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10 out of 11 people found the following review useful: Murder and sex in the loony bin, 6 August 1998 Author: Stefan Kahrs from Canterbury, England
With the retreat of film censorship in Europe and the US in the late 1960s and early 1970s the makers of exploitation films were left loose on the somewhat unsuspecting cinema goer. Both gore and sex content of such films increased dramatically, while less care was taken to embed the spectacle in a coherent, gripping and believable story. This was particularly obvious in the Italian Giallo, a genre that emerged in those years from the traditional Italian horror film and the German Edgar Wallace thrillers.Here we have a typical example of the genre: a serial killer is on the loose , we see gruesome and gory (but stylish) killings that do not reveal the identity of the murderer, have some sex thrown in at good measure, and are finally rather disappointed when the murder mystery is solved.Asylum Erotica is set in a mental hospital for the very rich, on some isolated location in the countryside. The asylum is run by Dr. Keller -- played by Klaus Kinski in one of his many personifications of psychiatrists. The patients are busy having a good time, including the inevitable hanky -panky (come in Rosalba Neri as the resident nymphomaniac), when suddenly corpses are starting to pile up. Apparently, they have been killed with some medieval weapons that are conveniently on open display in the lounge. Why has nobody considered them a safety hazard -- this is a mental hospital , after all? Why aren't they tucked away after the first killing(s)? We shall never know.Clearly, this isn't a great film, but it is still quite watchable, certainly if you like Eurosleaze. For fans of Kinski and Neri this is a 'must'.
9 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Still Delivers the Goods! [Spoiler's A'Plenty!!], 29 March 2004 Author: Steve Nyland (Squonkamatic) from New York, USA
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
SPOILER ALERT: This essay contains more spoilers than a copy of the film's script, was originally intended for a fan site, and assumes a working knowledge of the movie beforehand. --After almost a year of obtaining examples of this long lost [and apparently soon to be resurrected] sex thriller I finally sat down with an old drinking buddy last night, assaulted an 18 pack of Molson's, and about halfway through we turned to Fernando diLeo's nasty little film for a couple of laughs, and it delivered.I say "nasty" only to play into the movie's sordid reputation. Known variably as ASYLUM EROTICA, SLAUGHTER HOTEL, the original title of La Bestia uccide a sangue freddo, THE COLD BLOODED BEAST and a French title translating out roughly as THE INSATIABLE EROTIC DOLLS OF PROFESSOR HITCHCOCK, SLAUGHTER HOTEL [as we will refer to it here] was one of the most effective of the post LA RESIDENCIA/HOUSE THAT SCREAMED thrillers to come off of the continent that began mixing graphic sexual content with increasingly graphic violence: the only question became how to narratively justify the sex & blood. Fernando diLeo chose an amusingly satisfactory angle that actually sounds like the premise for a porno film: A masked, ruthless killer runs amok at a "rest home"/insane asylum catering to sexually insatiable wealthy nymphomaniacs, all of whom are naturally a standout elite corps of Eurohorror's sex queens: Margaret Lee, Rosalba Neri, Jane Garret, with the always willing Monica Strebel on hand as a ravishingly gorgeous asylum staff member who gives new meaning to the term "Wet Nurse". Eurohorror heavyweight [and frequent Italian sleaze co-enabler extraordinaire] Klaus Kinski plays the kind Professor Keller who has a haircut that makes him look like a member of Yes and is onscreen for maybe 15 of the movies 90 minutes or so of activity, during which [on the Gorgon tape, at least] he gets to smoke two or three cigarettes, speak a few lines of psychobabble, and have Margeret Lee fall in love with him. Pretty good for a couple week's work, I'd say. A somewhat confused and elderly looking John Carlson plays the clinic's lead physician, with various other orderlies and groundskeeping staff rounded out by the sinister Dr. Hyde, actor Fernando Cerulli made up to look somewhat like an alter-ego to Kinski's good Professor. A kewpie doll to those who can guess whom the killer turns out to be.This is one interesting asylum: the "guests" are free to come & go as they please -- although since the villa it is located in is in the middle of nowhere they are effectively trapped in a guilded cage -- and the delightful patients seem to spend the vast majority of their time playing croquet [which must have some subtextural meaning about knocking balls through hoops that I am missing], lounging around having cocktails & chatting with each other about their common ailments, luxuriating in bubble baths while helpful attractive female nurses soap their breasts for them, seducing the "good-meaning but gosh darn it he's a man" gardener, trying to initiate group sex encounters with the orderlies, smoking and endless supply of cigarettes, and above all else, masturbating.There is more masturbation in SLAUGHTER HOTEL than most straight-up porno movies. Since the Gorgon tape of SLAUGHTER HOTEL is a cut R rated version, the masturbation is implied/suggested/depicted in anticipation of or the laborious aftereffects thereof. While my buddy & I chugged beers and let the film unfold I had to step outside for drags off a series of half-smoked cigarettes, and the question I'd keep yelling from the door would be "HOW'S THE MASTURBATION LOOKING?" "CUT." Would be the reply. THE INSATIABLE EROTIC DOLLS OF DR. HITCHCOCK apparently has the graphic inserts used to more fully depict this plot-dependant activity, and I'll review that version