Nigel P I don't know why I find it comforting that there are many giallo films, especially from the early 1970's, but I do. Those I have seen are consistently well made and well told, competently acted (compromised often by occasionally poor dubbing into English) and never less than interesting. They follow a similar pattern – often there is a black-gloved/masked killer and several nubile young women in jeopardy. The male heroes often appear to compete with them in the beauty stakes. Here, the meticulously styled Gregory Moore (Jean Sorel) is the main man here, but he is upstaged regularly by the wonderful Barbara Bach as his girlfriend Mira ("You're adorable," he tells her at one stage, and I can only agree). She is particularly striking in her final scenes.The main difference between this and others of its genre is when we first meet Moore, he appears to be dead. We return to his unblinking, unmoving body at various stages of the story as it is prepared at the mortuary – the shocker is that Moore still appears to think and to reason. Quite how this has come about and continues, is a mystery throughout; luckily for us all, the film is mainly told in flashback, and it deals with the lead-up to Moore's apparent incarceration and the disappearance of Mira.Giallos are often leisurely paced, at least initially, and this is certainly no exception – in fact there are no glimpses of any answers for a lot of the running time, which often makes the viewing annoyingly opaque.When they come, the revelations are particularly harrowing and exciting, and things race to a head in a wincingly powerful way. And then, at this peak, the end credits scroll down; it is over. It is a frustratingly sharp finale, but expertly handled, the finale brings things to an end in a way you may not forget in a hurry.

Leofwine_draca A superior giallo classic from Aldo Lado, who would follow it up with the watchable but not quite so gripping WHO SAW HER DIE?. SHORT NIGHT OF THE GLASS DOLLS is an acknowledged classic of the genre for the few people who have seen it, a suspenseful and thoroughly atmospheric conspiracy thriller which takes an understated approach to rival the sheer claustrophobic paranoia of such '70s classics as INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. Lado's movie is expertly-made, from the stylish cinematography which brings the beauty of the Prague location to the fore, to the strong acting on display and the fitting score by genre maestro Ennio Morricone.The conspiracy lies at the centre of the movie and we watch as the lead, Gregory, gradually gets a step nearer at a time to discovering the truth about the disappearance of his girlfriend, as played by the incredibly fragile Barbara Bach. The slow-paced nature of the narrative may be off-putting to some viewers but the lack of action is by no means a hindrance, rather a plus as Lado takes time out to characterise the leads, build atmosphere, and also work on the level of suspense the film offers, ever increasing. The framing narrative of the story unusually comes from the point of view of Gregory's corpse, or rather his body as he is suffering from a form of the rare condition catalepsy (which of course led to Edgar Allan Poe's fears of being buried alive). However, the fear of something much worse is at hand here - an autopsy! The finale involves Gregory's body being laid on the autopsy table in front of a student college and is sheer nail-biting stuff, which brings the tension up to breaking point and is near unwatchable. An extremely powerful conclusion that I can't really say any more about, other than it's well worth waiting for and one of the scariest bits of cinema I've seen in a long while.Lado ignores the typical horrific approach for the genre - i.e. to ladle in oodles of sadism and gore - and instead concentrates on psychological horror over the physical stuff - there are no faces burned off by acid or gruesome knifings in this movie. Instead what we have is a deliberate pacing which helps get us into the increasingly desperate head of the lead Gregory as he alienates those around him and becomes a murder suspect himself as he hunts for the missing Mira, becoming increasingly dishevelled as he does so. Lado has some excellent set pieces in which the filming and lighting are spot on (take for instance the shot where Gregory hides in the darkened room, or the train station murder sequence). Technically the film is perfect and, seen in its subtitled version, the dialogue is witty, believable, and often packed with double-meanings.Jean Sorel is perfectly cast as the young, handsome male lead, in what is a chivalrous and Franco Nero-type role. His acting gets better as he gets increasingly fraught throughout the production and I couldn't imagine a better actor in the role. The supporting cast also turn in strong performances which give the movie a realistic edge - you don't feel like you're watching actors acting here, just real people. Lado deepens his movie with political subtexts and inserts some arty clues (a case of butterflies which cannot fly), which are the norm for the genre. The title, incidentally, refers to a crystal chandelier which hangs above Sorel's bed. Other spine-shuddering moments include mysterious characters hanging around on street corners (always a good scare for me) and a really weird orgy/Satanic ritual which comes as a real surprise. Lado's movie avoids being sleazy (there are nude scenes, but mainly of old women!) and gory yet stands out as one of the highlights of the giallo genre - a minor classic that deserves a better reputation than the (lack of) one it has at the moment.

lovecraft231 After the success of Mario Bava's "Blood and Black Lace", one thing was for certain: There was gold in them giallo films. Giallo, for the uninitiated, started as a series of pulpy crime novels from Italy, with the name stemming from the trademark yellow cover background. It wasn't until the 60's that movie versions came about, only to end up steering towards horror. With that, films like Argento's "The Bird With the Crystal Plumage", Antonio Margheriti's "Naked You Die", and Lucio Fulci's "Perversion Story" started popping up. Today, we look at one of the most celebrated titles in this sub-genre, Aldo Lado's* "Short Night of Glass Dolls." The dead body of Gregory Moore (Jean Sorel) is discovered. Or is he really dead? Throughout the movie, we hear his thoughts, as he must piece together the events that have lead to him laying on a steel table, motionless and unable to do anything. As he goes through a series of flashbacks, he soon starts to remember events that involved murder, madness and a girl named Mira (Barbara Bach), who has a strange obsession with butterflies.A unique twist on the sub-genre, "Short Night of Glass Dolls" is an expertly directed, shot, scored (by the one and only Ennio Morricone) and plotted murder mystery with occult overtones. Part of what stands out about it is that angle, which is strikingly unique, and adds an element of the fantastic to a genre that usually deals with human evil (though I could have done without the image of old people having sex.) Also notable is the lack of graphic violence on display. There's only one on screen murder, and it's somebody being pushed off a ledge. I quite like the fact that there's so little on screen mayhem, as it adds to the Hitchcock like plot and events.If there are any problems, it's in the ongoing narration from Gregory Moore. Usually, it works great, but there are moments (especially nearing the end) in which it get's annoying. Also, a minor complaint, but again, I really didn't need to see all those naked old people.Those are all minor complaints though, as "Short Night of Glass Dolls" is absolutely essential for fans of giallo films, especially for beginners and those wanting a unique spin on the genre. Highly recommended.

preppy-3 American reporter Gregory Moore (played by French Jean Sorel) is in Prague with fellow reporters Jessica (Ingrid Thulin) and Jack (Mario Ardof). He prepares to leave and go to England with Czech girlfriend Myra (Barbara Bach). However she suddenly disappears without a trace. Moore starts to investigate but the police try to block him, his friends tell him to forget her and a mysterious man is following him...This is advertised as an Italian giallo but I don't think it really is. At the end it becomes one but about 85% of the movie is just a thriller--a good thriller but not a giallo. The title means next to nothing (as the director says in a short interview on the DVD). It was supposed to be called "Short Night of the Butterfly" (which does work) but it had to be changed at the last minute. "Glass Dolls" was just picked out of thin air. The film is hurt by poor dubbing--some of the dialogue is virtually incomprehensible. I had to keep turning the volume up and down to hear! That aside this is a good movie. The plot is complex and it's beautifully directed. The DVD of this has a gorgeous transfer. The acting is good by everybody--especially Sorel and Thulin. There's also a beautiful score by Ennio Morricone that perfectly fits the film. All in all a good strong thriller worth catching.