VIDEO REVIEW: Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion

VIDEO REVIEW: Death Walks At Midnight

VIDEO REVIEW: Death Walks On High Heels

REVIEW: Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion

Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion

Director: Luciano Ercoli

Year 1970

Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion is a devilishly good Giallo film featuring a healthy dose of love, sex, murder, and mystery, all jam-packed into its 93 minute runtime. Lensed in a sleek, stylish fashion, this overlooked genre classic is a real treat for the eyes thanks to the impeccable vision of director Luciano Ercoli. With a narrative that is laced with tension and overflowing with red herrings, Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion is a delectable Giallo production that definitely stands out from the rest of its sadistic peers.

The film follows a newly married housewife named Minou, who begins to have suspicions that her businessman husband, Peter, has committed a murder in order to clear his overwhelming debt. One night a mysterious and nameless man accosts Minou, threatening to go to the police and expose her husband unless she sleeps with him. Giving into fear, Minou placates to his demands, but finds out that things quickly begin to escalate once the stranger wants more than he first demanded. To make matters worse, the plot begins to become more intertwined when Minou's best friend is found possessing pornographic photos of the blackmailer. As her guilt and shame slowly turn into madness, can Minou reclaim her life and save her marriage, or will she meet a untimely and sinister end?

Dagmar Lassander takes on the role of Minou, the beautiful newly married woman who has had her life suddenly turned upside down by a malevolent and persistent outside force. Lassander does an excellent job with the demanding role, as we witness her slowly slip into a madness that is rather excruciating to see unfold. Her innocence and sanity is violated more than a few times and you can see the costly effects that they have on her character's mind and body. Distraught and wildly detached from the rest of the world, Lassander gives her oppressed character a maddened feverish personality as the film delves deeper and deeper into some unsettling territory. The result of this ill-fated persona gives the movie a dream-like quality which resembles a living, breathing nightmare, brought to cinematic life.

While Lassander carries a great deal of the weight of this production, there are a handful of amazing actors present to poke and prod her character through this wild roller-coaster thrill-ride. Pier Paolo Capponi plays the role of Peter, Minou's husband and the suspect of a mysterious murder that could possibly be of his making. Capponi fits the role with class, as he straddles the line between loving husband and suspicious suspect to perfection. Simon Andreu takes on the role of the blackmailer and damn does he not make a convincing scumbag. Vicious and absolutely heartless, Andreu's blackmailer character is a thing of unsettling beauty and he milks the vile role for all it's worth. Speaking of unsettling beauty, though on a more positive note, Nieves Navarro plays the role of Dominique, Minou's closest friend. Navarro is no stranger to the Giallo world, including Simon Andreu, and she has appeared in some of the most interesting efforts of the genre like Death Walks on High Heels, Death Walks at Midnight, and Death Carries a Cane. In expected form, Navarro knocks the role of Dominique out of the park playing one of the most ambiguously intentioned characters of the bunch. You never really know if she is being earnest in her concerns for her friend or if she has an ulterior motive for what she is doing. The unknown intent of her character is phenomenal and damn does Navarro look absolutely fabulous to boot.

When it comes to tension and mystery, Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion has it down packed. Every character in this film seems to be involved in some way, shape, or form, with what is going on with poor Minou, and you can't help but be swept up in all the red herrings the film throws at you. There's a sly, seedy nature to it all, and director Luciano Ercoli just languishes the film in this unnerving atmosphere, keeping you on your toes for the inevitable reveal. With Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion being his first foray into the Giallo world, it's safe to say that he did an amazing job on his initial effort in the genre. Of course he would go on to make Death Walks on High Heels and Death Walks at Midnight, two great Giallo entries which pull religiously from all of the elements that make Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion so enjoyable and provocative.

