In true giallo tradition, this is a movie about bizarre killings employing an eccentric visual style, dark and mysterious, but "Malastrana" is more than that. In a dialogue which was cut from the original German version (restored for the DVD release 2006), an old man bitterly sums up how the rich and powerful will always find somebody else to die for them, from the soldier on the battlefield to the... well, butterflies. You don't understand my last remark, I guess. You will when you watch this movie. Hush! No more.

Aldo Lado's directorial debut is a mixed bag of confusion and greatly innovating ideas but, eventually, it's the director's ingeniousness that triumphs, and he makes this "Short Night of the Glass Dolls" a must-see experience for Italian horror fans, more particularly the admirers of typical gialli. Lado's intelligent script combines different styles like typically Hitchcockian thrillers, detective stories and near the end even pure occult horror! American reporter in Prague Gregory Moore is pronounced dead in a local hospital but his brain functions are very much alive and slowly reconstructing the fiendish conspiracy that put him into this disturbing medical condition. Gregory's stunningly beautiful girlfriend Mira vanished shortly after a social gathering and, during his private investigation, he discovers that many prominent citizens hide macabre secrets. I realize this is a very basic description of the story, but it really is all I can say without revealing essential clues. The actual denouement, albeit far-fetched, is truly unexpected and the grand finale at the hospital left me completely speechless…which is a rare event! Even though it was only his first horror effort, Aldo Lado proves himself to be a master when it comes to building up tension and he has a talented eye for imaginative camera-work. The classy location of Prague provides this film with one of the most beautiful settings in European horror cinema ever and Lado could also count on mesmerizing musical guidance by Ennio Morricone. The song entitled "Short Night of the Butterflies" is a real beauty. Highly recommended to fans of atmospheric, story-driven horror movies.

Aldo Lado's stylish 1971 giallo "Short Night of the Glass Dolls" is the story of Gregory(Jean Sorel),a reporter who is found dead in a Prague park.However his brain is alive as we can hear his frantic thoughts.It appears that his beautiful girlfriend Mira(Barbara Bach)has vanished without a trace and Gregory,along with his reporter pal Jack(Mario Adorf),work to uncover the secret of a mysterious group of Prague's wealthy elite who operate inside the mysterious Klub 99."Short Night of the Glass Dolls" is a fine Italian giallo.The plot is bizarre and rather unpredictable and there is a decent amount of sleaze.Ennio Morricone again provides the music.It should be noted that this film is pretty hard for me to classify as a giallo in the traditional sense as it contains no black-gloved assassin.Still it's worth checking out for fans of Italian horror.

I had really high hopes for this new remaster from Blue Underground. In the last few months, I have become a big giallo fan. I've gained a real appreciation for the genre after viewing several.

"Short Night of the Glass Dolls" is without a doubt one of the most well-produced giallos I have seen to date. I think the budget was probably pretty large, compared to contemporaries. The cinematography is masterful and the soundtrack is amazing.

Where this film fell short for me was the plot and continuity. I found myself getting bored throughout. There is no gore. The murders are minimal. The sex is tired. I just din't think it was all that interesting. I get the point of it: old people take advantage of the young in order to better themselves and their world. It will always be their world, they feed off the blood of the young...etc. The problem is, this isn't even alluded to until the very end of the film. It's also vague and the plot takes too many twists. I lost interest because so many things were never explained.

Perhaps it would have been better viewed in Italian with subtitles. Maybe it was lost in the dubbing. (Which is good, compared to other Italian films.) Or maybe it was just the overly artsy feel, but somehow, it just failed to grab me. The last scene is pretty decent though. Does it make up for the slow pace? I guess it's up to the viewer to decide. If you can make it without falling asleep.

6 out of 10, kids.