Pensione paura

This is the second film I've watched from little-known director Barilli; like the first – the slightly superior THE PERFUME OF THE LADY IN BLACK (1974) – it can be labeled an arty horror film…though, frankly, there's much more of the former than the latter this time around! In fact, it's set during World War II in a downtrodden Italian hotel run by a woman (whose husband is a flyer) and her innocent young daughter.

Apart from the somewhat wasted Francisco Rabal (as a partisan informer hiding out in the titular hotel and a paramour of its owner), the casting looks rather unimpressive on paper but, surprisingly, we get a couple of excellent performances from the two nominal leads – 23-year-old Leonora Fani (as the harassed daughter who is an object of desire to several of the hotel's guests!) and an unheralded sleazy turn from usual 'good guy' Luc Merenda (as a shady stud living off a rich mature keeper). Both Merenda and Fani are involved in several nude scenes and, in the latter's case, looking much younger than her true age makes for some disturbing viewing (particularly her rape by Merenda himself – witnessed by the latter's mistress and by which she's visibly aroused!).

The film has a memorably sinister soundtrack by one Adolfo Waitzman which may best be suited to accompany a bona-fide giallo, but it certainly elevates the end product considerably; the composer's name didn't register with me at first, but a quick check on his IMDb resume' soon revealed him to also be the man behind the music for (at least) two other significant "Euro-Cult" efforts – Jess Franco's THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR (1973) and Claudio Guerin Hill's A BELL FORM HELL (1973). Also notable in PENSIONE PAURA, the film's original title, is the atmospheric lighting – where the adoption of various color gels for disquieting effect was, in all probability, directly influenced by Dario Argento' contemporaneous classic of supernatural horror SUSPIRIA (1977).

As with most efforts from this genre, the major liability would have to be its deliberate pacing – however, since the film is a mood-piece first and foremost, I guess it was to be expected and, well, unavoidable. Still, the shock moments (when they come) certainly deliver the goods – with the most effective being the double axe-murder of Merenda and his lover (with its slimy aftermath), and the last-minute rescue of the heroine (about to be victimized yet again) which turns into a machine-gun massacre of the hotel's entire guest list by an as-yet unidentified character (soon revealed to be a partisan companion of Fani's reportedly deceased father). The latter scene actually leads immediately into the unexpected and ambiguous conclusion – which seems to be a particular thorn with most viewers discussing the film on an Italian forum; then again, a happy ending would have been highly unlikely for an essentially somber piece such as this!

Until the fairly recent Italian DVD release, this was considered a very rare item even on its home turf; hopefully, the film's reputation will soar in future…even though it's one the director himself seems not to like much at all (undeservedly, if you ask me)!

This an interesting giallo from the director of "Perfume of the Lady in Black". It has a period World War II setting and greatly resembles the Salvatore Samperi film "Scandalo". The story centers on a mother (Lidia Bondi) and daughter (Leanora Fani), who are trying to run a pensione (hotel) after their husband/father has disappeared while fighting in the war. The mother is hiding her army-deserter lover (Francisco Rabal) in the attic while Fascist soldiers are encamped nearby. Meanwhile, a perverted couple staying at the hotel, older woman (Jolene Fierro) and her studly younger lover (Luc Merenda), are conspiring to get their slimy hands on the teenage daughter. This latter subplot is especially reminiscent of "Scandalo", but where the mother was the main protagonist there, the daughter is here, and this eventually takes a decidedly gialloesque turn with a series of mysterious murders. The ending is also quite different (and actually kind of ridiculous).

The historical setting makes this somewhat unique as a giallo, but it's quite possible this movie was merely aping "Scandalo" there. It's principal strengths though are definitely Luc Merenda and Leanora Fani, who also appeared together in "The Last Round". They have similar roles here as, respectively, a handsome but vicious brute and his young, seemingly vulnerable victim. Merenda usually rates below other handome, more famous Italian leading men like Franco Nero (who was in "Scandalo") and Fabio Testi, but he was actually better than either when it came to playing an out-and-out villain. Leanora Fani was similarly underrated as an actress. She was one of the many Italian "lolitas" of the era, but unlike a lot of the others (Gloria Guida, Eleanora Giorgi, etc.) she actually looked like a teenage girl (even though she wasn't), and she generally specialized in playing vulnerable victims as opposed to predatory vixens.

Francisco Barilli does a good job of creating a dark, moody atmosphere. The off-the-wall ending topedoes any real pretensions this movie might have had to be a serious historical drama like "Scandalo", but it certainly succeeds as a giallo (where bizarre endings are common). I actually thought this was better than Barilli's somewhat overrated "Perfume of the Lady in Black". It's definitely worth a look.

Pensione Paura (Fear Hotel on the print I saw) is a decent, slow-burning thriller.

Set toward the end of WWII, Leonora Fani plays Rosa, a girl living in a hotel owned by her mother. Her father is away in the war and Rosa writes letters she cannot send to him. The hotel's guests are a strange and unlikeable group hiding out from the war. There is a pimp with his two prostitutes, a widower with an unhealthy fixation on Rosa, an older rich woman with a younger lover named Rudolph (Luc Merenda). This gigolo has his eyes on Rosa. In addition, hidden away in an upstairs room is the lover of Rosa's mother. He deserted the war and is rumored to have caused some tragedy to his fellow soldiers. Right from the beginning, there is a sexual tension between these guests and Rosa. Then, Rosa's mother dies in an accident. Rosa is left alone to run the hotel with only one drunken, unhelpful servant. The viewer knows something bad is going to happen. Further suspense comes with the arrival of two last guests, both men dressed in black, one carrying a switchblade. Both have the look of professional killers. Have they came for the lover hidden away or for some other reason?

