revrommer One suspects that in the grey nomansland between horror and giallo round about 1970 Euro producers began to suspect that they could get an audience by just tossing in a nude scene on top of even the most boring movies. In the world market then Euro must have meant nudity and they went with it. This movie is definitely one of those most boring movies. Its told as a kind of flashback by a detective in a state of catatonia. I never could figure out what was going on, and the pace is glacial, unrelieved even by Thulin showing a nipple now and then. Great shots of I think it is Prague, but not much else. Someone in production must have detected this because at the end they toss in an orgy of old Satanists reducing what looked menacing in Rosemarys Baby to wincing awfulness plus stilted sexual activity lifted from either of the comically dated orgies in either Emmanuelle in New York or Around the World, take you pick they're basically the same, though there is nothing hardcore here. Then it turns out that the aquiline figure lording over the satanic doings is also a doctor and he gets in the way of the main male lead getting well I wont give it away. Movie has a great title which made me grab for it, but it vanished into the non movie category while it was being watched. Not recommended.

jockledoodledoo The idea of being buried alive will always be one of the most dreadful prospects that one could fear. Of course, this fear has made its way into films over the decades - interestingly, two 1971 gialli strongly feature this theme, or to be more precise, that of paralysis. Both films also feature Barbara Bach, so clearly one borrows from another...The other film of which I allude to is 'Black Belly of the Tarantula', which with it's Bond Girl cast and wonderful score may at first seem more alluring, but it is this film that carries off the subject matter with more aplomb. While 'Black Belly...' has the usual visual flair expected of the genre, it also sadly doesn't break the genre mould in the rather weak ending. 'Short Night of the Glass Dolls' delivers one of the strongest finales of any giallo I have seen - so for me, it has to win out of the two.Adding to the more unsual features for a giallo is the setting in Prague - some beautiful architecture and beautiful cinematogrpahy add to the slightly otherworldly feel of the film, which in that sense nods to some of Argento's finer works.One scene in particular, with a murder victim being slowly revealed (in a fridge) adds to the credit that Aldo Lado should take. As with many gialli, the script and dubbing can be unintentionally funny, but the visuals and skilled direction make up for this.Those looking for several dramatic death scenes may be a little disappointed - which 'Black Belly of the Tarantula' certainly delivers - but this film is more coherent as a whole.

EVOL666 I've seen many reviews praising SHORT NIGHT...and I guess I just don't get it. There are definitely some things to like about it-but overall I found the storyline and pace of the film to kill what otherwise could have been an interesting ending. American reporter Greg Moore is found dead in a park in Prague. Thing is-he's not really dead-just paralyzed but still cognizant of what's going on around him-and the plot is presented to the audience through Greg's flashbacks of what brought him to this condition. The 'mystery' of the story revolves around the fact that days earlier-Greg's girlfriend disappeared and the search for the truth surrounding her disappearance, and his subsequent solving of the mystery, is why he ends up in the condition that he's in...There are a few things that I liked about this giallo-styled thriller. I say 'giallo-style' because there are a lot of stylistic differences in this film that in my opinion move it more into just straight-up 'thriller' territory, than the slightly more 'specific' sub-genre of the typical 'giallo'. There's very little actual sex and violence shown-and the typical 'black- gloved killer' is non-existent. Regardless-the film is shot well, the acting is decent, and Greg's odd 'condition' is both interesting and original for this sort of film. The underlying theme of the 'elite' being able to manipulate people and situations for their own benefit usually makes for an interesting basis for a plot as well. That said-SHORT NIGHT is SO slowly paced that after the first half-hour or so-it just drags. I don't mind a slow-paced film-but the problem I found is that often leads were followed that never really went anywhere, therefore not really forwarding the story very much. The 'climax' of the film- though somewhat interesting-didn't feel as though it was built-up to very well. I think the occult angle could have been discovered earlier and then used as a major and interesting part of the build-up...but it wasn't. I will say that I did very much like the downbeat nature of the final scene. At this point-I've now seen three of Lado's films-including the relatively enjoyable (if completely derivative) NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS, and the abysmal WHO SAW HER DIE? I found SHORT NIGHT...to fall somewhere between the two on the enjoyment scale. SHORT NIGHT....isn't a 'bad' film by any means-but I can't agree with those that feel this is a shining example in the genre. I'm not nearly as much of a giallo aficionado as some-but I've seen enough to know that this definitely isn't one of the most notable entries. 6/10

andrabem A street sweeper finds a man, apparently dead, lying in a park. An ambulance is called. The camera shows the route followed by the ambulance: A grey city is revealed with old buildings and statues. A feeling of gloom and sadness permeates the screen, underlined still more by the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack of Ennio Morricone. Welcome to Prague, the city of Kafka.At the hospital, the doctors, after examining the body, declare him to be dead. But he's not really dead! Even if he doesn't show signs of life, he's conscious and screams silently (he can't move or talk) for them to save his life. In fact, as his body doesn't show the rigor mortis or putrefaction signs usual in the dead, they think that maybe he's not really dead and decide to try to reanimate him.On searching his effects, the hospital attendants discover that he is Gregory Moore (Jean Sorel), an American reporter. The film is divided in two parts - the remembrances of Gregory Moore and the attempts of the hospital staff to revive him.After Gregory's girlfriend Mira (gorgeous Barbara Bach) mysteriously disappears, he decides to investigate on his own to discover what lies behind it. As his investigation progresses, the local police become gradually more hostile. Something horrible is happening. But the people that could shed some light on this story either refuse to speak or are "removed". Gregory is now on what could be his final journey. What happened to him? The atmosphere of mystery, fear and perplexity surrounding Gregory is excellently portrayed in "La Corta Notte delle Bambole di Vetro". If you want to know more, see the film. It's a very good giallo."La Corta Notte delle Bambole di Vetro"'s cast (Jean Sorel, Ingrid Thulin, Barbara Bach, Mario Adorf) adds still more charm to the film. It's interesting to say that Ingrid Thulin appeared in Bergman's "The Silence" (1963) that takes its place in a strange and mysterious city of eastern European appearance!Highly recommended!