Il medaglione insanguinato (Perche?!)

TOGETHER FOREVER (aka: NIGHT CHILD) is the tale of little Emily Williams (Nicole Elmi), a mysterious medallion, and strange occurrences surrounding a diabolical painting. Emily's father, Michael (Richard Johnson) soon finds himself pitted against demonic forces, while Emily, looking very much like Pippy Longstocking, begins exhibiting some very odd behavior (i.e.: smoking cigarettes, and acting VERY adult toward her father). At one point, she goes completely berserk on her nanny (Ida Galli)!

One of the better "possessed child" films to emerge in the wake of THE EXORCIST, it has a nice sense of dreadful doom to it! Those insisting on a happy ending should simply watch something else...

I have a soft spot in my heart (and maybe my brain pan) for Italian and European "Exorcist" rip-offs, and this is one of the best. It's certainly better than the much more famous "Beyond the Door", which also starred Richard Johnson. Actually,the term "Exorcist" rip-off is a more than a little unfair as these films were all quite different from "The Exorcist" (and each other). This film has a kind of subtle, supernatural atmosphere much more similar to Nicholas Roeg's "Don't Look Now" than to the visceral horror of "The Exorcist". There is also kind of an aura of evil in the film that goes beyond just the possession of the young girl and which anticipates "The Omen" or supernatural Dario Argento films like "Inferno", but with an additional reincarnation element (and, of course, a much more limited budget).

This film actually MOST resembles a LATER American film called "Burnt at the Stake" where the young girl imagines herself as the reincarnation of witch who was burned by grotesque villagers. In this movie, the visions of the girl (Nicoletta Elmi) are connected to her mother's "accidental" death by burning, a bizarre painting her father (Richard Johnson) is investigating in Italy for a BBC documentary on the Devil, and to the titular medallion, which belonged to her mother and may have had something to do with her fiery demise. There are definitely some weird connections that a "Don't Look Now"-type psychic in Italy (Lila Kedovra) reveals, and, of course, the Devil himself seems to be involved. But then there are some decidedly Freudian twists at the end that other reviews alluded to. That's what turns out to be the major flaw of this movie--there is just TOO MUCH going on, and while a lot of it is pretty effective, it gets pretty confusing the end is definitely somewhat disappointing.

The movie is certainly well-directed by Massimo Dallamano ("What Have You Done to Solange?"), who remains one of Italy's most criminally underrated genre directors. The music, as other reviewers said, is good if perhaps not original (I think I've heard the main score in at least one other movie). Johnson does a reasonably good job as the male lead, and American actress Joanne Cassidy ("Blade Runner") makes a welcome appearance(as do her impressive breasts) as Johnson's agent and love interest. This is an especially good vehicle,however, for Nicoletta Elmi. While most underage actresses, then and now, generally fall into the molds of cute and cloying or teenage and sexy, Elmi was kind of a strange-looking, but actually genuinely talented young actress (not unlike "Burnt at the Stake's" Susan Swift). As in some of her other movies like "Footprints on the Moon" or "Flesh for Frankenstein" (her most famous), Elmi is a sympathetic but also effectively sinister presence here. This isn't a perfect movie,but it's definitely worth seeing.

A documentarian working on a film about the devil's depictions in artwork finds his life turned upside after the death of his wife, which traumatizes his daughter. Things get worse, though, when his daughter receives a cursed medallion that renders her possessed by a child murderess.

I went into this film with low expectations as it is certainly not a film that has a sturdy reputation-the Code Red DVD release of the film in fact brands it under their "Septic Cinema" series, with the disc menu featuring a porta-potty. This is actually rather misleading, and possibly offensive. Though not a great film, "The Night Child" is a far cry from the utter trash that some may have you believe.

Similar to other European rip-offs of supernatural American horror at the time ("Beyond the Door" and many others come to mind), the film riffs on elements from "The Exorcist" (though is far more understated) and at times looks and even feels like "The Omen," and unabashedly so. Fortunately, this makes for an atmospheric film, boasting lush and wintry London sets that contrast with warm, oppressive interiors. An eerie score underpins the proceedings, which are somewhat slow-going, but they do pick up in the last third.

The film boasts a cast of English-speaking actors, with the English Richard Johnson leading the film, and American Joanna Cassidy playing his producer and sometimes-lover. The dubbing and dialogue are a bit hit-and-miss, but this is mostly expected for a film of the period, and at times it reminds one of some of the Bava or Argento films of the era.

