Omicidio per vocazione

I'm calling out to all of you, good people working at DVD-distributing companies like NoShame Films, Subversive Cinema or even Anchor Bay Entertainment! During the past couple of years, and especially with the revival of low-budget seventies exploitation cinema, a lot of stupendous Italian Gialli thrillers already received fancy DVD-releases. Even several lesser great and downright mediocre Gialli already got transferred to disc, but still there are numerous hidden treasures that remain stuck in video-oblivion to this date. "Deadly Inheritance" is an ideal example of this. Perhaps there aren't any famous names listed in the cast and crew, but nevertheless this is a wondrously convoluted and marvelously flamboyant showcase of Italian Giallo greatness with mouth-watering gore, sensational sleaze and phenomenal music. The plot may be derivative and the constant red herrings may be too grotesque for their own good, but I guarantee this is the stuff all you Giallo-fanatics are searching for. Straight from the first couple of minutes you'll already know you're in for a nice treat, as the opening involves a fast ride on rails – filmed from the trains' POV – and guided by THE most exciting music I ever heard. The ride abruptly ends when an elderly man messily ends up underneath the train and the titular (Deadly) inheritance refers to the arrangement of his testament between the family members. The deceased had three beautiful daughters and one mentally handicapped adopted son, but the will irreversibly states that nobody receives one penny before the boy reaches the age of 21. Naturally, none of the women (nor their husbands/lovers) intend to wait two more years or even consider sharing the family wealth and it doesn't take too long before the kid ends up underneath a train as well. It looked like suicide, but Inspector Greville suspects murder and quickly gets confirmed when more relatives turn up dead in less camouflaged circumstances. The rest of the plot unfolds itself as an engaging and unpredictable (because of its absurdity) Giallo with many inventive death sequences and perverted underlying sub plots. "Deadly Inheritance" is a must-see for genre lovers, so I sincerely hope it'll be widely available on short notice and, if it's not too much to ask, the wildly exciting soundtrack ought to be released separately as well. There's a more than fair amount of suspense and mystery, the killings are deliciously gross and the three leading ladies are luscious eye-candy. Femi Benussi is probably the most famous name in the cast, since she starred– and showcased her ravishing body – in "The Bloody Pit of Horror", "Bloodsucker Leads the Dance" and Mario Bava's "Hatchet for the Honeymoon". The rest of the cast, as well as director Vittorio Sindoni, is fairly unknown, but they all do good jobs and contribute in making "Deadly Inheritance" what is in my book the most undeservedly and shamefully overlooked Giallo ever.

Deadly Inheritance is probably most interesting as an example of an early giallo. It was released a couple of years before the genre was codified by the release of Dario Argento's debut film The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. As a result it's a good deal more restrained than the gialli of the 70's. It's not alone in this, as other late 60's gialli were pretty much the same. However, it does incorporate the serial killer on the loose mystery narrative that would go on to become a key aspect of the genre.

The story is about a family of greedy siblings who want to inherit the money left by their recently killed father. All his money is left to his adopted son Janot, who is mentally retarded. Pretty much immediately, a string of murders begin.

This is an example of the rural giallo. In the main the genre was an urban based genre and the rural ones are few and far between. The setting is in fact the French countryside. The location is decent enough. The cast has no big names but does have a few faces genre enthusiasts will recognise, such as Femi Benussi who starred in several Italian horror and thriller films such as Hatchet for the Honeymoon. Also of note is Ernesto Colli who plays Janot, he is an agreeably odd looking guy and also starred in the later giallo Torso. The best feature of the movie has to be the soundtrack though. The music is composed by Stefano Torossi. It's varied and of a good standard throughout. The film itself is solid enough although it's overall a little plodding. The murders are committed more or less off-screen and the suspense is a little limited. Interesting enough as a 60's giallo though.

'Deadly Inheritance' is a fun little 60's Giallo flick with tight pacing, a satisfying mystery, and solid performances. The movie also has a decent plot with enough twists and turns to help make it an above average viewing experience. However, I wasn't really a fan of the rather comedic tone the movie takes and being an early example of the genre, this is a rather bloodless and plodding affair without hardly any suspense.

The plot = An rich railroad worker Oscar (Arnaldo De Angelis) is accidently killed by being run down by a train and when it comes to the reading of the will his 3 daughters are shocked to find out that he left everything to his adopted son Janot (Ernesto Colli). This leads to the family members getting killed off one by one as every member of the family has a clear motive for murder, but who is the mysterious killer.

The movie is well shot with some striking locations but lacks the stylish flair that fans of the genre have become accustomed to and while the mystery element is decent with some genuine surprises, the horror element is severely lacking. The characters here are well casted with some good performances from the likes of Tom Drake, Femi Benussi, Virgilio Gazzolo and Ernesto Colli each deliver standout performances in their roles.

Overall 'Deadly Inheritance' is enjoyable enough but needed that something extra special to stand out amongst the crowd of the far better Italian horror/thriller flicks.

Deadly Inheritance takes the framework of your average Agatha Christie novel from 1930s upper class England and places it in 1960s working class France. Though it starts out a bit chintzy (a deaf man would feel the vibrations of the train on the tracks, just to let you know) Omicidio per vocazione unfurls into an engaging mystery with a couple of likable characters you may actually be sorry to see die.

The patriarch passes on and leaves an unexpected inheritance in his will, but the catch is that his adopted son - a disabled 18 year old boy - must be cared for by the family until his 21st birthday and only then will the money be split between them. Of course, all hell breaks loose.

this italian thriller, set in some french village, starts quickly with a man being overridden by a train; his three sisters all have some reason to want his death; the plot develops very unexpectedly, with a new turn about every five minutes; although many killings take place, the whole atmosphere is quite joyous due to the good rock-big band score by Torossi; just nice entertainment