radiobirdma Finally, a so-called "giallo" that's working vs. the formula. Corinne Cléry makes it quite clear when the Commissario (Michele Placido) asks her for a dance: "Recite an Apollinaire poem for me." De facto, the shadow of the famous French proto-surrealist is lurking everywhere in Paolo Cavara's tongue-in-cheek, poptastic homage to Heinrich Hoffmann's gruesome cautionary tales, published as "Struwwelpeter" in 1845. At first sight the usual psycho killer rubbish, E Tanta Paura is brimming with bizarre surprises, as in the orgy flashback sequence in the Fauna Lovers Group Sex Club (including a porn cartoon by Italian animatore Gibba) or the acidly humorous slaughterhouse scene, and you won't get much better dialogue for your money ("She cheated on me with a white guy." "But you're white as well." "I'm Neapolitan, that's different"). The denouement might be a bit underwhelming, but Cavara's elegant direction, Franco di Giacomo's skillful cinematography, Daniele Patucchi's versatile soundtrack and the splendid cast – special jury prize for the sardonic John Steiner – add up to an intertextual fun(house) ride breaking it down light-handedly that "giallo" can be a whole lot more than those bland Argento bummers: in this case, a vitriolic grotesque bowing its serpent's head in reverence to the origins of the Grand Guignol.

HumanoidOfFlesh A series of brutal and savage murders baffles police.Egocentric inspector Gaspare Lomenzo(Michele Placido)wants to catch elusive killer.The victims were the members of a bizarre sex club called The Fauna Lovers.The club is led by eccentric and filthy rich author Hoffman.The accidental death of a hooker Rosa may help to solve this tough criminal case...After making brilliant giallo "Black Belly of the Tarantula" Paolo Cavara made "Plot of Fear".The film is well-acted and very suspenseful with several surprising plot twists.The set designs are garish,the ladies are beautiful and there is a bit of sleaze.The murders are stylish and unrelenting for example one female victim is burned alive.The portrayal of wealthy decadence in "Plot of Fear" comes across as depressing and unforgiving.8 giallos out of 10.

The_Void The Giallo style may have been losing some of its popularity by 1976, but that didn't stop Paolo Cavara from delivering this excellent little Giallo! Paolo Cavara is best known for his brilliant 'Black Belly of the Tarantula', and while this film is not as good as the earlier one; Plot of Fear delivers most of the Giallo trademarks (murders, mystery, sleaze etc) with style and it has to be said that Plot of Fear is another success for the director (who sadly only made two films in this genre). The Italian title 'E Tanta Paura' roughly translates into English as 'Too Much Fear', and while that may sound like a bad title; it actually does have some relevance later on. Like many of the best Giallo's, this one begins with a murder. We see a middle aged man killed by a transvestite prostitute, and from there director Paolo Cavara shows he isn't going to be doing too much waiting around as he quickly delivers another murder. The police soon catch on to this, and quickly work out that it's the work of the same killer. Pictures from a fairytale book by a man called Hoffman are found at both scenes; and it all seems to tie to an animal friendly organisation...The plot portrayed in Plot of Fear is, like many Giallo plots, very convoluted; but director Paolo Cavara does a good job of making sure that it comes off as coherently as possible and despite the many different angles, the film never becomes overly confusing. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that the director manages to keep a high level of suspense up throughout the film, and this ensures that Plot of Fear is always thrilling. It would seem that sleaze was the main intention with this film, and while it's not as raunchy as some other genre films, there's certainly no shortage of sleaze here, which of course is a good thing. The film is well acted by a somewhat experienced cast, which sees Michele Placido taking the lead role and always keeping the audience engaged in his performance. The murders are fairly brutal though most aren't overly gory. Director Paolo Cavara succeeds in giving the film a dark and macabre atmosphere which always benefits the film. The ending is a bit of a mess, but it doesn't spoil what went before it, and overall, Plot of Fear is a very good Giallo that is worthy of more attention!

christopher-underwood Likable, if not particularly stylish or violent despite the many and varied killings. Lots going on with all manner of activity including wild animals and wild women. Some interesting play with the emerging European cinematic interest in mixed race activity. The lovely Corinne Clery looks good all the time, both clothed and unclothed and everything moves along beautifully, if more than a little confusedly! Still, what's new with giallo, although this edges more towards cop-thriller without any of the giallo style present in the same director's Black Belly of the Tarantula. The music is as bit below par too but the complicated police investigations are carried out with some flair and the liberal peppering of naughtiness ensures there is never a dull moment.