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Plot of Fear

Original title: E tanta paura
  • 1976
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
957
YOUR RATING
Plot of Fear (1976)
MysteryThriller

A man is strangled by a female prostitute in his home at the same time as a woman is killed by a man with a spanner on an empty bus. In both cases the killer leaves an illustration from the ... Read allA man is strangled by a female prostitute in his home at the same time as a woman is killed by a man with a spanner on an empty bus. In both cases the killer leaves an illustration from the children's book titled 'Shockheaded Peter'. The subsequent investigation leads to an exclu... Read allA man is strangled by a female prostitute in his home at the same time as a woman is killed by a man with a spanner on an empty bus. In both cases the killer leaves an illustration from the children's book titled 'Shockheaded Peter'. The subsequent investigation leads to an exclusive club called Wildlife's Friends.

  • Director
    • Paolo Cavara
  • Writers
    • Paolo Cavara
    • Enrico Oldoini
    • Bernardino Zapponi
  • Stars
    • Corinne Cléry
    • Michele Placido
    • Quinto Parmeggiani
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.9/10
    957
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Paolo Cavara
    • Writers
      • Paolo Cavara
      • Enrico Oldoini
      • Bernardino Zapponi
    • Stars
      • Corinne Cléry
      • Michele Placido
      • Quinto Parmeggiani
    • 19User reviews
    • 33Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos21

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    Top cast32

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    Corinne Cléry
    Corinne Cléry
    • Jeanne
    Michele Placido
    Michele Placido
    • Inspector Gaspare Lomenzo
    Quinto Parmeggiani
    • Angelo Scanavini
    Edoardo Faieta
    • Fulvio Colaianni
    • (as Eddy Fay)
    John Steiner
    John Steiner
    • Hoffmann
    Jacques Herlin
    Jacques Herlin
    • Pandolfi
    Cecilia Polizzi
    • Woman at Villa Hoffmann
    Greta Vayan
    • Laura Falconieri
    • (as Greta Vajant)
    Sarah Crespi
    • Rosa Catena
    • (as Sarah Ceccarini)
    Enrico Oldoini
    • Lomenzo's Assistant
    Tom Skerritt
    Tom Skerritt
    • Chief Inspector
    Eli Wallach
    Eli Wallach
    • Peter Struwwel
    Giorgio Gargiullo
    • Ernesto Picozzi
    Eleonora Vivaldi
    • Elvira Meniconi
    • (as Eleonora Vivaldi)
    Guidarino Guidi
    • Mattia Grandi
    Enzo Robutti
    Enzo Robutti
    • Client with unfaithful wife
    Mary Ruth League
    • Ruth
    Susanna Radaelli
    • Lover of Jeanne
    • (as Susy Radaelli)
    • Director
      • Paolo Cavara
    • Writers
      • Paolo Cavara
      • Enrico Oldoini
      • Bernardino Zapponi
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews19

    5.9957
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    Featured reviews

    8hae13400

    One of the Most Unique Giallish Story

    In a Milanese night, a masochistic man, Mattia Grandi, is strangled with the hands of a female prostitute in his house, and a middle-aged woman, Laura Falconieri, is killed with a spanner in the empty bus. In each case, the killer leaves a meaningful illustration of the children's book titled PIERINO-PORCOSPINO. And then the Naples-born Lieutenant Lomenzo, who is in charge of these cases, meets an informative model named Jeanne who tells him that there was an accidental sudden-death of a prostitute named Roza Catena at the meeting of a club named WILDLIFE'S FRIENDS in which the two victims participated... I think the whole story of this film is one of the most unique ones of the Gialli in the 1970s'. Indeed the concludingness of its serial murders seems to be too unique even for the serious Giallo lovers to gladly accept. But it is not unexpected one because most of the murders in this film are a little too large-scale to be conventionally concluded. And it should be add that the cool beautifulness of Corinne Clery, who superbly plays the enigmatic model, is highly appropriate for the very mystery this film has. Unfortunately, as a post-TORSO giallo, this film has something problematic; not only Daniele Patucchi's music but also Giovanni Capelli's special effects are definitely weak and almost minimalistic (except for the only one murder sequence which has unusually energetic music. Strangely enough, although most of the murder sequences of this film are disappointingly light, the same one is exceptionally gory, too.) Incidentally, this film has at least two prints. For instance, in the shorter print (and this not-Italian-but-English-speaking one seems to be so-called International Version), the murder sequence of Laura Falconieri is heavily cut, and therefore one can hardly understand what is precisely going on in the problematic bus. Indeed, in the problematic print, the victim is simply murdered without giving notice, and therefore it is no longer a murder sequence; it is rather a murder scene.
    7christopher-underwood

