Seven Blood-Stained Orchids
| Seven Blood-Stained Orchids | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Umberto Lenzi |
| Written by |
Paul Hengge Umberto Lenzi Roberto Gianviti |
| Starring |
Rossella Falk Antonio Sabàto |
| Music by | Riz Ortolani |
| Cinematography | Angelo Lotti |
| Edited by | Eugenio Alabiso |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (Italian: Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso) is a 1972 Italian giallo film directed by Umberto Lenzi, who also co-wrote the screenplay.[1][2][3] Lenzi said in interviews that this film was his favorite giallo, next to Orgasmo (1969). This film was also released in Germany as Puzzle of the Silver Half-Moons, and in France as Farewell, Killer.[4] The script of the film is loosely based on two novels (one by Edgar Wallace and one by Cornell Woolrich),[4] and it was the last film based on Wallace's works until a series of TV-movies produced in Germany in the mid-1990s. The German version of the film had a different opening credits sequence that emphasized its Edgar Wallace origins. The film's Riz Ortolani theme song "Why?" was recycled from the soundtrack of Lenzi's earlier film, So Sweet... So Perverse.[5]
Plot
A serial killer is on the loose, murdering women randomly. While travelling on a train on his honeymoon, Mario (Antonio Sabato) sees his wife murdered aboard the train and after the killer gets away, the police accuse Mario of killing his newlywed wife. Mario sets out to prove his innocence by attempting to solve the "Puzzle of the Silver Half Moons". The film contains some very violent murders, some shown from the point of view of the knife-wielding, black-gloved killer, as he stabs a woman in her bed, bashes in the head of a prostitute, strangles a female artist with a telephone cord, drowns a mental patient in her bathtub and even uses a power drill on one unfortunate victim. Mario must catch the real killer in order to prove his own innocence.[4]
Cast
- Rossella Falk as Elena Marchi
- Antonio Sabàto as Mario
- Uschi Glas as Giulia
- Pier Paolo Capponi as Inspector Vismara
- Petra Schürmann as Concetta Di Rosa
- Marisa Mell as Anna Sartori / Maria Sartori
- Gabriella Giorgelli as Inez Tamborini
- Renato Romano as Preacherman
- Claudio Gora as Raffaele
- Marina Malfatti as Kathy Adams
- Bruno Corazzari as Barrett
- Linda Sini as Wanda
- Franco Fantasia as Renzi
- Nello Pazzafini as Giovanni
- Ivano Davoli as Dr. Palmieri
- Enzo Andronico as Director
- Carla Mancini
References
- ↑ Roberto Chiti; Roberto Poppi; Enrico Lancia. Dizionario del cinema italiano: I film. Gremese, 1991. ISBN 8876059695.
- ↑ Paolo Mereghetti. Il Mereghetti. B.C. Dalai Editore, 2010. ISBN 8860736269.
- ↑ Giancarlo Grossini. Dizionario del cinema giallo. Dedalo, 1985. ISBN 8822045106.
- 1 2 3 Luther-Smith, Adrian (1999). Blood and Black Lace: The Definitive Guide to Italian Sex and Horror Movies. Stray Cat Publishing Ltd. p. 101
- ↑ Paul, Louis (2005). Italian Horror Film Directors. McFarland. ISBN 9780786487493.