Edgar Wallace - Das Rätsel des silbernen Halbmonds

Umberto Lenzi delivers a giallo that has all the trademark elements fully in place, but somehow fails to achieve the right level of madness to produce a true classic. I'm not quite sure why, though. Let's blame Antonio Sabato!

No – let's get to the story instead. Someone wearing the standard issue giallo killer uniform (black gloves, floppy hat, raincoat) is murdering women in and around Rome, at rather a rapid rate, too! This guy knows how to create a giallo atmosphere – not only does he shake things up on the variety side, he also leaves a weird silver crescent next to the bodies.

His third victim (I think) is the bride of Antonio Sabato, and she gets cut up on a train while her husband out buying McEwan's Export from the train bar. He attends her funeral while the cops take everybody's pictures covertly, but it's all a ruse! She's still alive though I'm sure her relatives are going to be chuffed when they find that out.

Antonio then gets on the job of finding out who the killer is, with the aid of the police to a certain extent. He discovers that all the woman being offed all stayed at a certain hotel at a certain time, but why are they being killed? And who is this American people keep referring to? And did Bruno Corazarri just say he gave the American a chewie?

So we've got the stupid clues, the Euro-babes, the set piece kills, what have you, but I couldn't help but feel that Antonio Sabato wasn't pushing himself as the hero (and I felt the same way about him in The Man with Icy Eyes), so his lack of animation made the film at bit dull. Or maybe that was due to the film following the giallo formula a bit too strictly (although the 'death by drill' was an eye opener). It could because I've watched about a hundred of these films in about six months. YOU DECIDE!

"Seven Blood-Stained Orchids" (1971) is a middling, fairly goreless giallo from director Umberto Lenzi that should just manage to please fans of this genre. In it, a hunky-dude designer, played by Antonio Sabato in a one-note performance, investigates when his pretty fiancée becomes the latest target of yet another Italian serial killer. With the help of this fiancée, appealingly played by German actress Uschi Glass, the couple realizes that all previous murder victims had stayed at the same countryside hotel several years before. But will this bit of knowledge enable them to save future targets of the killer? And why does this homicidal whack job insist on leaving crescent-moon medallions (NOT half-moon, as widely reported elsewhere!) at the site of his slayings? The film, as you may have discerned, tells an interesting story, with a twisty, slightly confusing plot that does ultimately manage to hang together. Lenzi has directed his film in a competent, no-nonsense manner, while the picture's score, from Riz Ortolani, is alternately somber, cool, menacing and lovely. The film's killer utilizes many expedients to off his victims, including beating, drowning, strangulation and--in a scene that should please most gorehounds--a power drill, and this many years before similar nut cases picked up their Black & Deckers in films such as "The Tool Box Murders," "The Driller Killer" and "The Slumber Party Massacre." Several scenes are indeed quite suspenseful, such as the ones with the poisoned kitties and the female mental patient. Shriek Show is to be thanked for this fine-looking DVD (sadly, with no subtitles) of a film never before released in the U.S. Oh...one other thing. Do NOT watch the film's trailer before viewing this picture. Amazingly, it reveals the killer's identity not once but several times! Talk about spoilers!

From adventures movies ("Il Trionfi Di Robin Hood") to spy thriller ("A 008 (sic) Operation Termini") ,from sword and sandal ("I'Ultimo Gladiatore ") to horror ("Cannibal Ferox") Umberto Lenzi has tried his hand at all the genres .

"Sette Orchidee Macchiate Di Rosso ":the title recalls those of Dario Argento but ,although there are sadistic scenes ,the movie is primarily a detective story:the screenplay was made with a certain care ,which in this kind of low-budget movie is to be underlined.A whodunit and seven women who have something in common and a killer who is doing away with them one by one, a plot in the tradition of Agatha Christie.Most famous name is probably Austrian Marisa Mell ("Diabolik") whose career was already on the wane when she played this supporting part in Lenzi's movie.

Like this ?try these

"Sans Mobile Apparent " (Philippe Labro,1971)

"Le Dernier Des Six" (Geoge Lacombe ,1941)

"Sei Donna Per L'Assassino" (Mario Bava ,1963)

It's your typical giallo from the beginning to the end. You can watch it and be somewhat amused, but you seen it a million times before. There are some positive things. Music is OK and the last girl isn't that stupid and helpless, which is a great change from screaming women who just stand in one place waiting to be killed. However, there are also bad things, like problem with pacing of the movie, which doesn't make us care for the characters. Oh, and the ending fight with the killer is underwhelming to say the least, even for a giallo. I give it 5.8/10. It isn't the worst thing you can watch and will give you some fun, but it isn't anything to write home about. I don't recommend it to anyone except giallo fans.

Seven Blood Stained Orchids (Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso, 1971) is extremely pleasant and atmospheric Italian mystery, giallo from the beginning of the 70's. Lenzi himself likes this film too, but doesn's think it is his masterpiece. I have not seen too much of his work (I have seen at least Cannibal Ferox, Mangiati Vivi! and Il Paese del sesso selvaggio) but when I saw this 70's classic I knew that Lenzi is at his best in this genre.

Murders take place and soon the main character starts to notice some connections and relations between the murdered ones. Couple of years ago something evil happened and now it seems to be payback time.

This is almost as masterful as Argento's Profondo Rosso in the suspense department. Argento's work is more stylish and artistic but Lenzi is definitely not less interesting or less skilled. Couple of scenes are very scary and shocking especially if the film is viewed alone in the dark..Music by Riz Ortolani is great, but not as great as in Cannibal Holocaust or La Casa sperduta nel parco by Ruggero Deodato.

In these giallos, there is always pretty confusing and non-believable plot but it doesn's matter because these films don't have to be realistic; they can be supernatural as well and it doesn't diminish their impact. Plot in this film isn't too confusing but many twists and turns take place during the film.

Seven Blood Stained Orchids is highly recommended for Italo fanatics and horror fans alike. Lenzi directed his most notorious cannibal films only because of money, so these mystery films are far more personal and artistic too. And the lead lady character played by Uschi Glas is unbelievably charming and sexy, and she is very nice to watch.

8 out of 10 and recommended!