El asesino está entre los trece

I recently watched the Spanish giallo film The Killer is One of Thirteen (1973) on Tubi. The story revolves around a widow whose husband recently died in what's believed to be an accident. She invites 13 guests to her home and informs them that she knows one of them is the killer. Shortly after their arrival, they begin dying one by one. Was the widow right, and one of the guests is the killer, or could the widow be the killer herself?

Directed by Javier Aguirre (Count Dracula's Great Love) and starring Patty Shepard (Rest in Pieces), Simón Andreu (Die Another Day), Trini Alonso (Do It with the Pamango) and José María Prada (The Hunt).

The storyline and setup for this movie reminded me of the film "Clue" and contain the classic "whodunit" elements that were popular during this era. The movie has a slow build-up as it initially establishes the circumstances and characters, but once it gets going, it really gets going. It includes classic giallo first-person shots where you see the scene through the eyes of the killer. The killer also uses a different weapon for each kill scene. There are worthwhile strangulation and stab scenes that are particularly well done. The background music used to announce the killers had me cracking up throughout the film. The killer reveal at the end is worth the wait.

In conclusion, The Killer is One of Thirteen is another worthwhile addition to the giallo genre from Spain. I would score this a 6.5-7/10 and recommend seeing it once.

Look, I've seen over 200 gialli, so I'm used to plot holes and lapses in logic, but whoever wrote this one really dropped the meat in the dirt. I've seen some people comparing 'The Killer is One of Thirteen' to Agatha Christie's 'Ten Little Indians', and let's just put a knife in that right here. Other than people showing up to a house and dying, the two aren't even in the same universe.

In short, the story is about a wealthy woman who invites a bunch of friends (?, more like acquaintances) to her home after her husband recently died in a plane crash. She then accuses them one by one of having a possible reason to want her husband dead. Eventually, the killer strikes again.

First of all, it would have been wise to limit the characters so we could follow who's who. There's a reason it's 'TEN Little Indians', 'The Killer Reserved NINE Seats' and 'SIX Women for the Killer'-so we have time to process who the characters are and get to know them.

The reality is, we might have had a shot at understanding the characters and their motivations if the screenwriter didn't distract us with sneaky affairs and dumb romance subplots that contribute zero to the plot or character development.

It's a shame, because the cast is decent. Yeah, the soundtrack is off with some strange cartoon and game show sound effects. The wardrobe and lighting are lame. But it's really the script that sinks this Titanic mess. Despite all the backstories and attempts at red herrings, I guessed who the killer was in the first half hour.

My advice is, if you're in the mood for a good whodunnit, pull out René Clair's version of 'Ten Little Indians', 'And Then There Were None' from 1945. It's creepy and clever, holds up well and is one of my favourite films.

This Spanish giallo from the mid-1970s still harbors many of the delights of early 70s such as fantastic goldenrod curtains and elaborate, ornate dining rooms filled with antiques but every version I have seen on streaming has the worst subtitles, they move so quickly it's distracting - this may be a flaw in the writing of an international thriller to make it so terribly wordy, but come on I think we can do better than this. And I am a fast reader.

Like its predecessor, The Killer is One of Thirteen is filled with so many twists and red herrings that it's impossible to even guess who the killer is, in true Christie fashion. However, the grand finale is a huge punch line in and of itself.

This exciting film contains tension , thriller , drama , mystery , plot twists and shocks , including decent scares with tense killing sequences especially in its final part , in a creepy denouement . Slowly paced flick with a fairly suspenseful and horrifying story in which a killer series undergoes a killing spree by means of brutal executions . This thrilling picture concerns about some higher-class people are gathered by a widow , Lisa Mandel(Patty Shepard) , in an isolated mansion under mysterious circumstances and one by one they are murdered , each according to a peculiar relationship with Carlos Mandel , the formerly deceased husband by aviation crashing . The beautiful widow invites a number of guests to stay at her residence , these are the followings : Francis , widow's cousin (Eusebio Poncela) , his mother (Trini Alonso) , the playboy Harry Stephen (Simón Andreu) , Martin (José María Prada) and lover , Srta. Hoven (Dyanik Zurakowska) , the suspicious painter , Harlan (Jack Taylor) , Guillermo (Eduardo Calvo) , his wife Laura (Carmen Maura) , among others . Furthermore , there appears servants , gardener (Blaki) maid (Marisol Delgado) and butlers (Ramiro Oliveros , Paul Naschy) . Later on , the widow reveals that she knows that one of the group killed her husband and she is attempting to search for hubby's murderer . As he really didn't die by plane crash , but he deceased by a sleeping pill that caused the deadly accident when he was crossing the Mancha Canal . Before dying , the husband to withdraw money from the bank : 10.000 pounds , this cash is , day-present, missing . Soon they are being too murdered one by one . As they are being killed by cutting car brake line , slitting , garrotting , hanging , and stabbed in the chest . Meanwhile , at the mansion occurs the regular loving conflicts , including sexual scenes , as sex with butler , as sex with a maid , triangles , jealousy , and betrayals . As the guests are astonishing about the inexplicable deaths are happening . The premise is the following : who's the killer among the suspicious guests ?

