Torso

Jane (Suzy Kendall- THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE) and her free-spirited, female college friends head out for a weekend of frivolity at a country villa. This, after a be-gloved, masked maniac has already killed two of their number. The police are on the case, and seem to have some definite clues. However, the killer is pretty crafty, and is on a mission.

Once at the villa, Jane and company are having fun, when, guess who shows up to crash their party?

TORSO is another great giallo from the genre's golden age. With an interesting, psychological motive for the madness, several suspects, and almost non-stop nudity, this gem also packs some thrills and suspenseful moments. It delivers the bloody mutilations as well, which should make the gorehounds giddy. Ms. Kendall plays her desperate role with gusto!

Highly recommended for the true connoisseur of carnage and carnality...

"Torso" is a simply stunning giallo. Sergio Martino's movie has some genuine edge-of-the-seat moments, a very attractive female cast, a superb score by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis and beautiful cinematography.

While some of the special effects are a little on the poor side, the film succeeds in keeping the viewer enthralled in the plot and its strong points far outweigh any minor criticisms.

I really enjoyed this movie. It's not often that a film can keep me in suspense like this one did. Stylish, thrilling, erotic and gripping, "Torso" gives most other giallo films a real run for their money.

When you recognise a murder weapon which could implicate a hacksaw wielding murderer who's already killed two other people, what do you do? You go to stay in a remote secluded clifftop villa with your friends, that's what! Nothing could go wrong...

This is a fantastic slice of giallo directed by Sergio Martino in 1973. It's all here- the sumptuous locales, the amazing insistent music score, the deft and stylish cinematography and direction. But, best of all, there's one of the most disturbing and iconic killers in giallo history (which is really saying something). And not only does he look great but he also kicks ass.

This film expertly builds tension with some scenes reminding me of the later Halloween. I wonder if Carpenter had seen this film before making the 1978 classic. I sure as hell hope the makers of the new Halloween film have seen this film (I bet I know the answer to that question but I'll wait until this film is released to either have my hunch confirmed or refuted).

An example of this tension within Torso would be the scene in which the lone survivor is in the villa with the killer thinking that there's no one else there. She's locked in her room but decides to try to get the key which is still in the lock on the outside of the door to fall onto a sheet of newspaper which she's slid underneath. This way she can slide the key under the door and try and free herself. But then...you'll have to watch the film to find out what happens. It's a great scene in a great film.

When it comes to giallo everyone seems to know the work of Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci and Mario Bava and for good reason. But Sergio Martino is an example of another giallo director who doesn't get the attention he deserves. This is a shame as his work is stellar. And Torso is a great 'in' for the horror fan wanting to investigate his work.

With a title like 'Torso' one would expect this Italian horror film to either be very bloody or very lurid. In this case, it's both.

Murders at a Rome college forces a group of lady friends to retreat to an isolated house in the hills. But little do they know the killer has followed them...

While director Sergio Martino isn't Dario Argento or Mario Bava his direction in this film is pretty well done. He makes the most of a simple storyline with some lush filming locations, solid scenes of tight suspense, and an all-around attractive cast. Particularly great is the beautifully atmospheric stalking sequence with Carol in the woods, as well as the highly intense scene where Jane must hide from the killer while he dismembers one of her friends. This effort will be most entertaining to the exploitation fans, as the film has plenty of female nudity and the occasional bit of gore.

The cast is fairly decent, Suzy Kendall is the biggest stand-out though as a young woman trapped by the killer.

Over all a good horror effort that would later influence the slasher genre. Torso isn't for all tastes, but for the game giallo or slasher fan it's a great treat.

*** out of ****

What more can I say? This is by far one of the best Slasher/Giallo's I've happened upon in years! Violent, atmospheric, stylish, moody and did I mention violent?

Yes violent is definitely the word, because this packs it on like hamburger joints pack in salad.... Tons! Slashings, stabbings, eye poking, strangulation, drowning, etc, etc, etc...

Don't listen to people whine about the only uncut version being Italian. I can assure you that once this bad boy starts playing, you won't care one bit!!!

"Bodies Bare Traces of Carnal Knowledge" gets a very BIG 10/10