After my viewing of the terrible Mary Millington Giallo-Lite British (s)explotation film The Playbirds,which was an "unofficial riff" remake of the proto-Giallo Noirish British film Cover-Girl Killer.So when I heard about this film,my first feeling was one of dread that this would be another disappointing "riff" on the film.When I viewed the film,I instead found an extremely entertaining movie,that does an amazing job at juggling genres.
The plots- (note:due to the film being an anthology movie,I am going to write each "story" of the movie separately.
Serial killer Clemment Dunne decides that he is going to kill every girl who has featured in a "best of the year centrefolds" adult magazine,due to none of the girls now being "pure" and "innercent"
Story 1:
A nurse (Jackie) starts to get very threatening phone calls,from a man who is stalking her,who says that he wants to help "clean her of all her sins" by murdering her.After hearing this,Jackie feels that it is best that she gets as far away from the stalker as possible,by going for a new job that is very far away from her current working place.
As shes fuels up Jackie,meets a free-spirited hitchhiker (Linda Williams),who says that she is completely on her own.Feeling sorry for her Jackie decides to invite Linda to come along with her.
When they at last reach the new place that Jackie hopes to be working at,she is told that the doctor that she was meant to have an interview with for the job is off today.Luckaly Jackies aunt has a villa near by that is currently empty,which she can stay at with Linda for the night.Later in the night,some of Lindas friends decide to pay her and Jackie a visit,which gets Jackie to start thinking that a killer stalker may not be the only thing that she has to fear tonight..
Story 2:
A group of models,who are hoping to get a big "break" into being major stars for adult magazines,go to a remote island for a photo shoot by a man who claims to have all of the connections that they each need to make it big in the business. (Although they each must do him "favors" if they want him to help them break into the business)
When they arrive on the island,they discover that no one else is living on the island,and that the electricity is down.Although,with one of the models (Charlene) having recently been getting some very nasty phone calls from a man (Dunne),they may not actually be the only people that are on the island.
Story 3:
With having had a constant stream of threatening phone calls,and "funeral" flowers from Clemment Dunne,Air Steward-turned pin-up Vera Porter decides to go into hiding,so that there is no chance of Dunne finding her.Just before she leaves,Porter tells one of her best friends where she will be staying,and that her friend should not tell anyone where she is hiding,unless it is for a family emergency.
Inadvetantly,her friend gives Dunne all the details about where Porter is staying,due to him pretending to be her mums doctor.When Clemment finally catches up with Vera,he is astonished to discover that there are other people that are wanting to destroy Porter..
View on the film:
For the three stories in the film,which are all slightly interlocking,screenwriters Arthur Marks and Bob Peete have impressively been able to make each section of the film tackle different genres very successfully.For the first story in the film Marks and Peetes do an extremely enjoyable mini-Giallo! (with the killer wearing gloves during the murderers)
whilst the plot has a similar feel to Umberto Lenzis interesting (though pretty flawed) Giallo Oasis Of Fear,although in this version (which thankfully has made some of the uncountable Manson over tones in Lenzis film,a bit more subtle)the story progresses in a very well paced way,with Jackie warming to Linda,before realising that she may have let her guard down over Linda and her "friends" a bit too soon.
One of the main things that really made this part of the film stand out to me,was director John Peysers very artistic final death scene,which is very cleverly done,and is a scene that would put smiles on Lenzi and Dario Argentos faces!.
Peysers also chucks the viewer straight into a great slasher movie,which along with an excellent location that really sets the mood for the story,is also helped by a mesmerising performance of Andrew Prine as Clemment Dunne,who really shows the characters calculating and ruthless side,in this section of the film.
whilst the last story in the film,is a sadly less gripping road/chase story,it is still a huge amount of fun,with Marks and Peetes letting Dunne see a bit of a different side to one of the girls,and the final chase/battle scene seeming to take place on a stunning forgotten burnt-out planet!.
Final view on the film:
A cleverly written and directed (and very different) anthology film,that any fans of Giallos or Slashers will really enjoy.
The plots- (note:due to the film being an anthology movie,I am going to write each "story" of the movie separately.
Serial killer Clemment Dunne decides that he is going to kill every girl who has featured in a "best of the year centrefolds" adult magazine,due to none of the girls now being "pure" and "innercent"
Story 1:
A nurse (Jackie) starts to get very threatening phone calls,from a man who is stalking her,who says that he wants to help "clean her of all her sins" by murdering her.After hearing this,Jackie feels that it is best that she gets as far away from the stalker as possible,by going for a new job that is very far away from her current working place.
As shes fuels up Jackie,meets a free-spirited hitchhiker (Linda Williams),who says that she is completely on her own.Feeling sorry for her Jackie decides to invite Linda to come along with her.
When they at last reach the new place that Jackie hopes to be working at,she is told that the doctor that she was meant to have an interview with for the job is off today.Luckaly Jackies aunt has a villa near by that is currently empty,which she can stay at with Linda for the night.Later in the night,some of Lindas friends decide to pay her and Jackie a visit,which gets Jackie to start thinking that a killer stalker may not be the only thing that she has to fear tonight..
Story 2:
A group of models,who are hoping to get a big "break" into being major stars for adult magazines,go to a remote island for a photo shoot by a man who claims to have all of the connections that they each need to make it big in the business. (Although they each must do him "favors" if they want him to help them break into the business)
When they arrive on the island,they discover that no one else is living on the island,and that the electricity is down.Although,with one of the models (Charlene) having recently been getting some very nasty phone calls from a man (Dunne),they may not actually be the only people that are on the island.
Story 3:
With having had a constant stream of threatening phone calls,and "funeral" flowers from Clemment Dunne,Air Steward-turned pin-up Vera Porter decides to go into hiding,so that there is no chance of Dunne finding her.Just before she leaves,Porter tells one of her best friends where she will be staying,and that her friend should not tell anyone where she is hiding,unless it is for a family emergency.
Inadvetantly,her friend gives Dunne all the details about where Porter is staying,due to him pretending to be her mums doctor.When Clemment finally catches up with Vera,he is astonished to discover that there are other people that are wanting to destroy Porter..
View on the film:
For the three stories in the film,which are all slightly interlocking,screenwriters Arthur Marks and Bob Peete have impressively been able to make each section of the film tackle different genres very successfully.For the first story in the film Marks and Peetes do an extremely enjoyable mini-Giallo! (with the killer wearing gloves during the murderers)
whilst the plot has a similar feel to Umberto Lenzis interesting (though pretty flawed) Giallo Oasis Of Fear,although in this version (which thankfully has made some of the uncountable Manson over tones in Lenzis film,a bit more subtle)the story progresses in a very well paced way,with Jackie warming to Linda,before realising that she may have let her guard down over Linda and her "friends" a bit too soon.
One of the main things that really made this part of the film stand out to me,was director John Peysers very artistic final death scene,which is very cleverly done,and is a scene that would put smiles on Lenzi and Dario Argentos faces!.
Peysers also chucks the viewer straight into a great slasher movie,which along with an excellent location that really sets the mood for the story,is also helped by a mesmerising performance of Andrew Prine as Clemment Dunne,who really shows the characters calculating and ruthless side,in this section of the film.
whilst the last story in the film,is a sadly less gripping road/chase story,it is still a huge amount of fun,with Marks and Peetes letting Dunne see a bit of a different side to one of the girls,and the final chase/battle scene seeming to take place on a stunning forgotten burnt-out planet!.
Final view on the film:
A cleverly written and directed (and very different) anthology film,that any fans of Giallos or Slashers will really enjoy.