just watch it!

Am I Missing Something?

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Combining elements of horror and comedy isn't easy. Though usually rather pathetic or miles off the target, the mixture is occasionally successful: to mind come Roman Polanskis "Dance of the Vampires" and Peter Jackson's "Brain Dead". Another thing that comes to mind are (often) gritty European productions of the 1960's and 1970's, that where brimming with pitch-black humour and which combined horror and comedy at a well-balanced 50/50 level. And among the finest example is "Lo strangolatore di Vienna": The story is very similar to the Sweeney Todd tale: Otto, a humungous, mentally unstable butcher is released from the madhouse and ends up with a string of (originally unintentional) murders on his hand. Post-war times being hard and meat scarce, Otto does what comes closest and grinds his victims to sausage meat. The sausages are bestsellers and eventually even the Viennese police are on the Ottos list of customers.I've mentioned that it's hard to believe that this film actually is Italian, not Austrian. That's mainly because I've watched the synchronized German version which has been dubbed into finest Viennese dialect, as you'd only find it backyards and working class quarters. If familiar with (Austrian)-German, it's a joy to watch; the quick-talking yet always wordy and always biting dialogue – it's about authentic Viennese as it gets.Pillar of the film is actor Victor Buono – Buono shines in sweaty role, slowly transforming from a gentle, even though mentally instable hulk, originally murdering (almost) by mistake, to a truly scary, blood-thirsty psychopath. Buono has that rare gift to convincingly appear mild, kind-hearted, creepy and psychotic at the same time – the nearest one could compare this to would be some of Donald Pleasances finest performances.Granted, those 1970's Euro B-flicks have often not aged very well, today coming across as 1960's Doris Day and Tony Randall kind-of affairs (just with more nudity) and slightly gorier Hammer productions but if names like Brad Harris or Karin Field ring a bell, then this may well be a little, forgotten gem, wrapped up in a original Viennese sausage – just remember: never mix swine and beef and try to go for the German dubbed version if you have a chance! 8 from 10 points.

The jolly, but deranged Otto Lehman (marvelously played to the wacko hilt by the great Victor Buono) gets released from an asylum and becomes determined to live up to his sterling reputation as the best butcher in Vienna. Otto inevitably goes crazy and murders several folks. He disposes of the bodies by grinding them up and turning them into his famously delicious sausage. Director Guido Zurli, working from a wickedly witty script by Dag Mollin and Dick Randall (Randall also co-produced the picture and pops up in a small role as a police officer), does an expert job of creating and sustaining a playfully macabre sense of often hilariously twisted pitch-black humor. Buono's sweaty, quirky and massively bulky presence elevates the film's quality a few extra notches. Brad Harris contributes a solid performance as meddlesome, sarcastic American reporter Mike Lawrence, the luscious Karin Field supplies a tasty eyeful as Otto's enticing neighbor Berta, and Franca Polesello is a snippy riot as Otto's naggy, shrewish wife Hanna. Better still, a couple of lovely ladies remove their clothes and bare their beautiful bodies. Alex Alexander's wonderfully catchy and jaunty score likewise scores a bull's eye. A real treat.

One of the only things this movie has in common with other more well-known Italian horror is the over-dubbed dialog track. Other than that, the movie is pretty much a bore-fest, with no real gore aside from Otto preparing cuts of meat.To make matters worse, the flick is painfully repetitive. We see the main character serving sausage in the park, the Lady who changes in front of her window and the Journalist, usually on some date, then Otto the Butcher brings his cart back home to his shop, he slaps around his Brother-In-Law, then everything starts all over again. This happens about 3 times in the middle of the movie.I can see this movie providing entertainment when you are having a few drinks with your friends, and you want to watch something just for laughs. Gorehounds, look elsewhere.

With Buono's comedic performance as a butcher who decides to take back over his butcher shop after 3 years in the asylum, and the film's overall tongue-in-cheek approach to the story, this film is an entertaining, dark-humored thriller. The film's bloodless approach to the subject matter is also a welcome change as well to numerous others of its ilk. Also, watch for the well-directed climax!!