Un delitto poco comune (1988)

Director:

Ruggero Deodato

Writers:

Gianfranco Clerici (story) &
Vincenzo Mannino (story) ...

Release Date:

December 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Police Comissioner Datti is investigating the murder of a female doctor whose murderer seems to be a thirty-fivish year old man...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Pianist | Disease | Beautiful Woman | Female Nudity

Cast

Michael York	...	Robert Dominici
Edwige Fenech	...	Hélène Martell
Donald Pleasence	...	Inspector Datti
Mapi Galán	...	Susanna
Fabio Sartor	...	Davide
Renato Cortesi	...	Agent Marchi
Antonella Ponziani	...	Gloria Datti
Carola Stagnaro	...	Dr. Carla Pesenti
Daniele Brado	...	Dr. Vanni
Caterina Boratto	...	Robert's Mother
Lewis E. Ciannelli	...	Chief Physician (as Lewis Eduardo Ciannelli)
Renata Dal Pozzo	...	Agent Corsi
Giovanni Lombardo Radice	...	Father Giuliano
Gianni Franco	...	Inspector
Marino Masé	...	Expert on aging

Also Known As:

La casa di Via Rubens (Italy) (alternative title)
Off Balance
Phantom of Death
Squilibrio (Italy) (video title)

Runtime:

90 min | Germany:88 min (DVD edition) | France:100 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

France:-16 | UK:18 (cut) | USA:R | West Germany:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Empire Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

DMV Distribuzione

Trivia:

Italian censorship visa # 83223 delivered on 13-1-1988.

Unpleasant and original Giallo from Ruggero Deodato!

This film became an instant must see for me after reading the plot outline - how could I resist a film about a killer who was unlucky enough to catch a disease that makes him age rapidly? This film is quite heavily flawed, but it's safe to say that director Ruggero Deodato hasn't squandered it, as Phantom of Death is a very fun little thriller that makes good use of its central idea and features some very nice scenes of gore. Yes, you've got to expect a lot of the red stuff from a man whose biggest film credits include The House on the Edge of the Park and Cannibal Holocaust, and the film certainly doesn't disappoint; as we've got a woman being stabbed though a window, another having her throat sliced open, a decapitation and other such macabre happenings. The plot focuses on a piano player who, after losing some of his hair, discovers to his horror that he's one of the few adult sufferers of a disease that speeds up the aging process. As you might expect, this has a profound effect on his mind as well as his body; and it ultimately leads him to murder...

One of the main weak points of this movie stems from the plotting. The screenplay is very disjointed, and the film doesn't always flow well. Furthermore, it suffers from the common Italian thriller flaw of not always making a great deal of sense - so it's lucky that the ideas and their implications are usually enough to carry the film. The acting is a strong point for the movie, however, and this one features some rather risky casting. Michael York takes the lead role and brings class and sophistication to it, which ensures that the classic British actor is always more than the common sleazy killer seen in most Giallo's. Donald Pleasance is his opposite number, and while he isn't given an awful lot to do in his role as the police officer on the case; he's a hell of a lot better than he was in the Halloween movies in which he made his name. The central cast is rounded off by classic Giallo temptress Edwige Fenech, who still looks great despite this film being made over a decade and a half since her immortal roles in Sergio Martino's classy Giallo's. Overall, this isn't great or a classic; but Phantom of Death shows some great originality (something Giallo's aren't well known for) and entertains despite its obvious flaws. Well worth seeking out!