'Seven Blood-Stained Orchids' is an enjoyable giallo thriller with a well-constructed story with all the classic genre elements such as a twisted black gloved killer, effective suspense scenes, an intriguing mystery and elegantly staged murder sequences thanks to Umberto Lenzi's masterful direction. The movie's stylish production and sophisticated set pieces are also worth mentioning with a stunning colour palette and gorgeous cinematography by Angelo Lotti.
The plot = Six women are dead, murdered by a serial killer known as the Half-Moon Killer. After his latest victim Giulia (Uschi Glas) survives the killer's latest attack, she and her husband Mario (Antonio Sabato) sets out to solve the mystery and stop the killer before the killer strikes again.
The movie is a strong effort and although thoroughly entertaining there are a few things that holds it back from being truly great such as the pace which lags a bit in the middle after such a brilliant opening, the score while does have some nice distinctive jazzy instruments but gets a bit repetitive after a while and the climax wasn't all that memorable either. But there's just enough red herrings, tense set-pieces and outrageous violence to keep you entertained throughout.
The performances are pretty good with Antonio Sabato giving a decent and charismatic performance as the male lead Mario. Uschi Glas gives a strong performance as Giulia. Pier Paolo Capponi provides a great and memorable presence to the cast as Inspector Visma while the stunning Marisa Mell puts in a standout double performance as a potential victim to be and her twin sister Anna/Maria Sartovi.
Overall 'Seven Blood-Stained Orchids' is a decent example of a giallo thriller with an interesting plot, stylish camerawork and all the genre gimmicks to keep fans such as myself happy.
The plot = Six women are dead, murdered by a serial killer known as the Half-Moon Killer. After his latest victim Giulia (Uschi Glas) survives the killer's latest attack, she and her husband Mario (Antonio Sabato) sets out to solve the mystery and stop the killer before the killer strikes again.
The movie is a strong effort and although thoroughly entertaining there are a few things that holds it back from being truly great such as the pace which lags a bit in the middle after such a brilliant opening, the score while does have some nice distinctive jazzy instruments but gets a bit repetitive after a while and the climax wasn't all that memorable either. But there's just enough red herrings, tense set-pieces and outrageous violence to keep you entertained throughout.
The performances are pretty good with Antonio Sabato giving a decent and charismatic performance as the male lead Mario. Uschi Glas gives a strong performance as Giulia. Pier Paolo Capponi provides a great and memorable presence to the cast as Inspector Visma while the stunning Marisa Mell puts in a standout double performance as a potential victim to be and her twin sister Anna/Maria Sartovi.
Overall 'Seven Blood-Stained Orchids' is a decent example of a giallo thriller with an interesting plot, stylish camerawork and all the genre gimmicks to keep fans such as myself happy.