Seven Blood-Stained Orchids-1972

Seven Blood-Stained Orchids aka “Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso” 1972

directed by:Umberto Lenzi

cast:Antonio Sabàto ,Uschi Glas ,Pier Paolo Capponi ,Petra Schürmann ,Marisa Mell

A stylish Giallo coup de grâce by Umberto Lenzi, unfortunately hampered by a rather by-the-numbers storyline and a weak lead, in this case Antonio Sabato. Still this nice piece of vintage spaghetti mystery thriller delivers the goods and manages to satisfy the avid Eurocult fan.

A serial killer is on the loose, murdering certain women around the city. While travelling on a train on his honeymoon, Mario (Antonio Sabato) sees his wife brutally attacked aboard the train and after the killer gets away, the police accuse Mario of attacking his newlywed wife. The Police decide to hide the fact that Giulia (Uschi Glas), Mario’s wife is alive in order to protect her from the killer. Mario sets out to prove his innocence by attempting to solve the “Puzzle of the Silver Half Moons”

This film would pretty much justify the price of admission on the grounds of the first reel, Rosella Falk’s masterfully executed “bathtub” scene and then Marisa Mell’s gruesome murder .Other than that is a rather hit’ n ‘ miss affair characterized by a great cinematography and mise en scene . Truth be told Umberto Lenzi was responsible for a string of pretty successful Gialli but towards the 1970s, he began focusing his attention on poliziotteschi films and his contributions to making Gialli began to deteriorate. Other than that the score by Riz Ortolani is to die for.

Anyway Giallo fans should definitely  check this one out.

όμορφος τζιάλλο σινεμάς από το μαιτρ του κινηματογράφου είδους Ουμπερτο Λένζι.

Ο μέγας Ουμπέρτο φιλμαρει μερακλίδικα μια δυστυχώς μπαναλ ιστορία μυστηρίου που εμπλέκει έναν νεκρό Αμερικανό και εφτά γυναίκες,αλλά το τελικό αποτέλεσμα μάλλον δικαιώνει τους οπαδούς του Ιταλικού στυλιζαρισμένου pulp  θρίλερ.

Oι αρχική σεκάνς, η μουσική του Ριζ Ορτολάνι και μερικές αριστουργηματικά καμωμένες βίαιες σκηνές ,κάνουν το πικρό ποτήρι της άνευρης ερμηνείας του Αντόνιο Σαμπάτο και της αδιάφορης αφήγησης λίγο πιο υποφερτό.

Οι φανς του σκηνοθέτη και του Ευρωπαικού καλτ κινηματογράφου καλά θα κάνουν να τσεκάρουν όπως και να έχει.

 

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