Cortechba Overrated

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

ActuallyGlimmer The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Fulke Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

acidburn-10 A psychedelic flick with drug induced imagery and manic tenderises, covered in a thick mist of mystery and nightmarish encounters, this Italian horror simmers in its atmosphere and bound in a completely mean spirited manner. While this may not be as graphic or as sleazy as many of the other Italian giallo's, this is certainly sadistic and unnerving, adding that certain edge to the proceedings.When it comes to surreal atmosphere and sadistic content, not many films come close to this nightmarish outlook and lensed with an expressive eye and visual flare by its director Sergio Martino, this stark thriller digs deep into its intertwined mystery and overwhelming visuals and various undertones. Even in its convoluted narrative it quickly draws you into its madness but in a good way in this beautifully crafted thriller.Starring Italian Giallo goddess Edwige Fenech who gives another stunning performance as the troubled main character who may or may not be losing her mind, she really gives it her all in this with her alluring beauty; this is definitely one of her best performances and shows why she's the queen of the Giallo genre. Other standout performances include Nieves Navarro & Marina Malfatti who are both sultry as well as mysterious, who both bring a sense of awe and intrigue to their respective parts with their dreamlike appearances. In fact the entire main cast here were excellent including other big names in the genre George Hilton who also starred with Edwige Fenech in 'The Case Of The Bloody Iris', here he plays her supporting boyfriend who also has a sense of mystery about him and really keeps you interested as the movie goes on. Then there's Ivan Rassimov who takes centre stage as the cult leader who oozes mystical insanity and cruelty, he really haves fun with this role, enjoying every second.All in all this is a really great movie, although not entirely perfect where sometimes the story may become a bit uneven at times, and doesn't quite have a lot of depth, but it was a fantastically fun ride all the same and definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of giallo.

Leofwine_draca Sergio Martino is an Italian director who can usually be relied upon to churn out a decent B-movie and DAY OF THE MANIAC is typical of his work: it's an offbeat, slightly bizarre entry into a genre that bears obvious influences from previous, better films but nevertheless provides a fun viewing experience for the undemanding fan. DAY OF THE MANIAC is a giallo film with all the usual trappings of that genre: beautiful women being stalked by weird strangers, menaced by swishing blades, pleading their sanity to their unsympathetic partners, and voicing their concerns to doctors and psychoanalysts. On top of that, the film is a variation of ROSEMARY'S BABY, as the heroine joins a Satanic cult and begins to suspect that those around her are not who they seem.The cast is headlined by Edwige Fenech, possibly the prettiest and most rewarding of all giallo heroines. Here, she's at the top of her game, projecting a fragile beauty and only overacting on occasion. Fenech is let down a little by a staid George Hilton, who always seems to be wooden whatever the film he appears in; as her husband, he makes little more impact than a lump of wood. Far better is Ivan Rassimov; although his appearance is limited to only a few sequences, Martino makes superb use of his imposing presence and he really seems to be having a ball with his turn here. Julian Ugarte also deserves mention as the suave leader of the black magic cult and on top of that there are some interesting bit parts from the likes of model Susan Scott and Italian film regular Luciano Pigozzi.DAY OF THE MANIAC becomes quite delirious in places, leaving the viewer just as confused as the heroine to what on earth is going on. There's a noticeable lack of gore by genre standards but Martino makes sure he puts the requisite nudity into the production (why have the heroine clothed when talking to her husband? Why not have her in the bath or getting dressed?). The moments with the Satanic coven are quite well staged with plenty of eerie interludes (the stabbing of the fox springs to mind). Things get even weirder as it transpires that Fenech has psychic abilities, a plot device that leads to a climax fraught with tension and impending danger. A little more intrigue in the first hour would have made this a classic of the genre; as it stands, it's a decent enough giallo flick, not perfect but worth a watch or two.

MARIO GAUCI Typically convoluted but surprisingly average giallo with nods to ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968) which gets by largely on the strength of its stylish visuals (the narrative is set against attractive London backdrops) and an effective pounding score by the reliable Bruno Nicolai. Besides, it gives "Euro-Cult" starlet Edwige Fenech – who, by now, had grown comfortably into the mould of put-upon genre heroine – one of her more rounded parts; in fact, all the other characters (lover George Hilton, stalker Ivan Rassimov, high priest Julian Ugarte, duplicitous sister Susan Scott, neighbor/cult member Marina Malfatti, psychiatrist Georges Rigaud) basically revolve around hers. The film has an interesting and fairly ambitious structure (co-scripted by Ernesto Gastaldi from a story by Santiago Moncada, both of whose names are synonymous with the form) – starting off immediately with a surreal nightmare involving a pregnant Afro girl, an old hag dressed up as a marionette and a female murder victim and concluding with the heroine discovering to have the ability of second-sight, followed by the more familiar rooftop chase but re-affirming its intent with an ambiguous and downbeat fade-out. As ever, we get plenty of ladies willing to shed their clothes throughout – but, like I said, some care seems to have been applied to the characterization so that, at least, these aren't as slapdash as they could have been!

Scarecrow-88 Unrelenting suspensor about a woman so tormented by her nightmares(after losing a child stillborn when her boyfriend Richard hit a tree), she's willing to try anything including black mass ritual performed by a Satanic cult introduced to her by a neighbor, Mary. Her sister, Barbara has tried to get her psychiatric help from Dr. Gordon, but Richard sees this as a silly waste of time. Jane's trauma is so disorienting, she believes a psychopath has emerged from her nightmares and manifested himself into reality. Shades of "Rosemary's Baby" is obviously present throughout the film particularly the photography of the black mass rituals, but they are none the less chilling to watch. I think what worked so well for me was the idea of this poor, frightened woman not be able to separate herself from this demented stalker with blue, piercing eyes. The film's location plays greatly into the style of the piece, but Martino's surreal lens really creates this foreboding that gets under the skin as characters{the Satanic High Priest, especially}literally grab toward the viewer. The camera loves to slide up and down Fenech's wonderfully silky body{one of the best scenes in the film is a steamy shower shot up her body as she wets herself with only a shirt on}, but it's her performance as the paranoid, nearly crazed Jane that really sells this film. Hilton is good enough given very limited screen time.