Malastrana

I had really high hopes for this new remaster from Blue Underground. In the last few months, I have become a big giallo fan. I've gained a real appreciation for the genre after viewing several.

"Short Night of the Glass Dolls" is without a doubt one of the most well-produced giallos I have seen to date. I think the budget was probably pretty large, compared to contemporaries. The cinematography is masterful and the soundtrack is amazing.

Where this film fell short for me was the plot and continuity. I found myself getting bored throughout. There is no gore. The murders are minimal. The sex is tired. I just din't think it was all that interesting. I get the point of it: old people take advantage of the young in order to better themselves and their world. It will always be their world, they feed off the blood of the young...etc. The problem is, this isn't even alluded to until the very end of the film. It's also vague and the plot takes too many twists. I lost interest because so many things were never explained.

Perhaps it would have been better viewed in Italian with subtitles. Maybe it was lost in the dubbing. (Which is good, compared to other Italian films.) Or maybe it was just the overly artsy feel, but somehow, it just failed to grab me. The last scene is pretty decent though. Does it make up for the slow pace? I guess it's up to the viewer to decide. If you can make it without falling asleep.

6 out of 10, kids.

A street sweeper finds a man, apparently dead, lying in a park. An ambulance is called. The camera shows the route followed by the ambulance: A grey city is revealed with old buildings and statues. A feeling of gloom and sadness permeates the screen, underlined still more by the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack of Ennio Morricone. Welcome to Prague, the city of Kafka.

At the hospital, the doctors, after examining the body, declare him to be dead. But he's not really dead! Even if he doesn't show signs of life, he's conscious and screams silently (he can't move or talk) for them to save his life. In fact, as his body doesn't show the rigor mortis or putrefaction signs usual in the dead, they think that maybe he's not really dead and decide to try to reanimate him.

On searching his effects, the hospital attendants discover that he is Gregory Moore (Jean Sorel), an American reporter. The film is divided in two parts - the remembrances of Gregory Moore and the attempts of the hospital staff to revive him.

After Gregory's girlfriend Mira (gorgeous Barbara Bach) mysteriously disappears, he decides to investigate on his own to discover what lies behind it. As his investigation progresses, the local police become gradually more hostile. Something horrible is happening. But the people that could shed some light on this story either refuse to speak or are "removed". Gregory is now on what could be his final journey. What happened to him? The atmosphere of mystery, fear and perplexity surrounding Gregory is excellently portrayed in "La Corta Notte delle Bambole di Vetro". If you want to know more, see the film. It's a very good giallo.

"La Corta Notte delle Bambole di Vetro"'s cast (Jean Sorel, Ingrid Thulin, Barbara Bach, Mario Adorf) adds still more charm to the film. It's interesting to say that Ingrid Thulin appeared in Bergman's "The Silence" (1963) that takes its place in a strange and mysterious city of eastern European appearance!

Highly recommended!

A body is discovered on the streets of Prague. Only hours before an autopsy is performed on him, we learn he's not really dead, but trapped inside his body and trying desperately to recall the events leading up to this predicament. And hopefully avoid the autopsy.

This Aldo Lado directed giallo has a lot going for it. Not a traditional giallo, but rather an inventive spin on the formula. It's cleverly written, decently acted and quite suspenseful at times but somehow misses the bull's eye. It drags a bit, could have used some trimming perhaps. Also, the end solution is bit of a letdown, but maybe that's just me. I found it a bit much, the buildup was better than the conclusion. But a big thumbs up for the chilling ending.

Lado is very stylish at times but Argento he's not. Quite good all the same.

Aldo Lado's first movie, "Short Night of Glass Dolls" is an effective and atmospheric giallo from the early '70s. Jean Sorel plays the cop who, it appears, "wakes up" dead. Paralysed in his body and unable to communicate with the outside world, we see the events leading up to this situation unfold in his memory as, in the present, an autopsy is started to be prepared for him.

The film contains a memorable cast. The delightfully beautiful Barbara Bach plays Sorel's missing love interest, Mira. The late Ingrid ("Salon Kitty") Thulin appears as work colleague and ex-lover, Jessica. Mario Adorf is excellent as the friend and fellow cop, Jacques.

The film is fast paced and the premise is gripping but I found the film less satisfying overall than many other giallo movies. Worthy of a viewing, without a doubt, but not in the same league as Argento's finest efforts.

With a score by Ennio Morricone and impressive cinematography by Giuseppe Ruzzolini, "Short Night" is a hauntingly beautiful and memorable film.

A strong 7 out of 10.

Hardly ever a movie got me clinging to my chair so much till literally the last seconds! "Malastrana" tells the story of a journalist (Jean Sorel) in Prague. He lies helplessly in a hospital and remembers in flashbacks how his girlfriend (young Barbara Bach) disappeared. Since the police was not helpful, he tried to find clues what has happened to her. Abduction, murder, or did she just run away?

In true giallo tradition, this is a movie about bizarre killings employing an eccentric visual style, dark and mysterious, but "Malastrana" is more than that. In a dialogue which was cut from the original German version (restored for the DVD release 2006), an old man bitterly sums up how the rich and powerful will always find somebody else to die for them, from the soldier on the battlefield to the... well, butterflies. You don't understand my last remark, I guess. You will when you watch this movie. Hush! No more.