Das Phantom von Soho

First off I recommend the Retromedia release as it is struck from a very good print. I might add this is the uncut version of the film. It contains two topless strip scenes and knife kill closeups that are usually missing from other prints. The dubbing is impressive. What I enjoy most is the agile and imaginative camera direction of Gottleib. The camera is almost never static.We are often treated to scenes which begin overhead then move down and envelop the actors. The scene involving the knife throwing act where the camera revolves as the assistant revolves is inventive. The plot is mediocre and you can identify the killer early on but taking the journey is most of the fun. A wonderful recreation of London with plenty of smoke and fog makes an excellent backdrop for this krimi thriller. Add to it an early 60's jazzy lounge soundtrack and you can't spend a better 96 minutes in my book.

THE PHANTOM OF SOHO is a German "krimi" or crime drama about the titular district in London, England, and its being terrorized by said phantom.

Indeed, a murder spree is under way, having something to do with a strip club / brothel -yes, there are topless females- called Sansibar, run by the enigmatic Joanna (Elisabeth Flickenschildt). Certain men are being stalked and killed, and the killer is leaving a distinct "calling card" with the victims. Scotland Yard, represented by Chief Inspector Patton (Dieter Borsche), is suitably baffled.

A fairly gritty film, it's well written, acted, and directed. The characters are interesting and the mystery is intriguing. There's also a "shock" finale...

Someone is murdering well-known people outside a fashionable Soho bar. Chief Inspector Dieter Borsche and Sergeant Peter Vogel run the investigation. As each new victim turns up, the links point to a ship lost at sea.

I looked at this under the impression it was one of those German productions based on an Edgar Wallace story. It turned out that the source novel was Brian Edgar Wallace, the famous writer's son. There's an interesting technique here: we are introduced to several of the characters as they wander about doing nasty things, like Lord Hans Nielsen raping girls, and sea captain Hans Hamacher blackmailing people without discussing why. As a result, the audience has an opportunity to solve the mystery of who the Phantom is before the police.

The Phantom of Soho is another Krimi film based on a novel by the son of the great Edgar Wallace, Bryan Edgar Wallace. I can't say it's one of the best of the genre, but it features a decent plot that flows fairly well and kept my interest for most of the duration. As the title suggests; the film once again takes place in London and this allows director Franz Josef Gottlieb to build a dark and foreboding atmosphere to compliment his plot which chiefly involves murder. The plot focuses on a murder named 'The Phantom' who is going round London bumping various people off. The victims are all important men and seem to have something to do with Sansibar; a seedy nightclub owned by a crippled woman. Naturally it's not long before Scotland Yard is called in to investigate and they receive help from a mystery writer who is fascinated by the crimes. As they dig deeper into the murders, they find out that many of the victims have more in common than was first thought.

Naturally the film is not particularly graphic; but the murder scenes are rather memorable thanks to the way they are shown - usually we see the victim looking surprised while a pair of gloved hands (one holding a knife) is shown on either side of the screen. This is amusing the first time it's seen and while it does at least make the film somewhat memorable; I have to say that it does lack variety. The plot is more than a little bit sketchy and the film only really features memorable scenes, rather than a memorable narrative. The nightclub setting is good as it allows the director to show plenty of half naked women along with a sordid atmosphere. The film gets less interesting as it goes along and by the end I didn't really care too much about the mystery behind the murders, and that's a bit of a shame as there's a decent enough plot here to spawn a good thriller. The ending is something of a surprise, however, so anyone that makes it that far at least shouldn't be too disappointed. Overall, this is a Krimi worth seeing for genre fans; but it won't hold much interest for anyone else.

A German film taking place in England. A nice little plot with some entertaining policemen. The fun is in the investigation, though it does become muddied at times. For some reason, I knew the ending. Maybe I've watched too many movies. Still, there are some nice, stuffy performances and it is a pretty good whodunnit. If there is a criticism, it is editing and pacing. At times you just want to yell, "Get on with it!" But the plot does revolve around a crime for money and it really makes good sense when it is all over. The dubbing isn't bad. Whoever did voice overs did a nice job of trying to match the current scene.