La Soeur d'Ursula

Sister of Ursula is a bit of an obscurity. It's not a nunsploitation film as the title suggests. It's a twisted giallo with typical themes of Freudian Daddy issues, a killer with black gloves and some gorgeous locations in Amalfi.

It really ups the sleaze factor with full frontal nudity every 10 minutes and some sex scenes. It's actually low on violence apart from the aftermath of dead bodies which are well worth seeing for shock value. The soundtrack is very good, not up there with those by Goblin, Morricone or Riz Ortolani, but memorable enough.

It's not as jumbled plot wise as "In The Folds Of Flesh", but it's also not as exciting as most Giallo. Beyond the cinematography which is easily as good as anything from the luminaries like Bava, Argento and Fulci it's difficult to recommend other than to Giallo fans who want something a bit sleazy without going into the extremes of "New York Ripper" or "Malabimba" territory.

The film was released uncut 18 by Shameless/Argent Films in the UK for DVD and features a nice print.

Hey, aspiring filmmakers, here's a tip: If you want to give your picture an automatic 2 stars right out of the gate, shoot it on Italy's Amalfi Coast, a district so incredibly gorgeous that it makes any film look good! Case in point: the sleazy giallo "The Sister of Ursula" (1978), an otherwise tawdry, far-fetched affair whose stunning backdrop (the area between Positano and Amalfi, and nearby Ravello) is its main selling point. In the film, the two Austrian sisters of the title--randy, normal Dagmar (Stefania D'Amario) and fey, unpleasant Ursula (Barbara Magnolfi)--come to a luxurious hotel after the recent death of their father, but at an unfortunate time. It seems that a local whackjob has taken to killing nubile ladies using an enormous, phallus-shaped...oh, I guess I'd better not say...on the gals' northern Virginias (shades of 1971's "What Have You Done To Solange?"). Many suspects abound, including the hotel's handsome manager (Vanni Materassi) and the resident smack-addicted stud (played by giallo vet Marc Porel, a real-life addict himself). The film features copious amounts of male and female full-frontal nudity; tepid, simulated sex scenes (straight couples, lesbians, female masturbation); and even a surprising glimpse of pudendum. As far as violence is concerned, the dastardly deeds are blessedly done offscreen, with only the gory aftermaths on display. The picture also gives us a lush, catchy theme song in Mimi Uva's "Eyes," stylish direction from Enzo Milioni, and very decent acting by the four leads, but the killer's motivation and demise ultimately seem forced and unsatisfying, somehow. In all, a great-looking mixed bag, nicely presented on this Severin Films DVD, with excellent subtitling and a fascinating, 30-minute interview with Milioni himself.

The Italian giallo eventually suffered a lingering, painful death, merging with the inferior American slasher movies in the 1980's and the vastly inferior American "erotic thrillers" in the 1990's (with which today it is virtually indistinguishable). It was clear though that the rot had set in as early as the late 70's with films like "Play Motel" or this one where the sex and nudity that had always been used to season the genre seemed to become its very reason for being. The only thing that separates a film like this from crappy American softcore porn is its almost cheerful political incorrectness, appalling lapses of taste, and a general paucity of silicone breast implants.

Two sisters with a disturbed past check into a seaside hotel where the guests are suddenly being offed by a killer wielding a most unusual murder weapon, a giant dildo! (Amazingly, this was the second Italian film of 1978, after "Red Rings of Fear", to feature the "death-by-dildo" device). I won't spoil the ending by giving away the identity of the killer, but it pretty much spoils itself within the first ten minutes. This one fails utterly as a giallo (or a real movie for that matter), but I guess it kind of succeeds on the level of softcore pornography--the photography is good, the scenery is pretty, and the score is decent. The actresses are also all pretty attractive, especially the one who plays the lounge singer "Stella Shining" (although I don't know that most guys would want to bury their entire face in her backside like one Italian lothario very graphically does here).

I'd recommend this perhaps for giallo completists (and maybe serious porn addicts), but for everyone else. . .uh, probably not.

LA SORELLA DI URSULA (aka. "The Sister of Ursula" / "Curse of Ursula") of 1978 is an incredibly sleazy Giallo that is primarily recommendable for its perverted sleaze, beautiful settings and beautiful female cast members. Directed by the rather un-known Enzo Milioni, the film is certainly not a particularly memorable, suspenseful or convoluted example for Suspense-cinema's most intriguing genre, but, overall, the genre-typical combination of sleaze and elegance (the focus is on the sleaze-part in this case) makes it interesting enough for my fellow Giallo-enthusiasts to track down.

The beautiful Austrian sisters Ursula (Barbara Magnolfi) and Dagmar Beyne (Stefania D'Amario) come to Amalfi in Southern Italy in search of their mother, who left their late father a long time ago. Upon their arrival, a prostitute is murdered in a highly perverted and gruesome manner. Ursula, who has been traumatized by the death of her beloved father, seems hostile towards others and is sure that somebody is out to kill her as well...

The film is incredibly sleazy, though not particularly brutal for Giallo-standards. It starts out well, but gets a bit repetitive after a while. In its sleaziness, is sometimes compared to GIALLO A VENEZIA (1979), another incredibly sleazy Giallo made after the genre's heyday (which I would call the years 1970-1975), though that film was arguably the most graphically sadistic Giallo of all. LA SORELLA DI URSULA is far more elegant, however. The coastal small-town Amalfi in Campania, Italy is incredibly beautiful, and a wonderful location for any film, especially a Giallo. The hotel in which most of the film takes place is full of incredibly cool set-pieces. The genre-typical score featuring a mysterious female singing voice is beautiful and supports the film's elegance and eerie atmosphere. The murders are nasty, but not particularly brutal, since the killings as such are not that graphic. There are tons of sleaze and gratuitous female nudity, which is very graphic even for softcore-pornography standards. This is very welcome, since the female cast consists entirely of stunning beauties. The most ravishing woman in the film is Barbara Magnolfi, who will be recognized by any fan of Italian Horror for her supporting role in Dario Argento's masterpiece SUSPIRIA (1977), most likely the most famous of all Italian Horror films. She's also a fine actress, and delivers the most convincing performance here. Stefania D'Amorio, who plays her eponymous sister, is also very beautiful, as are the other female cast members. The male cast includes Cult-cinema regular Marc Porel in a shady role.

Overall, LA SORELLA DI URSULA isn't a must-see, and there are numerous Gialli that should be seen before this one. However, it provides sleazy and elegant entertainment, and while it isn't the most suspenseful specimen of the genre, my fellow Giallo-fans should have a good time watching it. Just don't expect anything on a par with Sergio Martino or Dario Argento.

People do not seem to like this one although they all seem certainly to like the Italian Amalfi coast and the stunning vistas and the pretty villages. I have to say that there are plenty of steps, balconies and little streets so lovely. Actually I also like the ladies and the sex which is really well done and I wouldn't have called it as sleazy but of course the dildo killings I would have. The beautiful, Barbara Magnolfi was in Suspiria (1977) the previously year and with The Suspicious Death of a Minor (1975) but has very little else for some reason. Stefania D' Amario who plays the sister in this film was also with, Zombie (1979), Nightmare City (1980) and Identification of a Woman (1982). Whether it is down to Vittorio Bernini as the cinematography or as the director Enzo Milioni who also did the story and the screenplay, it looks wonderful, all the time.