The film's visual palette is one of great metaphorical and thematic presence, allowing the imagery to tell the story in its own personal way. It's interesting to see such poetic imagery exist beside such sleazy and violent-infused visuals, but Ercoli manages to fuse the contrasting styles to tell a most intriguing story. One moment in particular shows Pier Paolo Capponi's character of Peter as he peers through a broken glass window at his wife as she sits in a bar waiting for him. The way the camera is positioned on the other side of the glass as it holds on Peter, transposing his face across the shattered portion of the window frame, gives a great metaphorical impression of his character's own personality and intent. Eroli also manages to use a wild array of colors to represent the steady descent of Minou as she is spiraling into madness and literally losing her mind. The harsh reddish hues, used sparingly, and the outlandish production designs of the blackmailer's apartment, are all wonderfully executed to give off that off-kilter and foreboding atmosphere that this film so loves to flourish in. As a Giallo film goes, Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion is a wonderfully crafted thriller that really gets inside the main actresses head in portraying what it's like when the world seems against you and you have no where to turn.

Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion is an accomplished genre effort created by a budding filmmaker who fused art and horror into one comprehensive and exceptionally crafted package. For a first effort in the world of Giallo, Luciano Ercoli does an excellent job with balancing all of the aspects of this production, while at the same time maintaining a morbid sense of perversion that blankets this gem of a flick. Lost in a sea of mistrust, the film thrives on the unexpected and the unknown, making you second guess every single characters intentions and aspirations for Minou's character.

Each and every role in this film is performed phenomenally, allowing for the strength of the story to really take hold. Dagmar Lassander is wonderful as the helpless Minou and Pier Paola Capponi gives an astoundingly obscure performance as Peter, while Simon Andreu and Nieves Navarro pull no punches in delivering genuinely memorable characters, with the later of the two looking absolutely delicious in the process. With the multitude of twists and turns to be found within this wonderful Giallo film, I think it's safe to say that if you're a fan of the genre you should really get a kick out of this one. Luciano Ercoli is an under-appreciated director of the genre and he really does deserve a wider audience for his three beautifully crafted Giallo films. Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion is one.....

Hi.... Want to be my snuggle buddy?

I can't believe you drank the last of the apple juice. You bitch!

Damn kids and their baseball!

Dagmar Lassander wasn't too keen on Nieves Navarro's cleavage.

Let the meeting of the Stupid Hats Club begin!

Did I forget to turn off the oven?

It's Movie Night with the girls!

I don't remember scheduling an appointment with a pair of legs.

Can I pet your fur?

This lady looks above suspicion.

Looks like Peter got caught in Dominique's cleavage. Bad boy!

Stop acting so damn suspicious!

What did you just say about my weird mustache?

Smell my five dollar bill. SMELL IT!

Looks like someone is having a good time.

Looking good!

We're going to draw a happy little tree right across the chest.

And so begins the second meeting of the Stupid Hats Club. Hooray!

REVIEW: Death Walks on High Heels

Death Walks on High Heels
Director: Luciano Ercoli
Year 1971
 
Death Walks on High Heels is a tremendously low key and highly underrated Giallo entry by director Luciano Ercoli. With a heavy dose of sleaze yet a surprisingly low amount of violence and bloodletting, this movie defies the conventions of the genre in its pursuit to create a straight forward and serious take on the Italian thriller. If you’re looking for a well crafted and unknown Giallo, then look no further because Death Walks on High Heels has what you’re looking for.
 
The film follows a Paris striptease performer named Nicole Rochard, who after her famous jewel thief father’s murder, begins to receive death threats from an unnamed assassin, demanding that she hand over the diamonds from her father’s heist. Clueless on the location of the diamonds and fearing for her life, she hooks up with an infatuated fan named Robert Matthews and flies to England to stay with him at his secluded lakeside cottage. Hopeful that she will finally find peace in this quaint little country town, Nicole settles in to a life with Robert and slowly begins to forget her troubled past. Has she escaped from the killer’s grasp or is the killer closer than she first feared? Death Walks on High Heels is a rather accomplished Giallo film that keeps the scale of this thrilling story intimate, while at the same time creating an epic mystery full of twists and turns.

