Short Night of Glass Dolls (1971)
* *Another routine giallo. It has the interesting framing device of being narrated by someone everyone thinks is dead, so there’s the mystery of how he ended up in such a state, the question of will he be discovered in time and the expected murder mystery. The climactic scene is bonkers, but getting there is bland.
The Third Part of the Night (1971)
* *Film debut of notorious Andrzej Zulawski is reported to be his most ‘normal’ film, though it was still difficult for me to get through. There are only a couple of screaming fits, but the surreal/twisty plot and dialogue that had me questioning the accuracy of the subtitles left me mostly befuddled. Wanting to get into Zulawski’s particular madness, I focused on some of the interesting imagery, where he can be most memorable. I’ve added his 2nd film, Diabel, to this Marathon, which shows that even if I’m not satisfied, I’m still curious.
Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971)
* * ½ A parade of mediocre giallo is one way to get me to appreciate Dario Argento. You can spot the difference in cinematic skill immediately, even if the script is just as bland, with some terrible comedy. Positives include
an interesting mask worn by the killer, a terrific shot following a body falling backwards down stairs with its head banging against every step, and a clever explanation for the title.
Blood Freak (1972)
½ A guy does too much drugs and turns into a giant turkey monster. According to Letterboxd, there are 30 worse films in this Marathon, but that would surprise me. It surpasses Terror in the Midnight Sun as the worst I’ve seen so far, though still slightly better than
Night of the Lepus, also released in 1972. This barely qualifies as a film with occasional cutaways to a guy sitting at a desk to fill in story gaps. Big laugh for the sound of a turkey gobble to attempt suspense.
Raw Meat (1972)
aka. Death Line
aka. Sub-Humans
* * ½ Donald Pleasence plays a Scotland Yard Inspector investigating a series of disappearances in the London Underground connected to a collapsed train tunnel and an aborted rescue of the survivors. Despite a cameo by Christopher Lee, this is grittier and grislier than Hammer Horror. Also less fun, though I begrudgingly respect bringing a darker tone to U.K. Horror.