as soon as I have built up the resolve to subject myself to it.Between various orgasms, the killer brutally murders his way through the cast, using the medieval axes, knives, spiked maces, swords, and even a crossbow that are used as wall decorations down in the main hallway. Like most modern Americans I have myself been to see counsellors for one reason or another during my life, and not one of them had double handed battle axes as wall decorations in their buildings. Curious.Of all the cast members, Rosalba Neri seems to be the one who actually allowed herself to become involved with the production and endows her character with a feline, predatory awareness that probably results in the fanatical cult following that this film has engendered. Her steamy, psychedelic shower scene is almost brilliant in depicting an almost pure, pornographic vision of a woman with such a cosnuming sense of nymphomania that she is driven to distraction. Her striptease & sex scene in the greenhouse is probably the film's high point for me, and there was a sense of disappointment to her murder, since none of the surviving ladies was as interesting, and her genuine attempt to coaxe her murderer into at least screwing her first was perhaps the movie's most effective moment. Everything that woman touched was golden.The film's other main noteriety is for the scene where blond Jane Garret first "interferes with herself", as the nuns at school would say, and then is done in by the killer in what is the most graphic murder of the film: He first stabs her, then slices her abdomen from neck to pubis & off to the side in what can only be an edited attempt to eviscerate the woman. While I will agree that the sight of her intestines might be necessary to diLeo's vision for the film I was glad to be spared the moment. Perhaps the Italian and French versions will contain the entire disembowling, and I'll make note if warranted in a future posting.On the whole I found the production to be an interesting mix of kink, sleaze and gory killings, with the subplot involving Rosalba Neri's incestous relationship with her brother providing an extra layer of filth that I wasn't expecting. While the dubbing & picture quality of the Gorgon tape reviewed is not up to standards, I found the movies' color schemes to be compelling, and director diLeo's camerawork definitely showing a ready pre-curser to what would become the slasher film's structure of switching to the Darth Vader breathed killer's perspective. I also liked how diLeo was able to combine the elements of a gothic thriller with a lurid modern day sex picture so effortlessly: the scenes of the killer lurking around in the dark, selecting weapons and then having to scamper about to remain unnoticed had a nice quality to them that actually sort of put us in the killer's shoes, though one does wonder why a health clinic if any variety would have what seens to be an inexaustible supply of cigarettes for characters to puff away on so copiously, but whatever: 1971 Italy, everybody smoked.It's interesting to add as a footnote that none of the "Fernando deLio Scholars" whom I have queried about this movie to claim to be particularly fond of it, and all of us have expressed a dismay to each other at understanding why the film has such a violently ferverant cult following. One of my experts -- who personally knew diLeo and has met Ms. Neri & spoken with her -- stated catagorically that neither was fond of discussing the film or considered working on it to have been a pleasant experience. This may be because of the notorious post-production editing that pushed the film into the area of genuine pornography in at least one form, or it may be that they were intelligent artists who understood that while they did the best with what they had to work with, SLAUGHTER HOTEL basically sucks once you get down to it, though it does have some moments that add up to more than the sum of it's parts.Of additional interest: The villa used for at least some of the filming is the same building used in Anthony Margheriti's WEB OF THE SPIDER; The upstairs hallway is exactly the same set, only with the walls painted white and the furniture re-arranged. Check it out.SQ032904 **1/2 out of a possible ****
8 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Bad giallo, good softcore porn, 11 September 2004 Author: lazarillo
As a giallo this movie is a real disappointment. The plot is virtually non-existent, the suspense is nil, aside from the widescreen compositions the cinematography is unimpressive, and I'm sure the occasionally interesting score was recycled from a better movie. Klaus Kinski obviously phoned in his performance (long-distance with a very bad connection) and Rosalba Neri (aka Sarah Bay) is pretty much wasted.On the other hand, if you're looking for softcore porn, this movie is a relative masterpiece. The crisp cinematography is superior to just about anything else in that genre, and you have an elegant Italian instrumental score as opposed to the usual, grating wah-wah synthesizer. The plot may be anemic, but it certainly doesn't interfere with any of the action. Even sleepwalking through their respective roles, Neri and Kinski can act circles around your typical softcore sex performer. Kinski, of course, does not actually perform any sex scenes (which is good--we're talking Klaus here, not Natassia). Neri, on the other hand, has done many sex scenes in much better movies, but I'm confident no one will complain about her scenes here, even if they don't exactly show off her considerable acting talent. As in many European movies, Neri's "solo" sex scene really pushes the line between softcore and hardcore, but in the best possible way. Only the ending is terrible regardless. It comes out of nowhere and will appeal only to fans of medieval weaponry and/or the Richard Speck student nurse murders.
