GL84 While traveling to Greece on a train, the murder of a passenger in their compartment forces the group into the police's investigation of the incident, and when they zero in on a photographer he and his girlfriend race to clear his name and unmask the real killer continuing his spree.This was a serviceable enough giallo effort. What this one manages to do rather nicely is utilize an intriguing old-school feel for the main investigation which is carried out here. The opening onboard the train with the lights going out to allow the killer to strike in the darkness gives this a completely old-school feel, and with the majority of the film playing out with the investigating inspector going around trying to piece together the clues to the crime gives this a stellar murder-mystery setup that plays like traditional gialli did earlier in the genre's history. That provides the film ample opportunity for some stellar stalking scenes that get played out here, from the killer striking in an abandoned building while expecting someone else attempting to blackmail them, a stylish sequence of a victim encountering the killer in a darkened apartment where an open window creates a drafty environment replete with billowing curtains or a shocking follow-up where a victim is picked off in a bathroom that plays much like so many other scenes here. With the final taking place in the drawing-room style mysteries of gathering everybody together and exposing the killer through trickery, it has even more old-school flair that has some enjoyment here. As well, the only other piece of enjoyment to be had is the frequent nudity which is nicely supplied throughout here. Still, even with these fine points, there are some issues with the film. The main point holding it back is the rather dull and languid pace that really doesn't do this one much favor by being duller than reasonably necessary. This isn't an interesting group of characters who we're following around waiting for the next strike to occur and it just leaves this one feeling draining as this one goes around with either him in drag trying to clear his name or the airheaded girlfriend getting distracted with everything around her as they put a plan into motion to clear his name. That they're never believable as a couple with the way he seems exasperated with any of her comments regarding how they're supposed to go about matters doesn't do this section much help, and when it goes beyond them to the other passengers this one just feels endless with characters either getting a divorce or going through bland scenes in a nightclub. That relegates the killer to a few places and not being an important aspect makes it hard to remember the type of genre-piece this really is and really disappoints this one especially once it delves into the final half where very little of interest happens until the reveal. The comedy could also be problematic for some who aren't that interested in the affair since it's way too hit-or-miss to be effective, and overall lower this one significantly.Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Full Nudity, Language and sex scenes.

MARIO GAUCI This is another little-known but well-above-average giallo, in its case a latter-day entry; again, we have here an American actor – Robert Webber as an Inspector having to contend not just with a series of murders but a constantly upset stomach! – sparring with the protagonist, Leonard Mann (Italian despite the English-sounding name). Atypically, the film intercuts the genre's trademark intensity with a good deal of humor (including the hero fleeing detection in drag!); while it may feel uneasy at the start, the mix soon becomes acceptable and, in fact, proves considerably entertaining. In this respect, Mann's dumb girlfriend proves a bit much – having said that, there is one other kooky female character, a young safecracker who aids them in unmasking the villain of the piece! As usual, the film concludes with a rushed, muddled and rather banal explanation of the killer's motives (incidentally, the original murder cleverly occurs in a train compartment just as the vehicle enters a tunnel!) – which, however, is atoned for by one last delightful joke involving the inexperienced petty criminal. Like I said, its light mood notwithstanding, DEATH STEPS IN THE DARK (nicely shot in Greece, by the way) certainly does not hold back on blood-letting – since this had become pretty much the norm following Dario Argento's vicious face-lifting of the genre with DEEP RED (1975); still, there is one additional incongruous (and, in hindsight, unnecessary) element in the few – albeit surprisingly explicit – sex scenes (notably a lesbian coupling seen in extreme close-up!)...

