Laikals The greatest movie ever made..!

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Red-Barracuda This giallo is a film which has a good reputation despite its relative obscurity. I, therefore, had high expectations going into this one and have to say I came out of it a little disappointed. Firstly, it is a little questionable whether this truly qualifies as a giallo at all. It might just be me admittedly but I tend to think that films of this sub-genre need to be set in contemporary times (at the time of filming), whereas this feature has an atypical period setting. This simple detail gives it a different tone from other typical gialli, meaning it feels like a film somewhat apart from the others. Set in an Italian hotel during the latter stages of the Second World War, it focuses on a teenage girl who helps her mother run the establishment as she waits for her father to return from the front. Meanwhile, her mother hides a traitor in the attic, who is her secret lover, and the hotel is otherwise filled with an assortment of guests who could charitably be described as oddballs and more honestly be categorised as sleaze-bags, with all of them seeming to be using the hotel as a means of hiding from the horrors of the war. Murder, sexual assault and dark secrets soon follow.This one was directed by Francesco Barilli, who was responsible for the earlier The Perfume of the Lady in Black (1974), which was a more traditional giallo which remains one of the most visually beautiful in the genre. Pensione Paura is definitely less impressive for me. It is very slow to get going with little actually happening for a long time, so much so it really had me wondering just where exactly this one was going. The murder/mystery side of the story almost felt tagged on in order to tie it in with others in giallo category, as a means of marketing it easier. But this side of the story is too under-developed to have much impact both in terms of the murders themselves which are either off-screen or very brief and also the mystery aspect which only really is detailed very late on and makes little sense. Although admittedly, the senseless part is one thing that does tie this one in with its giallo brethren, as does its cast of unlikable characters. By no means is this a bad film, it's just one whose reputation suggests it will add up to more. It's odd ambiance and hotel setting reminded me a little of the earlier giallo Death Falls Lightly (1972), which was a film which improved on a re-watch; perhaps this one will be the same.

Tender-Flesh Hat tip to Giallo Trailers for turning me on to this title. It's not listed in any of the usual "must see" giallo reviews, so I would have missed out otherwise. I searched for this title for some time and only recently found, after having forgotten about it for a time, that it was now available on Italian DVD with no subtitles. Even then, I couldn't find it at my usual sources.However, some kind soul uploaded the entire movie and I watched it last night. While not a Giallo masterwork, it is a very good little film. Creepy atmosphere, little blood, great setting. If you don't speak a lick of Italian, I still think you can follow the story pretty well.Circa 1945, in a small Italian village, a mom and daughter run an old rundown boarding house, with peeling plaster and bricked windows a plenty, somewhat isolated from the town. I was immediately struck by the Agatha Christie-feel of the plot and scenes similar to those being churned out in the 70's. The daughter, Rosa, is amazingly beautiful and innocent, handling the role very well in spite of some considerable nudity. Seriously, the movie is rife with cunnilingus, which is unusual to say the least. There is also a rape scene, and you see more male buttocks that you might like. The rogue's gallery of characters include a drunk man-servant, a balding, lonely piano player, a Burt Reynolds / Antonio Banderas type and his older wife, a horny fat guy and his girlfriends. You have to be prepared for nothing to happen for the first hour. This isn't to say you'll be bored. Art house cinema fans will dig it, but it doesn't beat you over the head with its intentions. Also, there is a man hiding away in the mother's room. She brings him food every night after everyone is supposed to be asleep. I do feel a little guilty about writing a review for a movie whose dialogue I couldn't truly follow, so if my guesses at character motivation are a little off, forgive me. I think the man is the mother's lover whom she's taken in while her husband is fighting in the war.The mom dies in an "accident" which leaves the comely Rosa to run the house. This proves to be rather difficult since now that her mother is dead, every man in the house openly lusts after her. And that's not all that's afoot. There's a shadowy killer stalking the corridors and dripping staircases. However, if you are looking for that to be the central theme, you might be disappointed. It takes a backseat to the setting and character development. Enter a few gangsters who stir things up. A wandering Rosa starts hearing and seeing things she shouldn't, which helps the story along. I made note of several instances where I was reminded of Suspiria, mainly with color use and voyeuristic POV shots, plus a few eyeball close ups. The score occasionally picks up and dazzles.My suggestion is that you only see this if you are into Italian art house cult cinema or giallo films. If you are looking for a straight up stalking razor killer with high body counts, look elsewhere. Oh, there are lots of deaths, but not in the giallo style, shall we say.

