Commentaires des utilisateurs

This is not a giallo film, nor is it in the lines of the fun but more exploitative Fulci film THE DEVIL'S HONEY. Nor is it a horror film, though you should watch fast for a Fulci cameo as a doctor in the film's one very gruesome moment. It has some nice well thought out plot twists and a fun 1960's San Francisco atmosphere. It's a very well made film on all levels.

This deserves a decent release as most copies look like crud. The film is well staged in and around San Francisco and features ample but appropriate nudity.

The whole things builds momentum and suspense with an especially cleverly done ending. Also watch for the use of mirror and mirror images throughout the film. Unlike many Euro films from this era it is also well acted and decently dubbed into English. It actually looks like it was all shot in English as there is none of the usual rubbery lip sync.

Fulci was not a one trick pony director (as the better known Dario Argento definitely is) and if you're interested in seeing his diversity, see this film. If all you want is horror look elsewhere.

It's hard to believe that this thriller was directed by the same man who would go on to create such gory highlights as Zombie Flesh-Eaters and City of the Living Dead, but indeed this is a film from the Lucio Fulci that us gore hounds know and love. His later Giallo, such as A Lizard in Woman's Skin and Don't Torture a Duckling weren't as bloody as Fulci fans are used to, and this one is even less so; in fact, it isn't even a horror movie. Fulci does find time for graphic images, however, but things such as a badly decomposed corpse look out of place in a movie that is much more about mystery and suspense than shocking its audience. Fulci often doesn't get the respect he deserves when it comes to movie-making, and that's unfair as he really does know how to tell a story. One on Top of the Other focuses on themes of love and revenge, and follows the story of a doctor with a wife who suffers from chronic asthma. After her death, he is enticed to a nightclub along with his mistress, where he meets a young woman who is the double of his dead wife. Shortly thereafter, the corpse of his wife is unearthed and traces of poison are found in the body...

The film takes obvious influence from the great Alfred Hitchcock film 'Vertigo', but unlike a lot of Italian films from the sixties and seventies; this one is not merely a retread of its popular American influence. Fulci injects his own style and verve into the plot, and common Giallo elements such as crossed loyalties and compromising situation for the lead victim start to creep in. The acting on display here is superb, with Jean Sorel putting in a fabulous performance in the lead role in which he manages to captivate the audience and be convincing at the same time. The female leads are more striking; however, and both Marisa Mell and Elsa Martinelli get to act as well providing beautiful eye candy for the audience. Unlike a lot of Giallo's, this one takes place outside of Italy and makes San Francisco the central location. The landscapes look great, and the original jazz music by Riz Ortolani helps to ensure that swinging sixties feel comes across. There is a lack of murders in this film, which may disappoint Giallo and Fulci fans; but the intrigue that appears instead offsets this nicely, and overall I don't hesitate to say that One on Top of the Other is one of the great Giallo films!

In Los Angeles, Dr. George Dumurrier (Jean Sorel) runs a clinic inherited from his father with his brother, Dr. Henry Dumurrier (Alberto de Mendoza). George is trying to find an investor to save the clinic that has many debts. He lives in a fancy mansion with his estranged wife Susan Dumurrier (Marisa Mell), who is asthmatic and is very sick, and has a lover, the photographer Jane Bleeker (Elsa Martinelli). While traveling with Jane, George learns that Susan has died. Further, he discovers that Susan had a one-million-dollar life insurance in his name. One night, George is having dinner with Jane in a restaurant and receives a phone call. He goes to a night-club where he sees the stripper Monica Weston, who is identical to Susan but has green eyes. George is intrigued and has one-night stand with Monica, who is worshiped by her client Benjamin Wormser (Riccardo Cucciolla). Meanwhile the insurance company investigates the death of Susan and concludes that she was murdered. Inspector Wald (John Ireland) is in charge to investigate who killed Susan and George is the prime suspect of the crime.

