[go: up one dir, main page]

    Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

The Murder Secret

Original title: Non aver paura della zia Marta
  • 1988
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
5.2/10
414
YOUR RATING
The Murder Secret (1988)
Horror

A family of 4 makes a long drive to Aunt Martha's house to visit her for the first time in years. Only she isn't there. Just the caretaker and his message that she will appear the next day..... Read allA family of 4 makes a long drive to Aunt Martha's house to visit her for the first time in years. Only she isn't there. Just the caretaker and his message that she will appear the next day...if they survive the night.A family of 4 makes a long drive to Aunt Martha's house to visit her for the first time in years. Only she isn't there. Just the caretaker and his message that she will appear the next day...if they survive the night.

  • Director
    • Mario Bianchi
  • Writer
    • Mario Bianchi
  • Stars
    • Adriana Russo
    • Gabriele Tinti
    • Anna Maria Placido
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.2/10
    414
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Mario Bianchi
    • Writer
      • Mario Bianchi
    • Stars
      • Adriana Russo
      • Gabriele Tinti
      • Anna Maria Placido
    • 14User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos4

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top cast9

    Edit
    Adriana Russo
    • Nora Hamilton
    Gabriele Tinti
    Gabriele Tinti
    • Richard Hamilton
    Anna Maria Placido
    • Richard's mother
    Luciana Ottaviani
    • Georgia Hamilton
    • (as Jessica Moore)
    Maurice Poli
    Maurice Poli
    • Thomas the caretaker
    Massimiliano Massimi
    • Charles Hamilton
    Edoardo Massimi
    • Maurice Hamilton
    Sacha Darwin
    Sacha Darwin
    • Aunt Martha
    • (as Sacha M. Darwin)
    Mario Bianchi
    • Passerby who looks over his shoulder when he crosses Nora
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Mario Bianchi
    • Writer
      • Mario Bianchi
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews14

    5.2414
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    6The_Void

    A decent plot spoiled by a lack of style and tension.

    The Murder Secret was apparently 'overseen' by the great Lucio Fulci. I have no idea what that means, but the great director does have a producer's credit so maybe adding his name to it wasn't just a shameless attempt to sell the film (or maybe it was). Anyway, the film is actually directed by Mario Bianchi who you may (but hopefully not!) remember from the likes of A Girl for Satan and Emanuelle in the Country. The film takes on a mystery/Giallo tone and I get the impression that it could have been rather good with better handling, actors and atmosphere. Anyway, the plot focuses on a family that are making the drive see the father's Aunt Martha. They arrive at the rather large house to find that Martha is not there, but will arrive the next morning. Unbeknown to everyone but the father, Martha has until recently been a guest in a mental hospital. The family is invited in by the caretaker to stay the night while they wait for the Aunt to arrive, but soon after they begin being murdered.

    The film is rather slow for the first hour and not a great deal happens. I actually have no problem with this in theory as a good build up can only be an asset to a mystery film; but unfortunately this build up can't really be considered good as nothing really happens. Lucio Fulci's "influence" kicks in at about the hour mark when the murders finally start happening, and they're fairly bloody - a decapitation with a chainsaw is a particular highlight. The plot itself isn't bad really, but the characters let it down as not a single one of them is interesting and we really just end up waiting for them to be picked off. The film has no style to speak of and the look of the film is extremely bland - a shame considering that atmosphere tends to be one of the best things about good Italian horror. The dubbing is atrocious also, and the soundtrack is one of the worst I've ever heard in an Italian horror film. It all boils down to a terrible ending, which is a shame because it was starting to look like it might finish well. Still, I don't want to totally condemn to the film; it does have its moments and to be honest I'm a sucker for this sort of stuff. Italian horror fans may find something to like...but I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to find it.
    4gridoon

    Slow, gory, twisted and nonsensical

    After spending 30 years in a mental hospital, aunt Martha is free to leave and writes a letter to her relatives, inviting them to spend a weekend on her isolated country house. But when they get there, they meet only the caretaker, who informs them that their aunt has not arrived yet....After 50 slow minutes of virtually NOTHING HAPPENING, there are a few gory murders, and then it's time for the twisted secrets and nonsensical plot revelations. As it often happens in these Italian horror films, there is a very atmospheric score, which actually does most of the director's work for him. And I must mention that the actress who plays the daughter (Jessica Moore) is really hot. There are two scenes of her checking herself out in the mirror, and let me tell you, this girl has every right to be proud of what she sees. (*1/2)
    7Weirdling_Wolf

    Rewards the more patient horror fan with a scurrilous selection of screw-headed set pieces!

    This terrifically trashy, but frequently fun low budget B-Horror is riotously replete with maniacal aunts and all manner of spooky, crudely exploitative Italianate B-horror lunacy! Produced by esteemed horror icon Lucio Fulci, starring charismatic actor Gabriele Tinti, and directed with 'relative' competency by Euro-cult hero Mario 'Satan's Baby Doll' Bianchi. While Mario Bianchi's initially tepid creepshow 'The Murder Secret' takes a wee while to come to the B-Movie boil, but when it finally reaches body temperature it righteously rewards the more patient horror fan with a scurrilous selection of screw-headed set pieces!

