Landey

Thisearly70’sgiallobyUmbertoLenziiscertainlyamongthebestinhisfilmographyandalsointhewholegenre.PersonallyIthinkLenzi’sbestfilmsarethefunnycartoon-turned-filmKriminal,thestylishgialloSevenBlood-StainedOrchids,theexplosiveNapoliviolentaandthis.IntheeightieshedidplentyoffilmtrashinformofEatenAlive,HitcherintheDarkorBlackDemons,allofwhicharerippingsomethingoffand/orverydullandslowmoving.KnifeofIcecamewhenthegialloboomwasatitshottestandtheresultisconvincing.Technicallythefilmissuperb,containinggreatcinematographyinthebeginningwhenwelearnaboutthemaincharacter’straumatowardstrains.Fromthispointon,Lenzishowsushisabilitytobenefitthewidescreenand,forexample,thebicyclerideneartheforestisgenuinelybeautiful!ThisscenealsoshowsLenzi’sabilitytobuildsuspense,veryslowlybutmeaningfully.Afterall,therearen’tsomanymurdersinthewholefilm,onlythesuspensecirculatingaroundthemurderer’sidentity.Onesuspectisadevilworshipperwhichbringsnewaspectstothemystery.Sincethefinalscenetakesplaceinachurch,onecanwonderifLenziwantedtocommentonsomething,maybethehypocriticalmoraleofchurchandsuperstition.Themaincharacter(CarrolBaker)ismutewhichdemandsalotfromherfaceandeyes.Theactressworksverywell,givingusabelievableperformancecirculatingaroundtheemotionsoffearandmentalpain.Theotheractorsaregood,too.Thefinally,however,maynotgivetoopositiveasightaboutfemalesexsincetheyallareexpressedrathernegativelyinthefilm,onewayoranother.Stillthisiseasilyamongthemostnoteworthyinthegenre,notasbloodyastheArgentofilms,forexample,butequallysuspensefulandvisuallyalsointeresting.