Madness

Escaped convict, Joe Brezzi (Joe Dallesandro) is on the run. Before the opening credits, he's already committed two murders. Brezzi arrives at a villa where a man and two women are staying. He watches, as copious nudity and love scenes take place. Joe takes a nap, awakens, and moves in on the trio.

We soon learn that Brezzi is a bit too familiar with this villa. He knows the place, and seems to be looking for something.

MADNESS is a preposterous crime / thriller, that's mostly an excuse for softcore, simulated sex scenes, interrupted by sudden, rather tame outbursts of violence. In between assaults, Brezzi spends most of his time grimacing and squinting a lot.

Be forewarned, much of the story is taken up by the family troubles of the three victims. In other words, this movie is pretty dull, in a soap opera sort of way. So, don't expect non-stop action or thrills.

The semi-bloody "shock" finale is okay, but hardly makes up for the rest of this nonsense...

At the end of the 70s, Fernando di Leo's career was going downhill, avalanche-style. The producers of Madness (a.k.a. Toy) generously provided him with two heaps from the used car dealer next door and a ramshackle hut in the Abruzzo region including posters of Marlon Brando and John Travolta on the wall – conditions that made di Leo so enthusiastic that he churned out a script for the libido thriller kammerspiel of the year, at least in his head. Enter the world champion in eye rolling, ex-Andy Warhol protégé Joe Dallesandro, as an escaped convict looking exactly like the village plumber ... and ricky-tick he's laying pipe to two low-rent lascivious gals desperate for a nice and thorough rape ("It wasn't bad at all ... Were you so keen due to abstinence? I enjoyed it. Whenever you feel like it, I'm all yours"), refined with some of the most harrowing canzone from the Italo hit parade 1979 (plus Luis Bacalov's score directly nicked from di Leo's by far best work, Milano Calibro 9). Amateur actress Lorraine de Selle is showing her beaver off for most of the ninety endless minutes, but - pardon me - that's not the reason why the word "lousy" might haunt you for a few days. Another sample of Dallesandro's dialogue, per favore? "And now screw. Show us what men like." It's only a short stop to Joe D'Amato from here. His porn flicks, for sure.

An escaped convict called Joe Brezzi (Joe Dallesandro) returns to the farmhouse where he stashed money from one of his robberies, but finds the farmhouse now occupied by a married couple (Gianni Macchia and Patrizia Behn) and the wife's sister (Lorraine DeSalle). This film from director Fernando Di Leo (which he co-wrote with Mario Gariazzo) was released in 1980 and is one of those hostages being held (and terrorised) by a madman films. It's essentially a four hander set largely in the farmhouse (you can imagine it as a kind of lurid play) and involving a bit of voyeurism (peeking through windows) and soft core porn scenes. Joe bounces around in a pair of jeans and a vest showing off his muscles and 'Little Joe's tattoo, whilst doing a manic eyed number. It all seems rather slow.

Incredible cinema from fernando di leo (one of his last films) : A deserted place-somewhere out of the city, Joe Dallesandro in best prehistoric "caveman" vein lurks around and attacks one man with a big,fat stone. Another man, he throws the stone on him but he doesnt hit, the man sets up a fight with dallesandro and finally loses his life.. then dallesandro drives the car-.The credits and the music of luis bacalov start... the viever notices, its going to be an amazing "event"... The plot continues when a man with his wife and her horny sister paola (performed by Lorraine de selle) are arriving at a small house for the weekend. Dallesandro not far away from here, first spies around the house and watches through the window that lorraine has an affair with her sister´s man dallesandro sees his chance when de selle is alone at home, making outside a sunbath he hits her, brings her into the house and after she wakes up he wants immediately a coffee(!) After some small talk dallesandro rapes de selle who then afterwhile says that she even enjoyed it an ungood surprise awaits the wife and the man..needless to say. one highlight of the film when dallesandro is forcing de selle and the man to have sex, while the whole time he points his riffle at them and gives comands -quote(to de selle): " and you show what we men like.." later it comes to a ultra pathetic pseudo-romance between dallesandro and de selle´s sister, but still the end of film leads to a pure tragedy... Technically the film is obviously very low budget-nearly amateurish, Dallesandro makes a totally over(and under)acting performance but he´s very entertaining, the actress of de selle´s sister is completely unconvincing (probably she never "acted" before) about de selles role i can say just the very best: most of the film she´s completely naked, so this is doubtless her best role! if you see her in this film and her other flicks as the bruno mattei films for example you note that nothing is too low for this actress-and i dont mean this negative! All in one a film that i like a lot, probably its not for everybodys taste..

Escaping the world's least secure prison through an open window and down a sturdy length of knotted rope, murderer and thief Joe Brezzi (Joe Dallesandro) legs it to a farmhouse where he attacks two men (killing one with a pitchfork) and steals their car. He then drives to a remote cottage to retrieve the 300 million lira buried under its fireplace, but finds that the poky property is now owned by yuppie couple Sergio (Gianni Macchia) and Liliana (Patrizia Behn), who arrive for the weekend in the company of Liliana's sister Paola (Lorraine De Selle ), who we later discover is having an affair with Sergio.

Joe waits until Liliana is out shopping and Sergio is hunting before making his move, surprising Paola while she sunbathes topless (this chick has a serious aversion to clothing, spending 90% of the film completely naked). He forces her to dig before deciding to rape her, receiving compliments from the woman about his lovemaking skills (this is NOT a film with a feminist agenda). Liliana returns to find Paola tied up and soon joins her sister bound and gagged while Joe hacks away at the hearth. Soon enough, Sergio returns and a power play ensues as Joe reveals the truth about Sergio and Paola, and takes a fancy to Liliana.

Obviously inspired by the likes of The Last House On The Left, Hitchhike and The House On The Edge Of The Park, this sleazy, exploitative home-invasion thriller starts off great, as Joe prowls the property preparing to make his move, but loses steam once he begins to terrorise the group. Watching them dig and argue is boring, even with De Selle flashing her big hairy bush all the time. After much tedium (even the scene where Joe forces Sergio and Paola to have sex in front of Liliana is dull), the film picks up for a bloody finale in which the adulterous couple make a crap bid for freedom, and Joe pays the price for leaving his shotgun unattended.

5/10. I might have scored it higher if Behn had joined De Selle in getting nekkid, but she remains fully clothed throughout.