(aka: SEVEN BLOOD STAINED ORCHIDS)
The half-moon killer is on a mission to kill the seven women who attended a seaside resort the night his brother was killed in an automobile accident with one of the women. He doesn't know which one (and doesn't really care) so all seven have to be murdered in serial killer-like fashion, including Gulia (Uschi Glas) who owned the hotel at the time.
She and her husband Mario (Antonio Sabato) then spend the next 90 minutes sleuthing the killer out after he attempts to kill Gulia on a train. The gore is restrained except for one murder where the killer uses an electric drill to dispatch his victim.
Lenzi did a pretty good job with this Edgar Wallace murder mystery and you never know what's going to happen next or what Mario and Gulia turn up as the clues mount. And the killer's identity is a surprise which makes it effective without giving away any clues before hand until it needs to be given away.
The Shreik/Media Blasters anamorphic DVD is excellent with nice widescreen colors and no damage to the film elements they used. Sound is dubbed in English although the original Italian with English subtitles would've be nice.
Extras include a brief poster gallery and interviews with Lenzi and Gabriella Giorgelli, who played the first victim, a hooker who is slashed to death at the beginning of the film. Giorgelli has aged quite a bit since the film's release in 1971. I didn't even recognize her.
If you're into giallo like I am, then this is a welcome addition to your collection. Fully recommended.
7 out of 10
The half-moon killer is on a mission to kill the seven women who attended a seaside resort the night his brother was killed in an automobile accident with one of the women. He doesn't know which one (and doesn't really care) so all seven have to be murdered in serial killer-like fashion, including Gulia (Uschi Glas) who owned the hotel at the time.
She and her husband Mario (Antonio Sabato) then spend the next 90 minutes sleuthing the killer out after he attempts to kill Gulia on a train. The gore is restrained except for one murder where the killer uses an electric drill to dispatch his victim.
Lenzi did a pretty good job with this Edgar Wallace murder mystery and you never know what's going to happen next or what Mario and Gulia turn up as the clues mount. And the killer's identity is a surprise which makes it effective without giving away any clues before hand until it needs to be given away.
The Shreik/Media Blasters anamorphic DVD is excellent with nice widescreen colors and no damage to the film elements they used. Sound is dubbed in English although the original Italian with English subtitles would've be nice.
Extras include a brief poster gallery and interviews with Lenzi and Gabriella Giorgelli, who played the first victim, a hooker who is slashed to death at the beginning of the film. Giorgelli has aged quite a bit since the film's release in 1971. I didn't even recognize her.
If you're into giallo like I am, then this is a welcome addition to your collection. Fully recommended.
7 out of 10