Konterr Brilliant and touching

mraculeated The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Brennan Camacho Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Leofwine_draca Normally, I would dismiss OASIS OF FEAR as a sub-par movie due to the slow pacing and total lack of gore and violence, ingredients which are usually central to the Italian giallo movie. There's no masked or mystery killer here, no female victims being stalked, and instead the movie is a low-budget three-hander about a man and two women, trapped in an isolated location, and the sex and power games that they play which eventually lead to death and ultimate destruction. However, in the hands of genre specialist Umberto Lenzi (already a veteran of the genre by 1971!), OASIS OF FEAR becomes a suspenseful, tense and supremely watchable little film with interesting characters and fine scripting which always keeps you guessing. Although the plot is very simplistic, an air of mystery hangs over the production and facts are never handed to the viewer on to a plate; you don't really find out what's happened until the very end of the film and Lenzi keeps you guessing - and therefore interested - throughout.The first half hour of the movie, right up until the introduction of Irene Papas, is by far the weakest part. Basically it serves as an introduction to the two main characters, a young free-living couple who travel Italy making pornography, stealing, and generally causing a nuisance of themselves with the police. Unfortunately scenes of the pair wreaking havoc at a restaurant as a cry out for anarchy and falling in with a group of dubious gypsies serve only to stall the plot, and combined with the cheesy music and fashions these moments come across as very dated. It's only when the action moves to the country mansion and mysterious characters keep popping up, an undercurrent of sexual intrigue develops (even sexual torture is threatened at one point), with one character revealed to be a murderer, that things become really interesting.Playing the young, idealistic lead is Ray Lovelock, better known as 'George', the hero in THE LIVING DEAD AT THE MANCHESTER MORGUE. Lovelock plays much the same character here as in his zombie epic but far less heroic, and in fact his character is rather unlikeable and irritating. The same can be said for Ornella Muti's character, Ingrid. However the two leads are realistic - in a world where 'teenage characters' on television are played by thirty-three year olds, the actual age of the actors involved is the same as that of the characters - and Lovelock and Muti fit the parts very well. The respected actress Irene Papas has the role of the repressed middle-aged housewife, Barbara, and is excellent in the part, especially when she flies off the handle and becomes disturbed, as in the aviary sequence. The acting, combined with the twisting plot and very watchable power games that occur, make OASIS OF FEAR an unusual and often successful movie that ranks as another solid entry from cult fave Lenzi.

wvisser-leusden The title 'Oasis of fear' may be a bit exaggerated to today's taste, for this film is more like any crime-release you may watch on television nowadays.And yes, some knowledge about society from 1971 comes in handy as well. With a prominent issue like the youth revolution, turning away from all stiff morals adapted by the elder generations. Seeking freedom, leisure and sex, released & relieved by the then new anti-conceptive. Starting for it right down in Copenhagen, because in those days Scandinavia was leading the way.Although this issue is demonstrated abundantly by the young couple, one cannot miss that 'Oasis of fear' is really carried by the then 45-year old Irene Pappas -- adding at least 20% to this film's worth.Another name worth mentioning is that of producer Carlo Ponti. I have seen better films from him, but I suppose it's his influence that makes 'Oasis of fear' worth watching up to this day.

Red-Barracuda A couple of young hippies decide to make a quick buck selling pornography in Italy. They soon get into bother and eventually go on the run. They wind up in a villa inhabited by a friendly if somewhat odd older woman. Their problems are only just about to begin.This film is labelled as a giallo by many, although I'm not sure I necessarily agree that it is. It's more of a crime-thriller than anything else. It basically boils down to a cat and mouse game between three people. It feels relatively restrained for an Umberto Lenzi picture. It isn't very violent at all, although it does have some quite frank sexual scenes. While it is a thriller, it does feel very much more a product of the end of the counter-culture, with it's pessimistic ending recalling the nihilistic finales of Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and Easy Rider (1969). It's hippies gone bad idea is very much in line with the then hugely topical post Manson Family massacres. At one point a character even writes the word 'PIGS' in large letters on a mirror for no discernible reason other than that was precisely what the Manson girls did in the houses where they committed their infamous homicides; although admittedly, in reality these words were written in the blood of their victims, rather than in ketchup, as was the case in this movie!It's all-in-all a good enough genre picture, although not a great one. Like most other Lenzi flicks it is unashamedly salacious stuff, with enough unpretentious sleaze to ensure it's entertaining stuff on the whole.

unbrokenmetal Danish student Ingrid (Ornella Muti) and her English boyfriend Dick (Ray Lovelock) decide to sell pornography illegally in Italy, and at the beginning, they make a lot of money and spend a great holiday time there. Then they are arrested by the police, and their rebellious attitude (especially if you remember, this was 1970) doesn't help much. They end up on the street without a Lira in their pockets, and when a rich lady (Irene Papas) offers help, it seems a stroke of luck and they are not suspicious at all...La bella Ornella in one of her earliest movies is very playful and looks best in a kind of Indian temple dancer costume here. All in all, "Un posto ideale per uccidere" is not a particularly dark or violent film, but with enough suspense. The rapid cut by Eugenio Alabiso - who also had his hands on genre classics like "Tutti i colori del buio" and "Lo strano vizio della Signora Wardh" - helps to speed it up a bit. Note: My Italian DVD is said to be transferred from the original negative with a running time of 83:49 min.