Red-Barracuda Paolo Cavara had already directed an earlier giallo by the time he made Plot of Fear. His previous effort - The Black Belly of the Tarantula - was pretty much a textbook example of the genre. By 1976 the sub-genre had ran its course and that may be why Plot of Fear tries to bring in a few different angles into the giallo template. For this reason it's a relatively distinctive effort. For my money it isn't as good as the classic-style Tarantula. It lacks the thrills of that one. Nevertheless, it remains a worthy effort.Rather than a completely new take on the genre, it might be truer to say that Plot of Fear mixes typical giallo aspects with atypical ones. We have traditional giallo elements like a group of unsympathetic rich people being violently murdered one by one, a secret sex club, dark secrets from the past informing the present and each murder being signatured with a page from a sinister sounding children's story book (in this case a book called 'Shock-Headed Peter). As you could also gather the plot-line is typically convoluted too. Where things deviate from the norm is the inclusion of paranoid thriller material, no doubt influenced by the Watergate fallout that shaped many other films of the time. This is in reference to the whole wire-tapping/tapes thread and the morality of the private investigators whose services can be bought. The film overall does seem to have at least some social and political conscious, which is very far removed from most gialli. Its mystery is also wrapped up in a somewhat unorthodox manner that is significantly different to others in the genre.The casting is a little unusual too for a giallo. While John Steiner was a regular at playing shady characters in these types of movies, the same cannot be said for the American actors Eli Wallach or Tom Skerrit. The latter has a very minor role indeed, almost irrelevant; you almost wonder why they didn't just hire one of their stock bit player actors for his role. As a film, this is a pretty decent effort. It isn't as formulaic as most in the genre. While it's central mystery is intriguing enough and builds up interest by way use of some interesting flashbacks. One of which shows the rich and decadent clique relaxing while watching a pornographic cartoon. I really would like to know what it is, as it looked like a bit of a riot. Answers on a postcard for that one.Overall, Plot of Fear isn't among the best in the giallo genre. But it is probably among that grouping of titles that straddle other genres and are somewhat less predictable. Not essential stuff by any means but fans of Italian genre pictures will surely find something to enjoy in it.

Witchfinder General 666 Paolo Cavara is doubtlessly best known as one of the directors of the Exploitation/Documentary cult-classic "Mondo Cane" (1962). The man doubtlessly also deserves credit, however, for his two fantastic contributions to the Giallo-genre, "La Tarantola Dal Ventre Nero" ("The Black Belly of the Tarantula" (1971) and "...E Tanta Paura" aka. "Too Much Fear" of 1976. "...E Tanta Paura" is an undeservedly little known, but excellent and stunning Giallo that delivers all the elements we love about the genre: A convoluted puzzle, stunning suspense, sadistic murders, sleaze, beautiful women, a wonderful cinematography, a brilliantly mesmerizing score,... even a great cast! "...E Tanta Paura" has a great premise - a murder series based on the stories in the somewhat creepy 19th century German children's book "Der Struwwelpeter" ("Shock-Headed Peter"). As a kid, I was fascinated by the macabre "Shock-Headed Peter" stories, which were originally meant to be educative but seem very morbid today. When I first read about this film, I thought that the stories must make fantastic, creepy Giallo-material; and they definitely do.Michele Palacido stars as Inspector Gaspare Lomenzo, who must one of the most likable film-detectives ever, and who has to investigate the 'Shock-Headed Peter Murders'. I do not want to give too much of the story away, but fellow Giallo-fans can look forward to a convoluted and compelling puzzle full of genre-typical yet original elements, such as hushed-up past crimes, and decadent orgies of the rich and immoral. Stylish and beautifully filmed, and accompanied by a brilliant and unforgettable score "...E Tanta Paura" is yet another proof that the Italian Giallo is the most elegant and compelling sub-genre that Horror has ever brought forth (along with old-fashioned Gothic tales). The film is full of wonderful 70s sleaze, the murders are sadistic, freakish and extravagant. Leading man Palacido is great in his role, and cult-siren Corinne Clery ("Histoire D'O", "Autostop Rosso Sangue",...) is likable and absolutely ravishing in the female lead. In good Giallo-tradition, the film's female cast includes several beauties, but Miss Clery is the most stunning one. The film's cast includes several Italian genre-cinema greats, such as the always-sinister John Steiner, as well as two international stars: the great Eli Wallach, and Tom Skerrit, who plays a small role. My only regret with this film was that Eli Wallach, who has been one of my favorite actors ever since I saw first him in "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" (doubtlessly one of the greatest films of all-time) as a kid.As it is the case with most great Gialli, this film is so full of red herrings and convoluted details that I do not want to give a long plot description, as I don't wanna spoil any of the fun. I can say, however, that this gem delivers in all aspects, and that true Giallo fans can definitely not afford to miss it.

