Originally mentioned as one of a collection of discs intended to be released as THE GIALLO COLLECTION VOL. 2, Andrea Bianchi’s trashy giallo STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER has arrived on region 1 DVD at long last. It’s certainly no work of art, but fans looking for schlocky Italian thrills should enjoy checking this one out.

Beautiful models frequenting a popular photography studio in Milan are being brutally butchered by a leather-clad killer in a motorcycle helmet, leaving a trail of bloody corpses in his wake. Is the culprit lesbian studio owner Gisella, her rotund pervert husband Maurizio, womanizing photographer Carlo, his girlfriend Magda, blonde bombshell model Patrizia? And what do the murders have to do with a failed abortion performed years earlier?

From the director of BURIAL GROUND and MALABIMBA, viewers shouldn’t expect a stylish thriller in the vein of an Argento, a Martino, or even a Cozzi. The name of the game in STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER is pushing the limits of good taste, and in that respect, Bianchi delivers in spades. The opening sequence of a woman undergoing an abortion and dying of a heart attack sets the stage for as much bare flesh and sleazy violence as the screen can hold. And unlike other gialli mixing liberal doses of sex and violence, the film doesn’t drag its heels that often and actually features a pretty decent mystery, held together by a group photo which serves as a blueprint for the murderer’s activities. In-between the standard police procedure and red herrings, Bianchi also throws in some great cheeky humor (Fenech making a fuss as her boyfriend tries to have anal sex with her), trashy dialogue, plenty of beautiful girls in and out of their clothes, an addictive musical score by Berto Pisano (complete with lilting female vocals), some good jump shocks, and surprising male nudity from Nino Castelnuovo to keep the audience watching. It’s no unsung classic but is a welcome addition to any giallo fan’s library, especially when it lives up to its garish title.

While Edwige Fenech is the name star, it is Femi Benussi who almost steals the show! As with many of her films, her role is not a leading one, but this red-haired vixen had made an impression previously in films as varied as TARZANA THE WILD GIRL, BLOODY PIT OF HORROR and THE KILLER MUST KILL AGAIN. In her brief supporting role, she appears fully nude in a sauna, struts her stuff in a bikini poolside, engages in a lesbian scene, and meets her maker in gory fashion. Fenech fanatics will find plenty to like here, too, as she once again drops her drawers for a love scene, with a quite short hairdo and pretty thankless character to play. Blonde beauty Solvi Stubing isn’t on-screen enough, but her short scenes make her resemble Brigitte Lahaie! The sequence of Stubing on a motorcycle at a photo shoot will immediately recall a similar scenario in Joe D’Amato’s EMANUELLE IN AMERICA, shot a year later in the same studio. Horror regular Erna Schurer (SCREAM OF THE DEMON LOVER, DEPORTED WOMEN OF THE SS SECTION) plays the bitchy lesbian studio owner who sleeps with Femi Benussi and prances around in fetching black lingerie.

Blue Underground’s 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer for STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER is a vast improvement over any previous video versions, including the German X-Rated Kult DVD. Some scenes will always look incredibly grainy, primarily outdoor shots plagued by poor production values, but the image is generally sharp and clean, with accurate skin tones, deep blacks and bold reds and greens. No other problems arise to distract from the viewing experience. The English dub adds to the film’s loopy charm, but as the film was shot in Italian, it would have been nice to have that option with English subs. The mono mix needs to be cranked during some dialogue scenes, but is otherwise quite nice.

In addition to the original international theatrical trailer (with a quote from the Marquis de Sade) and very well done animated menus, Blue Underground includes a 12-minute featurette, “Strip Nude for Your Giallo”, interviewing co-star Solvi Stubing and co-writer Massimo Felisati. Both subjects offer interesting anecdotes about producing a film with such strong nudity and violence and working with Bianchi and his rapid-fire schedule, and the featurette also includes an Italian beer commercial that catapulted Stubing to stardom. It’s strange that after NoShame has included interviews with her on all of their discs of her films, that Edwige Fenech doesn’t appear here, but this is a decidedly lesser highlight of her career so it wouldn’t be surprising if she declined. (Casey Scott)

BACK TO REVIEWS

HOME