Day-Killer

Routine giallo Five Women for the Killer lacks the visual style and atmosphere present in the genre's best and better known examples, but makes up somewhat with plenty of sex and female nudity (the film's titular women are very attractive and happy to strip) and some mean-spirited and gory murders, the victims - all pregnant - graphically cut 'from clitoris to sternum'. Director Stelvio Massi's handling of the plot is a little sloppy, meaning that it's easy to lose track of who is who, and the sheer number of suspects only add to the confusion.

Prime suspect would appear to be writer Giorgio Pisani (Francis Matthews), whose wife Erika dies giving birth to their son, after which Georgio discovers that he is sterile. Has finding out that the baby isn't his child fractured his mind and turned him into a killer of fertile women? That would be too obvious, and this being a convoluted giallo, the real murderer is far less likely: other candidates for crazed killer include adulterous Professor Aldo Betti (Giorgio Albertazzi), Betti's crazy wife, deceitful Dr. Lidia Franzi (Pascale Rivault), Erika's seemingly sinister illegitimate brother, and ex-pimp turned clinic porter Pellegrino.

5.5/10, rounded down to 5 for the anticlimactic resolution and the horribly discordant soundtrack (which features jazz flute).

Director Stelvio Massi only contributed this film to the giallo genre, although he was the cinematographer for rather splendid The Case of the Bloody Iris. This movie perhaps indicates that he wasn't a natural with this type of material, as there is a somewhat plodding aspect to it on the whole. Nevertheless, as is mostly the way with serial-killer-on-the-loose gialli, it still remains very watchable and effective at times. The story in this one has a writer's wife dying while giving birth, immediately afterwards a series of murders begin with the victims all being pregnant women.

It wouldn't be too unfair to say that this one is one of the gialli which is lower on style, higher on sleaze. The story centres on some especially nasty murders, which were a bit much if you ask me! Those coupled with the nudity factor being very high generally puts this one squarely in the more exploitative end of the genre. The thriller element is often a bit under-played, although there are a few fairly suspenseful sequences here and there. I would additionally have to say that there is maybe a little too much police-procedure and chat overall too for the film's overall effectiveness. So, this fairly obscure example of the genre couldn't really be described as a lost classic or anything like that but it definitely benefits from still incorporating the main ingredients of this sub-genre - the mix might be a bit under-cooked in a number of ways but the final dish is still one which giallo enthusiasts will find some value in.

The legendary Italian genre filmmaker Stelvio Massi takes a rare foray into the heady, be-gloved milieu of the schlocky Giallo with 'Five Women for The Killer' aka '5 Donne Per L'Assassino', and for my money it still makes for a diverting piece of compelling genre cinema, besides, it's somewhat curious seeing the urbane British character actor, Francis 'Dracula' Matthews in such luridly unfamiliar surroundings! The only other Giallo I am aware Massi shot was the Bruno Nicolai-scored, much-loved 'The Case of The Bloody Iris' starring the deliriously delightful, sinfully sultry, yet curiously monikered superstar Edwige Fenech.

Maestro Massi is generally known for his exciting, uncommonly boisterous Euro-crime titles, but he is a versatile, more than capable director whose CV boasts some rather exemplary titles. It must also be noted that the sleazy premise to the unfairly neglected 'Five Women For The Killer' is pretty unsettling, as the initial murder remains a rather grim affair, reminded me a tad of the similarly stark Joe D'Amato effort, 'Absurd'. And the stolid, ubiquitous, but always likeable italian actor Howard Ross is fine as the beleaguered police commissioner, plus the requisite Giallo eye-candy is strikingly supplied by sleek, scintillating blond Katia 'Designated Victim' Christine! And along with Fernet-Branca posters and tall glistering glasses of J & B whiskey, no Giallo is close to being authentic without a bespoke sexy-sinister score, and talented composer Giorgio Gaslini delivers delivers the groovy goods!

Personally I don't really like it, nor do I think it's a very bright idea, when the body count of the horror movie you're about to watch already gets spoiled in the title… Seriously, five women for the killer? Well, okay, that pretty much suggests there will be five female casualties, but don't get your hopes up too much for witnessing much more carnage that this. It's a shame, really, because one of the many reasons why I seek out Italian gialli movies is the often unpredictable and unrestricted amount of gruesome murdering going on! I still definitely wanted to watch "Five Women for the Killer", of course, and mainly because it was writer/director Stelvio Massi's only genuine excursion into the giallo-domain. The underrated Massi made nearly two dozens of awesome Poliziotteschi thrillers, and most of them – like "Emergency Squad" or "Convoy Busters" to name just two – were so damn brutish and sadist that I really wondered what a giallo of his would look like. This one-man jury's verdict states that "Five Women for the Killer" is an adequate and more than watchable giallo, but it certainly isn't one of the genre's prime examples or highlights. The plot is reasonably tense and compelling, albeit also sluggish from time to time. The murders and particularly the killer's motives and choice of victims are vile and just a tad bit disturbing. Like in most Italian gialli, the psychopath targets pretty young women, but here the victims all recently found out that they were pregnant and our crazed killer viciously cuts open their stomach and intimate parts. The murders begin shortly after journalist Giorgio Pisani loses his wife whilst giving birth to their premature son. No wait, the murders only begin when Giorgio learns from his doctor and friend that he is – in fact – infertile and couldn't have been the child's father. Can't Giorgio accept that his wife was unfaithful and does he extract his vengeance on the pregnant women in his surrounding? Or is this just what the real killer wants everybody – and the police in particular - to think? "Five Women for the Killer" doesn't feature any great names in the cast, but the performances are solid and convincing. All the girls in the cast are ravishing and provide glorious full-frontal nudity (unshaved was still the standard), but of course they get savagely slaughtered shortly after so it's not a very sexy climax. Recommended for giallo-fanatics and fellow sick puppies all over the world!

A writer comes home to discover his wife has just died during childbirth. The baby is not well and is held at a hospital while he continues to write a newspaper column.

Pregnant women are cut up with a fertility symbol carved into their bodies and the writer has the misfortune of being linked to these various women.

Abrupt editing and jarring music make the film tough to sit through. The director seems to be attempting to mimic the style of Alfred Hitchcock without Alfred's proven technical genius.

The murder victims do shed their clothing before being murdered but the overall storyline becomes apparent before it ends with only a slight twist.