    The benign inclusion of a tantalizing shower scene luridly exposing the gratifyingly buxom assets of super-starlet Jessica Moore effectively increases the film's more aggressively voyeuristic content! 'The Murder Secret' is no less bemusing a proposition than many of the Fulci/Lenzi helmed horror films from the same era, and might be more essential to those obsessive B-Movie mavens compelled to watch every gonzo, blood-spattered Italian horror made in the 80s! Happily, there is just enough warped, schlocky shenanigans in 'The Murder Secret' to merit a single viewing, and the distractingly zesty electronic score by maestro Gianni Esposito certainly didn't go unnoticed! Perhaps it might be time for a comprehensive Bianchi Blu-ray horror box set? In addition, ardent Lucio Fulci fans might care to note that this was one of the six films that had its bloodier elements edited into his audaciously skewed splatter masterpiece 'A Cat in The Brain'.
    7CMRKeyboadist

    Not A Bad Horror Flick

    This movie was one hard to find little treasure. If anyone has seen Fulci's "Cat in a Brain" then you most likely have seen some of the death scenes from this flick. A family of four are heading over to stay at Aunt Martha's house for a few days. Apparently, Aunt Martha has been in a psych ward for a good portion of her life and just got out a month earlier. So, she feels compelled to invite her nephew and his family over to celebrate. The problem starts when they arrive. Aunt Martha is not there. Only the caretaker of the estate explains that Aunt Martha got caught up in out of town business and will arrive next morning. Will the family make it through the night? This is not a bad flick. The movie gets a bad wrap because the first hour of the movie is just a lot of atmosphere and character development. The movie does have a pretty good musical score carrying through most of the film. And yes, there is a very obnoxious little brat in the movie (who does get his). Once you get past the first hour the film picks up to several decent gore scenes and a very unusual ending. All in all, not a bad movie and I give it a 7/10.
    7HumanoidOfFlesh

    Great gore, slow-moving film.

    The plot of "The Murder Secret" begins with Richard Hamilton(played by Gabriele Tinti)receiving a letter from his long lost and psychotic Aunt Martha inviting him and his family to visit her at her remote countryside villa.Together he and his wife Nora,their older children Georgia and Charles and their younger son Maurice decide to stay at Aunt Martha's villa.Upon their arrival Aunt Martha is nowhere to be found and the Hamilton's are instead received by the outwardly friendly yet decidedly creepy Thomas who claims that he is Aunt Martha's caretaker and that she will join them shortly.Soon series of bloody murders is set in motion..."Don't Be Afraid of Aunt Martha" by Mario Bianchi is an alright slasher/giallo with three extremely bloody murder scenes including chainsaw decapitation of a young boy.The acting is okay and the plot is entertaining.If you liked similarly gore and nudity laden Andrea Bianchi's "Massacre" give this one a chance.7 crazy aunts out of 10.

    More like this

    Il fantasma di Sodoma
    3.8
    Il fantasma di Sodoma
    Hansel e Gretel
    3.8
    Hansel e Gretel
    La casa nel tempo
    5.7
    La casa nel tempo
    Blue Holocaust
    6.2
    Blue Holocaust
    Torso
    6.5
    Torso
    Anthropophagous : L'Anthropophage
    5.3
    Anthropophagous : L'Anthropophage
    Soupçons de mort
    5.1
    Soupçons de mort
    Le démon aux tripes
    4.8
    Le démon aux tripes
    Fureur primitive
    5.4
    Fureur primitive
    Luna di sangue
    3.9
    Luna di sangue
    L'avion de l'apocalypse
    5.6
    L'avion de l'apocalypse
    Riflessi di luce
    4.2
    Riflessi di luce

    Related interests

    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      One of six films that director Lucio Fulci edited into his very own feature Nightmare concert (1990). The other ones are Bloody Psycho (1989), Hansel e Gretel (1990), Massacre (1989), Il fantasma di Sodoma (1988) and Soupçons de mort (1988).
    • Goofs
      On the drive to Zia Marta's, one of Nora's lines is heard, but her mouth doesn't move.
    • Quotes

      Aunt Martha: [to Richard, Title] Don't be afraid of Aunt Marta ... Your mother left you with me a lot when you were little, until the day she decided to steal my fortune and arranged to have me shut up in that horrible place for more than 30 years! 30 years of terrible suffering. And you, you, oh yes, you! You could have gotten me out. Why didn't you? Why did you leave your aunt like that, my angel? Why did you choose to leave her there?, Those years have been an eternity. So then why? Why did you do it?

    • Connections
      Edited into Nightmare concert (1990)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ12

    • How long is The Murder Secret?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • 1988 (Italy)
    • Country of origin
      • Italy
    • Language
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Don't Be Afraid of Aunt Martha
    • Production company
      • Alpha Cinematografica
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 28m(88 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.