renezelwe A distorted 'torture' video is shown to prospective actresses and the interviews take place in a theatre which looks like a multiplex with a circle(my favourite species of multiplex). The video is nearly monochrome with bright red blood. The cinematic story is interesting as are the actresses who make their characters credible. The reality of the story comes to light in the second half where the effects are far more realistic, and this main body of the film is done very well indeed, and even the rough sex does not look ugly. There are three prints to choose from: an Italian print classified 14, which I haven't seen so cannot say if it is cut, a South American print, and a Dutch Eurocult print which impressed me and which is definitely uncut. This isn't quite torture porn perfection like Martyrs and Pernicious, but it is a worthwhile contribution to the subgenre and is presented as a modern Gothic Giallo. This is another film which attracts a lot of unconstructive critiscism, mostly because of its violence. It isn't actually happening, guys.

Sandy Petersen My favorite director of all time is Mario Bava. As such, I have a guilty admiration for the movies of his less-talented son, Lamberto. Lamberto has a pretty leaden eye when it comes to film-making, and really he has only a couple of quality films on his resume.The Torturer is his attempt to make a torture-horror type movie, and he does so in a pretty straightforward fashion. An insane villain tricks women into coming to his deserted studio for "acting tryouts" and then he gets them to climb inside scary boxes and such, and then he tortures them to death.The torture is a little gory, but it's actually less impressive than the kind of stuff we used to see in the 60s, with films such as the Coffin Joe series. The cheesecake isn't bad (if there's one thing Italian films do right, it's having attractive women), but you don't really see anything X-rated. And not enough of the R-rated, if you're a fan.The plot does manage to thicken a little in the last 20 minutes of the film, and some interesting action takes place. Bava, presumably to save money, set most of the film in one single set which looks suspiciously like a normal movie studio. Bava almost always makes one horrible misstep somewhere in each of his movies. In this one, it is the conceit that the demented killer stays hidden from view for most of the movie - he's just a voice over a speaker. And there is no reason for this - his identity is not a secret - he's just a madman. But it removes any chance for the characters to interact.The Italian cinema has decayed mightily since its glory days in the 1970s. I respect Bava for trying to bring it back even with this no-budget exploitation trash. So for that reason, if no other, I recommend the movie.

MARIO GAUCI This is only the fourth effort from Bava Jr. that I've watched – not counting the co-directing credit on his father Mario's last film, THE VENUS OF ILLE (1978); the others were BLASTFIGHTER (1984), DEMONS (1985) and DELIRIUM (1987). I hadn't been impressed thus far, and this latter-day giallo with the current (regrettable) torture-porn mentality certainly didn't improve his lot – if anything, it further sank his chances of ever hoping to equal his old man's influential achievements! Being shot on Digital, the film displays no style whatsoever and looks ugly into the bargain; as for the plot, it's strictly by-the-numbers fare and, therefore, wholly uninvolving. A handsome young man is revealed to have had a disturbed childhood – cue an excruciatingly annoying and recurring ditty – so that we're led to believe that he's the titular figure (especially since the victims are aspiring actresses who had just been auditioning for the would-be boy genius). Then comes the admittedly stunning heroine – who's really there to probe into the fate of a friend who's gone missing but, lo and behold, she instantly falls for the hero. Also involved is his domineering father-in-law/agent and mother (a Daria Nicolodi wannabe) who's all-too-obviously crackers.Needless to say, Bava Jr. lazily opts to pile up, and linger on, the gore (and nudity) rather than – pardon the pun – pump new blood into the exceedingly tired situations. As I said, the revelation – of both the reason behind our hero's torments and the villain's identity – provides no surprise at all, nor the fact that the heroine is rescued (by her lover's mother, who suddenly regains her senses!) in the nick-of-time from a fate worse than death. For what it's worth, I have a bunch of other titles by Lamberto on hand – namely GRAVEYARD DISTURBANCE (1987), UNTIL DEATH (1987), THE PRINCE OF TERROR (1988) and THE OGRE (1988) – which I may or may not get to in time for this Halloween challenge

grzEGOrz I am not very familiar with Lamberto Bava oeuvre, but after 'The Torturer' I don't know if I want to become familiar with it. Story, if there is any, revolves around young director whose work is in vein of grand guignol, and his new mistress - a wannabe actress. She shows up for an audition, but eventually they become lovers. In the background there is plot about mysterious torturer, who does couple of nasty things to some fine looking young woman. But it is really irrelevant, as the main point of the movie is to show some nudity and sex, and a little bit of torture. Movie is done in porno aesthetics - camera focuses on women's breasts and crotches (nothing hard core of course), and the viewer isn't spared camera angle from between one heroine's legs. Acting is completely lame, plot laughable, so it's hard to sit through it. Of course nudity and violence compensates a little the rest of the movie, but only a little bit. Nods to gialli (especially Argento's work) are completely redundant, as they don't add up to the story. Yet violence sometimes becomes very graphic and nasty. and actresses are really good looking. nothing really catchy in here, but one can give a look.