Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

Raymond Sierra The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

MARIO GAUCI Though I had long been intrigued by the fact that Mondo Macabro released this as a "Special Edition", I wasn't sure what to expect of it - having only watched the director's juvenile mythological romp HERCULES (1983) - but now I have to say that I totally agree with the blurb found on the DVD front cover, proclaiming it as "a lost giallo classic"! Suspenseful and atmospheric, this is surely among the most Hitchcockian gialli ever made and one of the least conventional - never really going where the audience expects it to by piling up surprise upon surprise till the very end! Cozzi's professional debut, in hindsight, has also been recognized as his best work; he had earlier collaborated on the script of Dario Argento's FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET (1971) and even helmed an episode, called "The Neighbor", in Argento's four-part TV series DOOR INTO DARKNESS (1973). Actually, the director himself admits that the feature - which was filmed during this same year but not released till '75! - was basically an expansion of that short (particularly the sea-side set-piece which occupies most of the second half), done on a more elaborate if still modest scale (given that Cozzi had no art director assigned to the production and the props were mostly borrowed from various crew members!) and also a lot more graphic.Nando De Luca's score - a vital element in any giallo - is quite serviceable, considering that he was more or less foisted upon the director! The film features some expert cross-cutting (particularly between the initial murder and a society party, and later during two parallel sex scenes - one of them Cristina Galbo's rape at the hands of the ambiguous and peculiar-looking killer, played by Michel Antoine). The rest of the cast is also well chosen: nominal star George Hilton, actually, is absent for moments on end but he plays his part to the hilt {sic}; Eduardo Fajardo, too, has one of his best roles as the wily Police Inspector on the killer/kidnapper's trail; Alessio Orano as the male member of a young couple who get more than they bargained for when a car they steal turns out to hold incriminating evidence. Apart from the lovely Galbo (whose performance is far above the norm for the genre), here we have two more, if elder, beauties in Teresa Velasquez (proposed by the Spanish co-producers after Pamela Tiffin turned Cozzi down!) and frequent "Euro-Cult" starlet Femi Benussi (in a role intended for the much younger Gloria Guida, still an unknown at the time) - all of whom are asked to shed their clothes during the course of the picture! The film was originally called THE SPIDER (and, in fact, its Italian equivalent - IL RAGNO - heralds the end titles on the print utilized here), which is a subtle allusion to the cat-and-mouse games played throughout between the various characters. The DVD extras are exemplary and Cozzi's ubiquitous (and obviously passionate) contribution is highly engaging, imparting a lot of interesting anecdotes such as the fact that, at one point, cameraman Riccardo Pallottini had to leave the production because of previous commitments to another - and was eventually replaced by FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET's Franco Di Giacomo, who happened to be his own daughter's husband! He also recalls his aborted collaboration with legendary composer Ennio Morricone, master of the giallo score; other information, such as the in-joke involving the initials on Antoine's lighter, was easy enough to catch for discerning viewers.Distressingly, though, the music on the DVD main menu plays out at a defeaning level - while there's severe overscan during the various text supplements (though not so that one can't grasp the gist of it, thankfully)! Besides, this really should have been a 2-Disc Set with Cozzi's rare and amateurish debut, THE TUNNEL UNDER THE WORLD (1969; referenced quite a bit in the feature itself) included on a second DVD - as No Shame did with HIS DAY OF GLORY (1969) on the PARTNER (1968) SE and THE RIP-OFF (1978) on the as-yet-unreleased Double-Disc Set of COLT 38 SPECIAL SQUAD (1976)...

czarnobog This is a very well-done thriller. A bit bloodier and nastier than Hitchcock's work, but very close in tone and production value. In fact, the editing was very precise, apparently tightly storyboarded, which was Hitchcock's method.The locations are few but perfect. The "ugly yellow house" described in another review was actually very cool; the yellow walls appear to be painted with expensive Dutch enamel. Typical bold and imaginative Italian design.The costumes are subtle, simple, but equally effective. Cristina Galdo in her soft jeans and innocent blouse is an incredibly alluring and convincing virgin. Michel Antoine, the killer, is tall and angular, with a James Woodsian countenance, cool and sinister in chic black pants and turtleneck.The DVD is nicely done. Great sound and picture, and extras worth checking out.If you like thrillers, definitely go for this one. Even if you have a hard time with foreign films, you will find this one palatable, with very smooth dubbing, an attractive and capable cast, and a solid, unpredictable storyline, delivered by a master director.

