Les Nuits de l'épouvante

Better than average giallo with an old-fashioned charm. It's a period piece with horses and wagons. The "Clinic" is a sanatorium of sorts. The good doctor appears to be part psychiatrist, part surgeon. There also appears to be many more staff than patients at this clinic.

Great locations. Great use of color. Great atmosphere. The soundtrack features a very old song by Giovanni Battista Granata called "Sonata di Chitarra, e Violino, con il suo Basso Continuo." It's a classical song, but it sounds a lot like Stairway to Heaven.

The acting was good. The story/mystery was fairly predictable if you've seen a number of these movies. Overall, I'd say it's worth a watch if you're a giallo fan.

"Murder Clinic" is one of them obscure and early (mid-60's) Gialli that you'll probably never see, unless you're willing to purchase a prehistoric VHS copy or – even worse - a bootleg DVD ripped from the aforementioned prehistoric tape. You know those things that are practically unwatchable because the original colors faded and the picture is constantly fuzzy? In other words this Giallo is only meant for the eyes of avid Giallo-buffs, as I sincerely doubt a proper release on disc will ever follow. "Murder Clinic" is a very passable Italian horror effort, but nevertheless amusing and it certainly contains a handful of potentially good ideas. It was the sixties, so Gialli movies still leaned towards Gothic settings and darkly sinister filming location. But, on the other hand, the Giallo-formula was still relatively new and thus the screenplay (penned down by veterans Ernesto Gastaldi and Luciano Martino) is very straightforward with clear twists and logical red herrings. The year is 1870 and the sinister events take place in a private clinic run by the demanding Dr. Vance and his obnoxious wife Liz. The movie doesn't waste too much time, as there quickly pops up a hooded killer who waves around a sharp razor and butchers patients as well as staff members. There are a number of possibilities for whom the killer might turn out to be, and the least you can say is that the denouement is acceptable. The murders sequences are decent, obviously not outrageously gross but definitely bloodier than I anticipated for a 60's film. There are some tedious parts and the acting performances – with the exception of William Berger as the Doc – are very much below average. The music is atmospheric and luckily the film only ran for a good 80 minutes. Not so much because I was bored to death, but because the incredibly poor bootleg disc hurt my eyes and ears.

I'm really amazed that there aren't more comments on this Giallo (OVERUSED TERM) from 1968. Creepy opening credits really set the mood in motion as a hooded fiend slithers around a Baroque private clinic for the mentally unstable.

Set in Norfolk, circa 1840/1870, this neat little Belgian-French-Italian flick, in my opinion, seems to have influenced those string of Harry Towers' Edgar Allan Poe adaptations that were shot in South Africa around the late 1980s/early 1990s. You remember them? They were simultaneously gaudy & Gothic and were definitely an extension to the '60s renaissance of period psycho-chillers that were spearheaded by all of those Euro shockers and Corman's E.A.P flix. But back to this film, without giving anything away, all is not what it seems and the initial denouement, or wrap up explaining all of the craziness that transpired beforehand, would later be haphazardly copied in many slice and dice movies from the slasher craze of the '70s & '80s. In other words: Very well done for it's time. Also of note: I first saw this on Creature Feature in Florida in the '80s and the print was clear as day but the only version I have been able to procure is dark and muddy. Owning it is better than not having it in my book anyway. Worth checking out for the 'Giallo' buff and of note to collectors/researchers: the version I have runs approximately 82 minutes.

A hooded killer armed with an open razor is stalking the corridors of an isolated clinic for the mentally ill. Suspects include dashing doctor Robert Vance (William Berger), his jealous wife Lizabeth (Mary Young), crazed schizophrenic Fred (Massimo Righi), shifty employee Ivan (Germano Longo), and a mysterious disfigured patient kept hidden from sight. Will new nurse Mary (Barbara Wilson) stay alive long enough to discover the truth?

A gothic horror with giallo trappings? Or an early giallo with gothic horror elements? Either way, The Murder Clinic is a somewhat uneasy mix that doesn't entirely satisfy. The gothic atmosphere isn't laid on thick enough, and the killings will probably prove too few and too tame to keep most giallo fans happy. The film does, however, feature plenty of suspects and red herrings to keep viewers guessing, and the whole thing is concluded in a logical manner that, unlike many a giallo, won't keep you awake pondering over questionable plot points.

At just 86 minutes, the film is well paced, the acting is solid, and the direction more than adequate for this kind of thing, so while The Murder Clinic isn't an essential giallo or an unmissable gothic horror, it's still worth a go if you can find a copy.

Mary is a new nurse at the prestigious Vance Clinic which is run by Dr. Robert Vance and his wife Elizabeth.A female thief named Giselle is put in the clinic by Dr.Vance.She begins to hear strange sounds in the attic and discovers badly disfigured woman there.In the meantime a mysterious black cape wearing killer stalks and attacks female patients with a razor.Stylish and sadly neglected Gothic giallo with splendid performance of William Berger and stylish direction by Elio Scardamaglia.Great score by Francesco De Masi plus several suspenseful and pretty violent stalking/murder sequences.It's a crying shame that "The Murder Clinic" is rather forgotten or even ignored by Eurohorror enthusiasts.7 lime pits out of 10.