"Una sull'altra", a.k.a. "One on Top of the Other", is an excellent thriller by Lucio Fulci. The plot is erotic, with many beautiful actresses, has many great twists and the cinematography is very beautiful. The plot point in the final scene keeps the mystery and the tension until the last scene. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Uma Sobre a Outra" ("One on Top of the Other")

This little Italian number is superficially similar to the famous Hitchcock film "Vertigo" in its basic premise and in its San Francisco location. But I don't recall "Vertigo" having the nude dancing, the psychedelic body painting, and the abundance of straight and lesbian sex. And as great an actress as Kim Novak from "Vertigo" may have been, she was no Marissa Mell. Marissa Mell was a six-foot Austrian model/actress who became infamous in the late 1960's more for her antics off-screen than on (her various paramours supposedly included everyone from Warren Beatty to the Shah of Iran). She was the archetypal Bond girl, even though she never actually got around to appearing in a Bond movie. Actually, the only big movie she was ever in was Mario Bava's pop-art, comic book adaptation "Diabolik". This obscure movie was probably her second most famous role before her career fizzled and she died at a young age from cancer. She is excellent here in the dual role of an asthmatic, dying wife and a seductive stripper. She also has copious nude scenes (if you're into that sort of thing).

You might also have heard of the director of this one, guy named Lucio Fulci, made a few zombie movies or something. This is actually the first of a series of superior gialli Fuici directed early in his career (the others were "A Woman in Lizard's Skin" and "Don't Torture a Duckling"). Fulci fans will find the plot of this film to be surprisingly coherent, but will probably be disappointed at the lack of gore (aside from one grisly scene of a post, post-mortem). It also lacks much of the directorial flair Fulci would demonstrate in his later gialli and his zombie films. The last act is particularly weak with one of those tiresome innocent-man-on-death-row countdowns. The very last scene is a pleasant surprise, but by then much of the momentum has been lost. Still, it's definitely worth seeing, for Fulci and Mell if nothing else.

This crime drama from the director who was to become the Italian goremeister about ten years later delivers an interesting story about relationships, jealousy and , of course, murder. In the end, the film even becomes a statement against the death penalty (the story takes place in the U.S.).

Although there are certain elements of giallo in here, I wouldn't call "Una sull'altra" a giallo; it's really a rather classic crime story concerning "indecent affairs" (on which some of the English titles refer).

All in all a good film, although the average Fulci-fan probably will be disappointed about the lack of any gore in this one.

Pretty decent stab at an erotic thriller from the Goremeister General. It's all the things you would want: stylish, sexy, and gripping. It's also crisply shot and has an excellent Riz Ortolani score. Again, the dubbing is pretty ropey but if, by this point, you're seeking out some of Fulci's lesser-known works then it's safe to assume you've made your peace with this constant problem.

Marissa Mell is great as the femme fatale and Elsa Martinelli is cool and chic as the devoted mistress who, despite herself, can't stop believing in her man. In fact, the female performances are much stronger than the men, probably because Jean Sorel doesn't have much to do except wander around with his shirt off, looking bewildered.

Great photography of San Francisco, looking as good - if not better - than in BULLITT. There's also a fine cameo from Jean Sobieski, for connoisseurs of louche photographers in movies.

The only real problem is that the film isn't quite gripping enough. The premise is set up well in the first half hour or so, and the suspense and mystery sustained during the kinky interludes in the middle, but all is revealed through a clumsy expository scene with about 20 minutes remaining and after that it runs out of steam.

Well worth a look though.

6/10

Unlike most of the early 1970s gialli this film has several classic elements of late 60s films, from the go go dancing to the sultry, almost cheezy, jazzy orchestra soundtrack, to the melodramatic, emotion-laden lovemaking scenes. It's more erotic than most gialli, and clearly straddles the boundary between Mario Bava's visual style --emphasizing shadows and contrast, and typical early 70s gialli. What really makes the film so great its ability to hold a level of tension -- visible in various characters' expressions and actions, especially the main character -- and suspense to make it a truly great thriller. And to do so relatively bloodlessly. The dialogue while dubbed is also quite clever and there are many scenes that are smart in their own right -- such as when Monica and George are hanging out in her San Fran 'pad' while he is confused and she is playing solitaire and telling him to answer the door. Definitely worth watching, for any fan of Italian thriller/gialli!