In the end, I was pleasantly surprised by "The Night Child," which seems to have garnered a reputation that I frankly found at odds with what was on screen. The film is a rip-off, but a good one, and it offers a select few well-orchestrated scenes and a chilling atmosphere. For what it is, this is an above-average foray into the "possessed children" subgenre. 7/10.

This is one of those OOP flicks that many people were searching but at this writing it finally had it's official release on DVD. The flick is fully uncut watchable in Italian or English spoken. Parts that never had a English translation are left in in Italian with English subs. A thing that has been done before with Italian flicks.

Don't think that this is going to be a classic giallo because it isn't. It even isn't a gory flick. More about possession. But not in the Exorcist (1973) tradition. Although it also centers around a child this has a more arty way of filming.

British reporter Michael Williams (Richard Johnson) has lost his wife in a fire. He's left with his daughter Emily (Nicoletta Elmi). He's gone to Italy together with his daughter and nanny to make a documentary about art but Emily still has weird nightmares due the death of her mother. To make her at ease her father give her a medallion. But things go worse from here.

The medolic score also adds towards the atmosphere, piano and guitar doesn't give it a eerie feeling but still things are happening. The score sometimes do remind you of Morricone. The downfall for a lot of horror fans can lay in the fact that the possession takes a while to enter. It's a slow flick, nothing graphic to see. And it do takes until almost the end before the supernatural enters and even that is low.

Kudos to Nicoletta Elmi as an 11 year old she gives an excellent performance and was a common face back then in horrors. But she decided to quit in her mid 20s to become a doctor.

If you like flicks that are beautifully shot and has a eerie atmosphere then this is your stuff.

Gore 1/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 2/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

Massimo Dallamano was doubtlessly one of the most gifted filmmakers in Italian 70s cinema, his greatest achievement being the 1972 Giallo-masterpiece "Cosa Avete Fatto A Solange" ("What Have You Done To Solange?"). Prior to his premature death in a car accident in 1976, Dallamano was responsible for a fistful of true classics of Italian 70s cinema including "Solange" and "La Polizia Chiede Aiuto" (1974), and I therefore also had high expectations for this occult Horror gem, "Il Medaglione Insanguinato" aka. "Perché?!"/"The Night Child"/"The Cursed Medallion" of 1975. Well, I must say that my high expectations were easily met, maybe even surpassed by this film, which turned out to be a highly atmospheric, suspenseful and also original gem that is definitely worthy of more attention.

Too often are occult Horror films from the first half of the 70s just dismissed as being blatant imitations of "The Exorcist"; this might be true in some cases, but it certainly isn't the case here. Other than the film being about possession and having a child as a central figure, this film has little to nothing do with "The Exorcist". Some time after his wife's tragic death in a fire, British reporter Michael Williams (Richard Johnson) goes to Italy with his daughter Emily (Nicoletta Elmi) and her nanny, in order to do a documentary on art. Little Emily, who, after witnessing her mother's gruesome death, is still haunted by nightmares, is given a beautiful silver medallion, which is supposed to have a mysterious past, by her father. Soon after their arrival, strange things begin to occur...

British character actor Michael Williams (whose resemblance to "The Omen" leading man Gregory Peck may be intended or not) delivers a very good performance in the lead, and Joana Cassidy and genre-beauty Ida Galli make a nice female support. The true star of this film, however, is little Nicoletta Elmi, doubtlessly the greatest child star in Italian Horror cinema, who once again proves that children can be great actors - and unspeakably eerie. 11 years old at the time this film was made, Nicoletta Elmi had already starred in a number of brilliant cult-productions including Mario Bava's "Bay of Blood" (1971) and "Baron Blood" (1972), Aldo Lado's Venetian Giallo "Chi L'Ha Vista Morire" (1972), Paul Morrisey's "Flesh For Frankenstein" (1973) and Dario Argento's masterpiece "Profondo Rosso" (1975). While "The Night Child" is not the most brilliant production Elmi has ever been part of (that would be a draw between "Profondo Rosso" and "Flesh for Frankenstein" for me), it was her first and only leading role, and it proves more than any other film what a great talent she was. Elmi quit acting in her mid-20s in order to become a doctor.

"Il Medaglione Insanguinato" is a film as beautiful as it is eerie. Fantastically photographed on beautiful and impressive settings, and with fascinating set-pieces, this is another film that proves that Italian Horror is as visually overwhelming as cinema gets. The film maintains a haunting and creepy atmosphere from the first minute to the end, the generally eerie mood is intensified by several nightmarish and downright frightening sequences. Eerie, haunting and beautiful, this is yet another great film by the great Massimo Dallamano. Standing ovations for the tremendously gifted Nicoletta Elmi. 8.5/10