Paganini Horror (1989)

User Rating:

3.9/10   

Director:

Luigi Cozzi

Writers:

Luigi Cozzi (screenplay)
Raimondo Del Balzo (story)

Release Date:

6 June 1989 (Italy)

Genre:

Horror | Music

Plot:

Rock and roll band purchases piece of music to record that were used in satanic rituals. Band decides...

Plot Keywords:

Deal With The Devil | Violin | Rock Band | Curse | Supernatural

Cast

Daria Nicolodi	...	Sylvia Hackett
Jasmine Maimone	...	Kate (as Jasmine Main)
Pascal Persiano	...	Daniel
Maria Cristina Mastrangeli	...	Lavinia
Michel Klippstein	...	Elena
Pietro Genuardi	...	Mark Singer
Luana Ravegnini	...	Rita
Roberto Giannini
Giada Cozzi	...	Sylvia as a child
Elena Pompei	...	Sylvia's mother
Perla Costantini
Donald Pleasence	...	Mr. Pickett

Also Known As:

Il violino che uccide (Italy)
The Killing Violin (Europe) (informal title)

Runtime:

82 min | Belgium:93 min (video version)

Country:

Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Belgium:16 (video rating) | West Germany:16

Company:

Fulvia Film

Arguably The Dumbest Italian Horror Film Ever Made

As an avid lover of Horror made in Bella Italia, who has seen hundreds of Italian Horror productions, I must say that "Paganini Horror" is arguably not only THE dumbest, but also the most boring and tiresome Italian Horror film ever brought to screen (I am not counting Claudio Fragasso's disastrous "Troll 2", which is, In my opinion, not Horror, and neither is it really Italian). Not even the casting of the great Donald Pleasence and regular Italian Horror actress Daria Nicolodi can save "Paganini Horror", as this has absolutely nothing to offer except for mild amusement about all its ludicrous aspects. I did not have high expectations for "Paganini Horror" as fellow Horror lovers had already warned me about how ridiculously bad it was, yet I somehow wished I was in for a positive surprise, since director Luigi Cozzi is generally a gifted man, as films like his highly unusual, but equally highly memorable Giallo "The Killer Must Kill Again" (1975) prove. "Paganini Horror", however has nothing to recommend it for, which is too bad, since a Satanic Horror film about Paganini could have become something good, or at least highly entertaining, if someone had put a little more heart into it.

After the producer of a mostly female Rock band keeps nagging about the lack of originality in their (terrible!) newest song, the only male band member, the drummer, purchases an unopened document with an unknown Paganini score from a sinister man (Pleasance). Supposedly based on this Paganini document, the band produce a new (and equally awful) song, and decide to make a video-clip in Paganini's old mansion - The mansion in which the famous violin virtuoso had once signed a pact with the devil... Sound cheesy, and it is, but not only is it very, very dumb cheese, even though the film is only 80 minutes long, the temptation to fast-forward becomes bigger with each passing minute after a while. Even the gore-effects are awful, there's an incredibly corny-looking electrocution sequence which is so crappy it really has to be seen to be believed. Apart from Donald Pleasence (one of my favorite actors) and Daria Nicolodi, the performances are also god-awful. Still Pleasence and Nicolodi raise the quality a little bit (but certainly not very much). Otherwise, this has little to no redeeming qualities. Avoid!