The plot is plain and simple , regarding a group of wealthy people are invited by a widow and shortly after , realizing that they are being murdered one by one . This Giallo contains suspense , thrills , chills , intrigue and plot twists . Aguirre designs a mediocre thriller , including some regularly staged murders plenty of startling visual content with blood and gore , though was submitted to limited censorship in Spain . This is a customary slasher in which mystery , tension , suspense appear threatening and lurking in every room , corridors and luxurious interior and exterior . The picture packs atmospheric blending of eerie thrills and creepy chills combined with a twisted finale . It displays lots of blood but it seems pretty mild compared to today's gore feasts . The staged killings are the high points of the movie , they deliver the goods plenty of screams , shocks and tension . This "The Killer Is One of Thirteen" contains usual ingredients of the ¨Gialli¨ sub-genre : suspenseful intrigue , twisted killings , violence , sadism , physical abuse , and some female nudity . Based on a script by Alberto Insua , soon after Javier Aguirre adapted the screenplay . The main excitement lies in watching what new and amazing killing to be committed by a strange executioner , a black gloved killer . Sensationalist murder pieces , including by axe in the head , killed in shower , stabbing , asphyxiate , head bashed in , decapitation and grisly slashing . However , the film results to be slow-moving and extremely talking , for more of a hour , there happens nothing . The Giallo plot is mingled with the typical Agatha Christie mystery developed in her known novel ¨Ten Little Indians¨ that had several cinematic adaptations , such as 1965 rendition by George Pollock , 1975 recounting by Peter Collinson and 1989 retelling by Alan Birkinshaw . The cast is pretty good , plenty of known Spanish actors , such as : the gigoló Simón Andreu , Eusebio Poncela , Alberto Fernández , May Heatherly , Paloma Cela , Jack Taylor , Dyanik Zurakowska , Eduardo Calvo, Jacinto Molina , Ramiro Oliveros and several others .

The motion picture was regularly directed by Javier Aguirre and it has several flaws , gaps and failures . Javier Aguirre has filmed with all of the power and sensationalism at its command but in exploitation style . Father of director Arantxa Aguirre with first wife , actress Enriqueta Carballeira , being his second wife Esperanza Roy , both of whom usually play his films . Javier is a craftsman , expert on comedies such as : ¨El Astronauta¨, ¨Los Que Tocan El Piano¨ , ¨Locuras De Parchis¨ , ¨Los Chicos Con Las Chicas¨, ¨Soltero Y Padre En la Vida¨, ¨Soltera Y Madre En La Vida¨, ¨Rocky Carambola¨, ¨Martes Y Trece¨. Aguirre also made quite a few terror movies as ¨Gran Amor Conde Drácula¨, ¨Jorobado De La Morgue¨ , ¨Asesino Está En Sus Trece¨. In addition , he directed various ¨Avant Garde¨ films.

Straight from the gate you have to deduct 6 stars for these Butt Ugly Monstrosities that appear in these Giallo movies. I don't see how these women stomach the sex scenes with this inept group of men. They range from the typical two bagger, to you got to be kidding me!!! Ugly and couldn't get laid if they were the last man on the planet with a world full of horny women.

No need for a script when you have these make-up free uglies running amok on the screen. So throw reality out the window when viewing this hot mess. Or better yet, do yourself a big favor and give this one a pass. A more than generous 3 out of 1,000 stars on this.