Last Caress

Last Caress never really rises to the occasion and offers much that's new or that we haven't seen before, but what it does offer is a refreshingly simple (and quick) giallo homage. It combines elements of well-loved giallos such as Deep Red, Suspiria/Inferno, Blood and Black Lace, and Torso.

The acting and characterizations are about on par with most giallo films and the lighting and set design are wonderfully lush and colorful. The only drawback is the gauzy, digital look of the photography which can betray the vibe it's going for. The sleaze factor is still there, though, with every female in the cast getting nude at some point and suffering an impossibly violent and cruel death. There are machetes to faces, meat cleavers to fingers, and hooks into heads.

At a brisk 72 minutes, Last Caress never overextends itself and even draws up a little suspense during the last act where there's only one final victim to face the killer and they rip off a section of Torso.

There are definitely better giallos out there, but this one moves well, has a lot of fun moments, and you can feel the passion on the screen.

I was warned by a seller at a convention, he just saw this flick and had put it off while attending. My curiosity was of course build and finally I got my uncensored version. It clocked in at 70 minutes, credits included of course.

This is a flick that will have its pros and contras. It was made in France and I guess that all gorehounds, due released over here as Glam Gore, where thinking that this one would fill the list of the ultra gore French flicks like Haute Tension (2003), Martyrs (2008), Frontieres (2007) and A L'intérieur (2007). It doesn't. This flick was purely made for the giallo geeks.

The story if we can tell of a story is one of a kind that nothing is explained or one scene doesn't fit another. What the makers did was making an ode to the giallo's and Italian horrors. All elements are included, the masked face, the glove, the brutal killings, the reflecting sunglasses. You have seen it all before. On the other hand they also included the possessed Italian horrors into their story with sessions going on where one girl her eyes turn to white. They also included scene's that refer to nunsploitation.

The acting is terrible and the story has big holes everywhere but the violence and good effects did offer something to watch. It doesn't become as gory as a Fulci flick but still they slice, slash and cut inti the flesh, most of the effects done on-camera. Another thing is that all the girls do shows their juggs and even one does go full frontal. What failed was the score used, it started as a Goblin rip-off but further in this flick it moves to some kind of techno.

If you are a giallo fan ot Italian horror lover then pick this up. If you love gory shots and nudity then also pick this up but if you're looking for a good story or good acting then you have picked up the wrong DVD. Also on the disc the short film Under The Blade, full of gore and again with a twist towards giallo's.

Gore 3/5 Nudity 2,5/5 Effects 4/5 Story 1,5/5 Comedy 0/5

A group of friends visit the home of one of their ancestors where a deranged killer with a spiked metal glove is desperately searching for an old oil painting (Why? Who the hell knows? Not me, that's for sure); as if that wasn't enough to contend with, the group unwisely hold a seance, releasing the spirit of ancient witch Gabrielle Vajda…

Clearly crafted with the avid giallo fan in mind, Last Caress features many of the attributes common to the genre as a whole (a leather glove-wearing killer with a unique weapon, brutal slayings, strong coloured lighting, an often hard-to-follow plot etc.), but in terms of execution it prefers to emulate the genre's less acclaimed, more sleazy titles, eschewing aesthetics and style in favour of an excess of female nudity and crude gore.

All of the ladies in the film dress like sluts (tight-as-you-like hooker-style dresses, suspenders and stockings) and get naked to some degree, with an obligatory shower scene delivering full frontal from a hot blonde, a prolonged flashback showing a topless Gabrielle being whipped with roses by nuns, and a juicy scene in which a man is garroted during sex, his blood splashing all over the woman's chest; there are also bloody breasts as another unlucky babe is hung on a rather convenient meat-hook, and more bare boobs during a cat fight at the end of the film, both women's clothes being torn to shreds during the ruckus. Other gore scenes include a machete in the face for the film's most annoying character (a floppy haired fop) and a cool burning at the stake for Gabrielle.

While not exactly sophisticated stuff, it's pretty good fun while it lasts and at a mere 72 minutes, never outstays its welcome.

After reading the storyline provided by IMDb you basically have the premise for the entire film, what's missing are the odd & disturbing parts. There was very little dialogue and a ton of really cheep video game type background music that reminded me of 80's films, even more it seemed to be inspired a lot from Dario Argento's films but completely lacked his talent and went right off the tracks. With a run time of around 64 minutes you are glad to see it end as the plot & acting have a cheese factor that is unmeasurable, very little was explained & there were many parts that just made no sense whatsoever. One thing it excelled in was providing an unnecessary overwhelming amount of bloody nude scenes, if that is what you're after I guess then go ahead & watch it, but I would never recommend it even as an OK film.

A giallo homage done right with just the right amount of style, sleaze, and fun. In certain scenes, if you didn't know any better, you could easily think this was a lost Italian horror film from the 70's or 80's. Of course, keeping with the classic giallo tradition, the plot doesn't make much sense and the acting is nothing to shout about, but it keeps things moving well enough so that you don't think about it much.