Body Puzzle

There once was an era, approximately from the late 60's up until the early 80's, during which nearly every Italian director delivered his own personal giallo-movie and they featured the craziest plots and the most far-fetched red herrings. What great times they were! After this, however, the magnificent sub genre almost got extinct and there were only TWO directors that regularly attempted to breathe new life into the formula of mad black-gloved killers and sleaze-laden twists. Dario Argento is the king even to this day and the other one is Lamberto Bava, who was responsible for some truly underrated giallo-efforts like "Delirium: Photos of Gioia" and "You'll Die at Midnight". "Body Puzzle" is yet another criminally neglected film that features all the giallo's extraordinary trademarks, although that sadly also includes the major holes in the plot. "Body Puzzle" serves the absolute most implausible story I've ever beheld, but there are plenty of sadistic & gore-soaked murders on display and the absurd screenplay hints at some controversial topics like hidden homosexuality and schizophrenia. Lamberto Bava doesn't really bother to keep the killer's identity secret, as we immediately witness how a handsome young man brutally stabs an anonymous candy store owner to death. Several more grisly murders are committed before police inspector Michael discovers that the victims have one thing in common. They all received donor organs from a pianist who died in a motorcycle accident and the mysterious killer tries to puzzle him back together. The inspect is much quicker when it comes to falling in love with the deceased pianist's wife, played by Joanna Pacula. "Body Puzzle" completely stops to make sense halfway, but you've got to love Bava's enthusiast direction and his desperate efforts to maintain the suspense. The music and camera-work are more than adequate while the cast features some familiar faces. Giovanni Lombardo Radice briefly appears as the exaggeratedly gay acquaintance of both the killer and the dead pianist. Italian horror fans will certainly recognize him as the poor sucker who always dies sensationally ("Cannibal Ferox", "City of the Living Dead", "Cannibal Apocalypse"…).

"Body Puzzle" is a genuine example that the gialli were still brought to life with style in the 90's. Features a high end cast, a nice plot twist and better score than most other 90's (and late 80's) gialli. I would say that this one and Argento's "Stendhal syndrome" are the two best giallo thrillers from the 90's. Well done, Bava Jr.

An absorbing giallo , with an above -average screenplay; sometimes one thinks of the golden hour of Dario Argento (roughly 1967-1980) Gore is kept to the minimum and this story of body parts is not a remake of "les mains d'Orlac" or the poor adaptation of Boileau -Narcejac 's "body parts" .

The story is labyrinthine and definitely off the beaten track ; it deals with split personality ,homosexuality and mistaken identities ; the trick of the photograph is so simple (and so effective) that one wonders why it had not been used before .Lamberto Bava never equalled his father Mario's best horror films such as " I tre volti della paura" ,but here,he delivers the goods .

Very decent horror/thriller, not quite falling into the 'giallo' category as few of the classic ingredients are present, except perhaps plot holes and inefficient policemen, but let us not be churlish. This is a grisly tale with more than a few twists and killings. It is more what happens after the kills that is particularly grisly and then we have various bits being sent to the leading lady. Joanna Pacula plays throughout the movie a heroine in peril and pretty well too. Stylishinteriors at the start remind one of A Blade In The Dark and whilst this is not as consistent as that film it is nonetheless a decent ride.

"Body Puzzle" is a typical Italian thriller,not exactly a masterpiece,but it delivers some surprising twists.The death scenes are pretty vicious and graphic,especially when the woman has her hand chopped off.Director Lamberto Bava creates a reasonable amount of suspense and Luigi Kuvellier("Deep Red","Blood for Dracula")does the slick photography.Polish horror queen Joanna Pacula("Warlock 2","The Kiss" and awful "Haunted Sea")is pretty good as a widow in peril.It's also very nice to see Giovanni Lombardo Radice("House on the Edge of the Park","Gates of Hell","Cannibal Ferox")as the epicene Morangi.Overall this one is worth a look,if you like Italian giallos.