Fear Hotel does a surprisingly good job at building a tense atmosphere. Little happens for most of the movie but, thanks to the actors and the evocative cinematography, the viewer keeps watching. However, there are some problems. The film's attempt to become a murder mystery in the last third does not work. The finale, while appropriately grim, has a denouncement that did not work for this viewer.

Having acknowledged these, Fear Hotel was better than expected. Leonora Fani, the attractive star of Kyra (aka House by the Edge of the Lake), was the reason I watched Fear Hotel. In addition to her physical charms, Fani convinces as an innocent teenager, even though she was in her early twenties at the time of filming.

This is a kind of hard to define film, which is set during World War Two, and is more of a mystery with elements of Eurocrime that decides to turn into a giallo right at the very end.

Rosa has got a life you wouldn't wish for. Her father is off fighting in the war somewhere, and Rosa has to help out at the hotel her mother runs that is host to some of the worst guests ever. For one, there's the smarmy, chain smoking gigolo (Luc Merenda) who is really pro-active in adding Rosa to his list of conquests, much to the annoyance of his older girlfriend. Then there's the man whose family were killed in a bombing raid, who also seems to have his eye on Rosa. There's a pimp and his two hookers who aren't too fussy on who drops in on them. Plus, there's a mysterious man in the attic (Francisco Rabal) who is hiding from unknown persons.

Rosa's mother is aware of how awful the guests are, but can't get rid of them because they are the only paying guests they have, and there's a war going so Italy isn't exactly the current holiday destination. Constantly trying to avoid Merenda in particular (she has to lock her door at night and he asks her to look through the keyhole for a surprise. Thankfully, she doesn't), the plot thickens as Merenda's girlfriend has something he really needs, two shifty looking guys move into the hotel, and Rosa's mother falls down a flight of stairs and dies, leaving Rosa no protection from the weird guests...

Just like his earlier The Perfume of The Lady In Black, Francesco Barili gives us a something full of mystery that doesn't let on to the audience what's actually happening until near the end of the film, and just like Perfume, this one comes wrapped in strange visuals with an emphasis on violets, pinks and purples. Even though this is mainly thought of as a giallo, no one is murdered until well over an hour has passed, with the bulk of the film detailing Rosa's struggle with what is basically a hotel full of Harvey Weinstiens. That said, it kind of felt like Barili didn't quite know how to tie up all those loose ends.

Luc Merenda is the standout here as the absolutely vile gigolo with the pencil moustache. He spends about the half the film either naked or half naked as he attempts, and finally succeeds in raping Rosa (the grimmest part of the film by far, but it was part of the plot as it opens up the giallo part of the film. Merenda shows once again that he's got the versatility to plays other roles than the usual crime films he ends up in.

In all honesty I right away have to admit this won't exactly become my most informative and insightful user-comment, as I watched "Pensione Paura" in its original Italian language print without any subtitles or dubbing whatsoever. Throughout several years of watching Italian films I picked up a few words here and there, especially horror-related ones, but of course not nearly enough to fully comprehend the convoluted plot and structure of a typical Giallo. This should also give you an idea of how rare this film is; as I literally searched all over the Internet for an original VHS copy or at least a halfway decent bootleg DVD, and all I could find was this crummy, ancient and exclusively Italian version. Luckily enough a genuine Italian 70's Giallo has plenty more to offer than just plot-complexity, and since the same guy who brought us "The Perfume of the Lady in Black" also directed this "Pensione Paura", I hoped to see an enormously stylish & visually impressive effort with gritty undertones and uncanny musical guidance. Well okay, the film didn't nearly turn out as enchanting as the aforementioned "Perfume…" but multiple scenes and set pieces are beautiful to look at and, even though I don't understand one iota of the dialogs, you can easily tell the subject matter is compelling. "Pensione Paura" translates as guest house of fear, and that's pretty much the most accurate description I can give. Rosa is timid and frigid young girl who helps her mother running the family pension whilst her father is serving in WWII. The place is filled with sleazy and ill-natured guests, including a married man who constantly attempts to abuse Rosa and the mother's secret lover who lives hidden away in the attic. When the mother is found murdered one morning, Rosa remains behind unprotected and surrounded by people with wicked intentions. She gradually loses her sanity, but just when the guests collectively plot to involve her in a giant orgy a masked and heavily armed man appears to the scene. I realize this is all rather vague, but it's better than giving false plot-information. "Pensione Paura" sadly doesn't feature many bloodily staged murder sequences or graphic sleaze, but the atmosphere is noticeably ominous and grim. Adolfo Waitzman's score is terrific and the cast features a couple of familiar faces, like Luc Merenda of "The Violent Professionals" and "Torso" and Francisco Rabal who recently (and just before passing away) starred in Stuart Gordon's "Dagon". This is a very interesting film, to say the least, and if anyone knows of an available copy with English subtitles please mail me ;)