moonmonday I'll admit, it started out interesting. The pace was quick and plenty happened on the screen; it seemed to relish its sleazy circumstances, and the visuals were engaging enough to keep up interest. There was genuinely some really good photography and visual direction...unfortunately, that's where the good part ends.This is one of the most laughably incoherent films I've ever seen, and I've seen some real turkeys in my life. By the time everything is laid out, it has a sad, perfunctory feel that not only doesn't make sense, but the killer is just some pathetic chump you won't recognize. If you're like me, you'll be left wondering...who was that guy? It doesn't help that the movie is filled with people who look similar enough to be confusing.Several plot points are introduced, then dropped without a word. A number of worthless coincidences pop up too, which are likewise without any contribution to the story and its development, ultimately. A variety of characters parade across the screen, many of which never make the slightest contribution to either the story or the enjoyment of the movie.The worst thing the film does is, it takes three of the most interesting characters and, in a move signaling nothing so much as complete desperation, kills them off-screen and then still keeps trying to play it for suspense. It's not only not suspenseful, it arrives at about the hour mark, where things should be tightening up for the final confrontation and resolution. Instead, it just drags on and on, boring to the last...that is, when it's not utterly confusing.The last girl in this is woefully incompetent. She manages only to do useful things when it ultimately doesn't matter. She can't even slide down a banister! She's easily one of the least interesting or well-done characters in the whole thing, and she spends most of her time doing stupid things that are completely meaningless.In fact, most of the people in this are about the same. That's probably why it's so easy to confuse them; everyone is a total idiot. It's impossible to care about the situation even slightly. Also, nice magic window there, which apparently looks out on whatever it needs to at the moment, regardless of what perspective it should have.This movie is a waste of time. At first, it seemed almost like a hidden gem that would set some tropes for later slasher films to follow, but it just unwound into a sorry excuse for a giallo that wasn't even good for one of those. The contrived explanation at the end came off as incredibly awkward and forced, and the last try at a "is it or isn't it" scare was just pathetic.Don't waste your time with this. There's not even any reason for the film to be called "torso", except for maybe the fact that there were so many naked ones on display. Not that it was titillating either. This tries to be something new and present an exciting twist on something that was, by its time, well established; it failed at both.

GL84 Following a spate of brutal murders, a group of college students fear they're being targeted by the killer and retreat to a nearby mountain-top villa to relax only to learn the killer has followed them there and must stop his deadly blood-soaked rampage.This here is quite the enjoyable giallo and remains one of the best of the style. One of the film's best features is the fact that this one manages to play so well into the confines of the giallo despite forgoing the prototypical route of the other films, as instead of the film rallying around the girls' trying to remember a clue about the killer's identity it remains far more in touch about them being in danger at the start and using the trip as a way to relax. Despite the insistence about the necktie and how important that is to the truth, it doesn't invoke the cardinal rule about sending them off investigating around that clue and doesn't really feature much detective work as a whole and turning it into a more nominal slasher effort just afforded the sleaze trappings of the remaining entries in the genre. As instead this features the group hanging out together and generally de- stressing with nude sunbathing, skinny dipping, softcore lesbian romps and other leisure pursuits of that sort instead rather than dealing with the investigations, and while that allows for plenty of seedy times here generating it's red herrings there's still plenty of fun to be had here as this one goes about its paces here. That alone makes the central murder mystery quite fun with they're being quite a few suspects which plays nicely into this one being so determined to keep it a surprise within the genre's conventions. As well, the film manages to get quite a lot right here where the traditional stalk-and-slash aspects of a giallo are employed, letting this one really get quite a few really tense and suspenseful scenes into play. The first attack on the necking couple in the car is a great mini-attack where the killer enters the car against their knowledge then runs out forcing one to give chase before doubling back and offing the other, a memorable stalking of a stoned victim tripping over herself in a misty swamp where the killer appears and disappears at random as he's concealed behind the fog and treeline of the area and a fine chase as the killer uses his car to run down a victim in the middle of the road. Still, the film's at its best with the utterly furious and chilling finale, which is truly one of the greatest bits in the genre as the terrified and alone victim is forced into hiding after discovering the dead bodies strewn around the house and has to remain hidden in order to avoid becoming like the other dead bodies forced to watch him dismember their bodies before later having to hide throughout the house in order to avoid detection. These are all nicely augmented by the various tropes of the genre throughout here and makes for a wholly engaging and watchable effort. The only issue about this one is the fact that the film cheats over the massacre of the friends in the villa leaving it only to feature the last one to stumble across the mutilated bodies which makes for quite a disappointing effort looking at the carnage featured and not getting a chance to see it. Otherwise this one was one of the genre's top efforts.Rated Unrated/R: Full Nudity, Graphic Violence, Language, Sexual Scenes and drug use.