Coventry Personally I don't think horror fanatics are people without a sense of humor. We're merely just finicky about our humor and particularly skeptical when it comes to horror movies that simultaneously attempt to be comical. Horror-comedies customarily suck, and the Italian Giallo most certainly isn't a sub genre that lends itself for humorous situations, because basically these movies handle about vile and sadistic murders committed by perverted individuals with preposterous motives. The only directors that dared to insert jokes and goofy situational humor into their Gialli were acclaimed and experienced veterans, namely Dario Argento ("Four Flies on Grey Velvet") and Sergio Martino ("Suspected Death of a Minor"). Maurizio Pradeaux is fairly unknown in the Giallo industry and yet "Death Steps in the Dark"; his second Giallo effort after "Death Carries a Cane" (which I haven't seen yet), shamelessly blends the accustomed ingredients of the sub genre with downright absurd stereotypes and even sheer slapstick. By no means is this a terrible film, but it certainly ain't easy to convince people there actually is a compelling and thrilling whodunit premise hidden between all the ridicule dialogs and dumb blond jokes.As said, the plot is rudimentary Giallo material. Six people sit together in one compartment on the Istanbul-Athens express, seemingly minding their own business, yet when the train comes out of a dark tunnel suddenly only five of them are still breathing. A young nervous woman has been murdered and a young photographer promptly becomes the main suspect because the victim got stabbed with his letter opener. Another train passenger witnessed something peculiar but, instead of alarming the police, he and his girlfriend prefer to blackmail the killer resulting in – thank God – a much higher body count. The police investigation moves too slow, and in order to clear his name Luciano flees and starts his own private search for the culprit, along with his extremely dim-witted Swedish girlfriend and a female amateur safe-cracker. Pradeaux clearly opted for exaggeratedly foolish comedy instead of tension-building and an atmosphere of disturbance. Perhaps because the Giallo was already old news in 1977 and he single-handedly wanted to introduce something different? Or maybe because he thinks laughter and thrills form a better combination than just thrills and more thrills? Fact remains that a lot (and I do mean a LOT) of potentially great suspense sequences are prematurely interrupted with dumb remarks and lame gags. Luckily our oddly ambitious director left the gory and bloodshed intact. "Death Steps in the Dark" contains quite a likable amount of vicious murders committed with a razor, so you can imagine the mess that makes.As for the climax and revelation of the killer's identity: (warning! Here be major spoilers) nice try but you definitely don't need to be a Giallo-expert in order to predict the outcome. It's just a matter of basic elimination. There are five suspects with an equal chance of being the culprit. The script subsequently draws portraits and gives background information on four of them, yet one of them remains a mystery… As if the writer is afraid to accidentally reveal too much about him/her. It's too simple, really. Some characters are just too dumb to commit murders, others behave so exaggeratedly suspicious they can't possibly be the killer and one constantly remains on the background. Then who's the killer?

The_Void I saw Maurizio Pradeaux's other Giallo effort, Death Carries a Cane, and thought it was lacklustre. This film is another lacklustre Giallo from a director who obviously isn't one of Italy's best - but if you look at it as a comedy instead of as a Giallo, what you actually have here is an enjoyable little romp with some amusing characters and humour. Of course, this is unlikely to please most people going into this film and expecting a gritty and macabre gore-fest - but the film really should be taken for what it is. The Giallo style was obviously drying up a little by 1977 anyway, and Pradeaux obviously thought that a spoof would add something new. The film opens with a woman murdered on a train. The carriage passes under a tunnel and when they emerge, the unlucky lady has a letter opener belonging to Luciano stuck in her chest. This obviously makes him the chief suspect in the investigation. Luckily for him, however, he's a master of disguise (or not); and after dressing up as a whore, he manages to evade the police and buy himself some time to catch the real killer.The film takes in all of the Giallo's standard elements, including black gloves and a lackadaisical police investigation. The jokes come thick and fast for pretty much the entire running time, and while it's possible that they're there for comic relief - I find it hard to believe that any scriptwriter could be so misguided, which makes me think that Death Steps in the Dark is spoofing the Giallo style on purpose. The humour is rather funny, however, although the ditsy girlfriend gets a bit tiresome after a while. Director Maurizio Pradeaux obviously thinks that bloody murders are important in a Giallo, as both this one and his earlier film feature some brutal killings. The razor blade slashing here are rather nice, but they do feel out place as the film puts so much focus on humour. The director doesn't have the star quality of Susan Scott to rely on this time round, but Leonard Mann is a good sport in the lead; and the lass who plays 'Little Blatto' is definitely a highlight. Overall, I can certainly see why this film isn't regarded as a classic of the genre; but if you take it with a pinch of salt, you should have fun with it. I did.