The Washing Machine

I recently watched Umberto Lenzi's TV movie House of Lost Souls, in which a boy is decapitated by a a possessed washing machine. Knowing nothing about Ruggero Deodato's The Washing Machine, I half expected a film full of such appliance-based craziness, but was surprised by a distinct lack of killer kitchen equipment. The washing machine in this late giallo from the director of Cannibal Holocaust remains lifeless and doesn't kill anyone; it is merely the receptacle for the dismembered body of a murdered man. Or is it?

Inspector Alexander Stacev (Philippe Caroit) is called to investigate the suspected murder of pimp Yuri Petkov (Yorgo Voyagis), as reported by luscious lush Ludmilla Kolba (Barbara Ricci), who claims that she saw the man's gory remains stashed in the washing machine in the apartment that she shares with her two sisters, buxom call-girl Vida (Katarzyna Figura) and seductive cutie Maria (Ilaria Borrelli). Of course, by the time Stacev arrives at the girls' home, the body has disappeared, leaving the cop to believe that Ludmilla imagined everything, the hallucinations of an alcoholic. Ludmilla continues to press the cop to investigate, and not one to say no to a beautiful woman (or three), he does so, his police procedure involving having sex with all three Kolba sisters (not at the same time - he's not THAT lucky!).

Often, when a giallo goes down the sleazy route, there's some indication of the sordid content in the title: Strip Nude For Your Killer, Naked You Die, Perversion Story, French Sex Murders... you get the idea. Not so here... hidden behind a misleadingly innocuous title lies an endless procession of semi-clothed or naked babes, Deodato filling the screen with as much tempting female flesh as possible: barely a minute goes by without some kind of gratuitous nudity, whether it be from the three sisters, or one of the random strippers that plug the gaps. The film's twisty-turny plot is fairly routine for the genre, and there are no elaborately staged death scenes, so it's a real bonus that there's so much top-notch Italian totty on display, the raunchiness really helping to hold one's interest.

Towards the end of the film, Deodato throws in a wonderfully messy scene in which Vida hacks away at a mutilated corpse, shoving her hand inside to pull out its organs, which will go some way to satisfying gore-hounds, but this film is all about the sexiness, and in that it definitely succeeds.

7/10. Take it for a spin!

Ruggero Deodato is, of course, best known for the exploitation classic Cannibal Holocaust; but he's directed a few lesser known films that aren't too far behind in quality - and this stylish, sexy romp is certainly one of them! It's true that I like good sleaze more than most people, but I can honestly say that if you've been intrigued by Giallo's such as Silvio Amandio's Amuck or Luciano Ercoli's Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion, The Washing Machine is sure to delight! The focus with this film is purely on the sex scenes, and Deodato has managed to create a thriller that is surprisingly erotic, as he makes great use of his actress' assets! The film focuses on three sisters (intriguing enough on its own), who have to call the police when the body of a pimp named Yuri is found in their washing machine. However, when the inspector arrives, the body disappears - but this is a copper that doesn't let a case go easily, and after taking the decision to devote all of his free time to both the case and the three sisters in question, he soon finds himself a part of their sex games.

Given the plot and the fact that it stars three very sexy women, you would be forgiven for thinking that The Washing Machine is merely soft-core porn. Director Ruggero Deodato apparently said that he made this film purely for the money, but I find that hard to believe as great care and attention seems to have been put into the film. The lighting in many scenes is fantastic, while the score and lush Gothic locations enhance the surreal plot. Even the acting isn't bad, which is a huge rarity for Italian cinema. The three ladies make up the backbone of the film, and as you might expect; every scene that features them is a treat. The girls' look sexy whether they're dressed or not, and I'm pleased to say that all three of them spend more time in the latter state! The story plays second fiddle to the sex scenes, but it's admirable that a movie like this has a story at all. Deodato ensures that the movie flows well, and that there's always something of interest when none of the characters are having sex. Overall, The Washing Machine is extremely sleazy and surprisingly erotic; and while I may be praising it too highly, I've got to say that I really enjoyed the film and recommend it to anyone that likes their sleazy horror films!

A fine little film from cult director Ruggero Deodato, not one of his personal favourites but one of the few you can see in the UK uncut. It is certainly worth watching, most people think of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST when the name Deodato is mentioned, which is a shame because he has directed some very entertaining films and this is one of them. If you like erotic thrillers then this is for you, if you just like to be entertained then this is also for you.

Utterly demented thriller (giallo?) about three twisted sisters that fall for the same type of men and use their washing machine as a killer device. Police inspector Alexander Stacev is bound to go nuts as all three sisters turn out professional liars and dedicated to get him in bed. It's hard to believe that this light-headed, almost comical horror cheapie was directed by Ruggero Deodato, creator of notorious Italian gut-munchers like "Cannibal Holocaust" and "Last Cannibal World". Judging by the ludicrous premise and absurd story-twists, Deodato must have been suffering from an identity crisis, or something! There's more gratuitous sex and nudity in "The Washing Machine" than in the average Shannon Tweed TV-thriller, but the actresses are bustier (especially the Polish Kashia Figura) AND there's splatter, too! What more could you possibly wish for? A terrific musical score, perhaps? There's that too!

In this latter day Giallo, Police Inspector Alexander Stracev is called to the home of three sisters to investigate a crime. One of the sisters claims to have found the mutilated body of a pimp named Yuri in her washing machine. When Inspector Stracev arrives, he finds no body and no sign of there having ever been a body. But the more he investigates, the more enthralled he becomes by each of the three sisters as they take turns trying to seduce him, tempting him with information about what happened to Yuri and accusing each other of responsibility for Yuri's disappearance. Inspector Stracev is not sure what he's on to, but he can't get away from it. The sisters keep drawing him in deeper and deeper.

With a name like The Washing Machine, I had no idea what to expect. What I found was an entertaining Euro-thriller that exceeded my somewhat guarded expectations. Director Ruggero Deodato (better known for his cannibal films) has created a very stylish (as stylish as Budapest, circa 1993, can be), quick moving and entertaining film that kept my interest from the opening scenes. The pacing is nice and I enjoyed the way Deodato allowed the plot to unfold in bits and pieces during several erotically charged moments. The mystery elements kept me guessing until the very end. There were questions I couldn't wait to be answered - Was there really a body in the washing machine? Are the three sisters as completely mad as they seem? Or, are these women using the Inspector as part of some sort of elaborate game? It's all very nicely done.