9 out of 11 people found the following review useful: watch out for censored versions, 7 January 2001 Author: john-852 from Somerville, Mass
This is another one of those movies that got cut up where ever it played. ASYLUM EROTICA is the most heavily cut, stay away from this! SLAUGHTER HOTEL is less cut but still is missing bits of sex and violence. The only complete copy I have seen comes from France and is the only widescreen version available worldwide that i am aware of. Truly a classic sleaze film, this begs for remastered DVD release ASAP!
6 out of 6 people found the following review useful: A strange blend of erotica and slasher gore, 30 September 2005 Author: saud29 from United States
Wow! You ever wonder why you are who you are, and how you got this way? I saw this movie in 1973 when I was 12 years old. Didn't know it at the time, but it was happily inappropriate for a group of impressionable pre-teens. My day camp counselor who was about 17 at the time took us to see this along with a karate flick ("The Hong Kong Cat"). It was classic - the counselor and his girlfriend drinking beer & sitting five rows behind nine raucous and rowdy 12 year olds. Then when the first solo shower scene of one of the inmates comes on, followed by a pretty sizzling interracial lesbian vignette, we were dead silent. "Slaughter Hotel" is a roller coaster ride of wood-inducing soft core action, followed by well, slaughter. There are spots where they try to make sense of the story, but its basically a maniac loose in a hospital where all of the female patients are lusty and attractive. I remember thinking how I could get a job at a place like that? Years later it reminded me of the Richard Speck episode from the sixties, where he killed 8 nurses in Chicago. I got this on VHS from Amazon a few years ago, and it maintains its ability to stimulate. Yeah we were all marked after that movie. We later graduated to hard core flicks on 42nd St in NYC, but I digress..Rent this if you can, and see if doesn't maintain your ah, interest. Klaus Kinski probably removed this from his resume, but I consider this one of the godfathers of there slasher genre.
7 out of 9 people found the following review useful: VERY ORIGINAL GIALLO - SLEAZE !, 19 May 2004 Author: Mathis_Vogel from Birmingham, UK
The version of the movie I review is entitled "COLD BLOODED BEAST". This is a very sleazy italian giallo with lots of nudity,sex and some stylish killings. Actually I hoped it to be a little gorier, but the final result is OK. The movie is very stylishly photographed, so if you like widescreen compositions, you'll enjoy it. The plot is simple: the masked killer terrorizes asylum for rich women( who are all very sexy). That's all you need to know, because the story doesn't seem to progress any further throughout the film. This movie possesses such a powerful sex drive that not many porn movies can match. The scenes with a nymphomanic patient(gorgeous Rosalba Neri) seducing everyone who comes across, mostly asylum staff members("I'm just a gardener!") and nurse having sex with another attractive lesbian patient are truly high points of the film.No man can remain unimpressed!By, the way these patients masturbate A LOT!We get closeups of their fingers in vaginas( I'm not sure whether this footage belongs to the original film or it was inserted in post - production to please audience for some releases) so be warned.If you don't like like eurosleaze, read no further, go watch something less controversial, because Fernando Di Leo doesn't shy away from his own desires here! Klaus Kinski who gets top billing, plays Dr.Keller and actually appears on the screen for 15 minutes(just like in D'Amato's "Death smiles at murder") and doesn't seem to put much effort in his role. Anyway, I like him in all Eurohorror movies! By the way, there are more killings in the last 5 minutes of the film then in previous 85! A LITTLE WARNING: if you like your movies to have tight plots, and logical explanations for all the events , this one is surely NOT for you.There's little sense in this movie, but lots of wild sexual and homicidal emotions.If you like movies like Renato Polselli's "DELIRIUM" or Mario Landi's "Patric Vive Ancora", check this one out!
