Well, the Giallo had it's heyday in the early seventies, and ever since the stream of these great films got thinner and thinner until we reached the nineties and the genre sadly all but petered out. With that in mind, this isn't a particularly bad film; but it pales in comparison to its seventies counterparts, and it has to be said that by the conclusion, you kind of wonder what the point is. Giallo's are renowned for featuring over the top and frankly stupid plot lines; and this one is certainly no different, as Body Puzzle has one of the most ridiculous story lines of all! The film kicks off with two murders; the second of which sees us introduced to the cold and calculating murderer. The murders continue, and the copper on the case sees a connection to Tracy; a window who lost her husband Abe in a motorcycle accident. The cop wastes no time in falling for Tracy, meanwhile; the murder spree continues and all the signs seem to point to the dead husband and his donor card, as all the victims have the fact that they received something from Abe in common...
The film was directed by Lamberto Bava who, despite never topping the achievements of his father, has proved himself to be a capable director on a number of occasions. This film is actually the worst Lamberto Bava Giallo that I've seen, as both Macabre and A Blade in the Dark were better. The film does have its plus points, however, as Bava doesn't let the film fall short where death scenes are concerned. The murder sequences aren't overly gory, but they are pretty nasty as we witness things such as a connectionist being stabbed to death, a woman having her hand cut off and a teacher having her eyes cut out in front of a class of blind kids! The plot has its problems, however as the fact that we know who the murderer is makes the rest of the mystery fit together all too easily. The cast is decent enough, with cult stars Erika Blanc and Giovanni Lombardo Radice standing out amongst a cast of lesser known actors. The music is completely over the top like the rest of the film; although the central classical tune is used far too often for my liking and gives the film something of a farcical feel. Overall, this film is unlikely to top anyone's list of favourite Giallo's - but considering the over the top ridiculousness of the production...it could have been worse.
The film was directed by Lamberto Bava who, despite never topping the achievements of his father, has proved himself to be a capable director on a number of occasions. This film is actually the worst Lamberto Bava Giallo that I've seen, as both Macabre and A Blade in the Dark were better. The film does have its plus points, however, as Bava doesn't let the film fall short where death scenes are concerned. The murder sequences aren't overly gory, but they are pretty nasty as we witness things such as a connectionist being stabbed to death, a woman having her hand cut off and a teacher having her eyes cut out in front of a class of blind kids! The plot has its problems, however as the fact that we know who the murderer is makes the rest of the mystery fit together all too easily. The cast is decent enough, with cult stars Erika Blanc and Giovanni Lombardo Radice standing out amongst a cast of lesser known actors. The music is completely over the top like the rest of the film; although the central classical tune is used far too often for my liking and gives the film something of a farcical feel. Overall, this film is unlikely to top anyone's list of favourite Giallo's - but considering the over the top ridiculousness of the production...it could have been worse.