Dreadfully Boring

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Gathering up a number of Gialli DVDs to watch for the IMDb's Horror board's October Challenge,I suddenly heard 1 of the DVDs shaking around like crazy.Checking each of the DVD,I began to fear that it would be unplayable,due to how many dents it was covered in.Placing the disc in the player,I was relived to discover that the DVD was playable,which led to me getting ready to uncover the red headed corpse.The plot:Struggling to find any inspiration,a small time artist called John Ward pays a visit to a group of hippies partying in a park,who give Ward a large broken doll in response to Ward's request for inspiration.Returning to his house,Ward discovers that he has brought back more than he bargained for,when the doll transforms into a beautiful woman.Delighted at uncovering a new desire for painting which he never had before,Ward finds himself beginning to question his own sanity,when the doll starts to bring back subconscious memories over Ward's 'troubled' relationship with his former wife.View on the film:For the uncut version of the title,writer/director Renzo Russo includes about 15 minutes of sex scenes,which along with having an alluring appearance,also give the movie an excellent,disjointed dream-like atmosphere,thanks to Russo inserting the scenes at moments which make the viewer unsure over the full 'reality' of the scenes.Along with the disjointed sex scenes,the screenplay by Russo brilliantly unravel Ward's mind at a slick pace,with Ward's easy- going life slowly being peeled away to reveal the Giallo darkness hidden within.Looking gorgeous as the 'perfect' doll and in the films steamier scenes,Erika Blanc gives an excellent performance as the doll,with Blanc showing the doll's behaviour to change from the emotions which Ward showers upon it.Finding himself attempting to get to grips with the doll,Farley Granger gives an excellent,scrambled performance as Ward,with Granger showing Ward's mind to become very fragile,as he sets his sights on the red headed corpse.

My own copy of this boasts a wonderful box front depicting Farley Granger and Erika Blanc, the one currently shown here, was, I believe the video box and is terrible. So having reviewed the box what about the film! I really enjoyed it. I didn't really think all the, is she real, did she really, is it in his head, business really worked, although it was novel that the person who maybe crazy was not Carol Baker but the guy, Farley Granger.I don't really rate Granger either so, on the face of it, my score looks rather high. Thing is Erika Blanc is on top form, seducing anything that moves and slipping out of one fantastic costume after another. Soundtrack is also fine, sweet sub Morricone and typical for the period. This is not a top notch giallo but if you love this sort of thing or Blanc or both then it is unmissable.

If you are a fan of Eurostarlet Erica Blanc, you will probably enjoy this movie in which Blanc plays a role very similar to the sexy succubus she played in "The Devil's Nightmare". Blanc plays an artist's mannequin come to life who starts out as a mute fantasy figure but soon turns into nightmarish femme fatale who tortures the artist with her increasingly blatant infidelities. The movie kind of reminded me of the later (and, of course somewhat better) Roman Polanski film "Bitter Moon" where a beautiful woman starts out as subservient to a shallow cad, but soon gains the upper hand to the point that you actually start to feel sorry for the guy.The narrative is the typical Italian nonsense of the period where you're never sure if what is happening is real, supernatural, or a complete figment of the protagonist's imagination. Second-string Eurobabe Krista Nell is in the confusing prologue for some reason (only long enough to get naked, but I'm sure no one will complain). Blanc takes off her clothes a lot too, but compared to modern-day "erotic thrillers" (which it sometimes vaguely resembles)this movie is pretty tame. Unlike that garbage, however, this one does hold your interest beyond just the prurient, and even badly-dubbed, Erica Blanc and the male lead, American-expatriate Farley Granger, act circles around the performers of more modern-day erotic fare. This is pretty strange but worth seeing if you get a chance.

I found this video, used, at a Mom-and-Pop video store in an obscure little town in Oregon (like vinyl and book aquisitions, look for out-of-the-way places). The video box boasted the Private Screenings label, usually known for releasing European and American soft-core features from the 60s and 70s. What interested me was the presence of Erika Blanc and Farley Granger. The box itself boasted an annonymous tart that had no connection with the movie.What evolves is a (poorly edited) Italian giallo told in basically reverse order. Granger is an alcoholic artist bereft of inspiration, who may (or may not) be visited by a mute beauty borne of a lifeless mannequin (?) Granger had previously been involved with temptress Erika Blanc, and may (or may not) have murdered her. To tell more would reduce the fun quotient. Beware the Private Screenings release if you can. At least two scenes have been cut, and a rearranged sequence throws the narrative out of whack. Still, an interesting find and worth the hunt, especially for fans of Euro-babe Erika Blanc.