Wettlauf gegen den Tod

Intelligent critique or consumerism. Very low budget, but they def made the most of the budget which was truly impressive. Setting and atmosphere are excellent. Acting is very good. Music is outstanding and reminiscent of the band Goblin. The spirit of the film reminded me of "Sorry to Bother You (2018)" - only Sorry to bother you is much funnier and has a much bigger budget. I won't say anything else so not to spoil it. But if you like movies from this era that have something to say and go off the beaten path then give this a try :)

Vampires are the real BAD guys (i.e. corporate honchos feeding on much more than blood) in this satirical, quirky outing. Visually stunning, with a main character who goes by the name of Giovanni Nosferatu... not to forget an army of white, man-eating utility cars from hell (just forget wimpy, musty ole bats!)... I mean, how can you go wrong?

(1971) They Have Changed Their Face/ ...hanno cambiato faccia (In Italian with English subtitles) DRAMA HORROR

Co-written and directed by Corrado Farina that has regular office factory worker, Alberto Valle (Giuliano Disperati) ordered by his superior to meet the president of the corporation, Giovanni Nosferautu (Adolfo Celi) of "Auto Avio Motors" comp. And during his drive he then notices he is running low on gas and tries to communicate with the villagers with the only person who reached out to him is a female wearing a thick coat with no bra and topless, Laura (Francesca Modigliani) coincidentally heading toward the same direction. And by the time he reaches the villa, and tries to ring himself in, there is no one there to greet him by the fence's gate. And when a door is finally discovered, he then decides to walk the rest of the way with Laura deciding not to to walk with him. He would then hands her the keys, she tells him she will wait for him. As he is walking toward the villa, two cars are driving alongside with him. And when Alberto tries to make conversation with them, they act unresponsive as if they are dead. He is then greeted by Giovanni Nosferatu's secretary, Corrina (Geraldine Hooper) and she tells him he will not be able to see him until dinner which is weirdly served at 10 PM. It is during then Alberto does some snooping around that does not really does anything. It just resorts to more weird stuff happening.

The name Nosferatu was mentioned on purpose and although I did not see the ending the way that it happened, the entire set up was routine and boring. To which if anyone were to watch many vampire movies the approach is still the same for I would have liked it more had it been shortened to 45 minutes both the impact and message of capitalism would still be the same.

After re-watching this obscure Italian gem, I'm even more convinced that Corrado Farina is a true neglected maestro of Italian horror cinema. Granted, he's only made four films, two of them being horror (the other one is the delirious fumetti adaptation "Baba Yaga"), but they really shows a unique style that is hardly seen elsewhere in the genre. In fact, even more so than "Baba Yaga", "Hanno Cambiato Faccia" is something of a black sheep of 70's Italian horror. The most obvious difference is the look of the film. While most of it's kind are photographed with Bavaesque colors, this one is almost completely pale and "lifeless", with all the exterior scenes filmed in nearly deserted, fog-shrouded landscapes and with stark white, minimalist interiors. Corrado's script is also very well written and intelligent. Something of a loose adaptation of Bram Stoker's "Dracula", set in 1970's Italy, we follow a young man who goes to visit his boss - Giovanni Nosferatu, the head of a huge corporation, at his secluded country villa, in order to get a promotion. As soon as he gets there, however, he soon realizes there's something not quite right with Mr. Nosferatu, and he eventually comes to the conclusion that the man is a vampire. Not unlike Hans Geissendorfer's eccentric masterpiece "Jonathan", this is an obvious allegory to capitalism, with corporate tycoons presented as vampires who feed on the expenses of their consumers, and the title means that these foul beings are still living in our modern society, only under a different image. The metaphor is presented very subtly, and doesn't come across as being pretentious. The film's finale, though some can see as being anti-climatic, actually enhances this, and leaves a haunting, lingering impression, rather than a shocking one, on the viewer. One of the film's greatest assets is the contrast between classic Gothic imagery with high-tech, ultra-modern settings. Nosferatu's villa is, on the outside, old and crumbling, surrounded by a foreboding forest and an ancient cemetery. There's also a nearby village with the creepy innkeeper-ish character who warns the protagonist of his destination before he gets there. Hell, there's even a cobwebbed crypt for the vampire to sleep in. Another brilliant aspect is the choice cast. Adolfo Celli is just effortlessly creepy as the undead businessman, and Giuliano Esperanti makes for a likable protagonist in his Jonathan Harker-type role. Argento fans will be surprised to see the androgynous Geraldine Hooper, best known as Gabriele Lavia's homosexual lover in "Deep Red", as Celli's mysterious and seductive secretary, a "Bride of Dracula", if you will. As a whole, I think I slightly prefer "Baba Yaga" over this, but only by a hair, as "They Have Changed Faces" is obviously the better written, better acted of the two. Speaking of which, even if you didn't like "Baba Yaga", I urge you to see this film - it's a highly original, intelligent slice of Italian Horror, and another one that deserves more praise and recognition. 9/10

Italian jazz, Italian car factories and an invitation to meet the boss. That juxtaposition of the naked woman in the fur coat and the lifeless village. All surface style in the villa, executive toys clacking away. Great first appearance (complete with choir!) of Celli. The offer is made; there's a room full of ickle babies and a troupe of white fiats. It's a fascinating little flick. The allegory may be a bit heavy handed, but there's a real style here.