Old school giallo with a low body count. this one is not about the gore. it's more concerned with solving a central murder. stylish and sexy. the ending was quite suspenseful. def worth checking out once if you're a thriller/mystery fan

While my preference in Giallo films lies in the ones that play out in a more Horror or Gothic kind of way, One On Top Of The Other (Perversion Story) sits at the other end of the spectrum which is more of a Crime Detective Thriller. So no groovy music. No trippy scenes. No creepy castle. No grisly murders. However the convoluted plot and naked boobs are both present. Jean Sorel and Marissa Mell are both great but this is my least favorite film I've seen either in so far. Nothing new plotwise: dead spouse, extramarital affairs, insurance policy, brown trenchcoat wearing detective ... zzzzzzz ... Somebody put some cheese on this salt-free stale cracker! Where's Sergio Martino when you need him?

This may not be a horror film or even strictly a giallo but still it's a top notch sex and psychedelic dressed mystery that is a must see for fans of mid sixties to mid seventies Italian cinema. Perhaps more restrained than one might expect from Fulci and the pace a little uneven but this film looks so good! Great cinematography with splendid sweeping scenic shots of San Francisco and playful quirky close-ups that make one gasp. Full of delights such as the photo shoots, the nightclub sequences as well as the splendid use of the locations plus a super soundtrack from Riz Ortolani and not forgetting plenty of colourful nudity. The conclusion is sensational and the death row sequences suitably creepy and if there is more than a whiff of Hitchcock, whose complaining? Excellent.

I would hesitate to class Lucio Fulci's One On Top Of The Other as a giallo: it's lacking that genre's trademark 'leather gloved killer' and creative murders. It is, however, an entertaining if improbable thriller with bags of cool '60s style - definitely one of the director's more accomplished efforts.

Jean Sorel stars as Dr. George Dumurrier, who finds to his surprise that his late wife Susan (Marisa Mell) has left him $2 million richer thanks to a recently acquired insurance policy. The police find this rather strange and investigate, coming to the conclusion that Dumurrier killed his wife for the money. Does stripper Monica, Susan's doppelganger, hold the key to proving George's innocence, and will someone uncover the truth before he is sent to the gas chamber?

A product of the trippy, hippy psychedelic era, One On Top Of The Other features swinging sex and plenty of nudity, a scene at a strip-club where patrons play with balloons (how wild!), an Austin Powers-style photographer with a droopy moustache (You're a tiger! You're a lemur! And I'm spent.), and groovy split screen imagery a la DePalma. It's also got an excellent jazzy score by Riz Ortolani, that adds plenty of pep to proceedings.

There's almost none of the outrageous gore for which the director would become known (just a brief shot of a rotting corpse), but there's plenty of intrigue, with a twisty plot and a suspenseful finalé in which Fulci doesn't let on till the very last moment whether George has been executed or not.

The final scene, in which a radio reporter speaks to the camera and points at various objects as though his listeners can see what he is talking about, provided a few unintentional chuckles as well.

I must admit that I do not care for the films of Lucio Fulci - his horror films are filled with repulsive gore and devoid of intelligence, and his gialli (murder mysteries) are better but filled with unnecessary perversion and debauchery - so suffice to say I was apprehensive when viewing this giallo by the "godfather of gore". To my surprise, I actually enjoyed this quite a bit.

Admittedly, there was the unnecessary nudity that littered the film, but luckily it was neither maliciously exploitative (instead, it was tastefully done) nor was it overwhelming in content (most of it is localized only in a few key scenes in the beginning of the film).

However, the factor that truly made the film work was its focus upon its narrative rather than attempting to provide cheap thrills (as Fulci often does). The plot is obviously borrowed from "Vertigo" but not to the degree that I would call it a blatant rip-off (like Brian DePalma's "Obsession" was) as it had its own unique twists and turns to the proceedings. It does seem to plod somewhat in its initial reels as it focused on the lavish lifestyles of a stripper and a photography model, but once the twists begin at the half-way point the viewer's interest is perked and it manages to hold onto it until the end.

The direction is surprisingly subtle and aesthetic for a Fulci film, focusing upon images of mirrors and reflections on glass windows the reflect upon the duality of the characters (each often have two sides to their beings, such as the doctor who is married but is having an affair, but also the fact that the doctor believes his wife has a doppelganger).

I wouldn't necessarily recommend this film to many as its material is lurid (despite Fulci's admirable restraint), and the plot isn't anything unique, but it's all done in a very sufficient and stylish manner with just enough intelligence to make it a pleasant watch. Recommended for giallo fans, a slight recommendation to mystery/thriller aficionados, but others not really interested in the genre should just watch Hitchcock's "Vertigo" again.

