My Dear Killer

Director Tonino Valerii is best known in the USA for the spaghetti western "My Name is Nobody," but "My Dear Killer" is no less an excellent example of the giallo genre than "Nobody" was to its own. The plot revolves around a series of murders committed by an unknown assailant intent on keeping the deaths of a small child and her father unsolved. As is the case with most gialli, there's a detective one step behind the murderer, a lush and creepy music score (this time by Morricone), a houseful of suspects, creative and illogical murders, and a downbeat and melancholy plot. What elevates this one above all the others made in that banner year for the genre (1971), though, is the detail given to the script and production. The characters are all fully formed and functional to the story, which itself is well thought-out and clever. The resolution is well-handled, and even if the killer's identity is impossible to guess beforehand, the means in which he (or she) is finally discovered will make you smile. Add to this one of the saddest musical-score main themes in movie history, featuring a woman's voice singing a haunting child's melody, and you have a giallo that fans of the genre should definitely not miss.

An insurance investigator, Police Inspector Peretti (George Hilton)helped by a Brigadier (Manuel Zarzo) are assigned by his chief ((Saldo Randone) the investigation of a killing via mechanical digger . As there happens several murders with bloody and gruesome executions. Some drawings seem to implicate about anybody are dieing . Meanwhile the series killer goes on a real massacre on various unfortunate victims as a man supposedly commits suicide, a women is strangled, another attacked in her apartment. Slowly more people are found dead and the inspector investigates the strange killings with numerous suspects (Monica Randall, Alfredo Mayo , William Berger).

Tonino Valeri 's great success is compelling directed with startling visual content.This frightening movie is plenty of thrills, chills, body-count and glimmer color in lurid pastel with phenomenal results. This is a classic slasher where the intrigue,tension, suspense appear threatening and lurking in every room, corridors and luxurious interior and exterior.This genuinely mysterious story is well photographed by Manuel Rojas with magenta shades of ochre ,translucently pale turquoises and deep orange-red .

The movie belongs to Italian Giallo genre that was invented by Mario Bava along with Riccardo Freda(Secret of Dr. Hitchcock) , they are the fundamental creators . These Giallo movies are characterized by overblown use of color with shining red blood, usual zooms, and utilization of images-shock . Later appears Dario Argento(Deep red, Suspira,Inferno), another essential creator of classic Latin terror films. Tonino Valeri's so-so direction is well crafted, here he's less cynical and humorous and more inclined toward violence and lots of killings . Colorful and evocative cinematography by Manuel Rojas . Very good musical score by the classic Ennio Morricone. The picture is well directed by Tonio Valeri , an expert on Western as proved in ¨The hired gun ¨ , ¨My name is nobody ¨ with Fonda and Terence Hill , ¨The price of power ¨ with Giuliano Gemma and Van Heflin , ¨The day of anger ¨with Lee van Cleef and ¨ Taste of Killing¨ with Craig Hill and George Martin . Rating: Good, this is one more imaginative slasher pictures in which the camera stalks in sinister style throughout a story with magnificent visual skills.

Unlike many other gialli, "Mio Caro Assassino" is not merely a succession of nasty murder scenes; it is bloody yet classy. It boasts an intricate, puzzlelike plot, some very good POV camerawork, a few stunning women (Patty Shepard, Mónica Randall, Helga Line, Marilu Tolo, etc.), a dependable lead in George Hilton (who has cited this film as one of the most noteworthy of his long career), another chilling la-la-la-la-la theme by Ennio Morricone, and a nifty Poirot-like climax, where Hilton gathers all the suspects in the same room and summarizes the case. A superior example of the genre. *** out of 4.

The movie starts with a unique decapitation (via mechanical digger) and raised my hopes but then it got very slow.

After a while i felt so irritated that i stopped caring who's killing who n why.

Saw this for the first time recently after reading some very glowing reviews. Found it be dull. It has some good kills, noteworthy music from the legend, lil nudity n an unpredictable twist but somehow i got a bit detached while viewing. Mayb lack of sleep or like Coventry pointed in his review that the movie needed some attention.

The film has a Agatha Christie denouement- where our lead detective assembles all the surviving suspects in a drawing room, where, when he does his grand unmasking.....

Hilton with his typical 70s moustache somehow didnt convince me as a detective.

No doubt that he was one of the best Spaghetti western icon.

In this film he tried his best to look more like a Bond hero with his suits, boots n pistol aiming but alas.

Mayb he got obsessed that the makers of Bond films may hire him.

(He even played 007 in a comedy spoof of the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, entitled Two Mafiosi Against Goldginger).

A man is decapitated with a steam shovel.It's not an accident,though because steam shovel operator is later found hanged and apparently murdered.When the other bodies begin to pile up Inspector Luca Peretti connects this case with the kidnapping and murder of a little girl and her father."My Dear Killer" by Tonino Valerii is a tightly woven giallo full of surprising twists and turns.There are some interesting flashbacks and very memorable soundtrack by Ennio Morricone.Giallo regular George Hilton shines in his excellent performance as Inspector Luca Peretti.The storyline is extremely complex and demands full attention of potential viewer.If you like Italian gialli you can't miss this classic.8 ransoms out of 10.A brief shot of a young naked girl is quite shocking and unexpected.