Nieves Navarro takes on the role of Nicole Rochard, the sexy strip artist caught up in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Like her role in Death Walks at Midnight, Navarro looks absolutely amazing while parading around in some of the most outlandish get-ups the era could muster and often baring it all for the titillation of the audience. Though there are similarities, the character of Nicole Rochard is a more complex role then Navarro’s Valentina in Death Walks at Midnight, and she combines sex appeal, sleaze, and a surprisingly good amount of compassion, to bring her role to life. Navarro presents Nicole in a more sympathetic light, as a woman who is just doing what she can to support herself while struggling to feel safe in both love and life. When the killer first lets his presence be known, Nicole reaches out for help from her boyfriend Michel, played by Simon Andreu, who at first ignores her pleas for help but then eventually stands by her side. It wasn’t until the killer plants a damning piece of evidence that makes Nicole flee her live-in boyfriend and jump into the arms of another, more sympathetic, gentleman. It’s the vulnerability of Navarro’s portrayal of Nicole that really catches the audiences’ attention, and to contrast this timid trait of her character with the wild and outgoing nature of her strip performance is especially interesting. All in all, Navarro has developed a character that is as engaging as she is beautiful, and it’s this aspect of her role that makes the film so damn enjoyable to watch.    
 
Mirroring that same contrasting quality, the film does a unique bit of balancing with the tone of the movie. Being a Giallo film, we get our fare share of moments that are taken from the formulaic blue prints of the genre, like the masked killer with the switchblade knife, the large cast of red herrings, and the high body count, but there is also another side to this movie that is unconventional to say the least. For a good majority of the middle portions of this film, we are given a sort of love story between the two main characters of Nicole Rochard and Dr. Robert Matthews, played by Frank Wolff. These moments take a strange turn from the earlier segments of the film, and they seem to let the movie as a whole breath a bit until the twisted later half which is filled with betrayal, suspicion, mystery, and multiple murders. It’s a great technique that establishes a core element of the story, while at the same time it sets up the audience for a heartbreaking finale that really sweeps the rug out from under their feet.

As the mystery of this movie reaches an unparalleled pitch, the plot really does begin to thicken as suspects start creeping from out of the woodwork. These characters are all perfectly suspicious in their own right and make for a wonderful cast of likely killers. First there is of course the jaded ex-boyfriend Michel Aumont, played by Simon Andreu. His surprising appearance at the same town that his ex is staying at with her newfound lover is more than a little questionable. Then there is Captain Lenny, played by George Rigaud, a local boat captain who seems to be a little too nosy for his own good. Then there is Hallory, played by Luciano Rossi, whose strange tendencies and peculiar false hand give him one hell of a high creep factor. Then finally there is Vanessa Matthews, the bitter wife of Robert Matthews, played by the sultry Claudie Lange. She, more than anyone else, has the motive to threaten the life of Nicole. All of these characters are wonderfully diverse and they each add a great deal of intrigue to the overall plot of the film, and on top of that they are a joy to watch interact together. Some of the most entertaining moments of the film can be found when Inspector Baxter, the detective assigned to the case in England, has to narrow down who he thinks the killer is among these ambiguous group of shady characters.
 
Carlo Gentili plays the role of Inspector Baxter, and his character is just a whole hell of a lot of fun. His detective style is best described as lackadaisical, as he makes bland smart remarks and genuinely stumbles his way through the case. In all his effortless glory, he often comes up with some astonishingly correct assumptions of what the killer was thinking or how he was able to accomplish what he had done, but to only follow up that poignant conclusion with a dim witted quip that totally diminishes his credibility and his own personal view on how valuable of a cop he really is. Carlo actually played the detective in the other Luciano Ercoli Giallo, Death Walks at Midnight, which was made around the same time, but in Death Walks on High Heels he is able to show a lighter side of his acting abilities. His character in this film isn’t as wacky as his ridiculously silly portrayal as the antler wearing buffoon in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, but it’s more like a mix of the two, played a lot less whimsical. I really enjoyed his approach for the role and felt that he absolutely stole the scenes in which he was featured in, and in the process, brought a more playful side of the film to light. In the end, the cast is what really sells this movie as a respectable Giallo and the diverse cast that they were able to assemble is just rich with talent.

