KILLER
NUN (1978)Director: Giulio Berruti
Blue Underground
KILLER
NUN (1978)The
'nasty nun' subgenre of exploitation cinema has become well-documented and beloved
by sleaze fans worldwide. The thought of sisters of God masturbating frantically
under their habits, beating each other's naked bodies and indulging in sapphic
delights has enticed imaginative perverts for years, and directors like Jess Franco,
Walerian Borowczyk, Joe D'Amato and Bruno Mattei delivered the goods throughout
the 1970s and early 1980s. In a departure from the usual lesbian donut-bumping
and unholy breast fondling found in films such as LOVE LETTERS FROM A PORTUGUESE
NUN and BEHIND CONVENT WALLS, Giulio Berruti's KILLER NUN should have been called
PSYCHO NUN, with faded sex symbol Anita Ekberg biting into the meaty title role
based on an actual person!
Sister Gertrude (Ms. Ekberg) is not quite right in the head...as the film opens, she is spouting hateful dialogue towards the bastard who raped her years ago, hoping his soul burns in hell rather than forgive him as the Bible says. Gertrude works in a small town insane asylum, and is the favorite of many of the unhappy patients, overworked nurses, and inexperienced nuns. But something has snapped inside her fragile mind, provoking her to commit acts of violence such as smashing an elderly woman's dentures under her shoes and dislocating a dying woman's IV. To make matters worse, Gerty has found bliss by becoming addicted to morphine and using her young apprentice Sister Mathieu as an accomplice and lover. She becomes a maniacal control freak, banishing the asylum's head doctor from the establishment and turning into Ilsa the Second Coming, torturing the patients with lengthy exercise sessions and destroying their self-esteem. When a bizarre series of murders plagues the asylum, naturally fingers point at the sadistic Sister Gertrude. But is she really the bloodthirsty culprit?
Despite
the enticing subject matter and a choice Italian exploitation cast (including
Warhol refugee Joe Dallesandro, BEHIND CONVENT WALLS star Paola Morra, Alida Valli,
who needs no introduction and Franco Caracciolo, whom trashfiends will recognize
as the gay inmate Leander in Mattei's VIOLENCE IN A WOMENS' PRISON), KILLER NUN
is not the bizarre mix of violence, sex and Godliness the title alludes to. Berruti
would rather present an intriguing look at the melting of a sister of God. The
driving force behind the film, who keeps it from becoming your standard exploitation
fare, is former Fellini sexpot Anita Ekberg. Twenty years past her prime and with
a few pounds packed on, Ekberg is still an alluring woman with expressive eyes
and tackles the multi-dimensional role of Gertrude with gusto. Dallesandro, on
the other hand, phones in his performance in another bland Eurocult appearance.
Featuring one of the only truly erotic fully-clothed sex scenes ever filmed, a
nasty candlestick bludgeoning, an old man in a wheelchair screwing a hot brunette
from behind in the pouring rain (a memorable scene) and spastic editing during
the violent murder sequences, KILLER NUN is a filthy curio from the days of Italian
exploitation cinema and nothing more. It 
doesn't
warrant a strong recommendation, but has enough sick moments which would be worth
a rental.
Blue Underground's anamorphic widescreen transfer of KILLER NUN looks just OK, like the film. There are smatterings of grain and vertical wavy lines during several sequences, and colors aren't as bold and tasteful as they should be (which probably is the fault of the original film's color scheme). The English mono audio is very weak, so crank the volume to hear the dialogue. There are two brief deleted dialogue scenes which are presented in Italian with English subtitles.
As
far as the extras go, here again the providings are mediocre. Considering that
Anita Ekberg, Joe Dallesandro and Alida Valli are still alive, well, and giving
interviews, it's a surprise the usually comprehensive Blue Underground supplements
department is lacking them. However, director Giulio Berruti provides a 14-minute
video interview. Berruti discusses the influence of an actual case of a Belgian
nun on the screenplay, working with Anita Ekberg and the rest of the cast, trouble
with shooting in an actual convent, the incredible make-up effects shot on the
cheap and their creator who ended up in a mental hospital (!) and trouble with
the censors. Rounding out the extras is the very good theatrical trailer and a
lengthy poster and stills gallery including behind-the-scenes photos, poster art
from around the world and the full Italian pressbook. (Casey
Scott)