Una sull'altra, which is more likely better known as One on the top the other is hard movie to categorize to a single genre. It has as much erotic and exploitative elements as it has elements from pre-giallos like Mario Bava's excellent Blood and black lace and his older work, Girl who knew too much. It isn't as psychedelic as Fulci's other giallos like Lizard in a woman's skin or as tense as his Don't torture a duckling or Sette notes in nero. Una sull'altra doesn't contain any gore or splatter either. Still, however, I found it very entertaining and I would even say it's one of the best non-gore movies from Fulci I've seen (and trust me on this one, I've seen lots of them too).

Movie follows a basic giallo structure, even though it was made in the same year with "the first actual giallo", Dario Argento's fabulous L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo, and in the way that it doesn't rip-off that movie as many other giallos does. That's why I cannot really say honestly that I found this one to be real giallo, but more like pre-giallo.

What comes to the plot of the movie, it's not really as simple as it might seem, but has many twists and misleads when police are trying to find out how the things really are (who is lying, who is telling the truth). Really nice twists and turns, I couldn't tell at the whole time how did what (and what comes to that matter, even who was who). Ending was really nicely surprising too, I really enjoyed it.

So, if you are bored with Fulci's not as good non-gore movies or if you just want a quick peak to the fantastic world of pre-giallos, One on top of other is highly recommended. At the scale of 1 to 10, I would give it 9, this movie really deserves it.

One of the many Italian horror/suspense movies, Lucio Fulci's "Una sull'altra" (alternately called "One on Top of the Other" and "Perversion Story" in English) is pretty much what you would expect. Don't get me wrong: it's really fun to watch, just nothing special. The plot reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo", while two of the cast members look like Jeannie and Maj. Nelson. What a combo.

Anyway, this story of a San Francisco doctor (Jean Sorel) who lets his wife die while having an affair, only to come across as a stripper who looks strangely like his wife is no masterpiece, but is very enjoyable nonetheless. How could a movie with those gals not be enjoyable?

An insurance scam lands a man on death row for murdering his wife. What everyone does not know is she really is not dead.

This film has been cited as having been inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's film "Vertigo". Indeed, it has that Hitchcock feel, perhaps much more than the usual giallo. Being filmed in San Francisco does not hurt. The film also has been cited as a thematic precursor to later films such as "Basic Instinct" and "Body of Evidence". Was there a conscious connection? From what I understand, the film has a few different release versions. I one I saw was "Perversion Story", which is said to be the smutty one. Indeed, it is quite smutty and personally I could have used less of that. But the plot is no less good, and although Fulci is best known for horror, he clearly had thrillers mastered as well.

Indeed has some similarities with Hitchcock's Vertigo, same city, a mystery thriller, about a business man Dr. George Dumurrier (Jean Sorel) who has an asthmatic wife Susan (Marisa Mell) even with appropriate medical care she ends up dying, a huge indemnity of a million dollars was paid, however the police and the insurance company starts to investigate the odd case, suddenly Dr. George has involves with a local stripper who look likes Susan called Monica Weston, instead brown eyes she has green eyes, without going in technical aspects the picture driven forces to incriminate the beneficiary of the money, Dr. George, he goes to a fair trial, found guilty and was sentenced to a dead penalty at San Quentin, valuable movie on the picturesque San Francisco, a slight nude scenes, some really appealing, with an unexpected final twist, wasn't a proper Giallo!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.25

I am not familiar with Lucio Fulci's work, although i know he's considered as a legend in horror movies. This is the first movie of his that i watch and i liked it a lot. Something like a mystery movie+ erotic thriller. It's more clever than i thought, there are some nice twists and turns, a lot of nudity, beautiful women, some intense scenes and overall, this is a fun ride. Enjoyable to watch, a fine movie.

It's not very good, don't look for realism and plausibility, this is so unrealistic that it make many scifi movis look like a documentary. But i didn't care about realism either way, in a movie like this. Lower your expectations and if you are a fan of films like this, you will probably like it as well.

Another positive aspect is the acting. Much better than the average acting of this genre.