Death Walks on High Heels is a highly enjoyable Giallo entry that features some of the trademarks of the genre, yet the filmmakers allow the film’s narrative to wander into uncharted territories, making for an interesting watch. Nieves Navarro is at her most watchable best, looking absolutely stunning in every single scene she appears in. The fact that her character has a substantial amount of depth to her only enhances the already outstanding quality of her alluring presence.
 
As with most Giallo films, the characters are key in bringing about an enthralling experience and Death Walks on High Heels is no exception to this rule. The cast across the board is more than up for the challenge in delivering engaging individual performances, and the amount of double crossings and suspicious dealings that occur in this film will leave you second guessing yourself at every turn. If you happen to enjoy Giallo films that think outside of the box, in terms of pacing and presentation, then check this one out as soon as you can. This is one Italian thriller that is……

Did it hurt? Did what hurt? When you fell from Heaven, did it hurt?

Check out this professional perv.

Check out this professional creep.

She hates it when you throw knives at her.

Hubba Hubba!

Looks like Robert's glasses are about to fog up from the sexiness.

These boots are made for sexin and that's just what they'll do.

Sweet sassafras!

Now that's just plain silly.

You want my professional opinion? Your eyes are fucked up.

Damn! You got me right in my bum ticker!

Get that dirty mustache out of my face.

Thanks for letting us admire your dinghy.

God I hate you.

Now try getting yourself out of that you slippery shit.

Up yours!

Looks like you dropped your wig madam.

So the killer turned out to be the pet rock. Genius!

REVIEW: Death Walks at Midnight

Death Walks at Midnight
Director: Luciano Ercoli
Year 1972
 
Death Walks at Midnight is a highly entertaining Giallo film with enough style and substance to entertain any fan of the genre. Directed by Luciano Ercoli, an underappreciated auteur of Italian cinema, the movie tells a thrilling story about drugs, hallucinations, deception, and murder. With an interesting premise and an enthralling cast, Death Walks at Midnight is anything but an average, run of the mill Giallo.
 
The film follows a beautiful young fashion model by the name of Valentina, after she volunteers to test out an experimental drug for some quick cash. While under the effects of the drug, she witnesses a grizzly murder being committed, where the killer pummels a woman in the face with a spiked metallic glove. Fearing for her life, she goes to the police, but unfortunately no one, including the inspector (Carlo Gentili), seems to believe her wild story. To make matters even worse, Valentina begins seeing the killer everywhere she goes, forcing her to come to realize that she is next on his hit list. Will she be able to convince the police before it’s too late or is there a greater scheme at work that not even Valentina can fathom? Be prepared for a Giallo that isn’t afraid to punch the viewer right in the face, with a spiked glove no less.

Nieves Navarro plays the role of Valentina, the hunted fashion model who desperately tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together in this entertaining little thriller. Having recently been introduced to Navarro’s work in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, I knew I was in for a treat. She has that cinematic beauty that literally forces you to take notice and in Death Walks at Midnight, she’s given ample opportunity to show us what she can do with that undivided attention. Her portrayal of Valentina is stunning, and she gives the character so much spirit and energy that I found it impossible to unglue my eyeballs from her captivating and sympathetic performance. Throughout the entire film, Valentina is traumatized to the brink of insanity after being relentlessly pursued by the killer and a few other shady characters that pop up as the movie moves along. Admittedly, it does get a little tedious seeing this woman go through hell over and over again and having no one believe a word she says, but with Navarro playing the lead, she makes it more than bearable and especially tantalizing.   
 