The_Void The Giallo style may have been losing some of its popularity by 1976, but that didn't stop Paolo Cavara from delivering this excellent little Giallo! Paolo Cavara is best known for his brilliant 'Black Belly of the Tarantula', and while this film is not as good as the earlier one; Plot of Fear delivers most of the Giallo trademarks (murders, mystery, sleaze etc) with style and it has to be said that Plot of Fear is another success for the director (who sadly only made two films in this genre). The Italian title 'E Tanta Paura' roughly translates into English as 'Too Much Fear', and while that may sound like a bad title; it actually does have some relevance later on. Like many of the best Giallo's, this one begins with a murder. We see a middle aged man killed by a transvestite prostitute, and from there director Paolo Cavara shows he isn't going to be doing too much waiting around as he quickly delivers another murder. The police soon catch on to this, and quickly work out that it's the work of the same killer. Pictures from a fairytale book by a man called Hoffman are found at both scenes; and it all seems to tie to an animal friendly organisation...The plot portrayed in Plot of Fear is, like many Giallo plots, very convoluted; but director Paolo Cavara does a good job of making sure that it comes off as coherently as possible and despite the many different angles, the film never becomes overly confusing. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that the director manages to keep a high level of suspense up throughout the film, and this ensures that Plot of Fear is always thrilling. It would seem that sleaze was the main intention with this film, and while it's not as raunchy as some other genre films, there's certainly no shortage of sleaze here, which of course is a good thing. The film is well acted by a somewhat experienced cast, which sees Michele Placido taking the lead role and always keeping the audience engaged in his performance. The murders are fairly brutal though most aren't overly gory. Director Paolo Cavara succeeds in giving the film a dark and macabre atmosphere which always benefits the film. The ending is a bit of a mess, but it doesn't spoil what went before it, and overall, Plot of Fear is a very good Giallo that is worthy of more attention!

lobianco Few Italian police drama of the 70's reach to the level of intrigue as e tanta paura. A brilliant cast lead by Michele Placido - Cornine Clery also stars. Along with Tom Skerrit and Eli Wallach. Reminiscent of the French Connection. High production value and gritty realistic treatment. A group of wealthy men & women are being murdered one by one. No motives or clues can be found. Inspector Lomenzo (Placido) attempts to find a connection between the victims. A mysterious fashion model (Clery) becomes his informant and leads him to the connection he needs. She had been to a decadent weekend party at an estate where all the victims where gathered along with several other escorts brought for the weekend. The story of that fateful weekend is told through ingenious flashbacks. At this the druged out sex party one of the young girls was "accidently" killed during a gruesome practical joke. It seems that someone at this party is killing the others, but who and why? The film opens with two shocking murder scenes that rival any in an Argento flick. E Tanta Paura really succeeds because it has it all: Sex, Murder, Sleaze, Horror, Intrigue, Mafia and of course Corine Clery Nude. The set design and Production value are also brilliant - Far better than the average italian 70's police drama. The chase scenes & cinematography really remind me of the french connection. Michele Placido carries the film.