Blonde in Black Leather / Qui comincia l'avventura (1976)

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2.5 out of 5



Harmless and silly, seldom hilarious, Blonde in Black Leather is a road movie comedy that succeeds in winning over an audience on the strength of the charms of the delightful pairing of Monica Vitti and Claudia Cardinale under the direction of Carlo Di Palma, a man better known as a cinematographer. Each shot is well thought out and seems to be selected and composed to provide the most interesting backdrops to the lead pairing as they interact on remote bridges, in pleasant valleys, on beaches, before sunsets and in an illuminated creepy forest. It all looks nice, is paced well and even moments of slapstick are used sparingly enough to be forgivable.

Guido Leontini, henchman extraordinaire, appears briefly while Riz Ortolani provides a quirky genre compatible soundtrack.


Church, The / La chiesa (1989)

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3.0 out of 5



There are so many familiar references in The Church that at times the film feels like a horror movies greatest hits with scenes recreated from The Shining, in this instance the typing of madness, Poltergeist, the crumbling face in the mirror and a demon copulation with a Satanic entourage in attendance straight out of Rosemary's Baby. In execution however the film feels like Indiana Jones meets Demons and Lucio Fulci's Gates of Hell trilogy as an ensemble get the full-on Pandora's Box treatment upon becoming locked in a church.

On top of all this the film has brief scenes that capture the feel of movies such as The Gate, The Crazies and even The Evil Dead. The Church indeed speaks the language of horror, albeit in a way that feels a little over familiar and generic.

Stylistically the film is not distinctly European in execution and, as with Demons and Cemetery Man, this is a horror that could have an appeal that transcends audiences more au fait with Eurocult and the quirks and distinct styles of horror and exploitation directors such as Rollin, Argento, Fulci or Jess Franco. This is far more mainstream.

Amongst familiar Eurocult names such as young Asia Argento, Barbara Cupisti and Giovanni Lombardo Radice the real surprise is the appearance of Holby City regular Hugh Quarshie. He's pretty good here too.




Superargo / L'invincibile Superman (1968)

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3.0 out of 5



There can't be too many superheroes who can shatter a vase using only their mind. This awesome power, plus the ability to stop people decapitating him with an axe using nothing but an intense stare make Superargo the only man able to foil the incoherent scheme of a rather effete master criminal plus his army of lobotomised athletes.

Paolo Bianchini's addition to the Italian superhero genre lacks Diabolik's elan and The Fantastic Argoman's ability to find a woman's cocktail cabinet, but the Jaguar-driving champion wrestler still provides a solid, tongue-in-cheek action hero.

Given the inherent absurdities of the genre, Superargo and the Faceless Giants is a little too staid to be a real romp, and lacks a memorable villain, but there are still some memorable moments. Standout scenes include Superargo foiling an attack of the titular giants by throwing a tree trunk at them, Tex Avery-style, and the hero's mystical Indian guru screaming like a girl as he falls into a pool of quicksand.


Furrow of the Peach, The / Il solco di pesca (1975)

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2.0 out of 5



With a title taken from a dedication to the derrière of Elizabeth Barret Browning it should be immediately obvious that that this pygophilia inspired affair attempts to create a highbrow comedy from the more generally lowbrow genre of the sex comedy. Themes pondered include guilt, fetishism, theology, history, psychology, philosophy, literature and classical Latin and it is all very clever. Unfortunately it is exceptionally unfunny most of the time. Mildly amusing yes, a diversion yes, but one almost totally devoid of laugh out loud moments despite the breezy score and absurd situations promising fun.

On the plus side it is a film that may, for some at least, hold up to repeat viewing as there is far more to consider here than the more prevalent slapstick routines of the more populist sex comedies. For many however the juxtaposition of sexual hi-jinx and intellectual masturbation of the South Bank Show variety may prove to be too much. Indeed, it is not totally clear whether the film seeks to legitimise the genre in polite company or take the piss out of the general mass market target audience of the filone.

For a far more entertaining take on the core theme of the film there is Lucio Fulci's The Senator Likes Women or some of the later comedy works of Tinto Brass. That said, it is still nice to see Gloria Guida in something with a little more depth than the usual Confessions or Carry On type film and if there is a strata of Chekov loving, Browning quoting, Latin speaking, existentialist ass worshippers out there who would like to spend a pleasant hour and a half watching Guida bending over in stockings and short maid outfits while Martine Brochard pouts incessantly then this is surely the film that fits the bill. It's all a bit like one of those boring, yet worthy, comedies that came out of Britain in the mid to late 1980s except with more flesh and no Timothy Spall.




Maurizio Merli header graphic courtesy of Paddy O'Neill of Foxyfide Graphics