Scott LeBrun Sergio Martino's above average giallo is one of the finer examples of its kind, a riveting, sleazy, and creepy mystery working on themes such as chance and severe psycho sexual issues. A sex murderer is on the loose killing co-eds at an Italian college, and can be identified by the red & black scarf that they wear. Four luscious friends - Jane (Suzy Kendall), Daniela (Tina Aumont), Katia (Angela Covello), and Ursula (Carla Brait) - travel to the safety of an isolated rural villa, but the killer finds them there anyway. Martino delivers enough sex, bare female flesh & graphic violence to keep this an efficiently lurid entertainment, but creates some highly potent scenes of atmosphere and suspense as well. One such sequence, featuring a striking blue tint, takes place in a swampy area, and the other is a major set piece later in the movie when the killer has struck and Jane is struggling very hard not to make a sound. It takes place without dialogue and will have viewers on the edge of their seats. Martino doesn't waste time getting to the good stuff, as 18 seconds in we already get an eyeful of flesh, and the violence is impressively brutal, especially when the scarf vendor (Ernesto Colli) is dispatched to make sure he remains silent. The killer, who likens their victims to dolls, also feels the need to cut up the bodies afterwards, although this violence is left somewhat implicit. The performers are fun to watch, with the attractive female cast members (also featuring Conchita Airoldi as Carol and Patrizia Adiutori as Flo) supported by the engaging Luc Merenda as the helpful Roberto and the solid John Richardson as Franz the professor. Location work is excellent and the music score by brothers Guido and Maurizio De Angelis is wonderful. This comes well recommended to admirers of the giallo genre. Eight out of 10.

creeper_87 Sergio Martino made a lots of movies but he is going to be remember by his contribution with the Italian genre called Giallo. Also he discovered the beautiful Edwene Fenech and worked with great actors like Alberto De Mendoza, Ivan Rassimov and Geroge Hilton.Sadly none of them are in this movie but that's not a bad thing. The production lead was Carlo Ponti the husband of Sofia Loren. And the cast has a couple of international stars. Well in fact only Tina Aumont was the real international star. Suzy Kendall work because she was for her role in the bird with crystal plumage.In a roman university a killer stalks and chopped the eyes of really beautiful girls. Daniela (Tina Aumont) see the killer but she can recognize him or think is a boy called Stefano who is in love with her. She goes with two friends of vacations but the killer follow her. Suzy Kendal play's Daniela best friend who arrive later at Daniela's house.Now i wont give you the surprises but this film has a lot. The last forty minutes of the film are incredible and it was stolen in so many movies but without the same result. That show you how good was Martino directing. The movies is not very gory and the special effects are cheesy but that doesn't matter because the director show a lot of respect to the material and you can see he was having a good time The leads are quite funny in particular Tina Aumont and Suzy Kendall.Many people say this a proto slasher well in part i true. In fact is an slasher but not the first one. Mario Bava was doing to yeas before the first slasher Bay of blood. Still this movies has great scenes of suspense, Great camera-work and know how to play very wellHighly recommended