 |
Pulp fiction and pelvic friction spells total addiction
The movie is produced in Italy during the liberated, open-minded seventies, sports a rather straightforward, not very secretive or modest title and stars two of the at the time most productive and prominent sex symbols, giallo queen Edwige Fenech and Femi Benussi. All the telltale signs are there so if you by mistake approach this feature by the name of Strip Nude For Your Killer, thinking it's a political drama a la Costa-Gavras or an in-depth, realistic and subtle account of homicide investigations in the Bertrand Tavernier vein then you're pretty much asking for it and only really have yourself to blame.
Directed by Andrea Bianchi, this is a colorful, full-blown giallo in the classic tradition with all the genres basic, cinematic trademarks: A hooded/masked killer (here wearing a motorcycle helmet and dressed in flashy, tight leather), the de rigueur black gloves, a catchy theme with a humming, female voice, and in comparison with other contemporary Italian - and to a large extent most modern - thrillers, the expected brutal killings have had the cruelty factor increased by a notch or three - and the gratuitous female nudity is considerably more plentiful and graphic as well - all in the name of sound and respectable exploitation entertainment, of course.
And in that respect it probably wasn't a bad idea on the scriptwriters' part to set the story in and around a fashionable photography studio where the models flash longer and more frequently than the cameras. One day in a recreational center the male photographer Carlo (Nino Castelnuovo) spots a curvaceous female, Lucia (Femi Benussi), walking gracefully by a pool. Before you can say 'dimwitted, unbelievably naive brunette meets obnoxious, pestering male' he's talked her into making money as his newest pin-up, which means that he naturally has to test her aptitude for the trade right away in the sauna - and then seal the deal with an 'in-depth interview'. Carlo brings her to her new place of work but her presence ignites different kinds of feelings and reactions - not all of them positive.
Lucia is somewhat on the promiscuous side and she soon makes a new intimate acquaintance of her own gender, but suddenly she's the next to fall victim to a savage killer - in a long, sensational and bravura scene that draws a lot of tension from the fact that Benussi's character is attacked at a time where she's at her most vulnerable. Now who's done her in, and why? Could it be the photographer's assistant Magda (ever reliable and radiant Edwige Fenech) who has her eyes on Carlo and wants to strike a pose in front of the camera herself, or maybe it's a jealous woman lover? Other suspects are knocked off and eventually too many clues point towards Carlo as the perpetrator. Now desperate, will he be able to prove his innocence? The resolution will definitely be connected with the death of a pregnant woman shown at the beginning of the film.
Personally I've always enjoyed a good giallo, but to be honest, it's rarely been because of credible plots or top notch acting, although there's been a few outstanding efforts that've succeeded in both respects and actually packed an emotional wallop. Which is great whenever it happens, but let's face it: At the core they're popcorn-movies indulging in the most (or at least more) seedy aspects of life that we don't talk about (but perhaps are secretly fascinated by) and presents these forbidden fruits in a way that is definitely much larger-than-life and very pleasing to the eyes - a celebration of style at the expense of deeper meaning, and what better place to let out your inner devil than in your home-cinema with a lurid giallo? Better than out in streets, anyway.
And boy, does Strip Nude For Your Killer meet the sordid sine qua nons. The story is hardly original or plausible and features several stereotypical characters, red herrings are served up by the truckloads and the ending is ridiculous and contrived way beyond belief. On the other hand, there are plenty of gruesome murders and Bianchi uses every single excuse imaginable (and unimaginable) to make his wildly seductive and feline actresses shed their clothes at the blink of an eye. A very special nod goes to Benussi who delivers the perhaps most uninhibited, daring and lengthy full-frontal nude scene (the aforementioned death sequence) ever seen in an erotic thriller - only equaled by Marianne Walter's nail-gun demise in The Toolbox Murders.
Although not nearly as stylish, visually breathtaking or accomplished as say Blood & Black Lace, What Have You Done To Solange? and The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, this nevertheless well-shot excursion into depravity and indecent exposure scores high points in terms of sheer no-holds-barred audaciousness, even by today's standards. Italian exploitation movies in general have always seemed more cynical to me than their American counterparts, and Strip Nude For Your Killer is no exception to the rule. Chock-full of groping and grinding pelvic action, Andrea Bianchi's sleazy, knife-slashing piece of pulp fiction delivers the goods in spades and is unashamedly, filthy fun all the way. 
René Pedersen, November 7th, 2005
Picture: 9/10
This is one fine looking giallo. The image - in an anamorphically enhanced aspect ratio of 2.35:1 - can pride itself on a lush, balanced and dynamic color reproduction as well as deep, dark blacks that never fade or falter, and apart from some very minor and sporadic scratches, the print used is virtually free from any kind of damage. There's a fine sheen of grain throughout the feature (somewhat more excessive during the nighttime sequences and especially the last scene) but it only contributes to the cinematic look and never once does it affect the level of detail, that stays strong from start to finish. Compression artifacts were completely absent. Yet another triumph for Blue Underground - it seems they can do no wrong and Strip Nude For Your Killer has certainly received a first-rate treatment.
Sound: 6/10
The only option here is an English soundtrack presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono. Although a bit dark and not very dynamic, the audio is fairly crisp overall and thus the dialogue as well as the music come through nice and clear with no distortion whatsoever and only the faintest hissing, which is barely audible. A very nice and pleasant job, but those in need of low frequency signals are better served looking elsewhere.
Extras: 4/10
I just love those featurettes produced by Blue Underground and on this disc there's yet another. In Strip Nude For Your Giallo (11.46 min, in Italian with English subtitles) co-scriptwriter Massimo Felisatti relates how sexy movies once got popular and that people suddenly, in order to reach a wider audience and cash in on the new trend, started mixing nudity with violence in Italian thrillers. But he also reveals that director Bianchi enjoyed making the murders in his films more grisly than in the scripts, which is why Felisatti made sure that he got credited for the story as well, so as to set himself apart from it in a way. One of the supporting actresses, former model Solvi Stubing (who is now a movie journalist), makes a delightful appearance telling about how Bianchi never did many takes and that she was very honored to make a movie with Fenech, Benussi and Castelnuovo. Important note: This featurette contains spoilers, so watch the movie first if you don't want to know who the killer is. Lastly the theatrical trailer (3.46) is provided.
Do you like your thrillers edgy, downright dirty and with a whole lot of skin? And are you not afraid to admit it to your mother and father, your sister, your colleagues, your therapist, your new girlfriend and her parents - in public? Then by all means, cough up some of that hard-earned money and get your copy of Strip Nude For Your Killer ASAP, because Blue Underground - who maintains a very admirable track record in terms of locating and doing justice to wonderful cult gems in practically every genre - has made sure that the movie looks as good as it ever will. Bring on some more gialli, per favore!
|