Filling out the male roles of the film are Simon Andreu as Gio Baldi, and Pietro Martellanza as Stefano. Both actors play the same sort of role, with them being attached to Valentina in some way, shape or form. What is also interesting about the two is that they each have the potential to be in on the sick events that are happening to the young model. Gio especially has his hand in the cookie jar, so to speak, because it was under his guidance that the drug experiment was performed, which resulted in Valentina seeing the murderer and then eventually getting mixed up in this horrible situation. Stefano is equally under suspicion, because of his erratic behavior. He goes from being a sweet and caring boyfriend to a raging drunk, in between scenes, and we never really get a real handle on his character’s motivations. The presentation of these two roles is a perfect example of the genre’s use of red herrings and this film has a great deal of capable figureheads. It’s this mysterious aspect of the film that really nails the tone and atmosphere that is needed to pull off a successful Giallo and Death Walks at Midnight does it beautifully.

Not only do we get red herrings from the two characters of Gio and Stefano, but we’re given another exceptional and ambiguous one in the form of Verushka Wuttenberg, played by the lovely Claudie Lange. Her character appears and disappears as frequently and sinisterly as the killer himself, always leaving Valentina questioning the woman’s intentions. Claudie does a great job in bringing a haunting feeling to her role. I’ve seen her in a number of films, with Crossplot being my absolute favorite of her work, and she is anything but brooding and downtrodden in those efforts, but in Death Walks at Midnight she brings a melancholy performance that just screams paranoia and frightened madness. I actually didn’t recognize her at first, so I have to commend her on a masterful job well done.
 
Combined with all of these great characters is an atmospheric quality that Luciano Ercoli blankets the film in. There is an unsettling tone to the movie that is only enhanced all the more by the surreal aspects of the film’s visual approach. The very concept of Valentina seeing a murder while under the influence of an experimental drug is a great comparison to how the rest of the film unfolds, and Ercoli takes this aesthetic and runs with it. The reactions from the various people that Valentina interacts with don’t exactly seem genuine and logical, forcing us to question those people’s loyalty to our forlorn heroine. This is not a technique that is new to the genre, for almost every Giallo film in existence seems to have this specific atmospheric tone when dealing with the characters of their story, but Death Walks at Midnight just seems to do it with an added bit of style. As usual for these types of flicks, the gore is extreme and the violence is excessive, which combines perfectly with the vivid atmosphere and surreal take on the genre. This is definitely one Giallo entry that begs for a wider audience.

Death Walks at Midnight is an exceptionally fun and suspenseful addition to the large output of mystery styled Italian thrillers that came out during this time period. Having Nieves Navarro in the lead only helps to solidify its appeal, but the inclusion of a solid story and interesting characters really raises this movie to the top of the heap of Giallos.
 
With its visceral violence and pension for pain, the movie doesn’t shy away from what makes this genre of films so captivating and raw. With a bloodied spiked glove, the film smashes you in the face with haunting imagery and surrealistic infused moments that take your mind for a whirl, and the fact that the film is wrapped up rather logically in the end (which by Giallo standards is unheard of) makes for another plus. Death Walks at Midnight is a real treat and one hell of a……

Ladies and gentlemen, the lovely Nieves Navarro.

Ready... Set.... Trip Out!

When fist-bumps turn deadly.

I'm freaking out! I'm hotter then hell!

You've got some red on you.

Put down the porno magazine boys, there's a woman present.

Even the killer is reading that damn Hunger Games series.

You can actually just drop me off here...... Weirdo.

So can we actually arrest her for being too hot?

I'll let you go with a warning, but in the future, tone down your hotness.

I'm here and I'm hot! Get used to it!

You look like a jackass in that stupid wig.

Looks like being stalked by a crazed killer isn't all that bad after all.

Get ahold of yourself. I'm hot, but not that hot.

I warned you about being too hot, now I'm going to have to charge you.

This guy gets a little too much pleasure from killing.

Split ends? I think it's time for a makeover. NOOOOO!

Damn you clown gods! Damn you to hell!