Witchfinder General 666 Francesco Barilli had already proved a great talent for creating a nightmarish atmosphere with his most famous film "Il Profumo Della Signora in Nero" (1974), and while that film is a true gem I liked his second Giallo, "Pensione Paura" of 1977 even more. With only few murders and an obscure storyline that is not mainly concerned with a murder series, "Pensione Paura" is no typical example for the Giallo-genre, but an incredibly moody one. Set in a guest house in rural Italy in the final stages of WW2, "Pensione Paura" maintains a thick and nightmarish atmosphere that makes the film seem like a gloomy fever dream at times. Beautiful yet incredibly eerie, the film oozes a constant atmosphere of doom that is intensified by beyond demented characters and a magnificent score that stands out even in the good company of Italian genre soundtracks.When World War 2 nears its end, Rosa (Leonora Fani) and her mother Marta (Lidia Biondi) are keeping their eerie old guest-house open for a bunch of demented guests, among them the sleazy and sinister playboy Rodolfo (Luc Merenda), as well as Marta's lover (Francisco Rabal) who is hiding out from someone. Rosa, who is eagerly awaiting her father's return from the war is writing letters to him on a daily basis... Giving too much information about the plot would spoil a part, which is why my plot description ends here. As in any Giallo, of course, there is a series of murders involved, and the beautifully but decaying old rural guest-house is the eeriest setting imaginable. Leonora Fani is great in her leading role of the innocent teenage girl, a character it is easy to feel and be scared for. The rest of the characters are almost entirely demented, and the performances are great. Regular Italian cult leading-man Luc Merenda ("Torso", "Milano Trema", "L'Uomo Senza Memoria",...) is brilliantly sinister in his sleaziest role as the pencil-mustached womanizer Rodolfo, who has an older girlfriend but is also pursuing the innocent young Martha. The great Spanish character actor Francisco Rabal ("Dagon", "Nightmare City",...) is equally great."Pensione Paura" is a fantastic example for the atmospheric power of Italian Horror film. Without showing anything explicitly 'horrible' in the first half, the film maintains an eerily beautiful and uniquely nightmarish atmosphere of pure gloom from the very beginning to the very end. The remote rural setting with the gloomy guest-house and the nearby picturesque village create a menacing mood of seclusion and being lost. The brilliant score by Adolfo Waitzmann must be one of the most mesmerizing ever. While the film is not very gory by Italian Horror standards, it is completely uncompromising. I am not sure why Francesco Barilli regrettably has not directed many more films that were released in cinemas, a possible explanation could lie in the lack of gory and spectacular murders in comparison to the films other Italian Horror/Giallo masters. Overall, "Pensione Paura" is a must-see for anyone interested in Eurohorror, Giallo and Cult-Cinema. Very Highly Recommended!

matheusmarchetti Francesco Barilli's follow-up film to his equally mesmerizing "Perfume of the Lady in Black" is definitely among the most underrated horror films ever! I wonder why it became so obscure, considering how great it actually is, and overall, it's very upsetting to think that it will probably never get the recognition it deserves (it's only available in Italian with no English subs, as apparently it was never officially released in the US or any other English-speaking country that I'm aware of) In many ways, the film is something of a bettered version of "Perfume", as even though the scenario is quite different, many themes, ideas that were presented in a more subtle way in it's predecessor, are considerably more developed in this one. Also, to everyone who labels Italian horror as style over substance, this one proves the contrary, as it's script (written by Barilli in collaboration with Barbara Albertini and Amedeo Pagani of "The Night Porter" fame) is one of the most complex, intelligent and well written of genre films being released at that time period. The film takes it's time developing each characters and their own inner conflicts. This does take a while, and for most of the first half, it plays out more like a drama than it does horror, but this doesn't hurt the film at all in my opinion, as it only adds to the build-up for a insanely brutal finale and helps us identify with our leads. The plot basically follows a young girl named Rosa, who runs a small inn with her mother during the World War II. After her mother is found dead under mysterious circumstances, Rosa finds herself at mercy of her mother's sinister, sexually depraved guests, but not before a cloaked figure starts prowling the dark hallways of the inn, with horrifying fates in store for those who harm Rosa. The gruesome-yet-beautiful story blends perfectly with the trademark giallo visual style (lots of blue and red gels, as well as some gorgeous locations at the Italian countryside), as well as the haunting score by Afoldo Waitzman (who also composed the score for "A Bell from Hell"), present in almost every single scene, and very important to help characterizing the protagonist, and her surroundings. Leonora Fani was the perfect casting choice in the difficult role of Rosa. She has that angelical, innocent look that the character requires, but is also a very talented actress, as shown through her claustrophobic descent into madness, as the film progresses. Luc Merenda is also great in it, and it was interesting to see him play against the type (just watch "Torso" to see what I mean), as the nasty and hateful Rodolfo. Overall, another unheralded masterpiece from a very underrated director. It's a pity that Barilli didn't make more horror films, as his two entries in the genre are on the same level as (almost) everything Bava or Argento has done. 10/10