The_Void The Killer Must Kill Again is a Giallo that strays so far from conventional Giallo standards that it might well have overstepped the genre boundary into the 'merely a thriller' category. Whether it's a true Giallo or not is irrelevant, however, as this is a damn good film regardless! The Killer Must Kill Again forsakes tradition immediately as we get to know who the killer is right from the off. Unlike Mario Bava's Hatchet for the Honeymoon, however, director Luigi Cozzi doesn't spend time letting the audience get to know this character, and instead we are treated to a film that regards the plot as the most important element. The plot forsakes Giallo rules also as it runs straight, and actually makes sense! Nonsensical plots are one of the things I like least about Giallo, so being able to follow this one easily made it all the more enjoyable for me. Anyway, the plot follows a man who decides he wants his wife dead so he can inherit her money. While musing in his car, he spots a murderer disposing of one of his victims in the river. The two form a deal, for the murderer to kill the wife in exchange for a reward of $20,000; but things go awry when a couple of kids steal the car that the dead wife is in...The Killer Must Kill Again doesn't manage to forsake all Giallo traditions, however, as bad dubbing features heavily; and so does a lack of logic, despite the plot being easy to follow. We also get treated to a good musical score, some excellent cinematography and a great set all in yellow! The film is well cast, with Michel Antoine in the title role. He looks and acts the part of the sadistic killer, and even though his character is never really tapped into; we get to feel that we know him just because of the way he acts. Giallo regular George Hilton is the headline star, and he is excellent in the role of the less than faithful husband. It's quite strange seeing him as the villain for me, as I'm more used to him being the good guy. Luigi Cozzi, a frequent collaborator of Dario Argento's on films such as Four Flies and Five Days in Milan does a good job of directing, and ensures that the film looks nice and entertains for the majority of it's duration. It could be said that the chase making up the core of the movie goes on a bit too long; and the lack of bloodshed isn't exactly a good thing, but The Killer Must Kill Again is a lovely detour from the usual Giallo formula, and if you're a fan of Italian horror; this shouldn't disappoint.

Coventry What's the one story-element all the Italian gialli-films have in common and should therefore almost be considered as one of the basic trademarks of this wonderful horror sub genre? Well, nearly all gialli, from Mario Bava over Sergio Martino to Dario Argento, introduce a horrifying killer (preferably wearing black gloves) whose identity remains hidden throughout many plot twists and only gets revealed during an incredible climax. Actually, the guessing game for this killer's identity is pretty much the whole point of the sub genre! The script of Luigi Cozzi's "The Killer Must Kill Again" is quite unique and does the complete opposite, but that surely doesn't make it any less of a brilliant full-blooded Italian giallo! We know who the killer is and what he looks like even before the credits come onto screen and rightly so, because Michel Antoine's face is far too creepy to hide behind masks or veils. He plays a serial killer who's caught red-handed by sneaky businessman Giorgio Mainard whilst disposing of a dead girl's body. The two gentlemen make a deal and Giorgio hires the killer to get rid of his wealthy wife Norma. While covering up the tracks, however, a couple of young thugs steal the Mercedes with Norma's body in the trunk! During his search for the lost corpse, our killer's thoughts only get more sadistic… If feels weird to see a giallo with such a logical and straightforward storyline, but the atmosphere is equally tense and there's never a dull moment that undercuts the fast pace. What "The Killer Must Kill Again" lacks in surprise and plot twists, it makes up in style elements and originality. Ricardo Pallottini's camera-work is truly imaginative (I particularly liked the cartoon-like fade ins and fade outs) and the extended chase is full of ingenious and entertaining moments. The music is also great and there's a reasonable amount of lovely sleazy, mainly provided by Femi Benussi who's never ashamed to show her ravishing flesh. Disappointing and/or negative elements definitely include the shortage of blood and violence and arguably a glut of "coincidences" during the chase. Michael Antoine is really amazing as the killer, with grimaces and an aura of nihilism that genuinely petrifies you. Giallo-regular George Hilton ("The Case of the Bloody Iris", "My Dear Killer"…) is on autopilot for his familiar role of adulterous macho whereas the cute Christine Galbo gives away her second best performance ever, right after "What have you done to Solange". You may not fully get what you expect, but this is a seriously good giallo! Briefly put; "The Killer Must Kill Again" is a movie I must see again…and again, and again.