Lucio 'godfather of gore' Fulci may be best known for his ultra-gory Zombie films, but the majority of my fellow fans of Italian Genre-Cinema will probably agree that his Gialli from the early 70s, most notably his greatest masterpiece "Non Si Sevizia Un Paperino" aka. "Don't Torture A Duckling" (1972) are easily as noteworthy. The master's first Giallo, "Una Sull'Altra" aka. "Perversion Story"/"One on Top of the Other" pf 1969 is a very gore-less but utterly fascinating Thriller/Mystery which no Cult-fan should consider missing.

As some other early specimen for the genre, this isn't a typical example for the Italian Giallo, as it doesn't focus on a series of murders. The womanizing San Francisco Doctor George Dumurrier (Jean Sorel) is with his mistress, the erotic photographer Jane (Elsa Martinelli) when he hears that his wife, who suffered from grave asthma, has died. Soon thereafter, George makes the acquaintance of the sexy and mysterious stripper Monica Weston (Marisa Mell), who happens to be the spitting image of his wife. Shortly thereafter, it is revealed that his wife was poisoned...

I do not want to go into detail about the wonderfully convoluted storyline, but I can assure that "Una Sull'Altra" should satisfy any fan of suspenseful mysteries in general and Italian Cult cinema in particular. Italian cult-directors had a unique talent for combining sleaze and elegance; the late 60s in particular were a period when elegant films about sexual perversion (such as "Femina Ridens" or "La Malizie Di Venere") would lead from the restrictions of 60s cinema into the openly and explicitly sleazy 70s. "Una Sull'Altra" is from that period, and while the film is not yet quite as graphically explicit as many 70s Gialli, the focus on erotic elements is strong. Especially the gorgeous Austrian cult-beauty Marisa Mell ("Diabolik", "La Belva Col Mitra", "Milano Rovente"...) epitomizes eroticism as the femme-fatale stripper Monica. The film is full of tasteful female nudity, most notably by Mell. Elsa Matinelli makes another great, strong and sexy female as the sleaze-photographer Jane and Jean Sorel ("La Corta Notte Delle Bambole Di Vetro", "Una Lucertola Con La Pelle Di Donna", "Belle De Jour") makes a very good lead. The rest of the cast includes several other well-known cult-actors such as Alberto De Mendoza ("Lo Strano Vizio Della Signora Wardh", "La Coda Dello Scorpione"), John Ireland and Riccardo Cucciola, who is probably best known for his role in Mario Bava's 1974 masterpiece "Cani Arrabbiati".

As Fulci's later Gialli, "Una Sull'Altra" is elegantly shot. While the San Francisco setting differs from the typical Italian Giallo-Settings it has a great potential for atmospheric beauty which Fulci makes best use of. The psychedelic score by maestro Riz Ortolani is hypnotic and brilliant and one of the most mesmerizing atmospheric aspects of the film. While the film is almost completely gore-less, Fulci's talent for gore manifests in one sequence in a morgue. "Una Sull'Altra" is a suspenseful, atmospheric and highly interesting film that is worth watching for many reasons. The gorgeous Marisa Mell is only one of these many reasons, but she's undeniably the most obvious one. 8/10

It could've been a good detective story. However, instead of that we received two films: an absolutely spoiled detective and cheap amateurish soft core porn.

Adding to this a wooden actors and inept direction, we got a real Italian dreck that is not worth watching.

The movie deserves a 1 point score but beautiful women is a plus. So I give this movie 3 points and recommend to avoid it by any means, especially when there are many good Italian films for real entertainment.

Doctor George Dumurrier(Jean Sorel)is a handsome and rich man who has his own private medical clinic.He is married to Susan(Marisa Mell),but their marriage is unhappy as his wife feels neglected.George has long-time mistress named Jane but he doesn't want to leave Susan while her health is deteriorating.When Susan suddenly dies Dumurrier encounters a stripper who looks strikingly similar to his late wife.Gorgeously photographed giallo obviously inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo".There is plenty of sex and steamy eroticism plus a little bit of violence.I particularly enjoyed Marisa Mell's performance as a cunning femme fatale.San Francisco seeped in late 60's hippie psychedelia is a perfect setting.There is a brief moment of gore when rotting corpse Fulci style is shown.No black gloved killers with childhood traumas,though.8 death rows out of 10.