5 Dead on the Crimson Canvas

If you're a fan of Italian Gialli…grab the film. This is a stylishly shot low budget film that really attempts to deliver that old sleazy Giallo craziness without being a spoof. This is no comedy, Parda and the cast take the material very seriously.

While some may find the quality of the movie distracting, I found the grain and soft detail quite endearing. It was almost as if I was back in the eighties watching a 6th generation VHS bootleg of Deep Red! The guys behind 5 Dead on the Crimson Canvas even made sure to dub the film slightly off! I laughed my damn ass off as I watched. I kept thinking, "They had to of done this purposely!" and I'm fairly certain they did. It really lent a bit of authenticity to the film. I never feel quite right watching Italian horror films and Gialli with subtitles. It's gotta be dubbed for The Horror Pimp! Granted, it had issues. Which low budget film doesn't, right? One such issue was the soundtrack which fluctuated at times and threatened to drown out the actors vocals. Aside from that it was a decent soundtrack. I would have liked to have heard a soundtrack better resembling something like Goblin but you get what you get.

Another issue I feel worth noting is the dialog. It was extremely stiff at times. Now, I know that's sometimes a trademark of some Gialli, but it felt a bit too stiff in this film. Once again, you get what you get though and it's a minor gripe.

My hat is off to these gentlemen for making such a cool little film. It had a real story, outrageously twisted, interesting characters, tits, day glow blood and even a beatnik poet. Could a Giallo fan ask for anything more?

I was completed enthralled by this film. The plot is thick and yet not difficult to follow. The characters are unique, slightly twisted (some more so) and yet believable. It is more creepy and mental in it's horror, but some scenes are nightmare worthy. I don't generally judge a movie on specific artistic merit - but rather I judge it on it's effectiveness in achieving an artistic vision overall - and it's entertainment factor. This movie is certainly for those that like a little visceral with their mental - the gore is squirm-worthy and the violence is filmed with intense staging. I would recommend this film for fans of Psycho, Phantasm, and Suspiria.

A really great film. Lots of suspense and scares. This is an exceedingly terrifying movie with great character developing. I highly recommend this movie which will make you shake with excitement but tremble with fear

5 DEAD ON THE CRIMSON CANVAS is a pitiful tribute to the 'giallo' genre made on a shoestring budget in America - truly an 'indie' if ever I've seen one. While I do love the giallo film in general, this is totally unlike anything that springs to mind; all it has are murders committed by a black-clad killer and plenty of attempted style. The latter fails throughout, the lowest-common-denominator approach is on boring nudity and bloodshed, and the decision to deliberately add bad dubbing (pre-empting all those fake 'grindhouse' movies that would be made a decade later) is a criminal one.

I saw the movie some years ago on video, and I just came across it's listing on IMDB. It has that dark, "film noir" edge that comes across VERY well on the small screen. It also helps knowing the star, Joe Zaso. I've known him for some years, and have always enjoyed his performances.