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful: It is Sleazy, but not a Giallo, 9 October 2006 Author: Molly Celaschi (carlykristen) from United States
I will start by saying that in the Director's Interview, Di Leo admits outright that he did no research on mental institutions when he decided to make a film based on, well, mental institutions. When asked how he got along with the actresses on set, he replies, "They had good bodies." He also admits that he didn't like the film, but he is glad others do. This is really all you need to know about the film. No, wait… there is more.Slaughter Hotel's original ad campaign played upon the idea that the film is "Based on a True Story", which means it really wasn't. It was compared to the crimes of Chicago mass-murderer Richard Speck (who actually killed student nurses and not patients), but is technically unrelated.The premise of the film is to not be grounded in reality. Or that is my interpretation at least. Basically, this is a mental institution running in a castle complete with armored knights. The only patients they admit are young, beautiful women with a problem of running around naked for no apparent reason. The film has about 20 sex scenes, which are repeated in flashbacks as though I would forget, so I guess it is more like 115 times people have sex on screen. Ugh, there is no mystery here. I think Di Leo forgot he was making a horror film. I guess a couple girls die later leading to a tacked on, lame ending.The major problems with the flick are many. There is highly inappropriate music resembling The Love Boat. The sound quality is bad with constant thudding and a poor transition between music and background noise. Klaus Kinksi, the lead actor, stands around with nothing to do. Di Leo has no idea what mental stability and instability is. The scenes in this film are beyond bizarre. My favorite of which is when a Black patient hearing drums says, "This must be from my native country. I must have danced to this when I was a child." Yes folks, that's right, she proceeds to dance like a chicken and finish it off by having lesbian sex with her nurse. The rest of the film is pretty much the same. Nude massages & sponge baths, full-on female masturbation sequences, etc.I felt like I was watching porn with bad dialogue, but I guess that would be redundant because that's what porn is. Sex, bad dialogue, and some more sex.Nothing in this film makes sense. There is no linear plot, no mystery, and no one cares. I honesty think this was a wet dream Di Leo had. I was waiting for the flying unicorn to tackle the leprechaun for his pot of gold. And then have sex with it.Favorite Quote – Doctor says to Female Patient, "Your desire to make love is excessive. Now go take a shower."Extras: Well, I guess there was a Still Gallery, Trailers, and Interviews. As stated before, it includes educational commentary from the director.Bottom Line: Ultimate sleazefest with minimal gore and zero intelligence. If you like sleaze, I recommend buying it. You will be happy. If you want a good giallo, then set this on fire, do a dance around it, and hope that God will send you anything from Argento, the Bavas, or anyone else that is Italian.Rating: I guess it depends on your mood. Either 3/10 or 7/10.Molly Celaschi www.HorrorYearbook.com MySpace.com/HorrorYearbook
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful: A satisfyingly sleazy slice of Italian slasher trash, 18 May 2006 Author: Woodyanders (Woodyanders@aol.com) from The Last New Jersey Drive-In on the Left
A murderous mystery maniac wearing a hood and cape brutally butchers staff and patients alike at a posh all female asylum run by Dr. Keller (the one and only Klaus Kinski sporting modish long hair). Director Fernando Di Leo (who also co-wrote the sordid script with Nino Latino) really pours on the hardcore raunchy and explicit scuzziness in this alarmingly fetid flick, delivering extremely ample and explicit amounts of seamy sex and gory violence with jaw-dropping go-for-it slimy abandon. There's a real leering, nasty, rub-your-nose-in-the-filth grimy and graphic edge to this picture that's a terrifically trashy wonder to behold. Delectable brunette beauty Rosalba "The Devil's Wedding Night" Neri as the resident insatiable nympho ain't the least bit bashful about baring her sleek, shapely body in a much-appreciated steamy shower scene; she later strips in order to seduce the hunky gardener and gets killed while writhing naked in bed. The equally tasty Margaret "Venus in Furs" Lee, Jane Garret, Monica Strebel, and Giora Desideri all likewise dutifully doff their duds in the name of gleefully lowbrow exploitation. Silvano Spadaccino's groovy score neatly alternates between funky, percussive prog-rock and lush orchestral jazz. Franco Villa's snazzy cinematography goes gloriously overboard with crazy tilted angles, sinuous prowling tracking shots and crude, shaky hand-held camera-work. The murder set pieces are every bit as bloody, vicious and sleazy as they ought to be. The seriously sick and twisted over-the-top nutty ending concludes things on a perfectly putrid note. Good lowdown gritty and unapologetically scroungy fun.
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Murder and Sex at a Mental Hospital for Women, 15 March 2000 Author: MADMANMARZ from bklyn ny
While not as violent as other Italian Giallo/slasher movies of the 70's, Slaughter Hotel is worth a look. The movie centers around a series of murders at a mental hospital for women. We learn all about the patients sexual desires before they are killed off with mediaevall weapons. Plenty of nudity and a pretty bloody ending won't disappoint those who like this kind of entertainment either. A pretty decent cast and good photography and sets also help a great deal. Overall, this is a solid movie.
5 out of 7 people found the following review useful: Italian horror fans sick dream come true, 15 July 2002 Author: horrorbargainbin (warrenraccoon@yahoo.com) from hollywood, ca
Reminds me of less complicated Italian slashers like Bava's 'Bay of Blood'. This film sticks primarily to sex and blood. The plot is unimportant, but easy to pay attention to since it's so sexual in bizarre ways. Flashbacks re-cap all the suggestion you might miss.Tons of nudity and weapons. It lacks some of the mystery of the Italian greats, but I can't imagine fans not having a blast watching.
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