    liberal peppering of naughtiness

    Likable, if not particularly stylish or violent despite the many and varied killings. Lots going on with all manner of activity including wild animals and wild women. Some interesting play with the emerging European cinematic interest in mixed race activity. The lovely Corinne Clery looks good all the time, both clothed and unclothed and everything moves along beautifully, if more than a little confusedly! Still, what's new with giallo, although this edges more towards cop-thriller without any of the giallo style present in the same director's Black Belly of the Tarantula. The music is as bit below par too but the complicated police investigations are carried out with some flair and the liberal peppering of naughtiness ensures there is never a dull moment.
    5BA_Harrison

    Plot of confusion.

    I've seen a lot of giallos and have got pretty good at unraveling convoluted storylines, but I admit defeat with Plot of Fear, which left me more than a tad confused, primarily about the identity of the killer and their modus operandi. I got the gist of the plot - someone is killing off members of a hedonistic club, revenge for the death of a young prostitute during one of their wild parties - but who that person is and why they leave pages from creepy kids book Struwwelpeter (Italian title: Pierino Porcospino) on the victims is something I couldn't grasp.

    However, despite being somewhat baffled by the plot (maybe a rewatch is in order when I am less tired), I still had a reasonably good time with the film, largely thanks to the frequent nudity and a couple of nasty deaths: several attractive ladies strip for the camera, with stunning Corinne Cléry (Hitch-hike) getting nekkid for the film's gratuitous sex scene, while the most brutal murders see a woman burnt alive and a guy hung from a meathook, the point emerging from his throat. Also adding to the fun is an amusing excerpt from a pornographic cartoon shown during one of the club's gatherings. Also look out for a pre-Alien Tom Skerritt as one of the cops investigating the case.
    6thalassafischer

    Unusually Masculine Giallo

    While the usual fashion models are present all of the main characters are men, which is unusual for giallos despite their somewhat misguided stereotype of misogyny. E tanta paura has a creative and twisty plot but it never quite pulled me in or dazzled me. It's a decent little Italian 70s mystery, but not one I'd go out of my way to watch again.

    The brightest spot for me was Eli Wallach who just a year later played a similarly cynical "bad cop" in American cult horror The Sentinel. I absolutely had to watch this film in Italian because the English dubbed version is too obviously NOT Wallach's long familiar voice.
    6wvisser-leusden

    a slice of sleaze included

    'E Tanta Paura' provides a fairly good Italian crime plot, located in the mid-19-Seventies. Carrying all characteristics of its era, a slice of sleaze included.

    Nevertheless, to boost up sales, the cover of my DVD adds that Corinne Clery features in this film. And yes, here we have a name that those around at the time may remember: the naked female lead from 'Histoire d'O' (= French for 'the story of O'). It must be said that Clery contributes well to 'E Tanta Paura'; clothed (90%) as well as naked (10%).

    'E Tanta Paura' still reasonably entertains without being great. And shows a little dented by the passage of time.

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    Related interests

    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Struwell offers Gaspare a contraband Rothmans cigarette.
    • Goofs
      With all the firepower trained on the commisario, he should have looked like bloody swiss cheese, rather than the 1/2 dozen hits shown on his body, and nothing to the head.
    • Quotes

      Angelo Scanavini: Asshole!

    • Crazy credits
      Ending credits give Studio Gibba as Animazioni. Indeed after half an hour a Francesco Maurizio Guido's weird sadistic cartoon (called "Bloody Peanuts" like the Swedish title) is screened during the orgy at Villa Hoffmann. Even if Guido said that "this story of passing for a pornographer did not suit me well", Cavara replied "I knew that you would do a beautiful work!" (Guido's interview by Renato Venturelli for Film Doc in March 2014).

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    FAQ12

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 17, 1976 (Italy)
    • Country of origin
      • Italy
    • Language
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Magnum 45
    • Filming locations
      • Italy
    • Production companies
      • Centro Produzioni Cinematografiche Città di Milano
      • G.P.E. Enterprises
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 38m(98 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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